Bruno Cappelozza – Syndication Server

GFL draft results: Former UFC champions surprise with unexpected entries

Check out the GFL Draft results and see which of the hottest free agents and MMA legends were selected to compete in the inaugural year.

It’s not every day there’s an MMA draft, but Friday there was

The 2025 GFL Draft took place virtually with a live stream on MMA Junkie. Six teams, each representing a major city, drafted from a pool of approximately 500 fighters, including big-name free agents and rising prospects.

One-hundred-twenty athletes were be selected across 10 weight classes (heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s atomweight). However, the weight classes are divided slightly differently than the traditional weight classes. The promotion says it’s an effort to combat weight cutting.

Click here to see which fighters are eligible for the draft.

The six teams are managed and coached by MMA notables, as follows: Dubai (manager Cain Velasquez and coach Javier Mendez); London (manager Luke Barnatt and coach Carl Prince); Los Angeles (manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro); Miami (manager Thiago Alves and coach Conan Silveira); New York (manager TBA and coach Ray Longo); and Sao Paulo (manager Lyoto Machida and coach Andre Pederneiras.

While a specific date has yet to be revealed, the promotion says it will launch in April with regular season, semi-finals, and finals events held throughout the year.

The 2025 GFL Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

Pick 1 (Team Dubai): Tyron Woodley
Pick 2 (Team Los Angeles): Sage Northcutt
Pick 3 (Team London): Gegard Mousasi
Pick 4 (Miami): Junior Dos Santos
Pick 5 (Sao Paulo): Fabricio Werdum
Pick 6 (New York): Kevin Lee

Round 2

Pick 7 (New York): Chris Weidman
Pick 8 (Sao Paulo): Douglas Lima
Pick 9 (Miami): Anthony Pettis
Pick 10 (London): Alexander Gustafsson
Pick 11 (Los Angeles): Aspen Ladd
Pick 12 (Dubai): Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Round 3

Pick 13 (Dubai): Derek Brunson
Pick 14 (Los Angeles): Tony Ferguson
Pick 15 (London): Josefine Knutsson
Pick 16 (Miami): Yoel Romero
Pick 17 (Sao Paulo): Carlos Petruzzella
Pick 18 (New York): Holly Holm

Round 4

Pick 19 (New York): Melissa Amay
Pick 20 (Sao Paulo): Camilia Reynoso
Pick 21 (Miami): Natasha Kuizutina
Pick 22 (London): Brett Johns
Pick 23 (Los Angeles): Urijah Faber
Pick 24 (Dubai): Ali Isaev

Full team reveal (following Round 5):

Team Dubai

[autotag]Anastasia Nikolakakos[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Jessica Aguilar[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Faine Mesquita[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Randi Field[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Farbod Iran Nezhad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Adilet Nurmatov[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Khumoyun Tukhtamurodov[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Los Angeles

[autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Louis Glismann[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team London

[autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Kelly Staddon[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Norman Parke[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Miami

[autotag]Kayla Hracho[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Natasha Kuziutina[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Sao Paulo

[autotag]Joice Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Pamela Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Camila Reynoso[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Paula Bittencourt[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Maike Linhares[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Carlos Petruzzella[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team New York

[autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Marisa Messer-Belenchia[/autotag] (atomweight)
[autotag]Melissa Amaya[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag] (strawweight)
[autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] (bantamweight)
[autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] (featherweight)
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (lightweight)
[autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] (welterweight)
[autotag]Phillip Hawes[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (middleweight)
[autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (heavyweight)

PFL’s Bruno Cappelozza gets second drug test failure and suspension in 14 months

About a month USADA announced its first suspension of a PFL fighter, the promotion’s new anti-doping partner has flagged another.

About a month after the organization announced its first suspension of a PFL fighter, the promotion’s new anti-doping partner has flagged another.

[autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] has been suspended for one year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Association (USADA), which oversees the PFL’s Anti-Doping Policy. USADA announced the suspension Monday. It is Cappelozza’s second drug test suspension in 14 months.

Cappelozza tested positive for clomiphene and the desethyl-clomifene metabolite from an out-of-competition urine sample collected April 17, USADA said in a release. Clomiphene hormone and metabolic modulators and is on the banned substances list. In July, PFL fighter Gokhan Saricam failed two different drug tests for the same substance.

Cappelozza’s suspension began April 17, making him eligible to return April 17, 2025. He was suspended in May 2023 when he failed a test for Drostanolone; he got nine months for that violation and returned this year.

Cappelozza won the PFL’s 2021 $1 million heavyweight season, but it’s been a struggled since then with a 1-2 record and a win tossed out because of his Drostanolone suspension. In February in the PFL-Bellator champ-vs.-champ event, he was put to sleep by a Vadim Nemkov choke.

PFL and USADA partnered exactly one year to the date of the Saricam announcement after the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) detected a slew of drug test failures across multiple divisions.

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2024 PFL 1 lineup gets makeover after two withdrawals, one fight scrapped, one fight added

The 2024 PFL 1 lineup looks quite different after a host of changes.

The 2024 PFL 1 lineup looks quite different today than it did yesterday.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced that [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] and [autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag] have withdrawn from their regular season matchups. Reasons for their removals were not given.

2024 PFL 1 (ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place April 4 at Boeing Center in San Antonio.

In place of Cappelozza, former WSOF champion and UFC veteran [autotag]Blagoy Ivanov[/autotag] will step in to meet Sergey Bilostenniy in the heavyweight division. Bellator veteran [autotag]llara Joanne[/autotag] is replacing Kielholtz and will fight former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in a women’s flyweight bout.

In addition to the two withdrawals, PFL also announced that [autotag]Kaytlin Neal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vega Arteaga[/autotag] is off the card, while a new matchup of [autotag]Ty Johnson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bryce Meredith[/autotag] has been added.

With the changes, here is the 2024 PFL 1 lineup:

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)

Ante Delija vs. Valentin Moldavsky
Denis Goltsov vs. Linton Vassell
Liz Carmouche vs. Juliana Velasquez
Tyrell Fortune vs. Daniel James

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

Dakota Ditcheva vs. Lisa Mauldin
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Sergey Bilostennyi
Taila Santos vs. Ilara Joanne
Steve Mowry vs. Oleg Popov
Kana Watanabe vs. Shanna Young
Chelsea Hackett vs. Jena Bishop
Lucas Brennan vs. Dimitre Ivy
Tyson Johnson vs. Bryce Meredith

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Vadim Nemkov def. Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions: Best photos

Check out these photos from Vadim Nemkov vs. Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag]’s technical submission victory over Bruno Cappelozza at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, which took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.

9 PFL fighters face suspensions following failed drug tests in Nevada

Nine PFL fighters are suspended after positive drug tests across three events, including two pairs of fighters who fought each other.

Nine PFL fighters face sanctions from the Nevada Athletic Commission after failed drug tests stemming from their first regular season bouts of the 2023 season.

At a monthly NAC meeting Tuesday, three fighters were handed sanctions, while another six had hearings announced and postponed to a later date.

Out of the 36 bouts that took place across three PFL events at The Theater at Virgin Hotels on April 1, April 7, and April 15, seven featured fighters who were flagged, including two bouts in which both fighters tested positive.

After the reading of the agenda items and announced sanctions, commission members expressed disappointment and concern at the number of PFL fighters who tested positive.

NAC executive director Jeff Mullen mentioned PFL is exploring the possibility of implementing the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency as a method of cleaning up the promotion.

PFL released the following statement prior to the hearing Wednesday.

“PFL has been notified by the Nevada State Athletic Commission that several fighters who competed in the two PFL 2023 Regular Season events this past April have been temporarily suspended until further review by the Commission,” it read.

“PFL has a zero-tolerance policy related to the usage of banned substances and complies with the U.S. State Athletic Commission requirements. Further, as the PFL moves towards the highest level of testing and compliance in the sport, PFL is engaged with USADA on the implementation of its athlete anti-doping program.

Scroll below to find out which fighters have been flagged.

Bruno Cappelozza def. Matheus Scheffel at 2023 PFL 2: Best photos

Check out these photos from Bruno Cappelozza’s victory over Matheus Scheffel at 2023 PFL 2 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag]’s victory over Matheus Scheffel at 2023 PFL 2 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill/PFL)

2023 PFL 2 predictions: Three unanimous picks to open women’s featherweight, heavyweight

Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2023 PFL 2 card in Las Vegas, which features women’s featherweights and heavyweights.

	Pacheco vs. Budd	Cappelozza vs. Scheffel	Kolesnyk vs. Ladd	Ferreira vs. Kuniev
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 41-28	Pacheco (76%)	Cappelozza (77%)	Ladd (85%)	Ferreira (51%)
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 44-25	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira
Matt Erickson @MattE 43-26	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Kuniev
Simon Samano @SJSamano 42-27	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Kuniev
Nolan King @mma_kings 42-27/em>	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Kuniev
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 40-29	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 40-29	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira
Brian Garcia @thegoze 39-30 2017 Champion	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 39-30 2018, 2022 Champion	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Kuniev
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 38-31 2014 Champion	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 38-31	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Kuniev
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 36-33	Pacheco	Cappelozza	Ladd	Ferreira

The PFL stays in Las Vegas this week with the start of the women’s featherweight and heavyweight regular seasons.

PFL 2023, Week 2 takes place Friday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

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

In the main event, 2022 women’s featherweight season winner [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (19-4), who upset two-time champion Kayla Harrison in November, takes on former Bellator women’s featherweight champ [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (16-5). Pacheco is a heavy 7-1 favorite at the betting window. Not surprisingly, then, our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Pacheco as one of our three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, 2021 heavyweight season winner [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (15-6) meets [autotag]Matheus Scheffel[/autotag] (17-9) in a rematch. Scheffel outworked Cappelozza for a unanimous decision in the 2022 regular season. Cappelozza is a 2-1 favorite and the second unanimous pick at 11-0.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (10-3), a high-profile signing from the UFC, gets her first PFL regular season fight when she takes on [autotag]Olena Kolesnyk[/autotag] (7-5). Ladd is a -450 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (9-3) meets [autotag]Rizvan Kuniev[/autotag] (12-2-1) at heavyweight, and it’s our lone contentious fight from a picks standpoint. Kuniev is a slight favorite at -175, but it’s Ferreira with the slimmest possible edge in the picks at 6-5.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Pacheco (76 percent), Cappelozza (77 percent), Ladd (85 percent) and Ferreira (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 2.

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Bruno Cappelozza loves challenge of avenging loss to Matheus Scheffel at 2023 PFL 2

Bruno Cappelozza will get an opportunity to avenge his most recent loss at 2023 PFL 2.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] will get an opportunity to avenge his most recent loss at 2023 PFL 2.

Cappelozza (15-6) will run things back with [autotag]Matheus Scheffel[/autotag] (17-9), who handed Cappelozza his most recent loss when he won by unanimous decision last June. Cappelozza rematches Scheffel at PFL 2 on April 7 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

Scheffel snapped Cappelozza’s five-fight winning streak, which included winning the 2021 PFL heavyweight title.

“I love challenges, and I know how tough he is,” Cappelozza told MMA Junkie and other reporters during PFL media day at Xtreme Couture. “I’m sure I’m preparing myself 100 percent for this fight.

“Of course I want to win the rematch for sure, and I’m sure it’s gonna be really good for me and my career.”

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After losing to Scheffel, Cappelozza’s 2022 season came to an end after an injury forced him out of his semifinal bout against Denis Goltsov. But his first-round finish over Stuart Austin in the fight before put him through to the semifinal, and the Brazilian is looking to return to peak form against Scheffel.

“Last year I fought twice, I won the first then I lost after that, but I have a lot of fights in my career, so I took it as an experience,” Cappelozza said. “It’s all about evolution, so I’m sure I’m gonna be ready and better for my next fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL 2.

Matheus Scheffel in for Bruno Cappelozza vs. Denis Goltsov in PFL heavyweight playoffs

The PFL heavyweight playoffs have gotten a shakeup next month in Wales.

No. 4 seed [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (15-6) is out of his semifinal bout against top seed [autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] (29-7). Stepping in for Cappelozza will be the man who beat him in the regular season, [autotag]Matheus Scheffel[/autotag] (16-8). PFL officials announced the change Thursday.

The PFL’s second playoff event, which features heavyweight and welterweight semifinals, takes place Aug. 13 at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. The main card airs on ESPN.

Scheffel was knocked out by Ante Delija in his first fight of the regular season, but rebounded in June for a unanimous decision over Cappelozza. That gave him 3 points in the regular season, which left him on the outside of the four-man playoff bracket. But now he gets his shot as an alternate.

With the change, PFL’s second playoff event lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 1 p.m. ET)

Rory MacDonald vs. Magomed Umalatov – welterweight semifinal
Ante Delija vs. Renan Ferreira – heavyweight semifinal
Denis Goltsov vs. Matheus Scheffel – heavyweight semifinal
Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal – welterweight semifinal

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 11 a.m. ET)

Josh O’Connor vs. Emran Sakhizaada
Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. TBA
John Mitchell vs. Chris Mixan
Szymon Bajor vs. Hatef Moeil

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

Kenneth Bergh vs. Will Fleury
Nathan Kelly vs. TBA
Vojto Barborik vs. Maxim Radu
Moktar Benkaci vs. Francesco Nuzzi