Light heavyweight champ Rob Wilkinson had already been shown the door due to a failed drug test, but Brendan Loughnane, the 2022 featherweight champ, appeared to be sitting pretty heading into the event. Loughnane had five points towards the post-season to start the night, but as it turned out, that’s all he would have when all was said and done.

Which wasn’t enough to make the playoffs.

Loughnane was dropped early in the night’s main event, felled by a Jesus Pinedo body kick that folded him up. A few extra punches on the fallen champ, and Pinedo had the necessary “quick six” to secure a playoff berth.

UPSET! UPSET! UPSET JESUS PINEDO IS GOING TO THE #PFLPLAYOFFS!

Loughnane is eliminated!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/WOxITRo19X

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 9, 2023

A former UFC fighter who went 1-1 with that promotion in 2019, Pinedo was coming off a split decision loss to Gabriel Braga. Brazil’s Braga also had a big night on Thursday, dropping Marlon Moraes, a former WSOF champ and UFC title challenger, with a right hand in the opening round. Hammerfists sealed the deal, and pushed Braga into the post-season.

With Bubba Jenkins and Movlid Khaybulaev both earning finishes on the night, Loughnane was pushed out of the playoff picture. Khaybulaev is the 2021 PFL featherweight champ, but missed all of the 2022 season.

Loughnane was arguably the promotion’s biggest star besides Kayla Harrison last year, completing his feel-good story by winning a major title, plus a million dollars, after being snubbed of a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

As for Moraes, his PFL return (if you count his WSOF stint, a precursor to the Professional Fighters League) saw him go 0-3, finished on all three occasions. Combined with his final UFC run, “Magic” has lost his last seven fights, all via KO/TKO.

There’s a good bet retirement sticks this time.

Moving into the post season, the playoff picture now looks like this (# denotes seed):

• (1) Bubba Jenkins vs. (4) Jesus Pinedo
• (2) Gabriel Braga vs. (3) Movlid Khaybulaev

At light heavyweight, meanwhile, it comes down to the following semi-final match-ups:

• (1) Joshua Silveira vs. (4) Ty Flores
• (2) Marthin Hamlet vs. (3) Impa Kasanganay

The post Jesus Pinedo Eliminates Brendan Loughnane at PFL 4, Marlon Moraes Retires appeared first on Cageside Press.

Loughnane had stiff competition in the featherweight tournament, with former champ Movlid Khaybulaev, Bubba Jenkins, and others still in the running to make the playoffs.

On the light heavyweight side, the situation was much different. The 205lb division had lost key names including Rob Wilkinson (2022 champ), Thiago Santos, and Krzysztof Jotko following a stint in Nevada in April that saw 10 PFL fighters fail their drug tests.

Still moving on in the regular season was American Top Team standout Josh Silveira, who along with PFL mainstay Marthin Hamlet had six points towards the playoffs.

PFL 4 takes place Thursday at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA — full results can be found below.

2023 PFL 4: Loughnane vs. Pinedo Results

Main card

Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo def. Brendan Loughnane via R1 KO 1:34
Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Tyler Diamond via R2 Submission (Arm Triangle) 4:23
Light Heavyweight: Marthin Hamlet def. Sam Kei via Unanimous Decision (29-28×3)
Featherweight: Bubba Jenkins def. Sung Bin Jo R1 Technical Submission (RNC)
Light Heavyweight: Josh Silveira vs. Delan Monte

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Gabriel Alves Braga def. Marlon Moraes via R1 KO 3:02
Light Heavyweight: Ty Flores def. Daniel Spohn via Unanimous Decision (29-28×2, 30-27)
Featherweight: Chris Wade def. Ryoji Kudo via R1 Technical Submission (Guillotine) 4:15
Light Heavyweight: Impa Kasanganay def. Tim Caron via R2 Submission (arm triangle) 3:52
Light Heavyweight: Andrew Sanchez def. Taylor Johnson via Split Decision (29-27×3)
Women’s Featherweight: Abigail Montes def. Brandy Hester via R1 TKO 3:06
Featherweight: Alexei Pergande def. Akeem Bashir via R1 Submission (D’arce choke) 3:40

