Tag: josh silveira

PFL announces 2025 middleweight tournament field

The 2025 PFL middleweight tournament will include familiar names from PFL and Bellator contendership.

Eight fighters will compete in the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament.

On Tuesday, PFL announced the field of competitors, which includes former Bellator middleweight title challengers [autotag]Fabian Edwards[/autotag] (13-4) and [autotag]Aaron Jeffery[/autotag] (15-5), 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] (18-5), former Bellator middleweight contenders [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] (9-1) and [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag] (17-4), former ONE standout [autotag]Murad Ramazanov[/autotag] (12-2), 2023 PFL light heavyweight runner-up [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (13-4), and 2022 PFL welterweight champion Sadibou Sy (17-8-2).

[autotag]Jordan Newman[/autotag] (7-0) and [autotag]Khalid Murtazaliev[/autotag] (17-3) will serve as tournament alternates.

The 2025 middleweight tournament quarterfinals take place April 18 at 2025 PFL 3 from Universal Studios Florida in Orlando and stream on ESPN/ESPN+. No matchups have yet been revealed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGgIzWDxbm8/?img_index=1

The middleweight tournament marks the promotion’s return to promoting bracketed 185-pound fights. In its inaugural “season formatted” year in 2018, the promotion featured middleweights.

However, with the emergence of Kayla Harrison, the promotion replaced middleweight with women’s lightweight in 2019.

PFL finalist Impa Kasanganay not a fan of Josh Silveira’s approach: ‘An insult to his dad and his team’

Impa Kasanganay goes off on Josh Silvera and his attitude both before and during their PFL semifinal fight.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Often times fights settle the differences between fighters, but that wasn’t the case in [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]’s most recent outing.

The 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion defeated [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] this past Friday in the main event of 2024 PFL Playoffs 2. This was a rematch between the two, as they had fought in November ins the 2023 PFL final for the 205-pound belt and the $1 million prize. Kasanganay (18-4) and Silveira (13-4) had a few heated moments in the buildup to the fight, and now that Kasanganay has the win in hand, he had a few tings to say to the American Top Team fighter.

“Like I said before the fight, ‘How does a fish get caught?’ A fish gets caught, gets killed on that hook,” Kasanganay told MMA Junkie and other media at the 2024 PFL Playoffs 2 post-fight interview. “He opened his mouth and got hit with the hook. Go back and watch it. He’s lacking focus.

“To me, respectfully, it’s an insult to his dad and his team. You’re sitting in front of your dad, who I really respect, and you’re taking it as a joke. You’re better than that, and I challenge him for that. … For Josh to show up the way he is and just play around too much, and just not be the fighter that he is, I’m disgusted by that. You’re in a fight, and you think it’s a joke to change your family’s life?”

Kasanganay, who now moves to the 2024 PFL final, doesn’t think Silveira improved since they last fought. He thinks Silveira did perform better, but overall was still the same fighter.

“I think he made a choice to go for it more so than showing he’s a better fighter,” Kasanganay said. “If he just sat down on some punches, he probably could’ve gotten better shots in. He committed to things – that was good. But it’s like going for broke every time. He still lost focus screaming in there. …

“Josh himself, to say he got better is like for something that he’s done for so long, I expect more out of him. I think his standard changed. The first fight, he finished Sadibou (Sy), Sadibou got hurt. In Salt Lake City, he was talking to Rob (Wilkinson) through the TV, ‘Let’s go mother-this.’ Josh, just focus on who you are. This fight, he’s talking to me and staring me down, and I’m like, ‘You’re so lacking focus.’ He has such a good dad and team, and he’s insulting them by that. So that’s my message to him.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030792]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.

After ‘missing the hunt’ last year, Impa Kasanganay plans on finishing Josh Silveira at 2024 PFL Playoffs 2

Impa Kasanganay has a job to finish with Josh Silveira at 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.

[autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]’s goal is to beat [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] in more emphatic fashion at 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.

Kasanganay (17-4) runs things back with Silveira (13-3) in Friday’s main event (ESPN/ESPN+) at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Kasanganay meets the man he dominated to claim the 2023 PFL light heavyweight title last November. Kasanganay wasn’t able to finish Silveira but hopes he can close their chapter by keeping the judges out of it.

“My faith and my confidence, they’re dialed in,” Kasanganay told MMA Junkie Radio. “I know what I’m here to do. I’m here to claim victory. I respect Josh, for sure. Nothing disrespectful to say about the guy. Last year I missed the hunt. I know Josh is better than he was last year, and so am I.

“I’m going to show that I’m going to dominate. I have a job to do, I have to finish that, and no matter if I fought the guy 10 times or if I fought the guy twice or once or never before, my focus is dominate, claim this victory and move forward and finish this guy.”

Kasanganay finished Alex Polizzi and Jakob Nedoh to kick off his 2024 PFL campaign. He aims to keep his finishing rate intact by becoming the first fighter to stop Silveira.

“I don’t see it as a continuation of the last fight,” Kasanganay said. “More so I consider it the continuation of the same hunt. Last year I missed the hunt. He’s wounded, he’s hurt, I beat him up, all those good things. We claimed the victory. I didn’t finish him. This year I get to finish. This year I claim that victory. This year I move forward with my team. It’s the third finish in a row this year and then get the finish in the title fight.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030792]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Playoffs 2.

Impa Kasanganay def. Josh Silveira at 2023 PFL Championship: Best photos

Check out these photos from Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira at 2023 PFL Championship for the light heavyweight title.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag]’s light heavyweight title victory over Josh Silveira at 2023 PFL Championship at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. (Photos by Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

Impa Kasanganay dominates Josh Silveira for 205 crown, calls out Nemkov and Ngannou | 2023 PFL Championship Fight Night HQ

No. 1 seed Josh Silveira meets No. 3 Impa Kasanganay in the PFL’s 205-pound season championship.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The PFL crowned its newest $1 million light heavyweight winner Friday.

No. 1 seed [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (12-1) met No. 3 [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] (14-3) in the 205-pound season championship at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Go inside the matchup below, from the backstory and the buildup through the end of the fight itself, with stats, photos, preview videos, highlight videos, quotes, recaps and more.

The story will update throughout the fight and event.

‘Gold belt mentality’: PFL finalist Josh Silveira explains why title would mean more than $1 million

A second generation fighter, PFL finalist Josh Silveira was born with a martial artist’s mentality that he still carries today.

Money is cool, but [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] is looking for something a bit more meaningful to his sense of martial arts accomplishment.

For the second straight year, Silveira (12-1 MMA, 5-1 PFL) is on the verge of a $1 million prize. He faces former UFC fighter [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 4-0 PFL) in a light heavyweight final at 2023 PFL Championship. The event takes place Nov. 24 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., and streams on ESPN+.

“I would say the belt (means more than money),” Silveira recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “The belt drives me the most. Being champion, having that title, being part of a good organization and really cementing my name. The sport is growing. I think I have a good personality. I think I fight well. I think the money is going to come in all shapes and sizes.

“But I think the gold belt, especially for my father, and (it’ll) place a good stepping stone, a key moment into my great career. This is just the beginning. I think the gold belt for sure is the type of mentality you should have. The money is going to come and go but we really want to cement ourselves in that championship category, for sure.”

Perhaps Silveira’s preference for pride over dollars was handed down to him by his father, Conan, a former UFC fighter and longtime American Top Team coach. Silveira is a second-generation fighter. He’s been around an MMA gym for as long as he can remember.

“I think the PFL season format can kind of be tough,” Silveira said. “You need good coaching to understand that, ‘Hey, we’re going for our fourth fight. You’re more than ready. We’ve just got to sharpen up these little tools, do a couple of adjustments, get you ready for two more rounds, and that’s it.’ To be honest, the work feels good. The work feels done already. I feel like I’ve just been fighting all year long. It’s no problem with that. I feel great. My dad is just a guy who does a couple of adjustments, sometimes when he sees me getting too antsy. It is for a world championship fight. His goal is to keep me calm and collected and let’s go really cap this thing off and win this thing.”

