Tag: Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz

GFL draft results: Former UFC champions surprise with unexpected entries

Check out the GFL Draft results and see which of the hottest free agents and MMA legends were selected to compete in the inaugural year.

It’s not every day there’s an MMA draft, but Friday there was

The 2025 GFL Draft took place virtually with a live stream on MMA Junkie. Six teams, each representing a major city, drafted from a pool of approximately 500 fighters, including big-name free agents and rising prospects.

One-hundred-twenty athletes were be selected across 10 weight classes (heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, women’s bantamweight, women’s strawweight, and women’s atomweight). However, the weight classes are divided slightly differently than the traditional weight classes. The promotion says it’s an effort to combat weight cutting.

Click here to see which fighters are eligible for the draft.

The six teams are managed and coached by MMA notables, as follows: Dubai (manager Cain Velasquez and coach Javier Mendez); London (manager Luke Barnatt and coach Carl Prince); Los Angeles (manager Wanderlei Silva and coach Rafael Cordeiro); Miami (manager Thiago Alves and coach Conan Silveira); New York (manager TBA and coach Ray Longo); and Sao Paulo (manager Lyoto Machida and coach Andre Pederneiras.

While a specific date has yet to be revealed, the promotion says it will launch in April with regular season, semi-finals, and finals events held throughout the year.

The 2025 GFL Draft results are as follows:

Round 1

  • Pick 1 (Team Dubai): Tyron Woodley
  • Pick 2 (Team Los Angeles): Sage Northcutt
  • Pick 3 (Team London): Gegard Mousasi
  • Pick 4 (Miami): Junior Dos Santos
  • Pick 5 (Sao Paulo): Fabricio Werdum
  • Pick 6 (New York): Kevin Lee

Round 2

  • Pick 7 (New York): Chris Weidman
  • Pick 8 (Sao Paulo): Douglas Lima
  • Pick 9 (Miami): Anthony Pettis
  • Pick 10 (London): Alexander Gustafsson
  • Pick 11 (Los Angeles): Aspen Ladd
  • Pick 12 (Dubai): Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Round 3

  • Pick 13 (Dubai): Derek Brunson
  • Pick 14 (Los Angeles): Tony Ferguson
  • Pick 15 (London): Josefine Knutsson
  • Pick 16 (Miami): Yoel Romero
  • Pick 17 (Sao Paulo): Carlos Petruzzella
  • Pick 18 (New York): Holly Holm

Round 4

  • Pick 19 (New York): Melissa Amay
  • Pick 20 (Sao Paulo): Camilia Reynoso
  • Pick 21 (Miami): Natasha Kuizutina
  • Pick 22 (London): Brett Johns
  • Pick 23 (Los Angeles): Urijah Faber
  • Pick 24 (Dubai): Ali Isaev

Full team reveal (following Round 5):

Team Dubai

  • [autotag]Anastasia Nikolakakos[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Aguilar[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Faine Mesquita[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Randi Field[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Arlene Blencowe[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Farbod Iran Nezhad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Timur Valiev[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Adilet Nurmatov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Khumoyun Tukhtamurodov[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Damir Ismagulov[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tofiq Musayev[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ronny Markes[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Los Angeles

  • [autotag]Cory McKenna[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Leslie Smith[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sage Northcutt[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lorenz Larkin[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Louis Glismann[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Grant Neal[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Da Woon Jung[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team London

  • [autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Kelly Staddon[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Josefine Knutsson[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Josh Hill[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Norman Parke[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Miami

  • [autotag]Kayla Hracho[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Natasha Kuziutina[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Mariya Agapova[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Eric Shelton[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team Sao Paulo

  • [autotag]Joice Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Pamela Mara[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Camila Reynoso[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Alejandra Lara[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Paula Bittencourt[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Raphael Assuncao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Maike Linhares[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Carlos Petruzzella[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Alan Patrick[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)

Team New York

  • [autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Marisa Messer-Belenchia[/autotag] (atomweight)
  • [autotag]Melissa Amaya[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag] (strawweight)
  • [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Zviad Lazishvili[/autotag] (bantamweight)
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] (featherweight)
  • [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] (lightweight)
  • [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] (welterweight)
  • [autotag]Phillip Hawes[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (middleweight)
  • [autotag]Devin Clark[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] (light heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag] (heavyweight)
  • [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] (heavyweight)

LFA 130 results: DWCS veteran Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz wins quickly, asks Dana White: ‘Where’s my f*cking contract?’

Check out the results of LFA 130 which took place at 4 Bears Casino and Lodge in New Town, N.D.

