In fact, she felt she could do better in her fight with Evelyn Martins, which wound up going the distance, earning Mokhnatkina three points — and, as it turned out, a spot in the PFL playoffs.

“After the first round, I feel it’s not going to happen how I want, and I need to do what I do better,” said Mokhnatkina (10-3) following the bout, speaking via translator and UFC heavyweight Serghei Spivac.

Since losing to Kayla Harrison in May of 2022, the Russian featherweight has won four straight fights, three of which have come under the PFL banner. After that setback, Mokhnatkina felt that “I need to believe more in myself.”

Martins was the lone fighter to miss weight for the 2023 PFL 5 card, and on that front, Mokhnatkina noted that “I think it’s unprofessional. But, she added, she “prepared for this fight so hard,” and there was no doubt coming in that she would be ready. “I think only about fighting,” she said when asked about her reaction to Martins’ miss.

Marina Mokhnatkina is set to face Amber Leibrock in the PFL 2023 semifinals.

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference appearance by Marina Mokhnatkina above.

The post PFL 5: Marina Mokhnatkina Reacts to “Unprofessional” Weight Miss by Evelyn Martins appeared first on Cageside Press.

The grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali has become a hot ticket for the Professional Fighters League, and the big question continues to be when he’ll turn pro. Not just yet, Ali Walsh said following Friday’s fight in Atlanta.

“I don’t think I’m ready to turn pro yet. I definitely want to up the skill of my opponents,” Ali Walsh told media outlets including Cageside Press following the victory. “I’d like to go through a three-round just war, where we’re both cut up, we’re bleeding at the face and everything. To me, that’s what fighting’s all about, is the back-and-forth, kind of like what the pioneers did, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Ben Henderson, all these guys.”

“So I think going through a war like that will help me when I’m ready to go pro, but right now I’m coming off first-round knockouts and stuff— I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

Whether he’s ready or not, Friday’s showing was another impressive one from Ali Walsh. He certainly, as his grandfather famously said, stung, though there wasn’t much time to float.

“I definitely stung. I could have floated a little more, but I definitely stung.”

Asked whether he studied his grandfather ahead of the fight, Ali Walsh explained that “before I was fighting, I always watched my grandfather. He’s like a superhero to me. Growing up, when you’re a kid, you don’t really understand or grasp the impact that he really made on the world, but as I got older, I started to kind of understand a little bit more and more. And I’m still learning, I’m only 24.”

“I’ve been watching his tape throughout my entire life, he invented the rope-a-dope, and that’s how he defeated George Foreman when the entire world though he was going to lose that,” Ali Walsh continued. “He’s a superhero to me.”

There’s another famous fighter that has had an influence on Biaggio Ali Walsh: Randy Couture. Ali Walsh trains at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.

“I definitely want to impress Randy, I train at his gym,” noted Ali Walsh. “I first met Randy when I was like 11 years old, it’s ironic that I’m now training at his gym. It’s crazy how life works. God’s plan is always the best plan.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference appearance by Biaggio Ali Walsh above.

The post PFL 5: Biaggio Ali Walsh Not Ready to Turn Pro, Wants A Three-Round War First appeared first on Cageside Press.

Nunes (10-2) might be best known for his jiu-jitsu skills, with plenty of submission victories among his ten wins as a professional. But it was his hands that got the job done at the Overtime Elite Arena, stopping UFC vet Danilo Marques in the opening round.

“When I first started training to fight in MMA, I actually had a black belt in jiu-jitsu at the time already, and I did like seven amateur kickboxing fights to try to get ready to feel comfortable with striking,” Nunes told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “And I actually became a pretty good striker, 7-0 as a kickboxer.”

Maybe, with that in mind, Friday’s action shouldn’t have come as a surprise. But for a time, Nunes noted, he did fall back on his submission prowess.

“Most of my victories before, I started striking, I never tried to take anybody down. I was doing very good on my feet. But after taking my first loss, I took a little bit of a break from MMA. Four and a half years, I stopped striking, stopped kicking, stopped everything, just doing jiu-jitsu all the time.”