The post 2023 PFL 4: Loughnane vs. Pinedo Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Taking place at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, PFL 4 is a new look card at least where the light heavyweight division was concerned. The weight class was decimated by drug test failures stemming from the promotion’s first three events in Nevada in April, with defending champ Rob Wilkinson, Thiago Santos, Krzysztof Jotko, and Will Fleury among those hit with suspensions and out of the season.

On the flip side, featherweight came out of that carnage relatively unscathed, with top talents like returning champ Brendan Loughnane, fellow former 145lb champion Movlid Khaybulaev, Chris Wade, and Bubba Jenkins all set to carry on in the tournament.

Weigh-ins for the 2023 PFL 4 card take place Wednesday in Atlanta, full results can be found below.

2023 PFL 4: Loughnane vs. Pinedo Weigh-In Results

Main card

Featherweight: Brendan Loughnane (146) vs. Jesus Pinedo (146)
Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (146) vs. Tyler Diamond (145.8)
Light Heavyweight: Marthin Hamlet (205.8) vs. Sam Kei (206)
Featherweight: Bubba Jenkins (146) vs. Sung Bin Jo (145.8)
Light Heavyweight: Josh Silveira (205.6) vs. Delan Monte (205.8)

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Gabriel Alves Braga (144.4) vs. Marlon Moraes (145.6)
Light Heavyweight: Daniel Spohn (206) vs. Ty Flores (211.2)*
Featherweight: Chris Wade (145.4) vs. Ryoji Kudo (145.6)
Light Heavyweight: Impa Kasanganay (204) vs. Tim Caron (205)
Light Heavyweight: Andrew Sanchez (205.6) vs. Taylor Johnson (205.2)
Women’s Featherweight: Abigail Montes (145.8) vs. Brandy Hester (145)
Featherweight: Alexei Pergande (145.8) vs. Akeem Bashir (146)

*Flores missed weight by 5.2 pounds. Fight will go on, but Flores docked a point in the standings.

The post 2023 PFL 4: Loughnane vs. Pinedo Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Speaking during Tuesday’s 2023 PFL 4 media day, the former UFC bantamweight title challenger and WSOF champ, now fighting in the PFL’s featherweight division, noted that “until you get to exchange blows inside the octagon, you don’t know how hard they hit, how fast they are. I respect everyone, and I think every opponent was hard.”

Hard is what lies in front of him, at least in the eyes of those watching. Moraes was stopped in his first fight of the 2023 season, and needs a finish — early, most likely — to continue on in the season. Making the playoffs in the Professional Fighters League requires points, and points require finishes.

It seems like “Magic” Marlon Moraes is ready for that. He’ll be coming out aggressive, as always. “That’s my style, that’s how I fight, and let’s go, let’s see what happens,” he exclaimed. “But that’s what I do, that’s how I fight.”

The pressure is there, but that comes with the territory it seems. “Every fight is pressure. You always want to win, and you always want to finish. A fighter like me, I like to finish fights, and I don’t see any different. Every fight is pressure, but that’s my way, that’s how I fight, I’m aggressive. That’s how I fight, and I’m definitely going to put on a show.”

Moraes will face off with Gabriel Braga at PFL 4, an undefeated Brazilian who Moraes would go on to call a very good striker. “He’s a tough opponent, aggressive fighter just like myself,” observed Moraes. “And that’s great to guarantee that we’re not going to have a boring fight.”

Despite his recent struggles, Moraes isn’t ready to contemplate retirement just yet. Admitting that it’s hard to predict when he’ll hang up the gloves, Moraes explained that it simply isn’t time yet.

