Tag: Keoni Diggs

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 weigh-ins results: Main event fighter Jesus Pinedo among two misses

Check out the weigh-ins results from the 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 event, which takes place Friday in San Antonio.

The PFL post-season kicks off Friday in San Antonio and Thursday the 20 fighters hit the scales for official weigh-ins.

Eighteen of those 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 fighters fulfilled their contractual obligations on the scales, while two did not. Main event featherweight [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] (21-6-1) came in slightly heavy at 146.4 pounds, 0.4 pounds over the divisional limit.

As a result, the PFL has announced Pinedo will be deducted a point in Friday’s scoring vs. [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (21-6) in the promotion’s view. The point deduction will not apply to the official Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) result. Should Pinedo win a decision, the promotion will only advance him to the finals if he won by a two-point margin on at least two scorecards.

Additionally, Hawaii’s [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] (10-2) also missed by 0.4 pounds, as he weighed 156.4 pounds for a lightweight bout vs. [autotag]Elvin Espinosa[/autotag] (8-0) on the main card.

Check out the full 2023 PFL 3 Playoffs lineup below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Bubba Jenkins (145.8) vs. Jesus Pinedo (146.4)* – featherweight semifinal
  • Ty Flores (205) vs. Josh Silveira (204) – light heavyweight semifinal
  • Gabriel Braga (145.8) vs. Chris Wade (146) – featherweight semifinal
  • Marthin Hamlet (206) vs. Impa Kasanagany – light heavyweight semifinal
  • Keoni Diggs (156.4)** vs. Elvin Espinosa (155.6)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Thad Jean (171) vs. Ali Omar (171)
  • Lisa Mauldin (125.2) vs. Desiree Yanez (171)
  • Carson Hardman (168.2) vs. Anthony Ivy (171)
  • Ky Bennett (124.8) vs. Chelsea Hackett (125.8)
  • Chuck Campbell (205.8) vs. Billy Elekana (205.4)

* = Pinedo misses featherweight limit by 0.4 pounds; forfeits 20 percent of purse to Jenkins; one point deducted from PFL’s playoff scoring

** = Diggs misses lightweight limit by 0.4 pounds; forfeits 20 percent of purse to Espinosa

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

Bellator 279 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs video: Title fights, grand prix bouts, and more

The event in Honolulu features Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe, Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots, Patchy Mix vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, and more.

HONOLULU – The pre-fight necessities are in the books for the second of two Bellator events this week, and all that’s left to do is fight.

The Bellator 279 fighters got face to face for the first and only time, officially at least, at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins. Included in that mix were headliners [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] (25-2 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (15-8 MMA, 8-4 BMMA), who fight for Cyborg’s women’s featherweight title.

A few quick words were exchanged, though seemingly nothing personal. Cyborg sported artistically-worked facepaint of the Brazilian flag.

The most intense faceoff was between co-main eventers [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA), who compete in an interim bantamweight title fight that doubles as a grand prix quarterfinal. The other quarterfinalists competing Saturday, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (29-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) had a lighter mood as the two flexed and shook hands.

Former women’s flyweight champion and Hawaii native [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) showed a sign of respect to opponent [autotag]Justine Kish[/autotag] (7-5 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) when she presented her with a lei.

Saturday’s card at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu is the second of back-to-back Bellator events in Hawaii’s capital city. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. Check out all the faceoffs for Bellator 279 in the video above.

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Keoni Diggs rooted for Bobby King in the past, but won’t in Hawaii vs. Hawaii matchup at Bellator 279

“I’m screaming at the screen, ‘Let’s go Hawaiian,’ Keoni Diggs said.

HONOLULU – [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] remembers sitting in front of his television audibly rooting for an unfamiliar Hawaiian fighter who marched down Aviv Gozali on the Bellator 274 prelims.

Bobby King picked up the win by TKO that night and Diggs (9-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) was pleased to see his fellow Islander win. Little did he know, but Diggs’ next opponent would be King. The two lightweights square off Friday at Bellator 279 – in front of a Hawaiian crowd.

“I’m screaming at the screen, ‘Let’s go, Hawaiian,’ when I heard everyone had him as a big underdog,” Diggs told MMA Junkie at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “We’re always going to root for the home team guys. I never thought I’d be fighting him on the next one. But hey, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do sometimes. That’s why it’s super funny, because I was legit rooting for him at that 274 card. I won’t be rooting for him on Saturday, though.”

Diggs, 35, is on the heels of his first professional loss, a split decision to former Bellator title challenger Daniel Weichel in June 2022. The fight was his first at featherweight, so it was a big learning experience all around.

