Tag: Jake Childers

2022 PFL salaries from Atlanta: Anthony Pettis tops disclosed payouts despite loss; Kayla Harrison second

This marks the first time that PFL salaries have been revealed in 2022.

The back half of the 2022 PFL regular season recently took place in Atlanta with three cards in three weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.

Each card spotlighted two specific divisions. PFL 4 took place June 17 and featured men’s lightweights and light heavyweights. One week later, PFL 5 featured featherweights and heavyweights. Last Friday, PFL 6 consisted of welterweights and women’s lightweights.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed show and win purses from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, the regulatory body that oversaw the events.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] ($750,000) led all paydays despite a submission loss to [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag]. Two-time PFL season winner [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] ($500,00) was second on the list, followed by former UFC title challenger and Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] ($250,000).

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag], [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], and [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag] also received six-figure disclosed payouts.

It’s important to note that the figures given do not reflect potential “locker room” bonuses, streaming points, or promotional sponsorship payments.

Scroll below to see the complete payouts for the most recent three PFL events.

Photos: 2022 PFL 4 Ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos from the 2022 PFL 4 ceremonial weigh-ins in Atlanta.

Check out these photos from the 2022 PFL 4 ceremonial weigh-ins and the fighter faceoffs. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL)

LFA returns from coronavirus shutdown with four July events in South Dakota

No one is confusing South Dakota for “Fight Island,” but LFA is kicking back into full gear nonetheless.

It’s not exactly “Fight Island,” but LFA will return to action in July after four months away due to the coronavirus pandemic with a set of shows in South Dakota.

On four consecutive Fridays, from July 10-31, LFA, which last held an event on March 6, will run fights at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. Similar to the UFC’s model since returning in May, LFA’s Sioux Falls events, which will air on UFC Fight Pass, will be held behind closed doors and follow strict safety protocols.

“I am excited to announced that LFA will be returning with live weekly MMA events in July,” LFA CEO Ed Soares said in a statement. “We brought the first sanctioned MMA event to the state of South Dakota six summers ago and have a great working relationship with South Dakota Athletic Commission and Sanford Pentagon. This will allow us to set up a safe environment for our fighters and staff, while implementing strict coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and safeguards to control and ensure a healthy LFA residency on our fight campus in Sioux Falls.”

Each event will be headlined by a championship fight:

  • On July 10, [autotag]Justin Gonzales[/autotag] (10-0) meets [autotag]Jake Childers[/autotag] (8-0) for the vacant featherweight title.
  • July 17’s LFA 85 main event is [autotag]Sam Hughes[/autotag] (4-0) vs. [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] (4-1) to crown the company’s inaugural strawweight champ.
  • July 24 sees [autotag]Greg Fischer[/autotag] (10-1) and [autotag]Jimmy Flick[/autotag] (13-5) square off at LFA 86 to fill the flyweight title vacated when Brandon Royval signed with the UFC.
  • The slate closes July 31 with LFA 87, where South Dakota’s own [autotag]Bryce Logan[/autotag] (11-4) and SoCal’s [autotag]Jacob Rosales [/autotag](12-5) fight for the vacant lightweight title, a bout that was scheduled for April 17 and then postponed due to the pandemic.

MMA Junkie’s ‘Knockout of the Month’ for February: An all-time Bellator upset

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2020.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best knockouts from February 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for February.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Khaos Williams def. Alex Morono at UFC 247

A short-notice replacement for injured welterweight Dhiego Lima, [autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) entered enemy territory and trucked Alex Morono (17-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) as a massive underdog.

Williams came out fists-a-flying, winging punches at the Fortis MMA product. Morono retreated, but his back hit the cage, and he couldn’t escape Williams’ heat. Eventually Williams landed a hard combination that crumpled Morono. Follow-up shots added insult to injury before the referee pulled Williams off the fallen Texan after just 27 seconds.

Jan Blachowicz def. Corey Anderson at UFC on ESPN+ 25

[autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who has been on the list of contenders at 205 pounds for quite some time but never quite made it to the top, knocked Corey Anderson (13-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) cold in the opening round of their rematch.

With champ Jon Jones closely watching, Blachowicz earned the knockout just over three minutes into the fight when he connected with a wicked right hand that found the home. Anderson went down in a heap, and Blachowicz got revenge for a decision loss in the first fight back in 2015.

Timothy Johnson def. Tyrell Fortune at Bellator 239

Based on betting odds alone, [autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) pulled off one of the great upsets in Bellator history when he shocked top heavyweight prospect Tyrell Fortune (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) in the first round.

Merely seen as the next name on Fortune’s flourishing resume, Johnson had other plans when he found the chin of his opponent early in the fight. Fortune couldn’t handle the clean shot, and was knocked out upon impact for the stunning result.