“It’s not the time, and I know it’s not. That’s not the way I want to leave the sport, and that’s not the way I want to leave the PFL. I signed with the PFL with a mission, I want to put on performances, that’s why I’m here. Put on great fights, fights that people are going to be talking about. And that’s not how I want to go. The day I do that and I see myself fighting, that’s going to be when I want to leave. I don’t want to leave this way.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 4 media day appearance by Marlon Moraes above.

The post PFL 4: Marlon Moraes Says It’s Not Time to Walk Away From Fighting appeared first on Cageside Press.

If you can call it a fight camp, that is.

“It’s kind of hard to call it camp, there’s like a camp every two months. The season’s going well I guess,” Silveira (10-1) told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “Happy to be here, happy to be healthy, happy to have six points.”

The PFL schedule certainly keeps the promotion’s fighters busy. Compete for the PFL, and you’re just about certain to get two fights a year, with three or four a very real possibility. That kind of activty is something Silveira, for one, is down with.

“I think it could be a blessing or it could be a nightmare, depending on the situation. Because there’s some fighters that have a hard time finding fights. All they want to do is get a fight. And here at the PFL we’re cranking them out, you could fight two to four times in a year. So I enjoy it,” said Silveira, who is used to the busy schedule wrestling afforded him in college. “The little two months in between, it hits the spot perfect, where I get some rest time and then I go get a win. A win, especially nowadays in MMA, it could push your career in a very good direction. Especially with a company like PFL and any of these other big shows. One win does make a huge difference.”

One win made a huge difference for Silveira earlier this year, as a first-round submission of Sam Kei earned the American Top Team light heavyweight six points in the season standings. A loss last season, meanwhile, against teammate Omari Akhmedov also made a huge difference for Josh Silveira.

“The opportunity is a lot more alive right now than versus last year. Last year I think I was just happy to be part of the show; I think this year I’m really trying to take over,” Silveira stated. “And I think that just comes with maturity, I think that comes with the loss, whether you lose in the gym or you lose in Madison Square Garden.”

Last year was a “good experience, but bittersweet,” added Silveira. “I’ve moved on from it. I’m a fighter ready to put myself in the same position I was in last year. So here we are.”

Silveira gets a familiar face in Delan Monte at PFL 4, which he will enter in second place in the weight class, just behind Marthin Hamlet (2022 champ Rob Wilkinson is now out for the season, following a failed drug test).

“I like Delan, he’s a cool guy. Me and him, we’re pretty close acquaintances, I would say. We’re friends. We trained together when I was an amateur back in Arizona, after I graduated,” Silveira explained. “He was like 2-0, 3-0, he came from Brazil to help out Ryan Bader and train a little bit; we were training under a coach from Brazil that Bader flew in. It’s kind of crazy how I’m fighting him now when I was training with him when I was 21, 22 years old. This is seven years later, eight years later.”

Silveira was careful to note he’s not judging Monte from those past training sessions. “I barely even remember how the sparring went. But I’ve seen how he fights now and I just know myself, I know my team, I know my gym. I’m just a tough fight for anyone.” At the end of the day, added Silveira, “it’s going to come down to IQ, and I think I’m just going to make better choices. Especially, he has zero points so I’m expecting him to come out pretty heavy in the first round. But this is a fight, it’s MMA, so I’m ready for anything. I think it’s just going to come down to a better gas tank, better decision making, and just capturing the moment when it’s come to finish.”

Watch our full interview with PFL 4 light heavyweight Josh Silveira above.

The post PFL 4: Josh Silveira “Really Trying to Take Over” In Second PFL Season appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Everybody knows the ‘Bad Man’s’ got a way with words,” Jenkins (20-6) said of the opportunity, his second time working the broadcast booth for TCL, while speaking with Cageside Press recently. “I’m definitely going to be looking into doing that a lot more; it’s a great opportunity for me because Team Combat League is an awesome league, and it’s a new thing that’s supposed to be happening.”

