In the 2024 PFL 5 main event, Mads Burnell picked up a big win over Clay Collard by unanimous decision, but it wasn’t enough to get him to the post season to compete for $1 million.
In the BCS: Dublin headliner, a new welterweight champion was crowned, as [autotag]Ramazan Kuramagomedov[/autotag] defeated Jason Jackson unanimously on the scorecards.
At UFC on ABC 6 in Saudi Arabia, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] torched short-notice opponent Ikram Aliskerov, but two other fights generated big moves: [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag]’s decision win over Srgei Pavlovich and [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]’s brutal knockout of Johnny Walker.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.
Expect more of this from Michael Chandler, currently in always-the-bridesmaid mode just trying to get a fight with Conor McGregor.
Expect plenty of this in the coming months.
[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] took a shot at [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] on Saturday after McGregor cornered Irish teammate Sinead Kavanagh in her submission loss to Arlene Blencowe at the Bellator Champions Series event in Dublin.
McGregor was supposed to headline UFC 303 this Saturday against Chandler in his first fight in more than three years, and the two were set to be on stage for a ticketed press conference in Dublin on June 3. But the event was canceled 12 hours before, and soon after it was revealed that McGregor pulled out of the fight with a toe injury.
Because the press conference that was scrapped was supposed to be at 3Arena in Dublin, the same venue McGregor was in to corner Kavanagh, Chandler couldn’t resist a moment that seemed to be dripping in irony – that McGregor not only was there, but was supporting a Bellator product that he has made fun of Chandler for being a past champion of.
“Speaking of showing up to events…glad you finally made it to the 3Arena where the press conference was supposed to be June 3rd,” Chandler posted on social media. “Sweet slippers. Who’s the Bellator Tick now? @TheNotoriousMMA”
Speaking of showing up to events…glad you finally made it to the 3Arena where the press conference was supposed to be June 3rd. Sweet slippers. Who’s the Bellator Tick now? @TheNotoriousMMAhttps://t.co/1gtJrvuSfM
McGregor said this past week he needs a few weeks to recover, but listed August or September as a timeline for his return. But he also said when he comes back, it will be against “Chandler or not.” McGregor and Chandler have been penciled in to fight each other ever since they signed on to film Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in early 2023. Chandler has sat idle waiting for the McGregor fight for almost two years.
Since he last fought in July 2021, between Bellator, BKFC and boxing events, it’s likely McGregor has spent more time at live events held by the UFC’s combat sports competition than he has at his own organization’s shows. Following Kavanagh’s loss to Blencowe, McGregor sat cageside drinking his Forged Irish Stout beer brand with Bellator-attired personnel.
Conor McGregor at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, June 22, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / Bellator Europe 3)
Conor McGregor says the toe injury that forced him out of UFC 303 is no joke, but has his eyes on a two-month range for his return.
Three weeks from the day that [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] suffered a broken toe, he’s itching to return to the cage as soon as possible.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was in attendance Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin for Bellator Champions Series to corner teammate Sinead Kavanagh on the main card. McGregor revealed backstage to Severe MMA that his toe is still giving him issues despite stem cell treatment.
“We just adjust,” McGregor said. “Everything is moving. Everything is moving parts, so I’m good. The injury is a nuisance. It’s painful. I’m not going to lie. It’s very, very painful – probably even more than the leg, and that’s the truth. I’ll tell you why: The leg was at least wrapped up. I couldn’t access it. The foot is just there still. It’s like it’s exposed or something. It’s a bit painful, but it comes with the territory. I need to just dial it in, get my training camps correct.”
McGregor, who still is in slippers to ease the pain of moving around on the injury that caused him to withdraw from UFC 303 vs. Michael Chandler, said he aims to return sometime in the two-to-three-month range. The UFC nor its CEO Dana White has shed any light on their hopes or plans for that return.
“August-September … August-September, I’d love,” McGregor said. “You know the way it is. I’m in recovery mode.”
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Regardless, McGregor thinks he made the right move to withdraw from the bout, particularly since the most recent time he competed was in 2021 when he fractured his leg in a fight vs. Dustin Poirier. It wasn’t an easy choice, McGregor said.
“The UFC has been stellar,” McGregor said. “They’ve really gone above for me. I’m so grateful for that because I was in a dark place. Now, I’m all right. I’m coming. I’m all right. I’m getting there again. I’m ready to go again – soon enough. I’m just very appreciative of them assisting me. I’m sad for the fans that wanted the entertainment of the pay-per-view, of the press conference and the pay-per-view and the card and all. But look, it was just one of those damned things.