Jake Childers def. Nate Togbah Richardson at LFA 82

Undefeated featherweight [autotag]Jake Childers[/autotag] (8-0) kept his perfect record intact with a first-round victory over Nate Togbah Richardson (7-2), and while the result wasn’t necessarily a surprise, the way it ended certainly was intriguing.

Working from the clinch in the opening frame, Childers wrapped the body and elevated Richardson in the air before slamming him to the canvas. The impact was enough to render Richardson unconscious, and Childers was awarded the knockout victory.

Priscila Cachoeira def. Shana Dobson at UFC on ESPN+ 26

In desperate need of a win after dropping three consecutive fights to begin her UFC tenure, [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) came through big with a brilliant first-round knockout of Shana Dobson (3-4 MMA, 1-3 UFC).

Cachoeira wasted no time getting into the fight. She was aggressive from the outset, and Dobson clearly wasn’t ready for it. The Brazilian caught Dobson with an uppercut in the opening seconds, putting her down and wrapping the fight up in a mere 40 seconds.

* * * *

The Winner: Timothy Johnson

Fortune raised eyebrows during Bellator 239 fight week by proclaiming himself the best heavyweight in the world. However, Johnson had something to say about that when they got into the cage together.

Veteran Johnson, who was previously winless in Bellator, used a hellacious right hand to knock Fortune cold in the opening round of their main card bout. The knockout came at the 2:35 mark of the round.

There wasn’t much going on up until the fight’s climactic moment. The duo stalked one another and tried to figure out their ranges.

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Johnson plainly found his first, as he flicked a left and then landed his bomb flush on the jaw. Fortune was out by the time he hit the mat and the fight was waved off.

The Las Vegas-based competitor had been in a bad way in recent outings, dropping five off his past eight and losing his first two bouts after leaving the UFC for Bellator. It’s almost needless to say he was thrilled with the result.

“It feels weird – it’s been a while since I’ve been in the win column,” Johnson said after his sixth career KO/TKO victory. “That was definitely what I needed. I needed to come out and make a statement.”

Fortune, whose entire career has been with Bellator, was knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten.

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Video: Did this man just get knocked out by his own shoulder?

Friday’s LFA 82 event featured one of the craziest slam knockouts in recent memory.

Friday’s LFA 82 event featured one of the craziest slam knockouts in recent memory.

In the night’s co-main event, undefeated featherweight [autotag]Jake Childers[/autotag] kept his perfect record intact with a first-round victory over [autotag]Nate Togbah Richardson[/autotag] at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn. The bout streamed live on UFC Fight Pass.

While the result wasn’t necessarily a surprise, the way it ended certainly was intriguing. Working from the clinch in the opening frame, Childers (8-0) wrapped the body and elevated Richardson (7-2) in the air before slamming him to the canvas. The impact was enough to render Richardson unconscious, and Childers was awarded the knockout victory.

While slam knockouts are rare enough, it was how the finish occurred that made it especially interesting. As Richardson hit the floor, Childers’ forehead slammed into his chin. At the same time, Richardson’s temple seemed to slam into his own shoulder, as well.

UFC Hall of Famer Pat Miletich identified the shoulder as the culprit, though replays weren’t entirely conclusive.

Judge for yourself, courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, where you can watch LFA 82 in its entirety.

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

LFA 82 heads to Minnesota with vacant light heavyweight title fight on tap

LFA’s vacant light heavyweight strap will be up for grabs in February.

The first LFA title fight of the decade has been booked.

[autotag]Alex Polizzi[/autotag] and [autotag]Jamal Pogues[/autotag] collide for the vacant light heavyweight strap at LFA 82, the promotion announced on Saturday.

The event takes place Feb. 21 at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minn. It will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

A product of Chosen Few Gym in Wisconsin, Polizzi (5-0) will compete in his second LFA fight when he meets Pogues (7-2). The 28-year-old fighter has also competed for Final Fight Championship, Pure FC, and Chosen Few FC.

Through five professional outings, Polizzi has never seen the judges’ scorecards. He currently holds four TKO wins and one submission victory.

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As for Pogues, the 24-year-old Californian most recently competed (and won) on this past season of “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Although he didn’t earn a UFC contract, his performance impressed the promotion’s brass.

UFC president Dana White suggested Pogues get a few more reps in on the regional scene before he takes the jump to the big leagues.

Also added to LFA 82, a co-main event matchup between surging featherweight up-and-comers [autotag]Nate Richardson[/autotag] (7-1) and [autotag]Jake Childers[/autotag] (7-0). Additionally, a flyweight bout between undefeated fighters [autotag]Sean Stebbins[/autotag] (2-0) and [autotag]Nate Smith[/autotag] (5-0) has been added to the card.

Check out the official LFA 82 poster below: