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Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,253, the guys Bellator President Scott Coker join the show, went over the PFL results and previewed this weekend’s action.
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“I just want to fight Raush whenever, wherever. I want to get it back, man.”
ARLINGTON, Texas – Before the 2022 PFL season is over, [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] wants an opportunity to rematch [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag].
Collard (21-9) lost a controversial decision to Manfio in last year’s semifinals, putting an end to his 2021 title hopes. Manfio went on to become the lightweight champion and after both men emerged victorious Wednesday at 2022 PFL 1, Collard hopes they can run things back.
“I just want to fight Raush whenever, wherever,” Collard told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight. “I want to get it back, man.”
He continued, “I felt like I won the fight, the fans felt that I won the fight, the computer system had me winning the fight, both veteran commentators had me winning the fight, so he’s delusional.”
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Manfio (16-3) came from behind to knock out Don Madge on Wednesday, but it was Collard’s barnburner against Jeremy Stephens that received the headlining spot on the night, which doesn’t surprise the professional boxer.
“It was a snoozefest until that last punch,” Collard said of Manfio’s win.
“I knew it was going to be the most exciting fight on the card,” Collard said of his fight with Stephens. “That’s why there were two returning champions, and they were on my undercard because I’m the most entertaining guy period.”
Check out the full post-fight interview with Collard in the video above.
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Jeremy Stephens said he will go back to the drawing board confident he can still win the 2022 PFL lightweight title.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Despite falling short in his PFL debut, [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]’ confidence hasn’t wavered.
Stephens (28-20) lost a back-and-forth standup war against [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (21-9) on Wednesday at 2022 PFL 1. Although it was a shutout in favor of Collard on the judges’ scorecards, Stephens definitely had his moments. He respects Collard’s willingness to stand and bang with him and has already dissected the necessary adjustments to get back to winning ways.
“Credit to Clay. He’s probably the only guy that’ll fight me like that,” Stephens told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight. “So straight up, props to him. I’ve been through a lot in the past two years. My career has been on the line, switching over PFL, so coming in here and getting a game opponent like that, I feel like he’s the best guy. To go in there and do that with a year off, it really lets me know where I’m at.
“There’s a few things I need to work on, basically cardio and volume, and I win that fight. So it’s good to get back in here. It’s good to know that I’m fighting in six, seven weeks from now. I’m healthy, I got a little black eye, so I can build on that. I can definitely work my cardio, work my volume, and I know what I need to do going forward, and I feel like I can knock all these motherf*ckers out on the roster besides Clay because that motherf*cker took a shot.”
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Stephens knows he now has to play catchup after dropping his first bout of the season, but he has no doubt that he’ll be shutting the lights out of his next couple of opponents.
“You know what, I’m actually happy,” Stephens said. “(In) six, seven weeks, those guys on the roster that fought tonight, I’m sleeping them. There’s no doubt about it. You’re gonna see me catch some big points. It’s my first fight back in a while. Now I got some rhythm, and you’re gonna see a better version of me in six, seven weeks. Mark my words.”
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Clay Collard and Jeremy Stephens put on Fight of the Year candidate battle in the main event of Wednesday’s 2022 PFL 1.
[autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] might have put on the best fight in PFL history.
The two lightweight fighters went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes, trading all kinds of strikes in the headlining act of 2022 PFL 1. Collard (21-9) was awarded a unanimous decision win over Stephens (28-20), scoring 30-27 on all three judges’ scorecards.
2022 PFL 1 took place on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas.
It was a wild and back-and-forth outing.
In the first round, Stephens came out hot – landing several right hooks that caught the attention of Collard. Stephens landed flush and hard, but Collard took the shots well. Halfway through the round, Collard began pressuring Stephens and out-striking him with volume. Stephens had his moments, but Collard was connecting clean and often.
The excitement followed in the second, as both fighter went toe-to-toe in high-paced striking battle. Once again, Stephens’ power was in display, bit it was outshined by Collard’s volume and accuracy. As the round proceeded, the ware became visible on Stephens.