The time spent behind the desk watching and analyzing combat is something Jenkins believes has helped further his own skills as a fighter.

“Absolutely. One, it helps my striking because I’m commentating on boxing. Just seeing some of the different moves and maneuvers that they make, and being here with Paulie Malignaggi and different fighters of that ilk, they speak on things and they talk about things that help me understand different maneuvers and techniques to do,” said Jenkins. “So yeah, it definitely helps. And any time you can coach or teach or analyze a situation and commentate on it often, you can start really picking up the nuances to it. You might not be able to do it unless you go out and do that, but you definitely learn a lot. And when you put it together, you can grow fast.”

Jenkins started out the 2023 PFL season by avenging his loss to Chris Wade last year. Next up is South Korea’s Sung Bin Jo, who is getting a late start to his own PFL season.

“I’m excited about fighting Sung Bin Jo and his style,” Jenkins told us. “A lot of people have been waiting for Sung Bin Jo to fight, so we get to see him, and we get to see what the ‘Bad Man’ brings to Atlanta.”

With Jo not having been medically cleared for his first fight of the season, however, Jenkins admits he’s a little worried as to whether his opponent actually makes it to the fight.

“Absolutely. I’ve been saying that the whole time. You don’t really get to ask for anybody in this tournament, you just hope they give you the right opponent for you to advance,” said Jenkins. “When you’re one of the top guys, it really doesn’t matter, the opponent. You just show up ready to go.” With the tournament format and “hoping to have a fight and have those things,” Jenkins continued, “I need a good dance partner. If I have a good dance partner, you know the ‘Bad Man’ likes to dance, and he dance well. When it gets a little bit weird and sticky, I show up professionally and I just make sure I do my job. So yeah, I’m a little bit nervous that might be the case, but we’re expecting the best, healthy, on weight Sung Bin Jo that we’ve seen.”

A win over Jo, meanwhile, puts him in a good spot for the post-season. Ever the analyst, Jenkins broke that down. It all comes down to points, but Jenkins sees himself matched up with either Brendan Loughnane or Movlid Khaybulaev next.

“As it pertains to the points, if I knock somebody out, likely, because [Brendan] Loughnane’s already in the lead and they gave him somebody to kick on again, likely he kicks this guy to death like he just did, and he gets another six points or five points. I knock my guy out, that puts me and him at the top, and likely we fight in the playoffs, for the championship spot,” noted Jenkins. “Three rounds instead of five. He’d better hope he can get on that bike for three rounds and hope all the kicking is going to help him for three rounds instead of five.”

Whether it be three or five rounds, Jenkins looks forward to another fight with Loughnane, last year’s featherweight champ. “But if I knock my guy out and say Movlid does his best against Diamond, Tyler Diamond, which is an awesome match-up, and I just beat my guy, say I don’t knock my guy out, I just beat my guy, then likely I get the Movlid guy in the semis.”

That’s a match-up Bubba Jenkins likes as well. “I like Movlid in a 15 [minute fight] too. I like Movlid in 25 really, because he ain’t gonna— I’ll hold my tongue on the Movlid match-up, but let’s just say I like it. I like it in 15, I like it in 25. Either way, I like it.”

There’s one name Jenkins didn’t mention, and that’s Wade. Wade spoke to Cageside Press earlier this month, and said he wanted a third fight with Jenkins “in the worst way,” adding that “I have this feeling inside that I’m destined to get locked in there with him again one more time in the playoffs.”

Putting in mildly, Jenkins burst into laughter when informed of that comment. “Yeah alright. If that’s what he wants. He’d better call her back and make sure she’s been talking to the right person. Listen, I love that match-up. Any way, any day, any hour, any place, really, I would love that match-up. And he’s 100% right, I’ve got three rounds, he’s got three rounds, we must need a third match-up,” said Jenkins. “We do love trilogies, and that is one that I would love. Absolutely love.”

