Category: PFL

PFL’s Jeremy Kennedy not bitter about fighting two opponents who failed drug tests in same night

PFL featherweight Jeremy Kennedy had two of his opponents fail drug tests in 2019. He fought them both in the same night.

LAS VEGAS – Since drug testing’s inception in MMA, fighters have voiced their agitation and aggravation if an opponent fails a post-fight drug test.

PFL featherweight [autotag]Jeremy Kennedy[/autotag] had two of his opponents fail drug tests in 2019. He fought them both in the same night.

At the PFL’s second playoff event this past October, Kennedy (15-2 MMA) split two fights, going 1-1. After defeating Luis Rafael Laurentino by second-round knockout in the quarterfinals, Kennedy was submitted by Daniel Pineda in the semifinals.

When the Nevada Athletic Commission post-fight drug test results surfaced, both Laurentino and Pineda tested positive. Kennedy’s loss to Pineda was overturned to a no contest. Despite Pineda opening up a spot in the 2019 finals in New York on New Year’s Eve, PFL elected to give Alex Gilpin the opportunity instead.

At a Dominance MMA media day in Las Vegas earlier this month, Kennedy opened up about the strange experience. While he admitted the situation was frustrating, he put his absence from the PFL finals on himself more than anyone else.

“It was super frustrating, but realistically it comes down to: Just win the fight,” Kennedy told MMA Junkie. “A lot of people are like, ‘Oh man, you should be fighting in the finals.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I didn’t win the fight.’ Yes, he failed his drug test and (so did) the guy I fought first – but beat him. It gives those guys an advantage, but it also shows what kind of person they are. They need that help. Mentally, it’s a disadvantage to them. I just think I had a raw deal in that whole last season. It was more of a trial run for me.”

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Despite the hardships of his first PFL experience, Kennedy thinks the experience will serve as a lesson going forward. As he enters the 2020 PFL season, Kennedy said he’s coming into his own.

“I think this year coming forward, I’ve done the whole thing now,” Kennedy said. “I’ve had two fights in one night – even if they both tested positive. I was an alternate for the finals. I did that whole training camp during that timeline of fighting in New York City on New Year’s Eve. The regular season, I’ve got it all down.

“Now at 27, I’m coming into my own strength-wise, mentally, physically, and everything. I still have the youth, but I’ve got the experience as well – with my fights in the UFC, my PFL season and fighting overseas. I just think it was a blessing in disguise, and this was the year I’ve got to bring this thing home now.”

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American Top Team cancels classes amid coronavirus concerns; pro fighters, coaches still allowed

Only professional fighters and coaches will be allowed to train at American Top Team for the next 30 days.

With concerns about the novel coronavirus growing each day, American Top Team has taken a measure to look out for the general public.

The South Florida-based gym, home to an abundance of the world’s best MMA fighters, announced Saturday that it has decided to cancel all classes for the next 30 days, including kids classes, adult classes, after-school classes, and wrestling classes.

“During the past few weeks it has become apparent that we are facing a great challenge in regards to COVID-19,” ATT said in a statement issued on Instagram. “We want to do our best in keeping our members, families and communities safe and healthy. … We are doing this out of an abundance of caution for all. We hope you understand our decision and prepare accordingly and continue to follow the safe guidelines set forth by the CDC and Florida Dept. of Health.”

Professional fighters and coaches, however, will still be allowed to train, gym owner Dan Lambert said in response to an Instagram users question.

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That’s an apparent necessity given the UFC’s plan to continue holding events while the rest of the sports world seemingly has shut down amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

American Top Team is home to the likes of UFC stars Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington, Dustin Poirier, Bellator champion Douglas Lima, and PFL women’s champion Kayla Harrison, among others.

You can read the gym’s full statement below:

View this post on Instagram

To Our Members, Please note: this message is for the main academy in Coconut Creek. During the past few weeks it has become apparent that we are facing a great challenge in regards to COVID-19. We want to do our best in keeping our members, families and communities safe and healthy. With that in mind, we have decided to CANCEL ALL CLASSES for the next 30 days. This is effective immediately. This includes: all kids classes, adult classes, and after-school, wrestling classes. We are doing this out of an abundance of caution for all. We hope you understand our decision and prepare accordingly and continue to follow the safe guidelines set forth by the CDC and Florida Dept. of Health. http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/ We will be adding time to everyone who has a membership. Should you have questions regarding your membership please email attmemberships@gmail.com We will continue to monitor the situation and keep everyone updated. Hopefully, we will be back to training soon as this gets under control. Respectfully, -ATT Management

A post shared by American Top Team (@americantopteam) on

To Our Members,

Please note: this message is for the main academy in Coconut Creek.
During the past few weeks it has become apparent that we are facing a great challenge in regards to COVID-19.

We want to do our best in keeping our members, families and communities safe and healthy.

With that in mind, we have decided to CANCEL ALL CLASSES for the next 30 days.
This is effective immediately.

This includes: all kids classes, adult classes, and after-school, wrestling classes.

We are doing this out of an abundance of caution for all. We hope you understand our decision and prepare accordingly and continue to follow the safe guidelines set forth by the CDC and Florida Dept. of Health.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/COVID-19/

We will be adding time to everyone who has a membership. Should you have questions regarding your membership please email attmemberships@gmail.com

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep everyone updated.
Hopefully, we will be back to training soon as this gets under control.

Respectfully, -ATT Management

Ex-UFC light heavyweight Tom Lawlor joins PFL roster

Add Tom Lawlor to the list of UFC veterans that will take part in PFL’s next season.

Add [autotag]Tom Lawlor[/autotag] to the list of UFC veterans that will take part in PFL’s next season.

Lawlor, 36, will compete in the promotion’s 205-pound division, joining fellow former UFC fighter signees Rory MacDonald, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Johnny Case, Clay Collard, Marcin Held, Cindy Dandois and Justin Willis this season.

It’s been 16 months since Lawlor last competed, most recently suffering a unanimous decision loss to current UFC middleweight Deron Winn under the Golden Boy MMA banner. Prior to that, Lawlor, who was still under contract with the UFC, served a two-year suspension that stemmed from a positive test for ostarine.

Denying any intentional wrongdoing, Lawlor was released from his UFC contract two months before his suspension ended. While serving his time, Lawlor tried his hand at pro wrestling, becoming a star for the Major League Wrestling promotion.

The PFL season starts in May and will also feature all of 2019’s champions returning to action.

Mohammed Usman: Signing with PFL ‘made sense’ over UFC, Bellator and ONE

Mohammed Usman admits he was caught off guard when PFL reached out about joining the roster for the 2020 season.

[autotag]Mohammed Usman[/autotag] admits he was caught off guard when the PFL reached out to his team about joining the roster for the 2020 season.

Usman (6-1 MMA) said the promotion wasn’t initially part of his next-fight discussions after picking up a 48-second knockout win under the Titan FC banner in December. There were a number of top-tier organizations potentially vying for his services, but PFL came in with an offer he couldn’t resist.

“We looked at all our options and everywhere we could to take the next step,” Usman told MMA Junkie. “PFL really just came out of nowhere and it was a really great deal, so we had to take it. Bellator’s always been there for me, but we also had ONE (Championship) and the UFC. At this point in my career it just made sense to go to the PFL.”

Although the PFL’s most valuable attraction is the $1 million prize awarded to the annual champion in each weight class, the financial upside wasn’t the only thing that lured Usman. The unique format of putting fighters through a regular season, playoffs and championship round could mean five fights in a year for Usman, and that’s just what he needs going into his fourth year as a pro.

At 30, Usman can build up crucial experience as he tries to maximize his potential.

“It’s really mental,” Usman said. “You’ve got to really be able to use your mind in certain fights to the point where you can’t just go in there and have a complete, all-out brawl with a guy. You’ve got another fight coming right up. It really makes you think for yourself.”

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If Usman can make the most of his PFL opportunity, he could win $1 million and build a legacy separate from his brother, UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman. And with PFL as an ESPN broadcast partner, he can do it on a stage with a heavy reach in MMA.

“I really, really like the platform PFL is designed on,” Usman said. “We’re on the same platform as the UFC with the fights on ESPN. Then of course, the money. It’s always good when organization shows they believe in you and PFL showed how much they believe in me. That’s a testament to what they’re trying to do.”

Usman is expected to make his PFL debut in the opening weeks of the 2020 season, which begins in May.

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PFL champion Lance Palmer happy to take the Eddie Alvarez path in his MMA career

Two-time PFL featherweight champion Lance Palmer talks about taking the journey less traveled in his quest for MMA greatness.

LAS VEGAS – For most fighters, the goal is simple: Get into either the UFC and Bellator, then fight your way to a title. But [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] has chosen to do things a little differently.

Palmer (22-3) is taking the road less traveled and is about to enter his third straight season of action in the PFL, where he is a two-time featherweight champion.

For a man who was tipped to go right to the top early in his career, it was a leap of faith for Palmer to go a different route with his career. But he said he’s happy he did and cites one of the sport’s most respected active fighters as inspiration for his journey.

“Kind of my goal from the start when I first signed for World Series of Fighting was (to) take a different path,” he told MMA Junkie at a media day for Dominance MMA this past Saturday in Las Vegas. “It was the Eddie Alvarez path, in a way. Your legacy will come. You’ll eventually get the big fights, you’ll eventually get all the belts. That’s my goal at some point. Right now, I’m paving my own way and making my own path, and it’s worked for me. This path – it’s mine. It’s not something that everybody else can do. So I’m glad to be here and I’m glad to be in the position that I’m in.”

