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With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from June 2023.
With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from June 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Knockout of the Month award for June.
At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.
Shane Burgos sympathizes with Natan Schulte after taking his 2023 PFL playoff semifinals spot.
[autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] sympathizes with [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] after taking his 2023 PFL playoff spot.
Although Schulte qualified for the lightweight playoffs based on his results, the PFL announced it removed the 2019 PFL champion from the playoffs after promotion officials deemed Schulte and his opponent, Raush Manfio, who’s a close friend and teammate, didn’t put their “best efforts” in the fight as they were contracted to do.
As a result, former UFC fighter Burgos was given a semifinal spot in the playoffs after he thought he had been eliminated. Burgos is happy for the opportunity, but feels weird for taking Schulte’s spot.
“I sympathize with those guys,” Burgos told Fight Bananas. “I’m not a heartless motherf*cker. I get it, man. They’re best friends – like godfather of the other one’s daughter. That’s a sh*t position to be in. I do feel for them in that position. Watching it backstage, you could tell they didn’t want to hurt each other. I sympathize with them because I’ve never been in that position to fight a teammate, let alone a best friend. So I do feel for them.”
Burgos is one of PFL’s biggest signings. When asked to respond to critics claiming it was a ploy by the promotion to get him in the playoffs, Burgos said he sees where people are coming from with the theory.
“I can see what you guys are saying,” Burgos said. “Listen, if you ask me, ‘Do I deserve to be in this position?’ Yes, I do think I deserve to be in this position. But do I think I deserve to be in this position more so than Natan? No, I don’t. The dude, no matter what, he has two wins going to the playoffs. I think he does deserve it moreso than I am.
“At the end of the day, it says win on his record over Manfio and it says win on his record over Stevie Ray. he has two and I’m 1-1, so yeah, he deserves it more than I do. I still think I deserve it overall, but not more than him. If you’ve got to pick four guys, the four guys that have two wins each, those guys deserve it ahead of me. I’m the fifth guy, the next guy in line after that.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
PFL became a magnet for controversy after it suspended two of its former champions for not fighting in the spirit of competition.
The 2023 PFL 6 regular season bout between best friends and longtime training partners [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] brought the entire structure of the promotion under question.
The fighters went through a glorified sparring match, which Schulte (25-5-1) won by unanimous decision over Manfio (17-5) to clinch a playoff spot. It was a jarring contest, and the cageside commentators criticized the athletes for engaging, despite both claiming they had no desire to face each other due to their relationship.
When it was over, PFL removed Schulte from the postseason and suspended him and Manfio for not fighting in the spirit of competition, leading to a playoff birth for noted offseason signing Shane Burgos.
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The entire situation has sparked controversy and come outrage within the MMA community. Is PFL at fault for booking Schulte vs. Manfio in the first place? Should the athletes take place for delivering a substandard fight? And does PFL utilizing its power to reshuffle the playoff brackets when it claims to be a true sporting organization damage that tagline?
MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to offer reactions to the situation and answer those questions.
Check out the video above, and the latest complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.
Spinning Back Clique is live at noon ET. Our panel discusses Dana White’s love for Elon Musk-Mark Zuckerberg, UFC and PFL recaps and more.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Farah Hannoun and Nolan King join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:
Check out the disclosed 2023 PFL 6 fighter pays, including what Shane Burgos is making after jumping over from the UFC.
PFL returned to Atlanta this past Thursday for the third of three shows in three consecutive weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.
2023 PFL 6 featured final regular season bouts at lightweight and welterweight, as well as three showcase fights. In the main event, 2022 PFL lightweight champion [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] knocked out Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag].
Other names on the card included former UFC fighters [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] and [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag], as well as past PFL championship winners [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag], [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag], [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] and [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag].
MMA Junkie acquired a list of the 24 fighters’ disclosed payouts Monday from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission. The amounts do not include bonuses, sponsorships or any other discretionary payments.
Five fighters topped the list at $100,000, while all other fighters received five-figure or four-figure payouts. Among them was Burgos, who left the UFC as a free agent to sign with the PFL. Friday, Burgos pocketed a six-figure flat purse against [autotag]Yamato Nishikawa[/autotag].
Scroll below to see the disclosed pay for each 2023 PFL 6 fighter.
One of Scotland’s greatest MMA fighters has called it a career.
One of Scotland’s greatest MMA fighters has called it a career.
[autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] has decided to retire after suffering a second-round TKO to Clay Collard this past Friday at 2023 PFL 6, which took place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta.
Ray (25-13) needed a finish in the first round to clinch a spot in the playoffs, but fell short when he was stopped by Collard. “Braveheart” took to Instagram to announce that he’s hanging up his gloves, and his plans to continue coaching.
“14 years of service done. Time to pass on my knowledge and experience. Going to try book some Seminars over the next few months July/Aug/Sep in the UK if you’d like me to do a seminar at your Gym give me a message 😊👊
I will now also be back full time coaching at my Gym @braveheartmma from Next Monday 🙏👊 Full MMA timetable again.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct8r_ExKXKH/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
Ray departs the sport having lost three straight for the first time in his career. The 33-year-old made it to the 2022 PFL lightweight final after back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, but fell short in claiming the $1 million prize when he was knocked out by Olivier Aubin-Mercier.
Ray, a former Cage Warriors champion and ex-UFC fighter, holds notable wins over Pettis, Michael Johnson, Joe Lauzon and Ross Pearson.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
PFL suspended Raush Manfio and Natan Schulte due to a lackluster bout – and now Manfio’s manager is speaking out.
