Category: PFL

Thiago Alves says he’s talking to Bellator and PFL, but money has to be there to keep fighting

Former UFC title challenger Thiago Alves weighs-in on his future in MMA and the conditions to continue his career.

[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] finds himself in a comfortable situation.

The former UFC title challenger and longtime welterweight contender fought out his contract with the promotion in December and now is exploring the market as a free agent.

Alves, who lost to Tim Means by submission at UFC on ESPN 7, said he has no rush to get back in the cage. In fact, if things don’t align for him, the Brazilian fighter is willing to walk away from the sport.

Whether or not Alves (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) continues his storied career depends on one simple, but significant factor.

“Money,” Alves told MMA Junkie. “The money has to be right. I was making pretty good money with the UFC. I know what the media has put out there, but it’s very inaccurate. But I don’t like to go out there and be like, ‘Oh, you guys have to make this one right,’ because it doesn’t matter what they know and what they don’t know.

“I’ve been making really good money with the UFC. I’ve been making six figures with the UFC since 2008. So financially, I don’t need to fight anymore. I want to fight because I love what I do. I just turned 36 right now, and in my last fight I got caught. But I do feel like I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.”

A big part of Alves’ lack of urgency to sign with a promotion and continue his MMA career are the different passions and avenues he has to make money outside of fighting.

“I’m excited right now to see what’s the next chapter,” Alves said. “I still have a lot of fight left in me. But if the money doesn’t make sense, then I’m happy to walk away. I have a lot of stuff in place already.

“I’m one of the coaches at American Top Team, and (I’m) opening my own American Top Team gym with Wilson Gouveia, who was my former teammate since I got here 18 years ago. I’m also in the process of getting hired in law enforcement, which has been my first passion before MMA.

“So if the money doesn’t make sense, I’ll be more than happy to focus on the next stage of my life and get those things in place. So that’s where I’m at right now. I don’t need to fight. I don’t have to fight. I’d like to fight, but only if the money makes sense. It needs to get me excited to go train, do a training camp and all that stuff. So that’s pretty much where I am right now.”

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Alves expects to have an answer on his fighting career sometime in the near future and said he’s in talks with Bellator and the PFL.

“By the end of this month, I will know if I will go in the police academy or if I’m going to fight again,” Alves said. “I’m in negotiations with PFL, I’m in negotiations with Bellator, and I’m just waiting to see final numbers. If the final numbers make sense, then I’ll compete this year. If not, I’lll move on to the next chapter.

“If I don’t hear something that makes me excited by the end of the month, I’m just going to turn to the next chapter and do what I do. I don’t have to fight if the money doesn’t make sense, and that’s a beautiful thing. I know many guys that reach the point where I’m at and they have to fight because they don’t have any other alternative.”

If Alves’ MMA career is over, he has plenty on his resume to leave the sport with his head held high.

Alves fought in the UFC for 14 years. He challenged one of the greatest fighters of all time, Georges St-Pierre, for the welterweight title at UFC 100. He earned four “Performance of the Night” bonuses, and defeated many of the best fighters of his era like former champion Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Patrick Cote, Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle.

Looking back, Alves is astonished and grateful for everything he was able to achieve.

“I left Brazil at 19 to start a fighting career and I accomplished way more than I ever dreamed of,” Alves said. “I never imagined I’d be speaking English with you and living in America in a beautiful house, being married, and this and that. So I’ve been living my dream since I was 19.

“I started fighting muay Thai in Brazil when I was 15, and my first MMA fight was at 17. It was PRIDE FC rules – bare knuckles, all that. And when it comes to the thrill of being a fighter of the things that you have to live through, I’ve got 10 surgeries under my belt. So I’m happy with that. I’m fulfilled with that.

“The only thing I wasn’t able to accomplish was become a champion. But when I was fighting, I was competing against the greatest of all time – Georges St-Pierre. So it was hard to beat that guy. But this was fun. I’ve been a top contender for a long time. I have a lot of knockouts under my belt, and I think I left my mark in MMA. So if this is it, I’m happy with it. This is just one-third of my life – hopefully one-fourth if I grow old enough. There’s a lot more to life outside of MMA, but I’m excited I was able to do what I did and lived the life that I’ve lived so far.”

