Tag: 2024 PFL 1

2024 PFL 1 video: Jena Bishop taps Chelsea Hackett with beautiful armbar

Bellator import Jena Bishop notched six points in her PFL debut when she slickly tapped Chelsea Hackett with an armbar.

[autotag]Jena Bishop[/autotag] left her PFL debut with six points and a victory.

At 2024 PFL 1 on Thursday at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Bishop (7-0) submitted [autotag]Chelsea Hackett[/autotag] (4-2-1) with an armbar at 4:15 of Round 1.

The fight was the first regular season bout for the women’s flyweight division. Bishop maximized her potential points with six, as a result of the finish coming inside the first five minutes.

A Bellator import, Bishop was rising through the division when the merger between the promotion and PFL transpired. Rather than remain on the Bellator-branded events, Bishop was placed in the season format. The win Thursday is her fourth career submission.

Hackett signed with PFL in 2023 after an unsuccessful bid on Dana White’s Contender Series. She made her promotional debut in August when she submitted Ky Bennett.

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The up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL 1 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

Linton Vassell on entering 2024 PFL season: ‘I can’t be waiting around’ for Ryan Bader

Linton Vassell expected Ryan Bader next but explains why he ended up entering the 2024 PFL season instead.

[autotag]Linton Vassell[/autotag] expected [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] next but ended up entering the 2024 PFL season instead.

Vassell (24-8) was scheduled to challenge Bellator heavyweight champion Bader (31-8) this past October but withdrew due to lingering effects of COVID. In the meantime, Bader faced 2023 PFL champion Renan Ferreira in February but was knocked out in just 21 seconds.

Vassell still thought he’d get to run things back with Bader but ended up accepting an offer to join the 2024 PFL season when he was told Bader isn’t ready yet.

“I was supposed to fight Bader, which didn’t happen,” Vassell told MMA Junkie Radio. “I got sick in October. So, me and my manager were saying I’m going to fight him depending on what happens with him and Ferreira. Obviously he lost the fight, so I’m expecting I’m going to fight Ryan next. I get a phone call saying that fight is not happening. ‘Do you want to go into the PFL tournament?’

“This was about maybe four weeks ago. That’s exactly what happened. I didn’t even get a chance to really decide what I wanted to do, but I wanted to fight. I’ve been training, so I thought why not? It’s a year pretty much when I fought (Valentin) Moldavsky. I can’t be waiting around for Ryan or whatever fight could be lined up later.”

Vassell meets Denis Goltsov in Thursday’s 2024 PFL 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+) co-main event, which takes place at Boeing Center in San Antonio. The 40-year-old is enjoying his best career run having won five straight, and despite his age, is ready for the strenuous tournament format.

“I know what I’ve put myself into,” Vassell said. “How would I know unless I tried? I could always be like, ‘Oh, I’m not ready,’ but I could be like, ‘I’m 40 now, I’m not going to fight,’ but I feel I’m at my best right now. I’ve won my last five fights. It’s not like I’m winning and it’s going the distance. Out of five fights, one fight went the distance, and I’ve beaten the top guys.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

How to watch PFL 2024, Week 1: Who’s fighting, lineup, start time, broadcast info

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of PFL 2024, Week 1 in San Antonio.

The PFL’s 2024 regular season starts this week with PFL 2024, Week 1, which features heavyweights and women’s flyweights in action for the first time this year.

Here’s how to watch PFL 2024, Week 1, with a complete lineup and breakdown by division.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 1.

Photos: 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs

Check out these photos from the 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins in San Antonio.

Check out these photos from the 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins featuring the first round of women’s flyweight and men’s heavyweight regular season bouts ahead of the event taking place at Boeing Center in San Antonio. (Photos by Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

Valentin Moldavsky focused on Ante Delija but says fighting Francis Ngannou at some point ‘would be great’

Add Valentin Moldavsky to the list of names wlling to welcome Francis Ngannou to the PFL.

Add [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] to the list of names willing to welcome [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] to the PFL.

Moldavsky (12-3-1) meets 2022 PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija (24-5) in Thursday’s 2024 PFL 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+) headliner, which takes place at Boeing Center in San Antonio.

The former interim Bellator heavyweight champion is looking forward to fresh blood and potential bigger opportunities such as Ngannou at PFL, but knows he has to get through Delija first in his regular season opener.

“Obviously we all try to improve and looking for better opponents in our future,” Moldavsky said through an interpreter during the 2024 PFL 1 media day. “Facing Francis at some point in the future would be great, but as of now, I need to focus on what I have in front of me. I want to focus on this fight. As we say, you do not start cutting bear’s fur until you kill the bear.”

Moldavsky fought twice both in 2023 and 2022. But now that he’s part of the PFL’s heavyweight season, he is excited to ramp up his activity.

“One of the main things I like is that I’m going to be more active,” Moldavsky said. “Because in Bellator, yeah I became heavyweight champion, I fought one of the best heavyweights out there, but I would get with Bellator let’s say, two fights a year?

“Here, providing that you keep winning, with the tournament format, you can have four fights a year. For me, that’s what I’m looking for. I’m trying to stay active, and yeah, I like PFL’s format.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

Ante Delija recounts training with ‘very technical’ UFC champ Tom Aspinall before 2024 PFL 1

Ante Delija turned to the UFC interim heavyweight champion for some training sessions before the PFL regular season got underway.

[autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] recently spent time training with UFC interim heavyweight champion [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag].

Delija (24-5) takes on Valentin Moldavsky (12-3-1) in Thursday’s 2024 PFL 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+) main event, which takes place at Boeing Center in San Antonio.

The 2022 PFL heavyweight champion was in the U.K. a couple of months ago to get some work in with Aspinall and had nothing but praise for him.

“I trained with Tom Aspinall before my training camp,” Delija said through an interpreter during the 2024 PFL 1 media day. “I was impressed with his physical strength, and also he’s very, very technical. His father has been training him since he was a kid, so he deserves the place where he’s in right now.”

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With PFL acquiring Bellator, Delija has plenty of new options for opponents – especially after competing in two rematches already with the PFL.

“Of course I’m looking forward to new faces,” Delija said. “I’m in my prime, and I want to fight as many best competitions as I can get in my way.”

You can watch the full media day with Delija in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

Video: 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs

Watch the fighters step on the scale and their faceoffs at the 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins in San Antonio.

The 2024 PFL 1 ceremonial weigh-ins take place Wednesday, and you can watch a live stream of the festivities right here on MMA Junkie.

PFL 1, which takes place Saturday at Boeing Center in San Antonio, features heavyweights and the newly added women’s flyweight division kicking off their regular seasons. The heavyweight main event pits [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag], while the featured women’s flyweight has Bellator champ [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] taking on [autotag]Julianna Velasquez[/autotag] in a trilogy after Carmouche won the first two encounters.

You can watch the fighters step on the scale and their faceoffs in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 1.

PFL Week 1 predictions: Two unanimous picks to open season in San Antonio

Check out our staff members’ picks and analysis for women’s flyweights and heavyweights at PFL Week 1 in San Antonio.

The PFL is back for the start of its 2024 regular season, and heavyweights and women’s flyweights are on display for the first of three straight weeks of events.

PFL 2024, Week 1 (ESPN2/ESPN+) takes place Thursday at Boeing Center in San Antonio.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Liz Carmouche before 2024 PFL 1: It would’ve been ‘stupid’ to reject $1 million season offer

Bellator champ Liz Carmouche looks to add a PFL title and an extra $1 million to her collection beginning at 2024 PFL 1 on Friday.

[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] didn’t hesitate when PFL offered her the chance to win a title in a second organization.

Carmouche (20-7), a former UFC title challenger and current Bellator women’s flyweight champion, will look to further enhance her resume on Friday when she meets Juliana Velasquez (12-2) in a regular season opener at 2024 PFL 1, which takes place at Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas (ESPN2, ESPN+).

After PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, Carmouche said her future was somewhat unclear. However, PFL opted to drop its previous women’s division at featherweight and incorporate a 125-pound roster for the upcoming season, and Carmouche was offered the chance to participate.

“I wouldn’t say that I chose (fighting in PFL next over Bellator),” Carmouche told MMA Junkie Radio. “I would say that they said, ‘Here’s an opportunity, it’s a great opportunity.’ They didn’t know what they were going to be doing with the females outside of this tournament, and to me it was a no-brainer. To have a belt in another organization, to work for $1 million? That’s the most women ever get. So I would be stupid to have not gone for it.”

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Carmouche looks to start her run to the $1 million prize in a positive fashion when she meets a familiar foe in Velasquez, who she beat for the Bellator belt in April 2022 before successfully defending it against the Brazilian in a December 2022 rematch.

The first fight may not be the most problematic for Carmouche, because at 40, she’s the oldest athlete in the division. If she runs the gauntlet and makes it to the final, that would mean four fights between Friday and November.

Although Carmouche admitted she’ll have to carefully monitor her preparation and weight cuts, she is thrilled by the idea of a busy year and intends to take full advantage of the situation and become the first fighter to win a Bellator title and a PFL season championship.

“When I started off my career, I think the first year I had eight or nine fights, and I thought that’s what the fighting lifestyle was,” Carmouche said. “When it started to slow down I was like, ‘I don’t really like this.’ I’m in the gym 24/7, 365 days a year. I’ll take a day off here or there, but I don’t really take vacations. Having a goal set every two months is perfect for me to just focus on what I need to in the training camp.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.

2024 PFL 1: Make your predictions for heavyweights and women’s flyweights in San Antonio

We want your predictions for Saturday’s 2024 PFL 1 event in San Antonio.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s PFL 2024, Week 1 event in San Antonio.

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 reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release Wednesday ahead of 2024 PFL 1 (ESPN2/ESPN+), which takes place Thursday at Boeing Center in San Antonio.

Make your picks below.