Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the best photos from Impa Kasanganay’s unanimous decision win over Cory Hendricks at 2023 PFL 1 in Las Vegas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Cory Hendricks[/autotag] at PFL 2023, Week 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of PFL)
Check out the ceremonial faceoffs from the first PFL event of 2023.
LAS VEGAS – The 2023 PFL season kicks off Saturday and the promotion held its first ceremonial faceoffs Friday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels.
2023 PFL 1 features the first of two regular season fights for its featherweight and light heavyweight fighters with a main card on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, 2022 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) returns against former UFC bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1).
Also on the card, 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion [autotag]Robert Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2) takes on former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11).
Check out the ceremonial faceoffs above and the full fight card below.
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Check out which UFC veterans are in MMA and boxing action across the globe this weekend.
The UFC idle this week after a trip to San Antonio for UFC on ESPN 43, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] picked up a big bantamweight win over [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag].
Elsewhere, many other MMA events are taking place, including Bellator and PFL kicking off their 2023 regular season. Those events, and others feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.
This week, there are a total of 32 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA and boxing this week from March 30-April 1.
Check out the names and details about their bouts below.
Upcoming event information from Tapology.
Cory Hendricks’ relationship with PFL has been unclear, and he’s just “happy to have a fight” – even though it’s not part of the season.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Cory Hendricks[/autotag]’ road with PFL has been unclear, but he’s just looking forward to competing.
Hendricks (9-5) meets PFL Challenger Series 7 winner Impa Kasanganay (11-3) at 2023 PFL 1 on April 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. His fight with Kasanganay will not be part of the light heavyweight season, and Hendricks isn’t even sure if this is considered an alternate fight.
“At the end of the day, I’m just happy to have a fight,” Hendricks told MMA Junkie and other reporters during PFL media day at Xtreme Couture. “I was kinda struggling to find a fight, so this popped up, and we’ll take it. It’s a good opportunity. It’s kind of a weird relationship because they can’t decide whether they love me or hate me. Cut me, bring me back, cut me, bring me back. It’s kind of like a toxic ex. Break up with me and then a few weeks later just hit me with a random text like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?'”
He continued, “It’s been frustrating, I would say is the best word to sum it up, but at the end of the day, regardless of the tournament and everything, I’m a professional fighter and so I want to fight. Regardless if I’m in the tournament or not, ultimately I’m just happy to have a fight. Happy I have a fight and get decent money for it.”
Hendricks admits he mainly knows Kasanganay for his highlight reel knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley, but he doesn’t think that performance defines him.
“He got famous for being on the wrong end of a highlight, which, whatever, it happens,” Hendricks said. “It’s not like he’s a bad fighter because of that. That’s just kind of a, I don’t want to say a freak or lucky knockout, but it was a weird happening. I’m not thinking that he’s not a good fighter because of that. I’ve watched him. He is a good fighter. He’s got a lot of good qualities.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL 1.
Check out these photos from 2022 PFL Playoffs 1 at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Check out these photos from the fights at 2022 PFL Playoffs 1 which took place at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.
The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (25-13) remained the top lightweight seed despite an upset loss to [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] (24-10) two weeks ago. Ray’s win made him the No. 4 seed – which set up a rematch with Pettis in the four-man playoff field.
On the other side of the lightweight playoff bracket, No. 2 seed [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (15-5) takes on No. 3 [autotag]Alexander Martinez[/autotag] (10-2). The winners of those two fights will meet in the $1 million lightweight season final in October.
In the light heavyweight playoffs, there’s been a significant shakeup. No. 3 seed [autotag]Antonio Carlos Jr.[/autotag] (15-5) is out of his fight against American Top Team teammate and No. 2 seed [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (23-7-1), the PFL announced Friday. Stepping in for Junior is another one of Akhmedov’s teammates at American Top Team, [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (9-0), who finished the regular season in fifth place and was an alternate.
Top light heavyweight seed [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (15-2) will take on No. 4 [autotag]Delan Monte[/autotag] (9-2) on the other half of the bracket.
The PFL’s first set of playoff fights take place Aug. 5 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The four-fight main card of playoff matchups airs on ESPN. A two-fight set of prelims and four fights after the main card stream on ESPN+.
The playoffs continue later in August with welterweights and heavyweights on tap Aug. 13 in Cardiff, Wales, and women’s lightweights and featherweights set for Aug. 20 in London.
The PFL 2022 Playoffs 1 card includes:
POSTLIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
MAIN CARD (ESPN)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
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Check out the weigh-in results of 2022 PFL 1 in Arlington, Texas.
Fighters competing in the 2022 PFL season opener stepped on the scale Tuesday to record their official weight for their bouts.
The 10-fight 2022 PFL 1 card takes place Wednesday at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event airs on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The first week will see lightweights and light heavyweights compete as they aim to get a strong start to the new season. [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (20-9) takes on [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-19) in the main event. The co-main will see 2021 PFL lightweight champion [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] (15-3) against [autotag]Don Madge[/autotag] (10-3-1). Representing the light heavyweights in the feature bout, 2021 PFL champion [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (13-5) will face [autotag]Delan Monte[/autotag] (8-1).
All fighters competing on Wednesday made weight with no issues, kicking off the season with a smooth start on the scales.
The full 202 PFL 1 weigh-in results are below:
Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Preliminary card (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
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Follow along with live and official results of 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 featuring Brendan Loughnane vs. Movlid Khaybulaev in the main event.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 takes place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Friday and you can follow along with live and official results on MMA Junkie.
The main card airs on ESPN 2 and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET following prelims exclusively on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.
The final week of the PFL Playoffs will determine the finalists for the featherweight and light heavyweight seasons.
In the main event, [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (21-3) takes on undefeated [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (17-0-1) in a semifinal matchup of the 145-pound season. The other semifinal bout takes place in the co-main event, as former UFC fighter [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (19-6) takes on [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (16-4).
The semifinals of the PFL light heavyweight season take place on the main card with [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (11-5) taking on 2019 PFL champion Emiliano Sordi (23-8-1), and [autotag]Cezar Ferreira[/autotag] (14-9) facing [autotag]Marthin Hamlet[/autotag] (7-2).
The full 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 results are below:
Main Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)
Preliminary card (ESPN+)
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Watch the 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 weigh-ins live at 5:00 p.m. ET.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The last week of the 2021 PFL playoffs is underway, and you catch the weigh-ins for the event on MMA Junkie.
All 20 competitors are set to step on the scale to make the required limit for their respective bouts at Thursday’s 2021 PFL Playoffs 3 weigh-ins at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
In the main event, Brendan Loughnane takes on undefeated Movlid Khaybulaev in a semifinal matchup of the featherweight season. The other bout of the 145-pounds season goes down in the co-main event, as former UFC fighter Chris Wade takes on Bubba Jenkins.
Additionally, the semifinals of the PFL light heavyweight season go down on the main card with Antonio Carlos Junior taking on 2019 PFL champion Emiliano Sordi, and Cezar Ferreira facing Marthin Hamlet.
Watch the live weigh-ins in the video above.
Main Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET)
Preliminary card (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
