Tag: Julia Budd

Report: Julia Budd released after removal from 2023 PFL Championships

Julia Budd was scheduled to compete at the final PFL event of 2023, but has been released by the promotion.

[autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] is no longer on the PFL roster.

The former Bellator champion was scheduled to compete against Kayla Harrison at 2023 PFL Championships on Nov. 24. According to an official press release from PFL, Budd (17-6 MMA, 2-3 PFL) “refused to fulfill her contractual obligation,” and was removed from the bout.

A day following the announcement of her removal from the fight against Harrison, PFL decided to cut ties with Budd. PFL CEO Peter Murray told MMA Fighting that Budd “did not sign her bout agreement, consistent with her contract.”

Budd, 40, debuted with PFL in 2021 and made five appearances total. After winning her first fight with the promotion against Kaitlin Young, Budd struggled in her next three fights, losing two unanimous decisions and one split.

In her last outing in June, Budd got back on track with a unanimous decision win over Martina Jindrova, which led to a matchup against Harrison that has since been scrapped. It was the second time that Budd and Harrison were scheduled to compete, but the fight set for last July fell apart due to an injury to Budd. Harrison will now face UFC veteran Aspen Ladd on short notice at 2023 PFL Championships.

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With Julia Budd out, Kayla Harrison vs. Aspen Ladd booked for 2023 PFL Championship

Kayla Harrison vs. Aspen Ladd is set for 2023 PFL Championship in November.

(Editor’s Note: This report was revised at 5:35 p.m. ET to include information from an official press release from PFL.)

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] will return to action at 2023 PFL Championship in November, but not against her originally scheduled opponent.

Harrison (15-1 MMA, 14-1 PFL) was set to face Julia Budd at the final PFL event of 2023 on Nov. 24 at The Anthem in Washington. According to a press release from PFL, Budd (17-6 MMA, 2-3 PFL) was removed from the bout after she “refused to fulfill her contractual obligation.”

Luckily for Harrison, she will get to keep her planned fight date as UFC veteran [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] has stepped up on short notice. The new matchup will be a catchweight bout at 150 pounds, according to the press release. Prior to the official statement from PFL, three people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news with MMA Junkie. One person told MMA Junkie that contracts were issued.

Ladd (11-4 MMA, 2-1 PFL) was one of the PFL’s biggest additions in 2022. She debuted with the promotion last year, where she won a split decision over Budd at 2022 PFL Championship. In 2023, Ladd dropped a majority decision against Olena Kolesnyk, but rebounded nicely with a second-round armbar submission against Karolina Sobek. She now will fill in to face one of the toughest tests the PFL has to offer.

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Two-time Olympic gold medalist Harrison will be competing for the first time since suffering the first setback of her pro MMA career. At 2022 PFL Championship, she lost a unanimous decision to Larissa Pacheco in their third meeting. The 2021 PFL lightweight champion is expected to be featured as a part of PFL’s pay-per-view model in 2024.

With the change, the current 2023 PFL Championships lineup includes:

  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Clay Collard – for lightweight championship
  • Renan Ferreira vs. Denis Goltsov – for heavyweight championship
  • Larissa Pacheco vs. Marina Mokhnatkina – for women’s featherweight championship
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Sadibou Sy – for welterweight championship
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira – for light heavyweight championship
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Derek Brunson vs. Ray Cooper III
  • Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo
  • Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Joel Galarza Lopez – amateur bout
  • Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade
  • Phil Caracappa vs. Khai Wu
  • Josh Blyden vs. Jesse Stirn

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

Kayla Harrison returns vs. Julia Budd in featherweight fight at 2023 PFL Championships

Kayla Harrison will make her return on PFL’s championship crowning night – at featherweight.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] will make her return on PFL’s championship crowning night – at featherweight.

Harrison (15-1) meets [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (17-6) in a non-tournament, 145-pound bout Nov. 24 at 2023 PFL Championships, which takes place at The Anthem in Washington D.C. and streams live on ESPN+ PPV, promotion officials announced Wednesday.

Harrison will compete for the first time in 2023. In her most recent outing, the 2021 PFL lightweight champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka suffered her first-career loss to Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision. That was in the 2022 PFL Championships. Now, Harrison will drop back down to featherweight, where she competed once in November 2020 and scored a second-round TKO of Courtney King at Invicta FC 43.

Harrison and Budd were scheduled to fight at 2022 PFL 6, but Budd withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Kaitlin Young. Harrison finished Young by TKO in Round 1.

Budd, a former Bellator featherweight champion, split her first four PFL appearances. In June, she snapped a two-fight losing skid with a unanimous decision win over Martina Jindrova.

With the addition, the 2023 PFL Championships lineup includes:

  • Larissa Pacheco vs. Marina Mokhnatkina – women’s featherweight final
  • Denis Goltsov vs. Renan Ferreira – heavyweight final
  • Josh Silveira vs. Impa Kasanganay – light heavyweight final
  • Jesus Pinedo vs. Gabriel Braga – featherweight final
  • Julia Budd vs. Kayla Harrison

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

2023 PFL 5 fighter pay: Aspen Ladd among five six-figure earners

Check out the disclosed 2023 PFL 5 fighter pays released by the state of Georgia.

PFL returned to Atlanta this past Thursday for the second of three shows in consecutive weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.

2023 PFL 5 featured final regular season bouts at heavyweight and women’s featherweight, as well as a showcase fight. In the main event, 2022 PFL heavyweight champion [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] defeated former UFC fighter and Jon Jones teammate [autotag]Maurice Greene[/autotag].

