Tag: Mike Grundy

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)

2024 MMA retirement tracker: A list of those who hung up the gloves

Here’s a list of every notable retirement announced by fighters from the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and more in 2024.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently, fighters from the era who helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves in order to move on to the next chapter in life.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete, and perhaps more importantly get a payday, will continue to drive fighters back even well beyond their expiration dates.

2024 has already seen a number of notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport, and we have a list of those who have opted to walk away this year (the list will update as new retirements are announced).

Mike Grundy fills in to meet ex-UFC champ Aljamain Sterling in Polaris 25 grappling match

Nathaniel Wood is out, and Mike Grundy is in to face former UFC champ Aljamain Sterling at Polaris 25.

Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has been dealt a curve ball.

Originally slated to meet fellow UFC fighter Nathaniel Wood, Sterling is now set to meet former UFC fighter [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] in a grappling match on Sept. 30 at Polaris 25 in Wales.

Sterling, 34, currently fights at 135 pounds. Grundy, 36, fights at featherweight.

Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) won the bantamweight title in March 2021 by disqualification against Petr Yan. After an injury layoff, he beat Yan again 13 months later. After title defenses against ex-champs T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo, Sterling ran into a problem.

At UFC 292 last month, he was knocked out by Sean O’Malley in the second round. He lost the belt, and had his nine-fight winning streak snapped. It’s unclear what his next move will be in MMA, but he’ll still compete in this grappling match despite the change in opponent on just 12 days’ notice.

Grundy (12-4 MMA) went 1-3 in four UFC appearances and was released from the promotion following a three-fight skid. He most recently lost in 57 seconds to Makwan Amirkhani by technical decision via anaconda choke in March 2022 at UFC Fight Night 204.

UFC in 2022: A ridiculously robust look at the stats, streaks, skids and record-setters

Check out a full recap of 2022’s most significant footnotes and milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances.

Now that the year has come to a close, and with a major assist from UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll, here are some of 2022’s most significant milestones from the events, the fights and individual performances in the octagon.

UFC Fight Night 204 post-event facts: Molly McCann’s elbow, other finishes enter record books

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 204, which saw a record-setting nine bonuses issued on a historic card.

The UFC put on one of the most memorable events in its storied history on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 204, which went down at The 02 in London and featured a remarkable nine finishes out of 12 bouts.

The show closed with a swift and decisive performance from [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC), who submitted fellow heavyweight contender [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) in the first round of their fight to stay unbeaten inside the octagon.

For more on the numbers behind the card, check below for 53 post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 204.

UFC Fight Night 204 video: Makwan Amirkhani chokes Mike Grundy out cold in 57 seconds

Makwan Amirkhani needed less than a minute to put Mike Grundy to sleep in a critical career bout for both men at UFC Fight Night 204.

LONDON – [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] needed less than a minute to put [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] to sleep in an absolutely critical career bout for both men at UFC Fight Night 204.

In a matchup in which both fighters entered on losing skids and highly motivated to get the job done, Amirkhani (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) locked in his patented anaconda choke on Grundy (16-8 MMA, 6-6 UFC) just 57 seconds into the featherweight fight at The 02.

Grundy was determined to get the win after revealing pre-fight his father was terminally ill. They showed his father cageside on the broadcast just before the bout began, but things didn’t play out the way that side hoped when Amirkhani locked in his technique early and squeezed until Grundy went out cold.

Check out the replay of the finish (via Twitter):

Amirkhani said post-fight that he’s a soon-to-be father and now that he’s back in the win column, hopes he can get a quick turnaround.

“Dana White and Sean Shelby: Put me back in next week,” Amirkhani pleaded in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.

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Mike Grundy’s terminally ill dad will watch him fight at UFC London. That’s all the motivation he needs.

Fighting in front of his terminally ill father, “it’s definitely gonna bring a different animal in me,” Mike Grundy said.

LONDON – [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] will have a lot more on his mind Saturday than just snapping a losing streak.

Grundy (12-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) meets Makwan Amirkhani (16-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 204 where his job could be on the line after falling short in his past two octagon appearances. But for the 35-year-old Team Kaobon fighter, the motivation to get his hand raised stems mainly from having his father, who Grundy said has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, cageside to watch him fight.

“This fight is so much more than me keeping my job off the two losses,” Grundy told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC London media day. “This fight is to put on a performance for my dad. Sadly, my dad has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and he’s gonna be there cageside watching me on the night, and that is what it means to me.