A manager of one of the two PFL fighters recently suspended by the promotion due to a lackluster bout has taken exception with the decision.
2021 lightweight champion [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] lost to close friend [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag], also the godfather of his daughter, at 2023 PFL 6, which took place Friday in Atlanta.
The bout was lackluster in nature with minimal engagements. After the fight, PFL removed Natan Schulte from the playoff spot he had just clinched with the win and suspended him. Manfio also was suspended from competing under the promotion’s banner for the rest of 2023. The promotion said Saturday the actions were taken because the fighters “did not meet the standards which all PFL fighters agree to uphold in competition.”
Brian Butler, of SuckerPunch Entertainment, manages Manfio. Saturday, Butler disavowed the promotion’s decision in a statement to MMA Junkie. He also called into question the subjectiveness of the situation because, despite being a league format, the promotion decides regular-season matchmaking.
“To make a subjective decision like this from a promotion that stakes its claim in fighter advocacy is just a bad look, in my opinion,” Butler said. “Judges make bad calls all the time with less repercussion. Raush and Natan are best friends and have been exclusive training partners for each other for years. Natan is the godfather of Raush’s daughter. To say they know each others styles, tricks and techniques inside and out is a gross understatement.
“Situations like bad style matchups and lackluster fights happen in this sport all the time, but the unique thing about the PFL and the ‘tournament/point format’ is that it would sort itself out on its own in the end. Our client got half his pay and zero points to move forward in the tournament… This is distasteful and unnecessary.”
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Multiple rules listed in official “2023 Rules and Regulations” document posted on the promotion’s website addresses the semifinals, point delegation, and playoff qualification.
Article 1.1.c. indicates the semifinals are based on merit, “Fighters will earn points during the regular season based on their performance and will be ranked in division standings accordingly. At the end of the regular season, the top 4 in each division will make the playoffs.”
However, Article 3.1.b. lays the groundwork for playoff participants to be selected in a more traditional matchmaker-type format, “Semifinal matchups will be determined at the league’s discretion. The league reserves the right to change matchups at any time.”
Additionally, Article 2.3 states that points, which determine who does and does not make the PFL playoffs, can be changed by the promotion at any time.
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According to the promotion’s official lightweight standings, since Schulte was stripped of his three points earned against Manfio, he dropped back down below the playoff qualifying line. Schulte and his representatives have yet to comment.
The 2023 PFL lightweight playoffs will launch Aug. 23 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Schulte’s replacement, Shane Burgos, will take on Clay Collard, and 2022 champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier takes on Bruno Miranda.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
A fight between close friends Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio has resulted in both fighters suspended and one removed from the playoffs.
[autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] won’t be in the 2023 PFL playoffs after all.
Less than 12 hours after Schulte (25-5-1) defeated [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] (17-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) at 2023 PFL 6 and clinched a playoff spot in the process, the promotion announced his removal from the postseason and both fighters’ suspensions for the remainder of the season.
“Last night Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio did not meet the standards which all PFL fighters agree to uphold in competition,” a PFL press release Saturday said. “All fighters in their PFL Fight Agreements agree to use their ‘best efforts … skills and abilities as a professional athlete to compete … and defeat any opponent.’”
The bout in question took place Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta on the event’s preliminary card. For the majority of three rounds, Schulte and Manfio were hesitant to engage. The two are close friends and training partners.
“It was very clear that Natan and Raush did not meet that contractual standard in yesterday’s bout,” the promotion said. “PFL immediately suspended both fighters from the season and deemed the fight to have 0 points for purposes of League standings. PFL takes this action in recognition of its responsibility to all PFL fighters and all PFL fans.”
As a result, [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (16-4) will slide into a playoff slot and take on [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (23-10), who previously clinched the No. 1 seed. [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (19-5) and [autotag]Bruno Miranda[/autotag] (16-3) man the other side of the four-man playoff bracket.
OFFICIAL: Revised matchups are set for the Lightweight Semifinals#PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/FNVTSLLxVu
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 24, 2023
The unusual nature of Friday’s fight gained much attention from fans and even other PFL lightweights prior to the announcement Saturday,
2022 PFL lightweight champion Aubin-Mercier, who defeated Anthony Romero in the card’s main event, questioned if the promotion should have two fighters from the same gym compete in the same weight division.
“It was really weird,” Aubin-Mercier said (via BestFightPicks). “I have to be very clear. I understand 100 percent if I was going to fight my best friend. … It would be a fight like this. But at the same time, it’s unfair to anybody else. I think it showed PFL. When I said I wanted PFL to be better, I think it showed maybe we shouldn’t put two people of the same gym in the same category. This stuff can happen.
Olivier Aubin Mercier Thinks The Schulte/Manfio Fight Was Fixed 👀https://t.co/b8mJoZOG4C#PFL6 #PFLATL #PFL @oliaubin pic.twitter.com/5NuvONb1zR
— Dan (@BestFightPicks) June 24, 2023
MMA Junkie reached out Saturday to the George Athletic and Entertainment Commission (GAEC), which oversaw the event. The story will be updated to reflect comment if/when it is received.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
Check out these photos from Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Anthony Romero at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag]’s victory over Anthony Romero at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Check out these photos from Sadibou Sy vs. Shane Mitchell at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag]’s victory over Shane Mitchell at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