Watch our full interview with Bubba Jenkins above. Jenkins faces Sung Bin Jo at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA as part of PFL 4 on June 8, 2023.

The post PFL 4: Bubba Jenkins Reacts to Chris Wade Wanting Third Fight, Likes Both Loughnane and Khaybulaev Match-Ups appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA Fighting was first to report news of the drug test failures, which initially included free agent pick-up Thiago Santos (who lost his fight against returning champ Rob Wilkinson), fellow UFC signing Krzystof Jotko, former heavyweight champ Bruno Cappelozza, and others. A source familiar with the situation later confirmed the news to Cageside Press.

The outlet updated that list recently, noting that the following fighters were on temporary suspension in Nevada pending formal hearings:

• Krzystof Jotko
• Rizvan Kuniev
• Bruno Cappelloza
• Mohammed Fakhreddine
• Cezar Ferreira
• Will Fleury
• Daniel Torres
• Thiago Santos

In light of the news, Professional Fighters League officials released the following statement on Thursday:

PFL has been notified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that several fighters who competed in PFL 2023 Regular Season events this past April have been temporarily suspended until further review by the Commission.

The PFL has a zero-tolerance policy related to the usage of banned substances and complies with U.S. State Athletic Commission requirements. Further, as the PFL moves towards the highest level of testing and compliance in the sport, PFL is engaged with USADA on the implementation of its athlete anti-doping program.

No timetable was given regarding the introduction of USADA to the Professional Fighters League. Currently, only the UFC utilizes the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s services among MMA promotions. The first half of the season, in Las Vegas, was overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

However, the league has now announced line-ups for its next three cards. Of note, at PFL 4 (featherweights and light heavyweights), Rob Wilkinson, originally booked against Will Fleury, now faces Ty Flores. Thiago Santos vs. Mohammed Fakhreddine has been cancelled outright, with both fighters facing disciplinary action.

𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄

OFFICIAL: Featherweights and Light Heavyweights make their final push for the playoffs in Atlanta!

For more information and tickets 👇https://t.co/eCMG4faqPw pic.twitter.com/XQGp9GllA1

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 12, 2023

PFL 5, meanwhile, has heavyweights and women’s featherweights, with Ante Delija and Larissa Pacheco in action.

The 2023 Million Dollar Journey runs through Atlanta!

OFFICIAL: Heavyweights and Women’s Featherweights continue their journey with playoffs spots on the line!

For more information and tickets 👇https://t.co/eCMG4faqPw pic.twitter.com/RFnbAUGyLS

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 12, 2023

PFL 6, finally, features an all-Canadian match-up atop the card, as champ Olivier Aubin-Mercier takes on Anthony Romero.

The second half of the Professional Fighters League 2023 season kicks off on June 8, 2023 at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA.

The post Multiple Fighters Facing Suspension for Positive Drug Tests, PFL Announces Updated Fight Cards appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I miss them so much. It was amazing to compete so close to home, to have all my people there, to drive to my fight. It was an experience that I’ll never forget,” Wade (22-9) told Cageside Press in a recent interview, asked about the 2018 and 2019 east coast trips the promotion made. “I thought we’d come back around over here, be a little closer, come back to the island but it’s been a few years since we have.”

Instead of Long Island or even Atlantic City, the PFL will be back in Atlanta, Georgia at the Overtime Elite Arena early next month, with the 2023 PFL 4 card kicking off the second half of the league’s regular season. Wade is matched up with Ryoji Kudo, who was a virtual unknown until he knocked out Alejandro Flores to make the post season last year.

“I’m expecting more of the same. More of what we saw in that fight with Flores,” Wade said regarding his match-up with the Japanese featherweight. “He’s the kind of guy that, for him to be successful, he’s got to come forward, he’s got to blitz you, and he’s got to try to finish you with that right hand or that left hook. He’s not really the fanciest fighter, but he’s a tough, tough dude and he’s going to swing. He knows he needs points, he knows he needs to swing, and I expect him to try to do so.”