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Slo-mo millionaires: Recap the PFL Championship finals in their super-slow-motion ‘Fight Flow’ highlights

Relive the best moments from the 2019 PFL Championship finals in the Professional Fighters League’s super-slow-motion highlights recap.

In mixed martial arts everything can change in the blink of an eye, and the true skill and artistry of the fighters can sometimes only truly be seen when you slow the action right down and watch it again.

And, as the Professional Fighters League draws a line under their 2019 season, the organization has released a final highlights video showing their big winners in the best possible light at their end-of-season finale at the Hulu Theater in New York.

Six fighters were crowned PFL 2019 season champions as Emiliano Sordi, Ali Isaev, Natan Schulte, Ray Cooper III, Lance Palmer and Kayla Harrison won their respective tournament finals and each picked up a championship belt and check for $1 million for their efforts.

Check out the best moments from the fight card via the video above as the PFL Championship winners, plus featherweight showcase winner Brendan Loughnane, claimed big wins on a big night in the Big Apple.

2020 vision: Bold predictions in MMA for the new year

MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn looks into his crystal ball to make 10 bold predictions for 2020 in UFC, Bellator and PFL.

The past decade was a time of great evolution and change in MMA, much of which even the most diehard fight fans couldn’t have seen coming. What will the first year of the next decade bring? Here are 10 bold predictions as the 2020 schedule gets set to kick off.

Without further ado …

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Khabib Nurmagomedov retires 30-0

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has made no secret that he doesn’t intend to have an extended career. His body has gone through the ringer due to various injuries over the years.

Moreover, Nurmagomedov already has etched out an undeniable legacy. If he can add a few more layers to that, he honestly doesn’t have much reason to keep going. If Nurmagomedov can get through what many believe to be his biggest obstacle in Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April, then there really aren’t many true challenges left for “The Eagle.” Another win after that would bring his career record to 30-0, and if that fight is a massive one, like his long-desired Georges St-Pierre superfight – or perhaps a Conor McGregor rematch – he pretty much will have done it all.

The only reason for Nurmagomedov to stick around beyond that would be to reap the benefits of being a massive star (far bigger than now), and that money is hard to walk away from. Everyone around Nurmagomedov has long said financial security is of no concern to him, though. If that’s true, it elevates the chances of this happening.

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Four current UFC title reigns end prior to a successful defense

Of the UFC’s current crop of champions, the following have yet to register a successful title defense during their current reign: [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (heavyweight), [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] (middleweight), [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (featherweight), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (bantamweight), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] (women’s featherweight), and [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] (strawweight).

More than half of those title reigns will go down as a flash in the pan.

Jon Jones’ UFC title record gets broken

Maycee Barber and Edmen Shahbazyan.

For more than eight years, [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]’ record for youngest champion in UFC history has gone largely unchallenged. Rose Namajunas had an opportunity to break his mark back in December 2014, but she fell short of winning the inaugural strawweight title.

2020, however, is the year Jones will be bumped from the history books. 21-year-old [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (women’s flyweight or strawweight), 22-year-old [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag] (middleweight) and 22-year-old [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag] (bantamweight) are all on the rise, and have already secured ranked positions in their respective weight classes.

They all have challenging paths, but one will claim UFC gold in the next 12 months.

A.J. McKee becomes champion and Bellator’s biggest star

A.J. McKee at Bellator 236. (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Bellator has received criticism for the way its slow-played many of its prospects, but going into 2020, it’s difficult to look at [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and argue Scott Coker mishandled the development of a young man who will soon be the face of the organization.

At just 24, McKee already holds a plethora of Bellator records. He’s validated himself in a big way over his past few fights, advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing Bellator featherweight grand prix. In order to win that tournament (and the featherweight belt), he’s going to have to go through some real tough competition, but if he comes out the other end on top – watch out.

McKee has spent his entire career with Bellator. His fighting style is tremendously entertaining to watch, and he has personality for days. If adds a belt to all that, there’s no reason Bellator shouldn’t push him to the moon.

UFC disbands at least one weight class

The UFC flyweight division and women’s featherweight division have been on shaky ground essentially since their inceptions, and 2020 could be the year one – or both of them – finally go.

Yes, Henry Cejudo “saved” the flyweight division, and there is a vacant title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo lined up for Feb. 29, but what comes next? As fun as the weight class can be, there’s just not a lot of money-making fights at 125 pounds.