That time off came following a loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. under the Legacy FC banner in 2016. Lovato would go on to win the Bellator MMA middleweight championship before a health scare forced him to retire (he returned to action for a one-off fight late last year). Nunes, meanwhile, returned to fighting in 2020 under the Cage Fury FC banner, eventually making his way to the PFL.

“It feels like I got a little bit rusty with my striking. I didn’t have enough time to go back and fight in MMA and let my striking go and feel comfortable to throw yet,” Nunes continued. “That’s why I relied where I’m good, in jiu-jitsu, and that’s why I stopped striking a little bit in my other fights.”

Coming off a stoppage loss to Maurice Greene in Las Vegas this past April, Marcelo Nunes was a heavy underdog against Marques on Friday.

“I feel like an underdog in this fight, because my last fight I had a very bad performance,” said Nunes. He also admitted that he put a lot of pressure on himself ahead of his first fight of the season, given it was in Las Vegas, where he now lives, and where all his students in BJJ would be watching. “I feel like I preformed very bad, I got stopped very quick in that fight. After three minutes, I’m dead tired. I went back to the training camp, training and see what I did wrong, and tried to stay more relaxed this time.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference appearance by Marcelo Nunes above.

The post PFL 5: Marcelo Nunes on Striking Background, Putting Pressure on Himself appeared first on Cageside Press.

Ukraine’s Kolesnyk (9-5) had won both her fights in 2023, but Aspen Ladd mounted a late second-round comeback to snag five points in her second fight of the season later that same night. That had them tied, and Ladd had a finish. Kolesnyk herself did not.

“I will sit in here and pray to have an opportunity to be in the semifinal. And if anything happens with one of these girls, if they give up, I won’t give up,” Kolesnyk told media outlets including Cageside Press, campaigning for a spot as an alternate. “I deserve to be in the semifinal, and I think I’ll do my best, just give me this opportunity to show it. And I promise the next fight will much more impressive than any fight before in my pro career.”

Kolesnyk’s prayers were answered before the event was even over. After a bit of confusion that included Kolesnyk anxiously watching fights from the back, shown on screen during the PFL 5 broadcast, it was announced that it was “Cannon,” not Ladd, who was going to the post-season.

Both fighters had five points on the season — Kolesnyk had lost a point earlier in the year for missing weight. But that fight had been a majority decision victory over Ladd herself, and that was the tie-breaker.

Regardless of how she got there, Kolesnyk is in the playoffs. And ready for them, it seems.

“I’m ready to be the face and represent PFL. To be the only one Ukrainian woman in the whole tournament,” Kolesnyk stated even before she knew she had made the post-season. “And me, my team, my coaches, people who are loyal to me even when I lost helped me a lot, to improve myself, improve my skills. As I told you right before this fight, I will be better and better from fight to fight and I will keep going, keep going to impress you guys. So I think I proved my worth today, and I know for the next fight, I will surprise you even more.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference with Olena Kolesnyk above.

The post PFL 5: Olena Kolesnyk Promises Next Fight Will Be Most Impressive of Her Career appeared first on Cageside Press.

She got one of those, but not the other. Budd (17-6) was hurt in the opening round against Martina Jindrova, but recovered and pushed onward for a decision win — something she credits to that training at Fight Ready.

“I got hurt in the first round, and then I just think the grind of that camp kind of like, I came back and was able to win the second and third,” Budd told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “I’m proud of my performance, but obviously disappointed I wasn’t able to get a six-point finish in the first round.”

With just three points in 2023, following a loss in her first fight of the season, Budd is left on the outside, looking in. Still, the goal reamins gold for Budd, a former Bellator MMA featherweight champ. And she’s definitely ready to step up on short notice if the opportunity arises, now that she has missed the playoffs.

“I want to be the PFL champion. I don’t wish injury on anyone, but I hope that I’m that person standing in the wings that gets called up the next fight in August, or the finals. Whatever it is, I just want to be in there,” Budd stated. “Because I know my three points isn’t going to get me into it, but I’m ready.”

The Canadian noted just how big winning a title in a second major promotion would be, telling Cageside Press that “It’s a huge goal. It would be a massive accomplishment, to win the PFL belt after being the Bellator champion. It would be huge for me.”