“With that being said, there’s opportunity in the fire. So for me, I’m looking at it like, he’s got to take a bunch of risks as well and he’s going to be leaving himself open plenty of times to also be hurt.”

While Kudo needs points to make it to the playoffs, so does Chris Wade himself. “The Long Island Killer” has made it to at least the semifinals in every single PFL season, and in 2021 went to the featherweight final. This year, however, he’s on the bubble.

“When you get put in this situation, you say ‘unfortunately’ but it is what it is. It’s the reality,” said Wade, who plans on a fast start against Kudo with an eye on scoring six points. “We both have to go in there and look for bonus points. The game plan does have to be structured around that. I have to be ready and prepared to sprint right out of the gate. I’m looking at this fight as a five minute fight. it’s a one-round, five minute fight with a couple five minute extensions attached to it.”

And so Wade will “be prepared to step on that gas pedal for the entire first five minutes. And if he survives it somehow, just leave nothing left of him so that hopefully you can put it away in the second right away.”

In his first fight of 2023, Wade dropped a unanimous decision to rival Bubba Jenkins, evening their career series at 1-1. It was an off night, with the fighter beset with issues outside the cage leading into the bout. But what fans see, of course, is only the end result, not the work that goes into a fight.

“Everything is magnified in fighting. Fighting is the hardest thing to do in the world. I wrestled, and I can even tell you, everyone’s like ‘wrestling is the toughest thing you could do.’ No, it isn’t,” Wade observed. “Wrestling is tough, but even in wrestling, if you had that bad tournament, if you had that bad match, if your personal life has effected that for whatever reason, two or three weeks later, you can easily get it right at a different tournament and you can avenge that loss a lot of times immediately. In the fight game, you get to compete quarterly at best, and a lot of times you never even get to cross that same athlete again. They just think they have your number for the rest of time after that.”

It’s a similar situation with the fans as well, added Wade. “It almost becomes this case of ‘well, sucks for them’ because it’s so long in between that they don’t care to even think about that.” A pitcher in baseball going through “sh*t at home” can get absolutely shelled and give up seven runs, and everybody forgets quickly, noted Wade. “In fighting, they always remember until you get back in there and you prove them wrong.”

Watch our full interview with 2023 PFL 4’s Chris Wade above. Wade faces Ryoji Kudo at the event at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA.

The post 2023 PFL 4: Chris Wade Sees “Opportunity in the Fire” Against Ryoji Kudo appeared first on Cageside Press.

League officials announced the news in a press release distributed on Thursday.

“The Professional Fighters League is thrilled to be returning to Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, for the second half of the 2023 PFL Regular Season,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray in Thursday’s release. “After three action-packed events in our 2022 Regular Season, our world-class fighters will be back for one more shot to punch their ticket to the 2023 Playoffs live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+, with global distribution to 160 countries.”

The three-card stint kicks off with 2023’s PFL 4, set to unfold at the Overtime Elite Arena on Thursday, June 8. The event will feature Featherweight and Light Heavyweight action, and is expected to feature 2022 PFL World Champions Brendan Loughnane and Rob Wilkinson.

PFL 5 lands on Friday, June 16 and with the Heavyweight and Women’s Featherweight divisions in action. Finally, PFL 6 goes down on Friday, June 23, with the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions in tow.

The PFL’s 2023 regular season kicks off in Las Vegas on April 1, 2023 at The Theatre at Virgin Hotels. Currently the league’s Challenger Series is ongoing, with week seven transpiring Friday, March 10 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

Atlanta, GA’s Overtime Elite Arena houses three NBA-sized basketball courts, and houses the Overtime Elite professional basketball league, which consists of both national and international players aged 17 to 21.

The post Second Half of Regular Season Sees PFL Return to Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA appeared first on Cageside Press.