In Round 3, Stephens tried to battle through with toughness, power and pressure. He had an admirable effort making it a fight and forcing Collard to work. Collard had also slowed down significantly and was connecting with less frequency. It was a close and competitive round.
THE CROWD IS LOVING THIS FIGHT!#2022PFL1 LIVE on ESPN & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomkWj8 pic.twitter.com/ggQxXwk02E— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 21, 2022
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With this result, Collard scored three points in the season, while Stephens left empty handed.
Collard managed to bounce back from his loss to eventual 2021 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio, which saw him out of the playoffs. Pior to that, he had two victories including an upset win over former UFC champion Anthony Pettis.
Meanwhile, Stephens failed to make a successful transition to the PFL. The fan-favorite fighter was making his first appearance since leaving the UFC, where he fought for almost 15 years. The 35-year-old is winless in his last seven bouts, a run that includes six defeats and one no contest.
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Watch PFL champion Raush Manfio pull off comeback KO against Don Madge at 2022 PFL 1.
It was a close call for [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag].
The 2021 PFL lightweight champion picked up an impressive comeback win, putting away his opponent Don Madge at the 2:42 mark of Round 3 in a bout that he was likely losing on the scorecards. The 155-pound contest took place in the co-main event of 2022 PFL 1 event in Arlington, Texas.
The win earned Manfio four points in the season.
Although Manfio (16-3) was hanging with Madge (11-4-1), it seemed the Brazilian was behind the scorecards, as Madge was landing the bigger shots and had the most volume throughout the fight. But that all changed when Manfio connected with a hard right hand that dropped Madge. From there, Manfio followed up with ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
Below you can watch Manfio’s knockout:
IT'S ALL OVER!
Raush Manfio lands a BOMB in the 3rd round! 4 Points for Raush!#2022PFL1 LIVE on ESPN2 & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomkWj8 pic.twitter.com/hp3o1ZKbtX— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 21, 2022
Manfio win the 2021 PFL lightweight title and $1 million prize after entering the tournament as an alternate. The 30-year-old is on a five-fight winning streak, which includes notable names such as Clay Collard and Anthony Pettis.
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Watch Antonio Carlos Junior score a 29-second submission win at Wednesday’s 2022 PFL 1 event.
[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] is off to a perfect start for his 2022 PFL campaign.
The 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion scored a quick, first-round submission win, tapping out his opponent Delan Monte with a D’arce choke in just 29 seconds. The 205-pound contest was part of the 2022 PFL 1 event that took place on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas.
Junior (14-5) earned six points – the maximum score – for his first-round stoppage win.
Below you can watch Junior’s first win of 2022:
28 Second D'Arce Choke for @caradesapatojr!
6 Points and Shoeface is back on TOP of the light heavyweight division standings!#2022PFL1 LIVE on ESPN & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomkWj8 pic.twitter.com/VNPKQuXcEa— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 21, 2022
“Shoeface” is currently unbeaten in his past five bouts, which include four wins and one no contest. He’s yet to lose a bout since departing from the UFC in early 2021. Junior won the light heavyweight season in 2021, capturing the title and the $1 million prize.
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Watch UFC veteran Omari Akhmedov put away Viktor Pesta with a brutal right hand at Wednesday’s 2022 PFL 1.
ARLINGTON, Texas. – [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] put himself in a good position to kick off the 2022 PFL light heavyweight season.
The veteran fighter earned a quick, first-round knockout at Wednesday’s 2022 PFL 1 event in Arlington, Texas. Akhmedov (22-7) put away Viktor Pesta with a brutal right hand that sent Pesta towering down to the canvas. The official stoppage came at the 1:25 mark of Round 1.
With the finish, Akhmedov earned six points in the 2022 PFL light heavyweight season.
You can watch Akhmedov’s knockout win below (via Twitter):
OUT LIKE A LIGHT 💡
Omari Akhmedov gets a Quick 6! He now sits on top of light heavyweight standings!#2022PFL1 LIVE on ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomkWj8 pic.twitter.com/W2kgNpQDms— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 20, 2022
With this win, the 33-year-old Russian bounced back from a two-fight losing streak. Akhmedov made his PFL debut in November of 2021, losing via stoppage to Jordan Young. Prior to that, Akhmedov lost a split decision to Brad Tavares, which marked the end of his eight-year run with the UFC.
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Check out the results of 2022 PFL 1 taking place at the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The first event of the 2022 PFL season takes place on Wednesday at Esports Stadium, and MMA Junkie will be on the scene reporting and providing live and official results.
The 2022 PFL 1 event features 10 fights in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions. The event airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m. ET.
In the main event, [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (20-9) takes on PFL newcomer [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-19). The co-main will see 2021 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio (15-3) against Don Madge (10-3-1).
Representing the light heavyweights on the main card in the feature bout, 2021 PFL champion Antonio Carlos Junior (13-5) will face Delan Monte (8-1).
Full results of 2022 PFL 1 include:
Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Preliminary card (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
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Check out the weigh-in results of 2022 PFL 1 in Arlington, Texas.
Fighters competing in the 2022 PFL season opener stepped on the scale Tuesday to record their official weight for their bouts.
The 10-fight 2022 PFL 1 card takes place Wednesday at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The first week will see lightweights and light heavyweights compete as they aim to get a strong start to the new season. [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (20-9) takes on [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-19) in the main event. The co-main will see 2021 PFL lightweight champion [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] (15-3) against [autotag]Don Madge[/autotag] (10-3-1). Representing the light heavyweights in the feature bout, 2021 PFL champion [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (13-5) will face [autotag]Delan Monte[/autotag] (8-1).
All fighters competing on Wednesday made weight with no issues, kicking off the season with a smooth start on the scales.
The full 202 PFL 1 weigh-in results are below:
Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Preliminary card (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
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PFL lightweight Olivier Aubin-Mercier believes the grind of the PFL season is like nothing else in MMA.
The grind of the PFL season is not easy for fighters, and lightweight $1 million hopeful [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] believes it’s the toughest challenge in the entire sport.
The structure of the season will see the finalists compete in four fights in a manner of months. Last year, the lightweight champion Raush Manfio competed in his first bout of the season at 2021 PFL 1 on April 23 and was crowned champion in the finals on October 27 in his fourth fight, with about two months between each appearance. Aubin-Mercier only fought twice, at 2021 PFL 4 and 2021 PFL 7, and found the schedule tough to deal with.
This year, however, Aubin-Mercier (13-5) adjusted his approach and believes the experience of the 2021 season will help him excel as he prepares to step inside the cage against Natan Schulte (21-4-1) to kick off the new season at 2022 PFL 1 in Arlington, Texas.
“I was really surprised how fast the fights were going at last year,” Aubin-Mercier said at Monday’s media day. “I did a fight, even though I missed the first one, I did that fight and then I fought maybe two months after or something like this and I really found it really, really hard. So, I know I have to be different this year.
“I think the first training camp, it should be hard, but the other three training camps, if you go to the final, it should be smarter. … I don’t think you can do a big training camp every single fight because you have probably some injury every fight. So we have to heal, you have to stay in shape, but not push your body too much. Stay on the weight – I think it’s going to be really, really hard.”
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During his 12-fight run with the UFC, Aubin-Mercier fought no more than three times in a calendar year. He did it twice in 2016 and 2018, but the shortest time between any two bouts was just over three and a half months.
“Probably the hardest sport event in MMA right now, well maybe any sport right now, to be honest,” Aubin-Mercier said. “I mean, UFC for sure they are the level, but they don’t fight four times in nine months unless you’re freaking Khamzat (Chimaev). So yeah, I think I’m gonna need this experience and I think I know now.”
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