Also on the card was 2022 PFL women’s lightweight champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], former Bellator women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag], and former UFC notable [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired a list of the 22 pro athletes’ disclosed payouts Sunday from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission. The amounts do not include bonuses, sponsorships, or any other discretionary payments.

Six fighters topped the list at $100,000, while all other fighters received five-figure or four-figure payouts.

Scroll below to see the disclosed pay for each 2023 PFL 5 fighter.

Larissa Pacheco def. Julia Budd at 2023 PFL 2: Best photos

Check out these photos from Larissa Pacheco’s victory over Julia Budd at 2023 PFL 2 in Las Vegas.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag]’s victory over Julia Budd 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		 pacheco2023
Pacheco
(76%)		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza
(77%)		 ladd2023
Ladd
(85%)		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
(51%)
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
44-25		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
Matt Erickson
@MattE
43-26		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 kuniev2023
Kuniev
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
42-27		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 kuniev2023
Kuniev
Nolan King
@mma_kings
42-27/em>		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 kuniev2023
Kuniev
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
40-29		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
40-29		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
39-30
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
39-30
trophy copy 2018, 2022 Champion		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 kuniev2023
Kuniev
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
38-31
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
Ferreira
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
38-31		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 kuniev2023
Kuniev
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
36-33		 pacheco2023
Pacheco		 cappelozza2023
Cappelozza		 ladd2023
Ladd		 ferreira2023
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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Julia Budd: Drawing champ Larissa Pacheco to start 2023 PFL season ‘lights that fire’

Julia Budd sees no better way to snap her two-fight losing skid than to beat 2022 champion Larissa Pacheco in the 2023 PFL season opener.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] was pleased to get a matchup with [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] to open the 2023 PFL women’s featherweight season.

Budd (16-5) faces Pacheco (19-4) in Friday’s 2023 PFL 2 main event, which takes place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The former Bellator featherweight champion finds extra added motivation facing Pacheco first. The Brazilian won the 2022 PFL season at women’s lightweight, and Budd wants to use Pacheco’s success to elevate her career to start the new season.

“I always want to test myself against the best of the best,” Budd told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday’s 2023 PFL 2 media day. “I’m excited. Whoever it is, but I’m totally focused on Friday night and making sure I come out on top, so that’s my focus for now.

“What I’m excited about is that it’s 145, I’m fighting her right off the bat. She was the champ from last year. It’s kind of one of those fights that wake you up in the morning, light that fire and get you going. So focusing on that right away and having that, it helped set my year off. Just like a huge kickstart. I’m excited for it now.”

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Budd and Pacheco are on different career trajectories. Pacheco is on a six-fight winning streak and coming off a huge upset win over Kayla Harrison. Meanwhile, Budd is on a two-fight losing skid for the first time in her career.

“It’s funny because it’s like two paths,” Budd said. “She went through a bunch of wins last year, I went through two losses. So, I was forced to go back and completely develop, take a look at every aspect of who I am, and how I want to be in this sport, and that is a dangerous person to fight I believe.

“Is the person that had to go back and reevaluate, and sharpen all their skills. Her coming off being the champion, having a couple of those quick wins in the beginning, and then beating Kayla in the finals, I think she might be underestimating me a little bit.”

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

PFL announces main and co-main events for first three 2023 regular season cards

Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes, Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos are among the big fights to open the 2023 PFL season.

The PFL on Thursday announced three headliners and three co-headlining fights for the first three events of the 2023 regular season, which will kick off April 1 and run for three consecutive weeks at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

At 2023 PFL 1 on April 1, reigning featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) will headline against former UFC title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1). The co-main event will feature another former UFC title challenger as [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11) takes on 2022 light heavyweight champion [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2). The first event of the year is set to air on ESPN.

PFL 2 will take place April 7, headlined by 2022 PFL heavyweight champion [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (23-5) taking on UFC veteran [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] (9-3). The night’s co-main event will feature reigning women’s lightweight champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (19-4)  taking on former Bellator champion [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (16-5) in the promotion’s new women’s featherweight division. PFL 2 is set to air on ESPN 2.

Closing out the first half of the regular season with PFL 3 on April 14, the event will be headlined by reigning lightweight champion [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (17-5) welcoming UFC veteran [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] (15-3), who was supposed to make his promotional debut last November but withdrew due to injury. The co-main event will pit 2022 welterweight champion [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] (13-6-2) against [autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] (18-4). PFL 3 will air on ESPN 2.

Despite the official announcements by PFL, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, which represents Burgos and Loughnane, indicated on Twitter that his fighters had yet to agree to their respective bouts.

The entire lineups for all three events will be announced at a later date.

As in years past, the champions of all six divisions following two regular season bouts and playoffs will claim the title and grand prize of $1 million.

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2022 PFL Championships live and official results

Check out the results from the 2022 PFL Championships, where six $1 million champs will be crowned in New York.

The final event of the 2022 PFL season takes place on Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, and MMA Junkie will keep you updated with live results throughout the event.

The 2022 PFL Championships event features 12 fights, including all six divisional finals for a $1 million grand prize.

In the main event, undefeated two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (15-0) goes for a title three-peat at women’s lightweight when she clashes with [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (18-4), whom Harrison has already defeated twice before.

The co-headliner will see [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (24-4) and [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-5) clash for the featherweight championship, while elsewhere on the card [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-3) makes her promotional debut vs. former Bellator titleholder [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (16-4) at women’s featherweight, plus much more.

Full results of 2022 PFL Championship include: