On Thursday, The Horror story came to an end. Rick ‘The Horror’ Story, veteran of the UFC and most recently the Professional Fighters League, announced his retirement on social media in a moving statement. In doing so, Story (21–10) brings to an end a thirty-plus fight career during which he became a mainstay for years in the UFC, and later fought his way into the playoffs of the PFL’s inaugural season.

Story, a former Elite Warriors welterweight champion, joined the UFC in 2009 at UFC 99. Despite losing his debut, he’d go on a six fight winning streak, notching victories over the likes of Thiago Alves and Johny Hendricks. Story would hit a few setbacks following that streak, but was turning it around from 2014-2016 before losing to Donald Cerrone at UFC 202. It would turn out to be his final UFC fight.

A free agent, Story would sign with the PFL, and entered 2018 as a favorite to win the welterweight tournament, with a million dollars on the line. He won his first two battles, but wound up verbally submitting to Handesson Ferreira in the welterweight quarterfinals at PFL 10.

In his farewell letter, Story opened up, saying that “It’s been a career with significant highs and lows, through the good times and the bad times, my goals were what drove me and the fans were always my inspriation, for this I thank all of you.”

“To my friends, family and others who have supported me along this journey, I thank you for always being there. And for showing me there is more to life after fighting.”

“It’s time for me to turn my own page. I look forward to what the future holds, and I cannot wait.”

You can see Story’s full farewell below.

“To all my fans, friends and supporters, thank you.” pic.twitter.com/mAumWDNB8q

— Rick (@Rick_Story) November 8, 2018

The post UFC and PFL Standout Rick Story Announces His Retirement appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL 10 witnessed the final round of quarterfinal and semifinal action for the Professional Fighters League 2018 season. The event went down in Washington, D.C. over the weekend, and saw a number of interesting twists along the way to the middleweight and welterweight finalists being selected. Among them, Rick Story, one of the top contenders at 170lbs, being taken out in the quarterfinals by Handesson Ferreira, who himself would later be eliminated by Ray Cooper III, who also finished Jake Shields on the evening.

Magomed Magomedkerimov, meanwhile, defeated Bojan Veličković to earn the other spot in the welterweight finals. Veličković was actually eliminated in the quarterfinals by Abubakar Nurmagomedov, but when Nurmagomedov was unable to continue due to injury, Veličković was brought back thanks to the lucky loser rule.

Results, plus a gallery of the night’s action and video highlights courtesy of the Professional Fighters League can be found below!

PFL 10 Results:

Main Card (NBC SN/Facebook Watch Outside the U.S.)

Middleweight Abuspiyan Magomedov def. Sadibou Sy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) (semfinal)
Welterweight Ray Cooper III def. Handesson Ferreira by TKO, Round 1, 2:28 (semfinal)
Middleweight Luis Taylor vs. John Howard ends in a technical draw, Round 2, 4:58 (semfinal) – After an unintentional illegal knee left Howard unable to continue, the fight went to the scorecards. A technical draw led to Taylor advancing via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Bojan Velickovic by TKO, Round 2, 3:13 (semfinal)

Middleweight Abuspiyan Magomedov vs. Gasan Umalatov ended in a majority draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Magomedov advances via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Ray Cooper III def. Jake Shields by TKO, Round 1, 3:10 (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Middleweight Bruno Santos vs. Sadibou Sy ends in majority decision (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Sy moves forward via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Handesson Ferreira def. Rick Story by TKO (verbal submission), Round 2, 1:15 (two-round quarterfinal bout)

Preliminary card (Facebook Watch)

Middleweight John Howard def. Eddie Gordon by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Pavlo Kusch by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Middleweight Louis Taylor def. Rex Harris by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Welterweight Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Bojan Veličković ends in a draw (19-19, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Nurmagomedov advances via first round tie-breaker

The post PFL 10 Gallery and Video Highlights appeared first on Cageside Press.

Winners at Saturday night’s PFL 10 in the nation’s capital would head to the million dollar finale on New Year’s Eve in New York City. But to get there, they’d have to come out on top in not one but two fights. In one of the more interesting contests of the evening, Jake Shields was scheduled to face Ray Cooper III for the second time this year, after Cooper defeated him in the regular season. The event was scheduled to kick off at 7PM ET, with the PFL 10 Live Steam exclusively online, plus the main card on NBC SN (FaceBook Watch outside the U.S.)!

You can catch all the action on the PFL 10 live stream below! Check back come fight time for a recap and full results from the night’s action!

Rick Story vs. Handesson Ferreira

Kicking off the main card was a welterweight quarterfinal between Handesson Ferreira and Rick Story. Ferreira connected with a kick to the body early. He then managed to get the upper hand with a takedown, changing levels off an overhand punch, and worked to pass guard. They’d stay down for a bit, but Ferreira couldn’t make much happen. Back on the feet with two minutes remaining, Story was showing a bit of damage by one eye, but caught a kick looking to dump Ferreira on his back. He couldn’t hold on, and instead they wound up clinching, then reseting back out in the open. Story began attacking the lead leg of Ferreira. Towards the end of the round things got wild. Story looked for a single leg and got thrown to the ground. Story rolled through while Ferreira chased him, but it was Story coming back up and throwing hands.

Round two had Ferreira getting Story down early, taking the back and dropping some bombs. Trapped, Story was forced to submit to strikes verbally, as Ferreira tried to get the ref’s attention. It appeared as though Story had injured his arm.

Handesson Ferreira def. Rick Story by TKO (verbal submission), Round 2, 1:15

Sadibou Sy vs. Bruno Santos

In middleweight action, Santos held center early, shooting in on Sadibou Sy who easily escaped. Santos would grab single leg shortly after, but spent well over a minute trying to land it, with Sy showing impressive balance to fight it off. Santos finally gave up on the hold. Coming out of the round, Sy had the edge in strikes, while Santos, despite multiple attempts, was unable to get his opponent to the ground.

That changed in the second round. Santos finally got Sy down, and moved into half guard, looking for a choke. Sy continued to move, rotating his body as Santos circled with him. Santos would take mount with under a minute remaining in the frame. He was unable to find a way to finish, however, and it cost him.

Sadibou Sy vs. Bruno Santos ends in majority decision (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) – Sy moves forward via first round tiebreaker

Jake Shields vs. Ray Cooper III

In a rematch from the regular season, Shields dropped low for the takedown early, only for Cooper to wind up in dominant position, eventually taking the back. Shields would make it back up to the feet, leading to a clinch and the ref separating the pair. Cooper went on the attack, resulting in a wild takedown attempt from Shields. Shields would take more damage on the way back up, and back on the feet would almost immediately be dropped by a right hand! Cooper would begin unloading with blow after blow until the ref finally waved it off!

Ray Cooper III def. Jake Shields by TKO, Round 1, 3:10

Abuspiyan Magomedov vs. Gasan Umalatov

Magomedov worked his standup from on the larger Umalatov early in round one, then took the fight to the ground after a failed takedown from his opponent, working his way to half guard and trying to posture up to land some looping punches. He was able to control Umalatov, but the ref eventually opted to stand the pair up. Back on the feet Umalatov surged forward in the final ten seconds, throwing heavy hands before looking for a takedown just as the bell sounded.

Round two had a bit of a sparring match feel to it, with a lot of movement on the feet but very little landing clean. With Magomedov having likely secured the first round, Umalatov needed a finish, but it was Magomedov taking him to the ground ever so briefly at the end, dashing his hopes of moving into the semifinals.

Abuspiyan Magomedov vs Gasan Umalatov ended in a majority draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) – Magomedov advances via first round tiebreaker

Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Bojan Velickovic

With Abubakar Nurmagomedov unable to continue on in the tournament due to injury, the first semifinal of the evening at PFL 10 saw welterweight Bojan Velickovic back in action thanks to the lucky loser rule. Velickovic was anything but lucky in the first round, however, as Magomed Magomedkerimov outclassed him, put him on his back, and dropped some hard shots from the top before controlling him on the ground to close out the round.

In the second, Magomedkerimov was able to sweep while the pair were on the ground, again taking control. Back up, with about two minutes remaining, the Dagestani-Russian began landing again and again, each strike doing more damage to Velickovic, who had never before been stopped. That would change after a sequence set up with a straight right hand, crashing home at 30 MPH.

Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Bojan Velickovic by TKO, Round 2, 3:13

Luis Taylor vs. John Howard

Howard took center early, pressing forward as Taylor looked to fend him off with kicks. Taylor launching a couple of flying knee attempts in the first ninety seconds. However, he was being backed up by Howard. At least until the final minute of the round saw Taylor clip Howard with a left that trailed a knee that just missed, then knee him in a clinch and take him to the ground. Howard was still recovering, and nearly found himself in a guillotine. He’d escape, eat a stiff jab, and wind up taken down again to close out the round.

Round two saw Howard looking to turn things up a little, but he’d wind up taken down by Taylor just over a minute in. Taylor immediately moved to half guard, then looked to pass to mount. Taylor would stay on top until a scramble saw Howard break loose. They’d clinch, but the ref was quick to separate them. Taylor would eventually wind up back on top as the round wore down, landing body shots, but just prior to the bell Taylor fired a knee that caught Howard in the head while he was down. While it was no doubt aimed at the chest, the blow connected with Howard’s head clean, and after a long examination, doctors ruled he could not continue.

Luis Taylor vs. John Howard ends in a technical draw, Round 2, 4:58 — Howard was unable to continue due to an unintentional illegal knee. Luis Taylor advances via first-round tiebreaker

Ray Cooper III vs. Handesson Ferreira

Cooper pressed the action early, keeping Ferreira on his heels. He’d catch a kick and convert the takedown, putting Ferreira on his back. Cooper would work from half guard, and while Ferreira worked back to the fence, he gave up his back standing up. From there, Cooper looked similar to the Shields fight earlier in the night, dropping some thunderous punches as Ferreira covered up. A second first round finish in one night for Ray Cooper III!

Ray Cooper III def. Handesson Ferreira by TKO, Round 1, 2:28

Abuspiyan Magomedov vs. Sadibou Sy

Magomedov opened the action in the night’s final bout with some flash, going high with a kick and launching a jumping attack. Sy answered with a kick to the side of the head that was blocked, but made an impact nonetheless. Magomedov then began to walk down Sy, only to eat kicks to his lead leg for his efforts. Magomedov continued to work in some high kicks, but Sy was using his length to keep him on the outside.

In the second, Magomedov was again on the hunt, stalking Sy, who tried to keep him at bay with an arsenal of kicks. More often that not, he was jogging away from Magomedov, who finally closed the distance and worked for a takedown with just over three minutes remaining in the frame. Just a little bit of effort led to a big slam, and while Sy would try to scramble away, Magomedov stayed on him. He moved to mount, then postured up looking to land ground n’ pound. When that failed, an arm-triangle choke attempt followed. Sy fought that off, and Magomedov returned to mount, much higher this time, and land some heavy strikes before the bell sounded.

In round three, it didn’t take long for Magomedov to get Sy to the ground. Taking the back with a body triangle locked in, he worked for a rear-naked choke, but Sy managed to defend. He’d try to soften Sy up with punches, looking for an opportunity to sink the choke in again. At the end of the round, scrambling free, Sy would have an opportunity to take control and maybe find a finish. Instead, Magomedov scooped him up and slammed him to the canvas one last time, ending the fight in side control. On the scorecards it was Magomedov with the clear decision, and he’ll move on to face Luis Taylor at the finale.

Abuspiyan Magomedov def. Sadibou Sy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

PFL 10 Results:

Main Card (NBC SN/Facebook Watch Outside the U.S.)

Middleweight Abuspiyan Magomedov def. Sadibou Sy by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) (semfinal)
Welterweight Ray Cooper III def. Handesson Ferreira by TKO, Round 1, 2:28 (semfinal)
Middleweight Luis Taylor vs. John Howard ends in a technical draw, Round 2, 4:58 (semfinal) – After an unintentional illegal knee left Howard unable to continue, the fight went to the scorecards. A technical draw led to Taylor advancing via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Bojan Velickovic by TKO, Round 2, 3:13 (semfinal)

Middleweight Abuspiyan Magomedov vs. Gasan Umalatov ended in a majority draw (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Magomedov advances via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Ray Cooper III def. Jake Shields by TKO, Round 1, 3:10 (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Middleweight Bruno Santos vs. Sadibou Sy ends in majority decision (20-18, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Sy moves forward via first round tiebreaker
Welterweight Handesson Ferreira def. Rick Story by TKO (verbal submission), Round 2, 1:15 (two-round quarterfinal bout)

Preliminary card (Facebook Watch)

Middleweight John Howard def. Eddie Gordon by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Pavlo Kusch by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Middleweight Louis Taylor def. Rex Harris by unanimous decision (20-18, 20-18, 20-18) (two-round quarterfinal bout)
Welterweight Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Bojan Veličković ends in a draw (19-19, 19-19, 19-19) (two-round quarterfinal bout) – Nurmagomedov advances via first round tie-breaker

Note: Firefox users may need to disable tracking protection for the PFL 10 live stream to display correctly.

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PFL 10 marks the final event for the Professional Fighters League prior to its season finale this December. In action Saturday night, the league playoffs were set to continue with the welterweight and middleweight divisions closing out this leg of the post-season. The card would see quarterfinal and semifinal action in both divisions, with successful fighters going to war twice in one night to make it to the million dollar finals at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.

Among the notable names on Saturday’s card, Jake Shields was set for a rematch with Ray Cooper III, who beat him during the regular season. Rick Story, meanwhile, was facing off with Handesson Ferreira. TUF winner Eddie Gordon was back, taking on John ‘Doomsday’ Howard, and Abubakar Nurmagomedov stepped in on short notice against former UFC talent Bojan Velickovic.

All fighters hit the scales Friday in advance of fight night — check out the live stream and results below!

PFL 10 Weigh-In Results:

Main Card (NBC SN)

Middleweight Abuspiyan Magomedov (185.4) vs. Gasan Umalatov (186)
Welterweight Ray Cooper III (170.4) vs. Jake Shields (170)
Middleweight Bruno Santos  (185.2)vs. Sadibou Sy (185.4)
Welterweight Rick Story (170.8) vs. Handesson Ferreira (169)

Preliminary card (Facebook Watch)

Middleweight Eddie Gordon (185.6) vs. John Howard (184.5)
Welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov (170.6) vs. Pavlo Kusch (169.6)
Middleweight Louis Taylor (185.6) vs. Rex Harris (185.2)
Welterweight Abubakar Nurmagomedov (170.4) vs. Bojan Veličković (170.6)

The post PFL 10 Weigh-In Live Stream — All Fighters Make Weight appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Professional Fighters League has its playoff schedule set for its lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions. In a pair of press releases distributed on Monday, the PFL provided the brackets for the playoffs in each division, based on the seeding determined following the regular season, which finished up last month at PFL 7.

PFL 9 will take place at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, CA on October 13. PFL 10, meanwhile, goes down on October 20 at the brand new Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights, Washington D.C.

“With our innovative format the League continues to make MMA history every time we put on an event and this bracket is sure to provide some incredible action in the cage as these guys compete for millions of dollars and a chance to become PFL champion,” said Carlos Silva, PFL League President via press release on Monday.

PFL 9 will see the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions back in action in Long Beach, CA. The opening round seedings features Nathan Schulte, the top ranked 155lb’er through the regular season, facing off against late addition Johnny Case. Chris Wade faces off against Robert Watley, Islam Mamedov takes on Thiago Tavares, and Will Brooks, the number two seed and former Bellator MMA lightweight champ, takes on Rashid Magomedov.

On the light heavyweight side, top seed Vinny Magalhaes, feared for his ground game, will take on Rakim Cleveland. Dan Spohn will take on popular former UFC combatant Sean O’Connell, while number two seed Maxim Grishin will face Canada’s Smealinho Rama.

At PFL 10 in Washington, D.C., welterweight top seed Ray Cooper III will take on Jake Shields for the second time this year. Cooper finished Shields in their first fight of the season at PFL 3, via TKO in the second round. A first-round TKO victory for Cooper followed at PFL 6, over Pavel Kusch. Shields, meanwhile, defeated Herman Terrado via unanimous decision at that same event to earn his playoff spot, and a chance for revenge against Cooper.

Former UFC star Rick Story also returns at PFL 10, taking on Handesson Ferreira.

Middleweight action at PFL 10, meanwhile, sees top seed Abus Magomedov, owner of two first round finishes during the regular season, facing Gasan Umalatov. The latter went 1-1 during the regular season, losing to John Howard but earning a unanimous decision against former Ultimate Fighter winner Eddie ‘Truck’ Gordon at PFL 6.

Both PFL 9 and PFL 10 are expected to feature twelve bouts, with winning fighters competing twice in one night. The events air on NBCSN and Facebook Watch.

The post PFL 9 and PFL 10 Details Announced, Playoff Brackets Set appeared first on Cageside Press.

With the second batch of regular season fights for the welterweight and middleweight divisions, the PFL was in the process of winding down its regular season at PFL 6 on Thursday. Though one final regular season card remained (PFL 7, which would consist of fights for athletes who had their second bout of the season delayed due to injury), much of the playoff picture would be cleared up at PFL 6.

Competing on the card were names like Rick Story, Jake Shields, and John Howard, all well known from their UFC runs. Yet atop the event in the headlining spot was Ray Cooper III vs. Pavlo Kusch. Cooper had upset Shields just a few weeks back, which put him in prime position in the welterweight division.

Also on Thursday’s card, Olympic medalist Kayla Harrison was back in action, taking on the far more experienced Jozette Cotton in an excellent test of the judoka Harrison’s skills.

Check back come fight time for results and a recap of the night’s action!

In preliminary action, former TUF winner Eddie ‘Truck’ Gordon found himself eliminated from the PFL post-season, when he suffered his second defeat of the season. Gasan Umalatov captured the unanimous decision win in that card-opening out, while Bruno Santos handed John ‘Doomsday’ Howard a unanimous decision loss as well.

Another pair of UFC alums were successful on the prelims however. Jake Shields fought off a late surge by Herman Terrado to earn his own decision win, while Rick ‘The Horror’ Story continued along the comeback trail, submitting Carlton Minus.

Joao Zeferino vs. Yuri Villefort

With Jake Shields and other looking on, Zeferino and Vellefort battled through the better part of two rounds, with Zeferino looking the sharpest he had in some time. Yuri Villefort, who lost to Rick Story in his opening fight of the regular season, proved game, however, looking to neutralize his opponent with takedowns. He was moving forward more often than not. However, the pair were tiring by the end of the second, and Villefort struggled with takedowns, merely stalling along the cage, until the pair erupted in a final flurry to end the second.

The third saw Zeferino looking for a takedown, and taking the back as Villefort regained his feet. Riding his opponent like a backpack, he got a hook in, and though he looked a bit high, he got the rear-naked choke in!

Joao Zeferino def. Yuri Villefort by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 1:10

Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Jonatan Westin

It was Westin pushing the action against the cousin of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov early. The Dagestani fighter stayed on the outside early, but that wouldn’t last. However, just as he was pressing, Westin connected with a low blow kick. Once action was back underway, however, Nurmagomedov got the fight to the ground, and went to work improving position (and later trapping an arm) before Westin finally made it back to his feet. Standing up, however, would be short lived. Nurmagomedov would drag things back down shortly after, and end the round looking to keep the fight grounded.

Round two started with another Nurmagomedov takedown, and while Westin defended with a guillotine, that appeared futile. Later he’d try for a triangle, but Nurmagomedov pulled free. The entire round, however, would see Nurmagomedov working from the top, and no amount of triangle attempts or hammerfists from the bottom would get Westin anywhere, frankly.

Round three started in nearly identical fashion, with Westin again looking to throw up a triangle from the bottom. He’d get closer with an arm-bar this time out, and make it back to his feet with just under a minute in the round. Yet positional dominance/top control from Abubakar Nurmagomedov was the story, as he rode out the clock for a unanimous decision win.

Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Jonatan Westin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Kayla Harrison vs. Jozette Cotton

Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison got back in the cage on Thursday at PFL 6. Flashing her jab and throwing a leg kick early, she maanged to stun Cotton inside the first minute. Harrison threw a high kick, and was able to move in and out effectively without taking any damage. However, when the time came, Harrison had no trouble pulling the trigger on a big double leg takedown, moving straight to side control. Cotton worked to tie her up, as Harrison tried to capture an arm. The Olympian then took the back briefly, then moved to mount. Then came the ground and pound, measured. Harrison would transition to an arm-bar, but Cotton held on to make it to the end of the round.

I don’t even know what to think of this fight…. 🤷🏻‍♀️ https://t.co/YJESSKTYKl

— Pamela Sorenson (@PamBam_Sorenson) August 17, 2018

A bit of a slip didn’t help Jozette Cotton any in round two, as she was planted on her back early. This time it was Harrison working from within her opponent’s guard. Posturing up she began landing hammer fists and going to the body. Pushing to her feet still in Cotton’s guard she landed some big shots from the top, but wasn’t frenzied enough to get the stoppage. Cotton appeared to connect with an illegal upkick late in the round, and Harrison moved to side control, dropping some knees to the body.

A double leg takedown saw Cotton on her back early in round three. Cotton briefly though guillotine, but Harrison pulled free. She moved right into mount, but Cotton scrambled, only to wind up mounted anyway. Cotton would escape only to have Harrison trap her and begin unleashing some more ground n’ pound. The ref waved it off, saving a bloodied Jozette Cotton from more damage.

Kayla Harrison def. Jozette Cotton by TKO, Round 3, 1:24

Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Bojan Velickovic

Magomedkerimov caught a kick early in the PFL 6 co-main event, and got Bojan Velickovic to the ground. He wouldn’t stay down long, after threatening with kicks off his back. However, Belickovic then landed a kick full force to the groin, bringing about a pause to the action. Back underway they’d go to the ground and Magomedkerimov threatened with a choke from the top. Velickovic escaped, and they made it back up. Magomedkerimov found himself reversed against the cage. They’d battle it out for a bit, but in the final minute it was Magomedkerimov with a low blow, returning the favor from earlier. Velickovic would land a solid knee in the final thirty seconds, while Magomedkerimov scored one last takedown.

Round two started with Magomedkerimov jumping into a guillotine. It looked scary, and Magomedkerimov managed to pull Velikovic to the canvas. However, he slipped free, and was in control. They scrambled and Magomedkerimov jumped into a guillotine again. On the feet, Magomedkerimov would press the action, only to be pushed back by Velikovic, and controlled on the ground a little. A close round in the end, and round three would be critical.

Magomedkerimov would use his jab to keep Velikovic on the outside early in round three. Bojan would launch a flying knee that came up just short in the second minute. They’d clinch moments later, and Velikovic would look to shoot; no dice. Magomedkerimov fired off a kick. They’d go to the ground with Magomedkerimov working from guard. A key takedown for Magomedkerimov. Velikovic fired punches from the bottom, but was unable to get back to his feet. Magomedkerimov moved to mount in the dying seconds, landing some hammer fists and possibly stealing the round.

Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Bojan Velickovic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ray Cooper III vs. Pavlo Kusch

Cooper held center early, backing Kusch up, and dropping him early! He moved in for some follow-up blows, and as Kusch was moving back to his feet, Cooper connected again! A short right, the first blow seemed to hit the body, but Cooper’s every punch was simply loaded!

Ray Cooper III def. Pavlo Kusch by knockout, Round 1, 0:18

PFL 6 Results:

Ray Cooper III def. Pavlo Kusch by knockout, Round 1, 0:18
Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Bojan Velickovic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kayla Harrison def. Jozette Cotton by TKO, Round 3, 1:24
Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Jonatan Westin by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Joao Zeferino def. Yuri Villefort by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 1:10

Preliminary Card Results:

Rick Story def. Carlton Minus by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:55
Jake Shields def. Herman Terrado by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bruno Santos def. John Howard by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Abus Magomedov def. Anderson Goncalves by TKO, Round 1, 1:27
Shamil Gamzatov def. Rex Harris by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Louis Taylor def. Andre Lobato by unanimous decision (30-37, 30-37, 30-26)
Gasan Umalatov def. Eddie Gordon by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post PFL 6: Cooper vs. Kusch Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

PFL 6 takes place Thursday, August 16 in Atlantic City, NJ, and ahead of the evening’s festivities, all fighters hit the scales for Wednesday’s weigh-ins. And once again, all fighters made weight, making the main event welterweight bout between Ray Cooper III and Pavlo Kusch a go.

Aside from the main event, a number of familiar names pepper the card. Rick Story will look to build on an impressive return to MMA at PFL 3, while Jake Shields hopes to bounce back from an opening fight loss to Cooper in that card’s main event. Shields now faces Herman Terrado, while Story takes on Carlton Minus. Also on the card, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin, faces Jonatan Westin. And John ‘Doomsday’ Howard faces Bruno Santos.

Kayla Harrison is back as well, taking on Jozette Cotton in Harrison’s sophomore outing in the cage.

Check below for full weigh-in results for PFL 6! The card goes down at the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. It airs on NBCSN following prelims streamed on Facebook. International viewers can catch the full card on Facebook Live.

PFL 6 Weigh In Results:

Ray Cooper III (169.4) vs. Pavlo Kusch (169.8)
Magomed Magomedkerimov (170.2) vs. Bojan Velickovic (170.2)
Kayla Harrison (155.8) vs. Jozette Cotton (155.2)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (170.4) vs. Jonatan Westin (170.2)
Zoao Zeferino (170.4) vs. Yuri Villefort (171)
Rick Story (171) vs. Carlton Minus (170)
Jake Shields (170.8) vs. Herman Terrado (170.8)
John Howard (185.8) vs. Bruno Santos (185.4)
Abus Magomedov (185.6) vs. Anderson Goncalves (185.6)
Shamil Gamzatov (185.8) vs. Rex Harris (185.2)
Louis Taylor (185.4) vs. Andre Lobato (185.4)
Gasan Umalatov (186) vs. Eddie Gordon (185.4)

The post PFL 6 Weigh-In Results: All Fighters Make Weight appeared first on Cageside Press.

All fighters appearing at PFL 3 on Thursday, July 5 hit the scales on Wednesday — and all fighters made weight. That means the Washington, D.C. card is a go!

As it happens, there’s a rather interesting story line set to play out in the main event of PFL 3. Notable welterweight Jake Shields, who has won or fought for gold pretty much everywhere over the course of his long career, is set to face off against Ray Cooper III.

Shields (32–9–1 (1)), 39, faced off against Ray Cooper Jr., his current opponent’s father, back in 2004. He scored a first round submission win in the fight, a rematch from an earlier meeting where Cooper Jr. had won a majority decision.

The man who would go on to win championships in Strikeforce and EliteXC won the Shooto welterweight championship that night. During the course of his career, he’d challenge for gold in the UFC and WSOF as well. Now, he’s ready to debut in the Professional Fighters League million dollar tournament.

Cooper Jr last fought in 2008, finishing his career a respectable 14-9. His son now trains with with him, and boasts a solid 13-4 record of his own.

Check below for full weigh-in results and a gallery of all fighters facing off!

Jake Shields (32-9-1) 170.4 lbs. vs. Ray Cooper (14-3) 170.6 lbs.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (14-1) 171.0 lbs. vs. Pavlo Kusch (22-5) 169.4 lbs.
Rick Story (19-9) 170.6 lbs. vs. Yuri Villefort (11-5) 170.6 lbs.
Shamil Gamzatov (11-0) 185.6 lbs. vs. Eddie Gordon (8-4) 186.0 lbs.
John Howard (25-13) 185.6 lbs. vs. Gasan Umalatov (17-4-2) 185.8 lbs.
Herman Terrado (15-3-1) 169.2 lbs. vs. Magomed Kerimov (18-5) 170.8 lbs.
Joao Zeferino (21-9) 170.8 lbs. vs. Paul Bradley (23-8) 171.0 lbs.
Bruno Santos (16-2) 185.8 lbs. vs. Sadibou Sy (16-2) 185.6 lbs.
Louis Taylor (14-4) 186.0 lbs. vs. Anderson Goncalves (11-1) 185.4 lbs.
Rex Harris (10-3) 185.8 lbs. vs. Andre Lobato (24-7) 185.2 lbs.
Danillo Villefort (15-5) 183.8 lbs. vs. Abus Magomedov (18-3) 185.6 lbs.
Bojan Velickovic (15-6-1) 170.2 lbs. vs. Jonatan Westin (10-2) 170.6 lbs.