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In comparison to the women’s featherweight division, though, flyweight is a thriving wonderland. Champion Amanda Nunes hasn’t defended her belt since winning it in December 2018, and although the promotion has signed a few new fighters to the weight class, there’s still not much going on. Nunes really wants to defend that 145 title for her legacy, but once that happens, the UFC could finally decide to pull the plug.

(Next page: PFL’s future, UFC vs. Bellator, and more)

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‘Triple Z’? Henry Cejudo takes a jab at Kayla Harrison’s ‘insomnia curing’ fights

Henry Cejudo takes aim at fellow Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison’s fighting style.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] has taken aim at fellow Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]’s fighting style.

When asked by a fan on Twitter if she’s the next “Triple C,” Olympic gold medalist judoka and PFL lightweight champion Harrison, responded by poking fun at UFC bantamweight champ Cejudo’s accolades.

“Yes. Technically I have four titles bc I won worlds in 2010. Did Henry win worlds I can’t remember… @HenryCejudo”

And naturally, Cejudo told the undefeated Harrison to “bend the knee,” in which she proceeded to cleverly fire back at him.

“I’d tell you to bend the knee but you’re already so close to the ground… a polite judo bow will suffice. #QueenK #CeJUDOknows”

But Cejudo got the last laugh, at least for now, telling Harrison, who went five rounds with Larissa Pacheco in the final of the 2019 PFL women’s lightweight season, that her fights are boring.

“First of all one Wrestling Olympic gold medal is like 5 Olympic judo gold medals. One last thing, your fights are good natural remedies to cure insomnia. #bendtheknee”

While he may still have his Olympic gold medal in wrestling, Cejudo recently relinquished his UFC flyweight title, taking away his literal “Triple C.”

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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MMA rankings report: Kayla Harrison makes the pound-for-pound chart

Check out our breakdown of the latest MMA Junkie rankings updates, including a big move for Kayla Harrison.

There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for movement in the rankings to open the next decade.

But nevertheless, we’re starting 2020 with some movement on the women’s pound-for-pound list. And who knows where the new entrant will be on that chart later this decade.

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[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] became the PFL’s first women’s millionaire by winning the 2019 women’s lightweight season on New Year’s Eve with a decision over Larissa Pacheco. And while she hasn’t had as many opportunities for fights against big-name competition as her counterparts in lower weight classes, her unbeaten record still warrants a spot on the pound-for-pound list, even though we don’t currently chart women’s lightweights.

Let MMA Junkie’s own “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan walk you through that change and more in the video above.

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Spinning Back Clique: McGregor’s bravado, Cerrone, Gaethje, Bellator, PFL

MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and Dan Tom unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 10 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and John Morgan discuss Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, Justin Gaethje’s next move, and what Bellator and the PFL should do to improve in 2020.

Show rundown:

  • Conor McGregor already is grabbing a bunch of headlines still more than a weke away from his return fight. He wants to get the lightweight title back – and wants the welterweight title, too. Is it too much bravado?
  • And by the way, the UFC and ESPN are putting all the promotional love on McGregor … and virtually ignoring his opponent, Donald Cerrone. Are they making a big mistake?
  • Justin Gaethje wants to be a backup plan for the lightweight title fight between champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and challenger Tony Ferguson in April. That fight has fallen apart four times already, so he wants to step in if it falls apart again. Is he too late to the party?
  • PFL wrapped up its second season with new millionaires and two two-time winners. What should the promotion do for its third season?
  • On the heels of its 2019 wrap-up in Japan, its debut there, what should Bellator do in 2020 to keep moving forward?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 10 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3014: PFL and Rizin recaps, Nick Diaz, Floyd Mayweather and more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” recap PFL’s 2019 playoff finals and discuss Kayla Harrison, Nick Diaz, Floyd Mayweather and much more.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,014 of the podcast, the boys look back the PFL’s 2019 playoff finals and discuss Ronda Rousey-Kayla Harrison comparisons, Edson Barboza, Nick Diaz, Floyd Mayweather and more.

THE RUNDOWN:

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Ray Sefo’s bucket list for 2020 includes signing more big name fighters

PFL president Ray Sefo has goals of building on his roster and signing more big-name fighters to the promotion.

NEW YORK – PFL president Ray Sefo is looking to build on his roster.