“I need to be more tactical in my approach,” Diggs said. “There were some traps set in that fight that I kind of just went into straight forward. Put your toes down and just swing, you know what I mean? Try to catch him with some big shots, because I knew I probably lost that first round. It’s all a learning experience. That was probably one of the best guys I’ve fought to date.”

Bellator 279 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 18-24)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Oct. 18-24.

Bellator 261 faceoff video highlights: Co-main event staring contest nearly doesn’t end

Check out the ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs ahead of Bellator 261 at Mohegan Sun.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Bellator makes its return Friday, and the promotion is implementing an interim heavyweight title.

Bellator 261 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena with the main card airing on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie. Atop the bill are top heavyweight contenders [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and [autotag]Valentin Moldavsky[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA). They will compete for the interim strap in the absence of undisputed champion Ryan Bader, who is partaking in the promotion’s light heavyweight grand prix.

The co-main event features a women’s flyweight fight. Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) faces [autotag]Kana Watanabe[/autotag] (10-0-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

Following Thursday’s official Bellator 261 weigh-ins, the athletes came face to face for some traditional pre-fight staredowns.

Check out the faceoffs below, including Johnson vs. Moldavsky, Carmouche vs. Watanabe, [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] vs. [autotag] Daniel Weichel[/autotag], [autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag], and [autotag]Simon Biyong[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Christian Edwards[/autotag].

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (May 17-23)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from May 17-23.

Bellator 261 adds Daniel Weichel vs. Keoni Diggs to lineup

Two of Bellator’s top lightweight contenders will square off this June.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Two of Bellator’s top lightweight contenders will square off this June.

At Bellator 261, former Bellator featherweight title challenger [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] will square off with surging Hawaiian up-and-comer [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag]. The event takes place Saturday, June 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator officials confirmed the matchup Tuesday after an initial report by Fansided.

Weichel (40-12 MMA, 9-4 BMMA) looks to rebound from a November unanimous decision loss to Emmanuel Sanchez in the Bellator featherweight grand prix semifinal. The defeat was Weichel’s third in four fights. His lone loss in the stretch was a unanimous decision over Saul Rogers in the opening round of the tournament.

Diggs (9-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), meanwhile, has not competed since September. He was scheduled to fight Mandel Nallo at Bellator 255 in April but withdrew for unknown reasons. In his nine professional fights, Diggs has accumulated seven finishes, with six submissions and one TKO.

Bellator 261 is currently headlined by an interim heavyweight title fight between former UFC fighter Tim Johnson (15-6 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) and Fedor Emelianenko underling Valentin Moldavsky (10-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA).

With the addition, the Bellator 261 lineup includes:

  • Tim Johnson vs. Valentin Moldavsky – for the interim heavyweight title
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Kyra Batara vs. Lena Ovchynnikova
  • Isaiah Hokit vs. Aaron Hughes
  • Myles Jury vs. Sidney Outlaw

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Keoni Diggs out of Bellator 255; Mandel Nallo needs new opponent

Bellator 255 is down a man after Keoni Diggs withdrew.

[autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] won’t be making his return at Bellator 255 after all.

The Hawaiian lightweight is out of his matchup against [autotag]Mandel Nallo[/autotag] for undisclosed reasons, a Bellator official told MMA Junkie on Monday. The promotion is actively seeking a replacement.

Bellator 255 takes place April 2 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and airs on Showtime.

Diggs (9-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) has won both of his Bellator appearances inside the distance. After he won his promotional debut against Scotty Hao by second-round submission in December 2019, Diggs choked Derek Campos unconscious in the final second of their three-round fight in September 2020. Diggs missed weight by one pound for the Campos fight.

Nallo (7-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) most recently competed at Bellator 249 in October. In the opening minutes of Round 1, Nallo accidentally struck opponent Saad Awad in the groin. The blow was hard enough that Awad could not continue and the bout was ruled a no contest.

With the change, the Bellator 255 lineup now includes:

  • Champion Patricio Freire vs. Emmanuel Sanchez – for Bellator featherweight title, grand prix semifinal
  • Mike Hamel vs. Usman Nurmagomedov
  • Neiman Gracie vs. Jason Jackson
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Matt Mitrione
  • Magomed Magomedov vs. Jared Scoggins
  • Alejandra Lara vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Manel Nallo vs. TBA
  • Mads Burnell vs. Saul Rogers
  • Chris Gonzalez vs. Roger Huerta

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