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

How Josh Silveira’s first loss reignited his love for MMA ahead of 2023 PFL Championship

Losing taught Josh Silveira just how much he loves the sport.

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Losing taught [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] just how much he loves the sport.

Silveira was eliminated by Omari Akhmedov in the 2022 PFL light heavyweight semifinals, which marked his first-career loss. He was able to rebound with three straight wins this year to punch his ticket to the finals.

Silveira (12-1) meets Impa Kasanganay (14-3) in the light heavyweight final Nov. 24 at 2023 PFL Championships, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington D.C. and streams live on ESPN+ PPV. The loss to Akhmedov was a tough pill to swallow for Silveira, but he used it as motivation going into this year.

“What I learned about myself was understanding that PFL sometimes when they put you in a $1 million situation, you might think, ‘Is this it? Is this the end?'” Silveira told MMA Junkie at a PFL media day on Wednesday. “I didn’t win the million. Do I move onto something else? Obviously in this situation, that’s not me. That’s what it taught me: It doesn’t matter if it’s for $1 million or a world championship, it’s about love.

“I love doing this, so I knocked the dust off my shoulders and I got back to what I love doing. It’s a blessed life I have. The loss is just a little speed bump in the road, but this is my life. My biggest nightmare is not doing MMA, not waking up and punching a guy in the face, and getting punched, kicked, being exhausted. This is just my life, and that was the biggest takeaway from it.”

Watch Silveira’s full pre-fight scrum in the video above.

[lawrence-related id=2666317,2647920,2629894,2629149]

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

2023 PFL Playoffs 1 results: Jesus Pinedo dominates Bubba Jenkins to reach featherweight final

Check out he full results of 2023 PFL Playoffs 1, which features featherweight and light heavyweight semifinal bouts in San Antonio.

2023 PFL Playoffs 1 took place Friday and MMA Junkie provided live and official results throughout the entire card.

The event featured featherweight and light heavyweight semifinal bouts at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio. The main card aired live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

In the main event, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (21-7) took on [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] (22-6-1) in a featherweight semifinal bout. Pinedo entered the contest with a one-point deduction due to missing weight Thursday morning. Jenkins won both of his regular season bouts by picking up a unanimous decision over Chris Wade and a submission against Sung Bin Jo. Pinedo went 50/50 in his regular season outings, starting off with a split decision loss to Gabriel Alves Braga, but rebounding nicely with a first-round finish over 2022 champion Brendan Loughnane.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (12-1) faced [autotag]Ty Flores[/autotag] (13-5) in a light heavyweight semifinal.  Silveira’s regular season run did not see a second round, as he submitted Sam Kei and picked up a TKO win against Delan Monte due to injury in the opening frame. Flores picked up unanimous decision wins over Monte and Dan Spohn in his regular season fights.

Full 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 results include:

2023 PFL Playoffs 1 video: Josh Silveira wrecks Ty Flores with Thai clinch knees in first

Josh Silveira punched his ticket to the PFL light heavyweight championship with a devastating finish of Ty Flores in San Antonio.

[autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] punched his ticket to the PFL light heavyweight championship with a nasty highlight reel finish.

In the co-feature of 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Silveira (12-1) scored another first-round finish – the third of his 2023 campaign. Ty Flores (13-5) couldn’t escape Silveira’s clutches in their light heavyweight semifinal bout and was stopped at 4:46 of Round 1.

Silveira was just a step ahead of Flores all the way up to the moment where he caught him in a Thai clinch and began unleashing brutal knees for the first-round finish. It was a brutal moment, which prompted the referee to rush in as soon as the final knee Silveira landed sent Flores stumbling into the fence. Flores debated the stoppage, but Silveira was right there ready to land more punches if the referee did not step in.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

Silveira is now set to face Impa Kasanganay in the light heavyweight championship with a $1 million prize on the line. Kasanganay defeated Marthin Hamlet earlier in evening to advance to the final.

All three fights of Silveira’s 2023 PFL run have ended in the first round. He stopped Sam Kei with a submission, won a TKO due to injury against Delan Monte, and stopped Flores with brutal knees Friday evening.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Playoffs 1.