The post PFL 3 Weigh-In Results and Gallery appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Monday, the Professional Fighters league announced the full card for its third event of 2018, which will take place July 25 in Washington, D.C. In a press release, the promotion confirmed that Jake Shields, former Strikeforce champion and UFC title challenger, would meet Ray Cooper III atop the card. The event will go down at the Charles E. Smith Center, and air live on NBC Sports Network. The first three hours of coverage will also be available via Facebook.

Also making an appearance, Abubakar Nurmagomedov, cousin of UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. At 14-1, Abubakar has started to build momentum, not unlike his more famous cousin. He’ll enter PFL 3 on a six fight win streak including victories over Matt Secor and John Howard. Nurmagomedov will feature in the co-main event of the evening, taking on Pavlo Kush.

Making his PFL debut on the night will be former UFC fighter Rick Story, who will face Yuri Villefort.

The PFL 3 full card breaks down as follows:

Jake Shields (32-9-1) vs Ray Cooper III (14-9)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (14-1) vs Pavlo Kusch (22-4)
Rick Story (19-9) vs Yuri Villefort (11-5)
Shamil Gamzatov (11-0) vs Eddie Gordon (8-4)
Joao Zeferino (21-9) vs Paul Bradley (23-8)
John Howard (25-13) vs Gasan Umalatov (17-4-2)
Herman Terrado (15-3-1) vs Magomed Magomedkerimov (18-5)
Bruno Santos (16-2) vs Sadibou Sy (6-2)
Louis Taylor (14-4) vs Anderson Goncalves (11-1)
Rex Harris (10-3) vs Andre Lobato (24-7)
Danillo Villefort (15-5) vs Abus Magomedov (18-3)
Bojan Velickovic (15-6-1) vs Jonatan Westin (10-2)

The post Full Card Announced for PFL 3 in Washington, D.C., Jake Shields vs. Ray Cooper III Headlines appeared first on Cageside Press.

Rick Story was last seen fighting Cowboy Cerrone at UFC 202 in August 2016. Since then, he’s been out of the fight game, and training to be a fire fighter. However, on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Story — a 19 fight veteran of the UFC — announced he’d signed on with the PFL.

Story will make his debut later this Summer, though it will not be part of the promotion’s first event in June. He joins former Bellator champ and UFC fighter Will Brooks in the promotion, albeit in a different weight class.

Story hinted at the news last week, though many speculated he had either renewed his deal with the UFC, or opted to go with Bellator. The Cerrone fight, which put him at 3-1 in his last four fights, was the final bout on his UFC contract. He had chosen to fight out his deal, rather than sign an offer the UFC put forward prior to his fight with Cowboy.

I’m Back! News to come next week.

— Rick (@Rick_Story) March 11, 2018

Story announced the signing by saying that he had “just recently signed a contract with the PFL,” adding “I’m pretty excited to fight with that promotion and see what I can do.”

When pressed for the reason behind the move, Story admitted that he had “rolled the dice and tried to gamble with going into that fight with Cerrone” to see if he could negotiate more pay. When that backfired, he wound up sidelinded. He said he “wanted to wait for a better opportunity to come available, and it finally came” in regards to the PFL’s offer.

And in regards to the UFC’s offer, it didn’t sound like they came back with anything new after their original proposal prior to the Cerrone fight. Which Story was really not interested in. “I didn’t really think it was that fair, just for the fact that guys I had beat were getting paid pretty much double what I was making,” he said. “It just kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

While retirement did cross his mind, especially when he was pursuing fire fighting, the upcoming tournament is certainly a big opportunity for Rick Story. And while no opponent or premiere date has been announced for the fighter, he will almost certainly be a favorite to win the welterweight bracket.

The post Rick Story Says He Has Signed on with the Professional Fighters League appeared first on Cageside Press.