“There is absolutely no chance that this guy is gonna put me away on Saturday night. You can put me in with the heavyweights on the main event, and they won’t put me away either because I’m there to put on a performance in front of my dad, and that is what it means to me, and that’s the main thing. I’m gonna dedicate this fight and this win to my dad.”

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Grundy’s two losses have come to tough competition in dynamic striker Lando Vannata and top prospect Movsar Evloev. The standout wrestler hasn’t been able to live up to his potential yet, but he’s confident that with his father in attendance, it’ll bring out the best of him.

“Having that thing in the back of your mind, and you know my dad is gonna be sat there, he’s gonna be cageside,” Grundy said. “To have him there, and we don’t know how many more he’s gonna be able to be there for, is special to me. It definitely lights a fire in my belly and it’s definitely gonna bring a different animal in me. It definitely is, and hopefully that’s gonna be a Performance of the Night.”

UFC Fight Night 204 takes place Saturday at O2 Arena in London. The card streams on ESPN+.

Watch Grundy’s complete pre-fight media availability above.

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UFC adds Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy to March 19 lineup

Featherweights Makwan Amirkhani and Mike Grundy will look to rebound when they square off in March.

Featherweights [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] will look to rebound when they square off in March.

Grundy (12-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) takes on Amirkhani (16-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on March 19, which is targeted to take place in London.

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

Grundy and Amirkhani were originally scheduled to square off in March 2020 in London, but the entire card was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Team Kaobon’s Grundy has dropped back-to-back decision losses to Movsar Evloev and Lando Vannata. His lone octagon win came in his debut when he stopped Nad Narimani in the second round.

Amirkhani also will aim to snap a losing skid. After winning three of four fights, including submission finishes over Chris Fishgold and Danny Henry, the 33-year-old has lost three straight to Edson Barboza, Kamuela Kirk and most recently Lerone Murphy at UFC 267 in October.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night lineup for March 19 includes:

  • Francisco Figueiredo vs. Jake Hadley
  • Luana Carolina vs. Molly McCann
  • Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev
  • Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy

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UFC 262 post-event facts: Charles Oliveira sets multiple records in title win

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 262, which saw Charles Oliveira make history with his title-winning TKO of Michael Chandler.

The UFC’s seventh pay-per-view of the year delivered in a big way on Saturday with UFC 262 at Toyota Center in Houston.

Charles Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) became the new lightweight champion in the main event when he scored a thrilling second-round TKO win over Michael Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), setting all types of UFC records in the process.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 55 post-event facts to come out of UFC 262.

With Mike Grundy out Saturday, Nik Lentz moves to UFC 257 vs. Movsar Evloev

Nik Lentz is in Abu Dhabi and was all set for a fight Saturday. Now he’s pushed back a week with a new opponent.

[autotag]Nik Lentz[/autotag] is in Abu Dhabi and was all set for a fight this week.

Now his plans have changed, and he won’t have to wait too long. Lentz (30-11-2 MMA, 14-8-1 MMA) was supposed to take on [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag] (12-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ABC 1. But Sunday, Grundy posted online that a member of his team tested positive for COVID-19, which will keep him from competing on the card.

Instead, Lentz will miss Saturday’s event and fight a week later at UFC 257 against new opponent [autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC). MMA Junkie confirmed the new matchup with a person with knowledge of the booking following an initial report from MMADNA.com.

UFC 257 takes place Jan. 23 at Etihad Arena at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

Lentz will be looking to snap a two-fight skid. In May 2019, he lost a second-round TKO in a rematch againnt Charles Oliveira. In January 2020, he dropped a decision to Arnold Allen. In that fight, Lentz took an eye poke and ultimately had to have a complicated surgery that could have left him worse off than when he started. But now he’s ready to return.

Evloev fought just once in 2020 and stayed unbeaten with a unanimous decision against Grundy in July. He was supposed to meet Nate Landwehr this past December, but tested positive for COVID-19 and went on the shelf. Now he’ll try to stay perfect against Lentz with a short-notice assignment.

Grundy was set to try to get back in the win column after his loss to Evloev until the positive test took him out of the fight. In a Twitter post, Grundy said the “devastating news” has him down for now, but plans to “run through the featherweight division” when he returns.

With the addition, the UFC 257 lineup now includes:

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor
  • Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker
  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Marcin Prachnio vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Sara McMann vs. Julianna Pena
  • Ottman Azaitar vs. Matt Frevola
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Brad Tavares
  • Sergey Morozov vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
  • Nasrat Haqparast vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Makhmud Muradov vs. Andrew Sanchez
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Nik Lentz

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