Tag: 2022 PFL 3

Ray Cooper III expects trilogy bout vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov this PFL season

Ray Cooper believes he’ll cross paths with Magomed Magomedkerimov again during the PFL 2022 season.

ARLINGTON, Texas – PFL welterweight champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] sees a familiar foe is in his future this season.

Cooper expects to cross paths with 2018 PFL champ Magomed Magomedkerimov, whom he’s fought twice before. Cooper (24-7-1) first faced Magomedkerimov in the 2018 welterweight final. He lost by second-round guillotine choke. Cooper would later settle the score as he met the Russian in the 2021 final, winning by third-round knockout.

The Hawaiian is well aware anything can happen during the season and in the playoffs, but he has a feeling he’ll meet Magomedkerimov a third time.

“I’m not too sure. Everyone is kind of even, and anything could happen, but I really think Magomed gonna be back, and we’re gonna have our trilogy,” Cooper told MMA Junkie at 2022 PFL 3 media day on Wednesday.

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Despite his gut feeling, Cooper is indifferent about a trilogy bout with Magomedkerimov.

“If it happens it happens, but my goal is just to get to the final and whoever is there is there,” Cooper said. “That’s the kind of mentality you have to have going into these tournaments. You can’t expect to fight somebody in the championship if he’s not there, so you have to be ready to fight anybody.”

The 29-year-old Cooper returns Friday in the co-main event of 2022 PFL 3. He takes on PFL newcomer Carlos Leal. Cooper doesn’t know much about Leal but is confident he’ll get the job done regardless.

“I didn’t watch any of his fights, just kind of saw the highlights,” Cooper said. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I have a lot of fights and fought a lot of guys, a lot of different styles. He’s just in my way.”

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Julia Budd ‘hungrier than ever,’ says experience gives her edge over rest of PFL women

Julia Budd explains why she feels she enters the 2022 PFL women’s lightweight season with an edge over the rest of the competition.

ARLINGTON, Texas – [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] believes she’s got an edge over the rest of the competition in the PFL.

The former Bellator champion and Invicta FC and Strikeforce competitor is confident in her skillset, but more importantly, she’s confident in what she’s learned throughout her 12-year career as she prepares to kick off the 2022 PFL women’s lightweight season.

Budd (16-3) takes on Genah Fabian on the preliminary card of Friday’s 2022 PLF 3 event. The bout marks the first time Budd, who signed with the promotion and debuted last October, will compete in the regular season. Budd, 38, is tied with Vanessa Melo at 19 for the most fights on the 2022 PFL women’s roster. There’s no doubt Budd is among the most experienced fighters. And she feels that will give her a big advantage throughout the season.

“I think my experience is what I bring to the table,” Budd said at 2022 PFL 3 media day on Wednesday. “All these learning experiences throughout the way, you know, the things that don’t break you, make you stronger.

“Having that mentality, knowing who I am. It’s facing yourself at the end of the day. I think that with my skill and experience in the sport, that’s one thing: I know I’ve done it. I don’t know about the other girls. I’ve had to look at myself and start back after big loses and losing my belt against Cyborg and kind of like decide, ‘Do I still want this?’ I’ve had to ask those questions, and I’ve answer those questions. I’m hungrier than ever.”

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Budd gives credit to all her opponents and is careful to not overlook anyone on the roster.  But despite her efforts to stay grounded, Budd has to give herself credit for what she’s been through, as most of her career has developed on the biggest stages for women’s MMA.

“I don’t want to take away from what I know I bring to the table, you know,” Budd said. “Sometimes in the past, I would not give myself that credit, and I know what I bring to the table. That experience has made me better as a mixed martial artist, as a person, and just me with my confidence. I do think that’s going to be a big difference between me and the rest of the division.”

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Kayla Harrison praises Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano: ‘They raised women athletes to a whole new level’

Kayla Harrison paid her respect to Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano following their historic boxing title fight at MSG.

ARLINGTON, Texas – They don’t share the same sport, but [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] can respect the work Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano displayed in their historic boxing title fight last weekend.

Taylor overcame adversity to defeat Serrano in a split decision and retain her undisputed lightweight championship in front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden last Saturday. Taylor vs. Serrano arguably was the biggest and most high profile fight in women’s boxing history.

Harrison (12-0), a two-time PFL champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, has a new level of respect for Taylor and Serrano and what they were able to do for women’s boxing and women’s sports in general.

“For me as a female athlete and as woman in general, and I think just an athlete, it was super inspiring to watch,” Harrison told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the 2022 PFL 3 media day on Wednesday. “My hat goes off to both of them. They couldn’t have done a better job in the ring, out of the ring – class all the way.

“They raised women athletes to a whole new level that night. And I think that’s the goal besides trying to beat people up for money. The goal is to raise the bar and make it a little easier for the next generation so they don’t have to fight as hard to just get noticed. The goal is to take over.”

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Harrison returns to the cage this Friday in the main event of 2022 PFL 3, her first fight since re-signing with the promotion after a long free agency period. She takes on Marina Mokhnatkina in a lightweight bout. Harrison won the two previous seasons of women’s lightweight, capturing two titles and cashing two $1 million prizes. The 31-year-old is regarded by many as one of the best female fighters in MMA today.

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PFL 2022, Week 3: Make your predictions for Kayla Harrison, Anthony Pettis, Rory MacDonald, more

We want your predictions for Friday’s PFL 2022, Week 3 event in Arlington, Texas.

We want your predictions for Friday’s PFL 2022, Week 3 event in Arlington, Texas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the PFL 2022, Week 3 main card staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. PFL 2022, Week 3 takes place Friday at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

How to watch 2022 PFL 3: Who’s fighting, lineup, start time, broadcast info

Here’s how you can watch PFL 3, which features women’s lightweights and welterweights in action this week.

The PFL regular reason continues this week with 2022 PFL 3, which features women’s lightweights and welterweights in action for the first time this year.

Here’s how to watch PFL 3, with a complete lineup and breakdown by division.

Kayla Harrison’s first fight of 2022 headlines PFL 3; Rory MacDonald, Anthony Pettis on card

Fresh off her new PFL deal, Kayla Harrison is back in a headlining spot.

Fresh off signing a new PFL contract, [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is back in a headlining spot.

Harrison (12-0) will face [autotag]Marina Mokhnatkina[/autotag] (6-2) in the women’s lightweight main event of 2022 PFL 3 on May 6 at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas, the promotion announced Tuesday. The event will air on ESPN 2 and stream on ESPN+.

Harrison, a two-time PFL champion, explored free agency after winning her second title last October, but she ultimately re-signed with the PFL. The unbeaten two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka finished Mariana Morais, Cindy Dandois, Genah Fabian, and Taylor Guardado in the final to win the title.

Mokhnatkina, a Fight Nights Global and Bellator veteran, made her successful PFL debut last August when she defeated Claudia Zamora by unanimous decision in what was the combat sambo champion’s lightweight debut.

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Co-headlining PFL 3 will be former Bellator welterweight champion and ex-UFC title challenger [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] (22-8-1), who takes on veteran [autotag]Brett Cooper[/autotag] (28-15). MacDonald, 32, will kick off his second PFL season after going 1-2 last year.

Former UFC and WEC lightweight champ [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]’ (24-12) originally scheduled bout with [autotag]Myles Price[/autotag] (11-7) has been rescheduled from PFL 1 on April 20 to PFL 3.

The 2022 PFL 3 lineup includes:

  • Kayla Harrison vs. Marina Mokhnatkina
  • Ray Cooper III vs. Magomed Umalatov
  • Anthony Pettis vs. Myles Price
  • Rory MacDonald vs. Brett Cooper
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino
  • Genah Fabian vs. Julia Budd
  • Sadibou Sy vs. Nikolai Aleksakhin
  • Larissa Pacheco vs. Zamzagul Fayzallanova
  • Gleison Tibau vs. Jarrah Al Silawi
  • Olena Kolesnyk vs. Abigail Montes
  • Vanessa Melo vs. Martina Jindrova

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