Alvarez built his career up fighting all over the world before capturing titles in Bellator and the UFC. Now he’s fighting in Asia for ONE Championship as part of a lucrative contract as he attempts to capture a clean sweep of major international titles. Palmer isn’t as far through his own MMA journey, but with two tournament wins under his belt, and two $1 million checks in the bank, things are going pretty well so far.

His third season with the PFL looks set to be his toughest yet, and that’s exactly how Palmer likes it. Previously, he found himself facing fighters who were virtual unknowns outside of the hardcore MMA community. But now, with the PFL looking to bolster its roster with more established talent, Palmer is relishing the opportunity to take on more recognizable names in the not-too-distant future.

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“I know they’re bringing more guys in, and tougher competition, and that’s the goal – that’s what I want,” he said. “I don’t want to have to prove myself by saying I’m beating tough guys. I want the guys to speak for themselves. So the tougher guys that they bring, the better it is for me, and the better the competition.

“It’s been a struggle for me through some of my career to have to try to build fights because people don’t know who I’m fighting, and that’s a lot of the problem that I’ve had. Even though I’m fighting tough competition, people don’t really know who they are, or they haven’t built a name for themself yet, so it’s been tough as far as that goes. But the PFL’s doing a good job of bringing new guys in every year who are tougher and built somewhat of a name, so it should get easier to kind of build each fight as we go along.”

Palmer’s next assignment comes against undefeated Jason Soares (14-0) in the PFL’s first regular-season event of 2020 on May 21. The two-time champion said that after taking a welcome two-month break from competitive action to refresh and relax away from the cage, he’s ready for the fray once again.

“If it wasn’t for the couple-month break, there probably wouldn’t be that much of an itch to get back in there,” he said. “Having five fights in seven months is hard on your body and hard on your mind, so it’s good to have January and February to kind of just relax. I went to Hawaii with my wife after the New Year and kind of relaxed at home. I don’t train at home – I train in New Jersey. So it’s nice to be able to be home and relax and live a normal life for a couple of months. Now I’m ready to get back in there.”

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PFL champ Kayla Harrison targets Sarah Kaufman fight ahead of 2020 season

PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison can’t wait for the 2020 PFL season, and has her sights set on a fight with Sarah Kaufman.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] might now be a millionaire, but don’t think for a moment it’s changed her approach – or her desire to win – ahead of the next PFL season.

Reigning 2019 women’s lightweight tournament champion Harrison (7-0 MMA, 7-0 PFL) talked to MMA Junkie at this past Saturday’s Dominance MMA media day in Las Vegas and said nothing has changed since her $1 million-winning performance, and explained she’s chomping at the bit to get back into competitive action.

“Nothing has changed – just the amount of zeroes in my bank account. But that’s literally it,” Harrison said. “I had to take a little time off because I hurt my ankle, so I was gunning to get back in the gym. So I’m training two times a day, every day, and just getting better at what I do – honing my craft.”

Harrison was expected to face Sarah Kaufman in the finale this past New Year’s Eve, but after the Canadian lost to Larissa Pacheco in the semifinals, it meant arguably the biggest female matchup in the PFL fell by the wayside. But it remains a matchup the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist would love to take on.

“I said that I would like to fight Sarah first, but I don’t know how that’s going to play out. I’m not entirely sure,” Harrison said. “I don’t know when I’m fighting – I have a rough idea, obviously, because of the season. They haven’t told us specifics.

“So I’m really just going back to training, (and) getting back in shape. I’m not the type of person who does good without a goal. I like having a date, I like having an opponent, I like having a deadline. Right now, I’m training with no purpose, and I hate that. I mean, (I’m) getting better. But hopefully, the PFL gives me an answer soon because I’m getting antsy.”

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The 2020 season is expected to follow a similar format to the 2019 version, which Harrison won with four straight wins – two first-round submissions sandwiched by a pair of decision victories over Pacheco.

If there are any tweaks to the format, Harrison said it won’t affect her approach.

“I just show up and fight, you know?” she said. “The one thing that’s going to be the same is I’m going to remain champion. That’s going to stay the same.”

The only new thing Harrison does expect to see, however, is a new championship belt.

“I better (get a new one),” she said. “They don’t hand you the same Olympic gold medal if you win it again, so they better give me another belt.”

Harrison also joked that her role as team captain of American Top Team is almost as big of a challenge as preparing for fights themselves.

“It is a never-ending battle,” she said. “It is exhausting to be team captain. Not only am I team captain, but I am American Top Team’s fantasy football champion. I’m PFL champion. Honestly, I have a lot on my plate right now with that gym and just trying to make sure that everyone keeps it together.”