LFA returned to action on Friday evening for an event headlined by two tough middleweights looking to make a statement.

LFA 130 took place at 4 Bears Casino and Lodge in New Town, N.D., and the main card aired on UFC Fight Pass. Only one of the six fights on the main card saw the judges’ scorecards, and it certainly was not the main event.

Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz made quick work of Alessandro Gambulino, finishing the fight in the first round to close out the show. Ksiazkiewicz (10-1), a Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, made quite the impression by storming Gambulino (12-4) after sending him to the canvas with a vicious knee to the body.

A minute and 29 seconds was all it took as the referee stopped a storm of ground and pound strikes as Gambulino covered up on the canvas. The impressive showing marked the second-straight win for Ksiazkiewicz, following the lone loss of his career at his appearance on DWCS in 2020. The result snapped Gambulino’s three-fight win streak which included two submission victories.

After the fight, Ksiazkiewicz emphatically called for the UFC brass to give him a shot. “Dana White, Mick Maynard, Sean Shelby, where’s my f*cking contract?” Ksiazkiewicz said during his post-fight interview.

The full results of LFA 130 include:

  • Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz def. Alessandro Gambulino via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:29
  • Marnic Mann def. Kelsey Arneson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Hilarie Rose def. Tiani Valle via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:35
  • Jalin Fuller def. Gage Saunders via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:18
  • Darrius Flowers def. Daniel Gadley via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:46
  • Billy Elekana def. Kohlman Scribner via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:02

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Dana White’s Contender Series 35 live results

MMA Junkie is on the scene so you can keep up with all the action of Tuesday’s Contender Series card in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Tuesday’s official Dana White’s Contender Series 35.

Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.

In the night’s featured bout at the UFC Apex, [autotag]Mario Sousa[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] at middleweight. The card streams on ESPN+.

Dana White’s Contender Series 35 results:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Mario Sousa vs. Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz
  • Natan Levy vs. Shaheen Santana
  • Joe Lowry vs. Nikolas Motta
  • Stephanie Frausto vs. Luana Pinheiro
  • Taylor Moore vs. Danny Sabatello

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Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz vs. Mario Sousa added to Dana White’s Contender Series on Sept. 29

Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4 has added Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz vs. Mario Sousa to its September 29 lineup.

Another fight is set for Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4.

Middleweights [autotag]Mariusz Ksiazkiewicz[/autotag] and [autotag]Mario Sousa[/autotag] will square off September 29 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Ksiazkiewicz (8-0 MMA) is undefeated in his professional career.  The Germany-born Canadian has accumulated seven finishes in eight pro fights including five submissions and three stoppages due to strikes.

Sousa (11-1 MMA) has eight finishes in 11 pro bouts. The 23-year-old Brazilian is currently riding a four-fight winning streak.

DWCS, Season 4 will kick off Aug. 4 and expected to run for 10 episodes, with the season concluding on Oct. 6.

To stay up to date with all of the DWCS happenings, check out MMA Junkie’s “Dana White’s Contender Series: Your complete guide to Season 4” which will be frequently updated as news comes to light.

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10 middleweights you can expect to see on Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4

The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 middleweight candidates to appear on the show.

Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.

With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.

Rumored for a late-June 2020 start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.

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Up next, the middleweights …

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Photo via Guhdar Photography/Unified MMA

KB Bhullar

Record: 8-0
Age: 28
Height: 6’4″
Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

One of Canada’s premier middleweights, [autotag]KB Bhullar[/autotag] is unblemished in his MMA career. Major promotions are always in need of up-and-coming middleweights, as well as fighters who push the boundaries and expand MMA’s pull in non-American countries. Canada’s Bhullar checks off both of those boxes. One of the best pound-for-pound fighters in “The Great White North,” Bhullar added a UFC veteran to his resume in September when he defeated Matt Dwyer by unanimous decision at Unified MMA 38. It’s important to note Bhullar is recovering from surgery. Should he be ready, Bhullar should be a shoe-in – easy.

Kyle Daukaus

Record: 9-0
Age: 27
Height: 6’1″
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Last summer, [autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag] was passed over on Dana White’s Contender Series. While the UFC president was happy with Daukaus’ performance, he believed the middleweight needed more work on the regional scene. Since that time, Daukaus has put his foot on the gas pedal. The CFFC middleweight champion picked up two more wins since last summer’s DWCS. Both victories were second-round D’arce choke submissions. A submission specialist, Daukaus possesses a well-rounded grappling attack which compliments his striking abilities. Twenty-seven-year-old undefeated middleweight prospects aren’t a common commodity, so DWCS should welcome Daukaus back with open arms.

More fighters on the next page:

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