The 2019 PFL Championship took place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, marking one of the biggest shows in the promotion’s short history. Once again, six fighters walked away with world titles and $1 million.

And having recently signed former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald, Sefo said the goal is to continue to sign some marquee names in the sport.

“(I want to) sign more big name fighters (and) continue to grow,” Sefo said at the post-fight news conference. “But my phone was going off like crazy throughout the show because everybody got to see the PFL show tonight and got to see all the champions get crowned.

“It just goes to show that we’re continuing to grow. And then adding someone like Rory to the mix, the sky’s the limit for PFL – and there’s a lot of discussions with other people that are interested and want to come over.”

Also on the agenda moving forward is the possibility of superfights. Featherweight champ Lance Palmer and lightweight champ Natan Schulte were two names that were brought up as suggestions for a potential superfight, and while only Palmer seemed quite keen, Sefo likes the idea in general.

“There’s a lot in the works for PFL, and those were part of discussions along the way,” Sefo said. “Not necessarily Natan and Lance, but we talked about doing some superfights and whatnot. But that’s part of the plan. Whether it happens next year or the year after that, I’m not sure exactly. But there are discussions in terms of putting on some superfights.”

The ESPN deal was arguably the biggest development for the promotion this year, giving the fighters the largest platform possible, to showcase their skills.

“ESPN has been great,” Sefo said. “I mean, they’ve been a great partner and the fact we’re on ESPN speaks volumes. It just goes to show that – and it sends a message out there – that PFL is here and that we’re alive and well and we’re going to continue to sign some big names and continue to grow.”

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PFL champ Emiliano Sordi wants to inspire kids back home in Argentina

As the first Argentinian to win a world title in a major promotion, Emiliano Sordi wants to inspire kids back home.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] made history Tuesday night.

Sordi (22-8 MMA, 6-1 PFL) took out Jordan Johnson (12-2-1 MMA, 2-2-1 PFL) in the first round at the 2019 PFL Championship at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York to become the first Argentinian to win a world championship in a major organization.

And Sordi hopes he can inspire kids back home to follow in his footsteps someday.

“I wanted to be the first Argentinian world champion, and it’s an example for other guys and other kids to see that you can make it from there. I hope next season we see more Argentinians in the PFL,” Sordi said through a translator at the post-fight press conference.

It’s been a tough road for Sordi, who’s fallen short on numerous occasions, but kept on fighting. From a short Bellator tenure, to getting choked out in just 26 seconds in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, to getting eliminated in last year’s playoffs, Sordi turned things around in 2019.

He went 5-0, with five finishes, en route to capturing the light heavyweight title and $1 million.

One of the things that helped propel him to his run was working with a mental coach.

“He started one month before the tournament started,” Sordi’s translator said. “And his problem was that he get the fights very relaxed, like the opposite of the people who get nervous for the fight, he was very relaxed so he was needing to get in the right point.”

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Natan Schulte says leg kicks a big part of his strategy to outlast Loik Radzhabov for second PFL title

Natan Schulte credits the leg kicks as a big part of the strategy in outlasting Loik Radzhabov.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] credits a specific strategy that helped him get the job done.

Schulte (20-3-1 MMA, 9-0-1 PFL) engaged in easily the best fight of the night, when he outlasted [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-2-1 MMA, 2-2-1 PFL) in a five-round battle at the 2019 PFL Championship on Tuesday at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York to win the lightweight title and $1 million.

One pivotal strategy was his leg kicks, that Schulte says, were a big part of his game plan to open things up for him offensively.

“That was a big part of the strategy,” Schulte said through a translator at the post-fight news conference. “My striking coach, Katel Kubis, and Luciano Macarrao put this game plan to get his mobility compromised, and since he changes stance all the time, and I do too. So I started kicking both legs and he was not comfortable in either one of them, so that opened a lot for my striking as well.”

It was the second year in a row that Schulte won the lightweight playoffs, and when asked if he’d entertain a superfight with fellow two-time tournament winner, featherweight Lance Palmer, Schulte didn’t seem too keen. He admitted he has a hard time making the 155-pound limit.

“There’s two different weight divisions. I kind of suffer a little bit to make lightweight,” Schulte said. “I don’t believe that he’s going to want to go to lightweight, and we both stay in the division, it’s a natural course.”

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