But joking aside, Harrison said that for all of the trash talk and drama fans see on social media, the reality of life inside the gym is very different.

“Honestly, everyone’s a professional,” she said. “You see these personalities, and you see a lot of people talking, and you see a lot of drama and stuff like that. But I’ll tell you one thing: It’s not like that inside the gym at all. So what you see is not reality when it comes to the gym.

“Everyone respects American Top Team too much and what we stand for and what we’re trying to accomplish as a team and a gym, and no one would ever cross that line and take it too far.”

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‘Triple C’ vs. Kayla and Khabib: Who won this passionate debate about wrestling and judo?

Henry Cejudo found himself on the wrong end of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kayla Harrison’s scorn in a wrestling vs. judo debate.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] found himself on the wrong end of [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]’s on Saturday at Dominance MMA media day, and somehow I was right in the middle of it.

As I attempted to kick off an interview with Cejudo, the current UFC bantamweight champion, reigning PFL women’s lightweight champ Harrison interjected. Like Cejudo, Harrison won Olympic gold before moving to MMA (and did so twice), but her sport was judo, while Cejudo’s was wrestling.

Harrison argued that judo is the superior sport, and the tone of the conversation turned passionate. Harrison wanted a third opinion, though, and that’s when she brought UFC lightweight champ Nurmagomedov into the mix for a third opinion. Nurmagomedov sided with Harrison, vouching for judo as the higher level sport.

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Cejudo tried to fire back, but Harrison felt she’d already won the debate and accused Cejudo of “shaking in his cringe little boots.”

All in all, it was quite a hilarious moment between three fighters who are the best in the world in their respective weight classes.

Watch the video above and enjoy the exchange, as well as my discussion with Cejudo once the whole scene died down a little. He was in absolute peak form (especially to close things out).

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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Ex-UFC lightweight Olivier Aubin-Mercier signs with PFL

Olivier Aubin-Mercier is a free agent no more.

[autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] has found a new home.

The former UFC lightweight announced Wednesday night on ESPN that he will join the PFL’s 155-pound division.

Aubin-Mercier (11-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has lost his last three in a row to Alexander Hernandez, Gilbert Burns, and most recently Arman Tsarukyan last July, which was the last fight on his UFC contract.

Before dropping three in a row, “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” finalist went on an impressive four-fight winning streak, picking up victories over the likes of Drew Dober and Anthony Rocco Martin.

Aubin-Mercier’s promotional debut is yet to be announced but is expected to be revealed soon.

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All six PFL champions to return for 2020 season

Kayla Harrison and five others will look to repeat next season.

All six reigning PFL champions will aim to repeat next season.

The promotion announced this week that [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag], [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] will return to be part of the 2020 season as they look to earn another $1 million.

Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Harrison, who remains undefeated in MMA at 7-0, claimed the PFL lightweight title last season with a unanimous decision win over Larissa Pacheco in the finals. Back-to-back champs, featherweight Palmer (22-3) and lightweight Schulte (20-3-1) are yet to lose in PFL.

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Light heavyweight champ Sordi (22-8) became the first Argentinian fighter to win a championship in MMA, finishing every fight last season. Welterweight champ Cooper (20-7-1) found redemption in 2019 after falling short in the 2018 finals by finishing UFC veteran David Michaud in the finals last December.

Former Olympic freestyle wrestler Isaev (9-0) claimed the heavyweight title with a fourth-round finish over ex-UFC fighter Jared Rosholt. The unbeaten Russian’s run also included a last-second stoppage win over Denis Goltsov.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, March 3: How high did Deiveson Figueiredo climb?

Deiveson Figueiredo picked up arguably the biggest win of his career when he knocked out Joseph Benavidez in the UFC on ESPN+ 27 main event.

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] picked up arguably the biggest win of his career when he knocked out Joseph Benavidez in the UFC on ESPN+ 27 main event.

But because Figueiredo missed weight by 2.5 pounds the day before, he was not eligible to win the UFC’s vacant flyweight title. Benavidez was eligible, but fell short for the third time in his UFC career.

Even though Figueiredo couldn’t win the title with his knockout victory, it won’t hold him back in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings. But how high did he climb, and how far did Benavidez fall with the loss.

Plus, what were the repercussions in the women’s featherweight division, in which former Invicta FC champions Felicia Spencer and Megan Anderson both picked up knockout wins – and made cases to be the next challenger for dual champ Amanda Nunes?

Take a look at all the moves in the latest rankings. This week should create some movement, as well, with the middleweight title fight between champ Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero, and the women’s strawweight title fight between champ Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

To find out where your favorite fighters fall in the latest rankings, scroll to the top of the page and select a division from the drop-down menu.

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