Tag: Jordan Johnson

PFL Championship: Title fighters face off ahead of end-of-season finale in New York

Recap the staredowns as the stars of the PFL Championship faced off for the media at the pre-fight press conference in New York.

The 2019 PFL season comes to a close on Dec. 31 as the organization hosts its end-of-year finale in New York, with six championship belts – and six $1 million prize checks – up for grabs.

The fighters sounded off, then faced off, at the recent pre-fight press conference ahead of their respective bouts at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, as the fighters set for action in the six title fights, plus one featured preliminary bout went eye-to-eye for the cameras.

Headlining the event is a battle for the PFL women’s lightweight title, with two-time Olympic judo champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (6-0, 6-0 PFL) looking to pick up her first championship gold as an MMA fighter when she takes on Brazil’s [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3, 2-1 PFL).

Their bout tops a seven-fight card that features five more championship matchups as the season-long PFL tournaments come to a conclusion with each division’s final championship bout.

Returning 2018 champions [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] both made it all the way through to their respective finals once again as they bid to become two-time PFL tournament champions. Schulte (19-3-1, 8-0-1 PFL) takes on [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-1-1, 2-1-1 PFL) for the 155-pound strap, while Palmer (21-3, 10-0 PFL) faces off against [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (14-3, 2-2 PFL) in the 145-pound final.

The heavyweight belt will be contested between Russian powerhouse [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (8-0, 4-0 PFL) and gritty American veteran [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (20-7, 6-3 PFL), while the 205-pound title will see Argentina’s [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (21-8, 5-1 PFL) take on America’s [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-1-1, 2-1 PFL). Also up for grabs is the PFL welterweight title, with former UFC veteran [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-5, 3-1 PFL) taking on 2018 runner-up [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (19-7-1, 6-2-1 PFL).

The six title fights will be preceded by a featured featherweight preliminary bout, as England’s [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (18-3, 1-0 PFL) takes on Brazil’s [autotag]David Valente[/autotag] (11-4, 0-0 PFL).

PFL Finals 2019 confirmed fight card includes:

  • Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s lightweight title
  • Ray Cooper III vs. David Michaud – for welterweight title
  • Ali Isaev vs. Jared Rosholt – for heavyweight title
  • Champion Natan Schulte vs. Loik Radzhabov – for lightweight title
  • Champion Lance Palmer vs. Alex Gilpin – for featherweight title
  • Jordan Johnson vs. Emiliano Sordi – for light heavyweight title
  • Brendan Loughnane vs. David Valente

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PFL Playoffs 2019: Make your predictions for six $1 million division finals

We want your predictions for the 2019 PFL playoff finals in New York.

We want your predictions for next week’s 2019 PFL playoff finals in New York.

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 Sunday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the PFL 2019 playoff finals staff predictions we release Monday ahead of the event. The 2019 PFL playoff finals take place Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The card airs on ESPN2.

Make your picks for all six playoff finals inside.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Notre Dame Football: Five-Star Receiver Jordan Johnson Signs with Irish

With the playmakers in this class you can easily see why this recruiting class is expected to be much more impactful for Notre Dame than some of the ranking spots it has received.

Notre Dame swing for the fences and hit an absolutely mammoth home run in this recruiting cycle when Jordan Johnson’s National Letter of Intent arrived Wednesday.

Johnson, a St. Louis product is a five-star recruit and the most highly-regarded receiver Notre Dame has landed during Brian Kelly’s ten years at the helm.

Johnson had 26 different offers and some thought he may explore elsewhere after Chip Long’s departure but that proved to not be the case Wednesday.

Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, USC and Wisconsin were just a few of the traditional powers to offer Johnson.

His junior highlights are a bit old by now but these are the best compilation of Johnson’s work I could find.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmD5pi3HcAE&w=560&h=315]

I can’t put into words how big of a get this is for Brian Kelly and his staff.  247Sports ranks Johnson as the highest recruit that Notre Dame has landed since Michael Floyd in 2008 and the third best since 2000, with only Duval Kamara also being ranked ahead of him.

Couple him with Tyree and Notre Dame has their second and third offensive skill position players to sign on with Notre Dame and come with a five-star ranking since Brian Kelly took over in 2010.

With the playmakers in this class you can easily see why this recruiting class is expected to be much more impactful for Notre Dame than some of the ranking spots it has received.

PFL 2019: Check out the finishes that powered the last 12 to the New York finale

Check out the best finishes as the stars of the PFL secured their places in the end-of-year finale in New York.

The PFL’s sophomore season comes to a close in just 30 days’ time, as New York’s Madison Square Garden plays host to the 2019 season finale, with six end-of-season titles up for grabs.

The main event will see two-time Olympic judo gold medalist [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 6-0 PFL) look to secure the first major title of her MMA career when she takes on Brazil’s [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-1 PFL) in the women’s lightweight final.

While Harrison is looking to claim her maiden MMA title, reigning PFL champions [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 9-0 PFL) and [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (19-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 PFL) return to finals day looking to successfully repeat their season one finishes.

Featherweight Palmer takes on replacement finalist [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 2-2 PFL) after his original opponent, Daniel Pineda, was pulled from the card following notice of a potential anti-doping violation.

And Brazilian lightweight Schulte will bid to successfully repeat his season one victory when he takes on Tajikistan’s [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1 PFL).

Also familiar with competing in the season finale is welterweight [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (19-7-1 MMA, 6-2-1 PFL), who lost out to Magomed Magomedkerimov in last year’s welterweight final. This time he’ll look go one step further and capture the 170-pound title against [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-1 PFL).

Also set for finals action are [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] 21-8 MMA, 5-1 PFL) and [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1 PFL), who face off for the light heavyweight title, while undefeated [autotag]Ali Isayev[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 4-0 PFL) and [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 6-3 PFL) will battle for the 2019 heavyweight championship.

Each finalist had to book their place in the Madison Square Garden finale by progressing through back-to-back bouts at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas back in October and, as the video above shows, the playoffs produced a feast of finishes in Sin City as the PFL’s best did battle in a bid to punch their ticket to New York.

Now they each stand just one victory away from a PFL title, and a cool $1 million prize.

PFL 2019 Finale championship bouts include:

  • Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco – women’s lightweight final
  • Ray Cooper III vs. David Michaud – welterweight final
  • Lance Palmer vs. Alex Gilpin – featherweight final
  • Natan Schulte vs. Loik Radzhabov – lightweight final
  • Emiliano Sordi vs. Jordan Johnson – light heavyweight final
  • Ali Isayev vs Jared Rosholt – heavyweight final