At 39, Julia Budd’s window in the sport is closing, but that second belt is something she wants before calling it a career.

“I think, obviously it’s a goal of mine, and it would be a huge accomplishment. It would just be huge, and it’s something that’s on my list of like, I want to do that before I retire, I want to be the champ. I feel like I’m starting to really understand this format. I was with Bellator for so long, and I’m really liking PFL, and I want to be the champ. And that’s all that I can say. I’m here for it.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference appearance by Julia Budd above.

The post PFL 5: Julia Budd Wants to Claim PFL Title Before She Retires appeared first on Cageside Press.

Goltsov (31-7) sat UFC vet Yorgan De Castro down with a jab, ending their bout on Friday in all of 18 seconds. With champ Ante Delija out of the playoffs — he picked up a win at PFL 5, but lacked the points necessary to make the post-season — Goltsov is almost certainly the favorite to go all the way.

The veteran heavyweight, however, is taking nothing for granted. He’s been here before, after all.

“You know, I’ve already been in that position where I was climbing and I was on top of the division, and unfortunately at that time it didn’t go my way. So right now I’m not trying to concentrate that I’m number one, that I have the most amount of points,” Goltsov said backstage at the Overtime Elite Arena, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “I’m still doing all the work, and anything can happen. So I’m training really really hard, and with hard work and dedication, I’m going to get closer to that final goal.”

Addressing the fight with De Castro, Goltsov stated that “Of course it’s great it worked out my way. I felt the distance, I felt my opponent, I’d seen an opening and I stuck the jab in there. And it went my way. It’s something I worked on.”

“In heavyweight as you know, one punch can end the fight,” Goltsov added. “I’m just happy overall with the performance.”

Asked about interest in recent free agent signing Francis Ngannou, the Russian said that for now, he’s “only after the belt. I’m very excited to get the belt and put myself in the super-fight division. Of course it’s a great opportunity, and I’m not going to let it go.”

The 18-second finish at this year’s PFL 5 card is the fastest in heavyweight history in the company, and the fastest finish of Goltsov’s near 40-fight career. That had him laughing a little.

“After 30 fights, I stopped counting how many fights I have. I just enjoy going for the journey,” he said. “But hearing I already have close to 40 fights, it makes me feel like I’m already getting older.”

Denis Goltsov is expected to face Jordan Heiderman in the PFL 2023 semifinal round.

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference with Denis Goltsov above.

The post PFL 5: Denis Goltsov Not Concentrating on Being #1 in Heavyweight Division, Because “Anything Can Happen” appeared first on Cageside Press.

At PFL 5 in Atlanta, Pacheco came storming out of the gate, fists flying, and quickly put away Amber Leibrock, who had come into the fight on a full head of steam care of her own highlight reel finish earlier this year.

Despite the quick finish, Pacheco (21-4) made it clear that she did not underestimate Leibrock. “I’m very happy, but I never underestimate my opponents, and you’ll never see me be like that,” the 28-year old said following the victory, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “I always respect all of them.”

The win sets up a rematch with Olena Kolesnyk, whom she has faced twice before. And once again, Pacheco will not be overlooking the Ukrainian.

“I fought her twice, I knocked her out twice, but that don’t mean that I don’t respect her. I respect everybody. But I’m going to come out there and try to knock her out or submit her like I always do. That’s the way I fight.”

Perhaps better than anyone, Pacheco understands the importance of respecting opponents, even if you have a couple of wins on them already. Pacheco had lost to Kayla Harrison twice when she met the Olympian in last year’s women’s lightweight final; many had written her off. Instead, she became the first woman to beat Harrison in MMA, winning the title and a million dollars in the process.

Now, she is chasing a second belt in the featherweight division. “I’m going to become a two-time PFL champion, two divisions,” she exclaimed on Friday. “I’m going to be the best fighter in the world.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight press conference appearance by Larissa Pacheco above.

The post PFL 5’s Larissa Pacheco Intends to Become Two-Division Champ, Best Fighter in the World appeared first on Cageside Press.

Delija (24-5), a Croatian heavyweight coveted by the UFC (they attempted to sign him a few years back), defeated TUF 28 alum Maurice Greene at the event. However with the fight going the distance, and Delija starting his season late after a knee injury forced him out of a bout in April, a lack of points means the defending PFL heavyweight champ is out of the playoffs, without having lost a fight.

Such are the perils of the points-based system the league employs, where not just wins, but finishes, matter. Worse, Delija told Cageside Press following the bout that he had re-injured his knee in the fight.

“We knew that Maurice was a good opponent, and we expected something like this. But unfortunately I got the same injury, the same injury why I didn’t compete in the first fight,” Delija stated, speaking via translator.

Delija later explained that “I felt it in the first round when it popped,” and it seems he believes the knee will take some time to heal. “I think I’m not going to be able to come into the playoffs if somebody gets injured.”

On a slightly more positive note, Ante Delija was honored to see Croatian fans in attendance at the Overtime Elite Arena on Friday. “I couldn’t give more than what I gave today, and if I was in the playoffs, I’m one hundred percent sure that more people would come. But it is what it is.”

The Croatian heavyweight later added that once he heals up, he’d be willing to throw down with Francis Ngannou. “Of course I would take that chance, because right now, Francis is the number one heavyweight in the world.”

Watch the full 2023 PFL 5 post-fight media scrum with Ante Delija above.

The post Ante Delija Says He Re-Injured Knee During PFL 5 Main Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press on Friday at PFL 5 in Atlanta, “The Predator” addressed the potential of a double-header with the Youtube star. Both athletes recently signed with the Professional Fighters League.

“I think PFL is doing a great job in that regard to try to put things together. I’m sure they thought about [booking both names for a PPV event],” Ngannou, who vacated the UFC heavyweight championship earlier this year, stated. “They are cooking something.”

As for a potential opponent for Ngannou, nothing has been decided, and the African heavyweight appears open to multiple possibilities.

“Everything is possible. It could be the champion of the tournament, or it could be somebody from outside,” said Ngannou. “But as for right now, I don’t have a clear idea of who should be the opponent. That’s also a reason why we put everything back in early 2024, in order to find the right opponent.”

That, and Ngannou’s continued desire to pursue a big-money boxing match, have his attention at the moment. For boxing, late 2023 still appears to be the goal.

“Probably. We are working on something,” Ngannou teased. “Nothing has been defined yet, but we are still working on some potential boxing fight before 2024.”

Even without having fought, Francis Ngannou choosing to leave the UFC for a better payday elsewhere may pave the way for other fighters to follow suit, similar to a string of UFC stars exiting that company for Bellator in the mid-2010s, which resulted in a mini-free agency boom.

“I don’t know how it’s going to play out for others, because to be honest, it takes some nuts,” Ngannou said with a laugh. “Between all this pressure, sometimes you just feel like, ‘ugh I want to give up,’ maybe you put the pen on paper and sign for this fight basically.”

“With the way that I had to deal with my own situation, and it’s been a couple of years behind the scenes, very tough situation, I don’t think it’s a situation that many people would be willing to go after. It’s up to everybody. It’s possible, everything is possible, nothing is impossible if you want it and if you really think it’s what you want to do.”

Watch the full PFL media scrum with Francis Ngannou above.

The post Francis Ngannou Says “Things Are Cooking” for Potential Double-Header PPV with Jake Paul appeared first on Cageside Press.

While it was a rough night at the office for those heavyweights (both men lost their fights and were kept out of the league’s post-season), it was a fun night for fight fans, who had a chance to take in plenty of big finishes — and see a face-off for a dream fight that may never happen.

Recent PFL signee Francis Ngannou was also on hand in Atlanta, and the history between “The Predator” and current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones goes back years. After Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic to win the UFC heavyweight title two years ago, Jones infamously responded with “show me the money.”

Jones never did get the money he was looking for, apparently, and did not return to the UFC until this past March, where he made short work of Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 — winning the heavyweight championship vacated by Ngannou earlier this year.

Jones has since called Ngannou every variation of coward under the sun, but it appears from the clip above that the African fighter, still the lineal heavyweight champ, is willing to wait for Jones — who insists that Ngannou needs better wrestling and jiu-jitsu to defeat him.

The post Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou Face Off at PFL 5 in Atlanta appeared first on Cageside Press.