Tag: Marcelo Nunes

Continuation of PFL’s heavyweight season gets two changes in Connecticut

The PFL’s return next month, and debut at Bellator’s former East Coast home base, has seen a pair of changes at heavyweight.

The PFL’s return next month, and debut at Bellator’s former East Coast home base, has seen a pair of changes at heavyweight.

[autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] (15-7-1) is out of his fight against [autotag]Tyrell Fortune[/autotag] (13-2) on the main card. Fortune now will take on [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-5). And [autotag]Marcelo Nunes[/autotag] (11-2) is out of his bout against [autotag]Oleg Popov[/autotag] (17-1). Popov now will take on replacement [autotag]Davion Franklin[/autotag] (6-2).

A Bellator official informed MMA Junkie of the new matchups Monday. The start of the PFL’s second half of the regular season takes place June 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (ESPN/ESPN+), and features heavyweights and women’s flyweights who will attempt to qualify for the four-person postseason.

Fortune was supposed to fight Golm this past November at UFC 301 in Chicago, but Fortune became sick on fight day after the event started and the bout was scrapped. Fortune also was supposed to fight James to open the regular season, but had to withdraw. Consequently, he has no points in the standings, which are led by Valentin Moldavsky with 6 points. Golm lost his opening bout of the regular season.

Popov has 5 points after a second-round stoppage in his first fight of the season. Franklin will be fighting for the first time in the regular season.

With the changes, the PFL Week 4 lineup now includes:

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

  • Valentin Moldavsky vs. Linton Vassell
  • Dakota Ditcheva vs. Chelsea Hackett
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm
  • Liz Carmouche vs. Kana Watanabe

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

  • Sergey Bilostennyi vs. Denis Goltsov
  • Jena Bishop vs. Taila Santos
  • Davion Franklin vs. Oleg Popov
  • Ilara Joanne vs. Shanna Young
  • Danilo Marques vs. Gokhan Saricam
  • Lisa Mauldin vs. Juliana Velasquez
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Saray Orozco
  • Melissa Balic vs. Kristina Katsikis

Marcelo Nunes looking for PFL redemption after 2023 injury removal in postseason

Heavyweight Marcelo Nunes might have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder heading into the PFL’s 2024 season.

[autotag]Marcelo Nunes[/autotag] might have a little bit of a chip on his shoulder heading into the PFL’s 2024 season.

Nunes (10-2) had to pull out of the heavyweight postseason in 2023 because of an injury. He was set to meet Renan Ferreira in the opening round. Ferreira went on to win the $1 million title. Then five weeks ago, he knocked out Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds to set up a potential fight with Francis Ngannou.

Nunes said at a media day for the PFL’s 2024 regular season debut he broke his hand against Danilo Marques in the regular season and couldn’t heal in time.

Unfortunately for Nunes, his fight April 12 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas is not part of the 2024 heavyweight season.

“I’m excited to show my work on April 12,” Nunes said. “Next year, or if somebody gets injured or something, I’m going to be ready to represent and go in there and compete in the bracket again.”

All he can do is win and hope for a way into the $1 million season, and that starts with fellow Brazilian Giacomo Lemos (8-0).

Coincidentally, the two fought back-to-back on a PFL Challenger Series event two years ago. Now they get to fight, and it’ll be in Nunes’ Las Vegas home base.

“I’m just going there to get a win,” Nunes said. “I never try to put on a show. I just want to get a win – go in there, get my work done. The last time I fought in Vegas, I felt a lot of pressure, but I feel I learned a lot from it. It’s definitely special fighting at home in town, especially now I own a gym here in Vegas. My whole students, my whole family has been there watching. But I feel like I’m mentally prepared more than the last time, because last time’s the first time fighting in Vegas. I feel really good. It’s crazy for me, but I feel prepared this time.”

Check out Nunes’ full media day interview above.

Marcelo Nunes def. Danilo Marques at 2023 PFL 5: Best photos

Check out these photos from Marcelo Nunes vs. Danilo Marques at 2023 PFL 5 in Atlanta.

Check out these photos from Marcelo Nunes’ victory over Danilo Marques at 2023 PFL 5 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

 

Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray rematch headlines PFL’s playoff-opening card in New York

The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.

The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (25-13) remained the top lightweight seed despite an upset loss to [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] (24-10) two weeks ago. Ray’s win made him the No. 4 seed – which set up a rematch with Pettis in the four-man playoff field.

On the other side of the lightweight playoff bracket, No. 2 seed [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (15-5) takes on No. 3 [autotag]Alexander Martinez[/autotag] (10-2). The winners of those two fights will meet in the $1 million lightweight season final in October.

In the light heavyweight playoffs, there’s been a significant shakeup. No. 3 seed [autotag]Antonio Carlos Jr.[/autotag] (15-5) is out of his fight against American Top Team teammate and No. 2 seed [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (23-7-1), the PFL announced Friday. Stepping in for Junior is another one of Akhmedov’s teammates at American Top Team, [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (9-0), who finished the regular season in fifth place and was an alternate.

Top light heavyweight seed [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (15-2) will take on No. 4 [autotag]Delan Monte[/autotag] (9-2) on the other half of the bracket.

The PFL’s first set of playoff fights take place Aug. 5 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The four-fight main card of playoff matchups airs on ESPN. A two-fight set of prelims and four fights after the main card stream on ESPN+.

The playoffs continue later in August with welterweights and heavyweights on tap Aug. 13 in Cardiff, Wales, and women’s lightweights and featherweights set for Aug. 20 in London.

The PFL 2022 Playoffs 1 card includes:

POSTLIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)

  • [autotag]Marthin Hamlet[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cory Hendricks[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Adam Keresh[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcelo Nunes[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Ricardo Jimenez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brahyan Zurcher[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Elvin Espinosa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Corey Jackson[/autotag]

MAIN CARD (ESPN)

  • No. 1 Anthony Pettis vs. No. 4 Stevie Ray – lightweight semifinal
  • No. 2 Omari Akhmedov vs. No. 5 Josh Silveira – light heavyweight semifinal
  • No. 2 Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. N. 3 Alexander Martinez – lightweight semifinal
  • No. 1 Robert Wilkinson vs. No. 4 Delan Monte – light heavyweight semifinal

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)

  • [autotag]Elvis Lebron[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexei Pergande[/autotag]
  • [autotag]Lucas Barbosa[/autotag] vs. TBA

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