“How could I justify making that walk again and then be stationary, flat on the feet, and then saying to my fans afterward, ‘Oh, this happened but I made the walk for you guys’? The fans have seen this. I can’t do it again. If you’re paying that much, you deserve to see the best of me. So that’s what they’re going to see. It’s on me now and my team of coaches and my team of training partners to really dial it in and make sure that happens – and I’m confident we will.”
Check out these photos of former UFC champion Conor McGregor in the corner of teammate Sinead Kavanagh at Bellator Dublin.
Check out these photos of former UFC champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] in the corner of teammate Sinead Kavanagh during her submission loss to Arlene Blencowe at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin at 3Arena. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA)
Check out these photos highlighting the action from Bellator Champions Series: Dublin on Saturday at 3Arena.
Check out these photos highlighting the action from Bellator Champions Series: Dublin on Saturday at 3Arena. (Photos courtesy of PFL/Bellator MMA)
Stephen Curry reacts to Aaron Rodgers shot during the ACC Golf Tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe on Friday, July 10, 2020.
1 Jan 2001: A general view of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas during the game between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers. The Wildcats defeated the Volunteers 35-21.Mandatory Credit: Ronald Martinez /Allsport
Nov 27, 2020; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Emery Simmons (0) catches a touchdown pass as Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback TaRiq Bracy (28) defends in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
If the old adage is true that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish then consider Ramazan Kuramagomedov’s performance against Jason Jackson an exception.
If the old adage is true that it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish then consider [autotag]Ramazan Kuramagomedov[/autotag]’s performance at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin an exception to the rule.
Behind a strong first three rounds, Kuramagomedov realized a childhood dream as he claimed a unanimous decision to dethrone [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] and claim the Bellator welterweight title Saturday at 3Arena.
Official #BellatorDublin Result: Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jason Jackson via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47).
While Kuramagomedov (13-0) wasn’t big on style points, he controlled Jackson (18-5) on the mat for much of the first 15 minutes. Kuramagomedov also was effective with inside leg kicks that seemed to bother, if not hurt Jackson, who struggled to close distance.
Jackson went with a different approach in the final two rounds. In the fourth, he secured an early takedown and controlled the round much like Kuramagomedov did in the first. In the final frame, Jackson again took down Kuramagomedov and on a couple of occasions worked to lock in a guillotine near the cage, but he couldn’t secure it.
Jackson’s efforts were good enough to win the final two rounds, but it was too little too late. Kuramagomedov’s undefeated start to his career will now continue as a defending Bellator champion.
Below are the complete Bellator Champions Series: Dublin results :
Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jason Jackson via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – to win welterweight title
Paul Hughes def. Bobby King via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:50
Bellator Champions Series: Dublin takes place Saturday. Join us for live and official results beginning at noon ET.
Bellator Champions Series: Dublin took place Saturday, and here are official results from the event, which took place at 3Arena in Dublin.
Welterweight champion Jason Jackson (18-4) took on challenger Ramazan Kuramagomedov (12-0) in the main event title fight. In the co-feature, Paul Hughes (11-1) fought Bobby King (12-6).
Check out full Bellator Champions Series: Dublin results, fight information, highlights and more below.
Sinead Kavanagh received a boost of support with Conor McGregor by her side, but it wasn’t enough in her rematch with Arlene Blencowe.
[autotag]Sinead Kavanagh[/autotag] received a boost of support with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] by her side, but it wasn’t enough in her rematch with [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] on Saturday at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin.
Kavanagh (9-7) got off to fine start as she controlled most of Round 1, but Blencowe (16-10) turned things around by dropping her in the final 30 seconds of the opening frame. The momentum from that sequence carried over into Round 2 where Blencowe again landed an overhand right that dropped Kavanagh and led to a standing guillotine submission victory as McGregor watched helplessly from Kavanagh’s corner at 3Arena.
You can watch the finish in the video below (via X):
The fight between Blencowe and Kavanagh was a rematch from nearly seven years ago, which Blencowe won by split decision. Her victory this time around was definitive – and just might give her an inside track to a fourth Bellator women’s featherweight title shot.
It’s not often we see a submission come by way of a north-south choke.
It’s not often we see a north-south choke lead to a submission, but it happened Saturday at Bellator Champions Series: Dublin.
[autotag]Shinobu Ota[/autotag] quickly locked one in on [autotag]Roger Blanque[/autotag], leading to a tapout just 2:18 into the first round at 3Arena. Once Ota (7-3) had it, Blanque (5-6) wiggled violently but simply couldn’t escape.
You can watch the finish in the video below (via X):
