Tag: Ray Borg

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)

2023 MMA retirement tracker: A list of former UFC champions, legends and more who hung up the gloves

The MMA world already has said goodbye to many retiring fighters in 2023, from former UFC champions to icons of the sport.

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.

2023 has seen an uptick in 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).

Ray Borg retires (again) after Bellator 295 weigh-in mishap and release

Former UFC title challenger Ray Borg has retired again after a weight-related issue canceled his Bellator debut.

Former UFC title challenger [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] has announced his retirement from fighting in the wake of his release from Bellator MMA.

Borg, 29, wrote Friday on his personal Facebook page he will be “hanging it up” after his Bellator 295 bout vs. Kyoji Horiguchi was canceled due to weight-related issues.

“Things did not go as planned this weekend and I will not be fighting,” Borg wrote. “I made promise to myself that if another incident like this ever happened I would retire. So going forward I am officially out of the game and hanging it up. I just want to formally apologize to those I have let down and thank those that have been by my side throughout these crazy years. I am on a different journey in life now and I appreciate and love you all for always being Team Borg.”

While exact details remain unclear, Bellator president Scott Coker told MMA Junkie the promotion attempted multiple new contract weights to keep the fight afloat after Borg’s team informed them he was unlikely to make weight. Still, Borg did not weigh in, the bout was scrapped, and he was immediately cut from the Bellator roster.

“This is a professional fight league,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “This is not an amateur tournament. I think it’s time to say goodbye to both of them, and we’re going to move on and let them fight somewhere else, and good luck.”

[lawrence-related id=2636146,2636144]

Borg, whose career has been plagued by fight cancellations mostly due to weight-related issues, was also axed from his longtime management firm Dominance MMA, which cited unprofessionalism.

The retirement Friday is not his first. In August 2020, he was released from the UFC after he was removed from a bout against Nate Maness. Days later, Borg retired – but less than one week later walked the announcement back.

The bout Saturday was expected to be Borg’s Bellator debut after he signed with the promotion. Between UFC and Bellator stints, Borg went 3-0 with fights for Eagle FC and UAE Warriors.

Borg competed 12 times in the UFC and compiled a 7-5 record, with the pinnacle of his promotional career by most accounts a UFC 216 title challenge loss to Demetrious Johnson.

Ray Borg vs. Kyoji Horiguchi scrapped from Bellator 295, Hawaii’s Yancy Medeiros moved to main card

Saturday’s second of back-to-back Bellator shows in Hawaii has lost a main card fight just hours before the official weigh-ins.

HONOLULU – Saturday’s second of back-to-back Bellator shows in Hawaii has lost a main card fight just hours before the official weigh-ins.

The flyweight bout between [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] (31-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) has been canceled, Bellator officials announced Friday. Although the promotion doesn’t officially have a flyweight division, the bout was going to be fought at 125 pounds to open the main card at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

Bellator officials did not announce a reason for the fight’s cancellation.

With that fight off, the 165-pound contract weight bout between Oahu native and resident [autotag]Yancy Medeiros[/autotag] (16-8 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Charlie Leary[/autotag] (17-13-1 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) has been elevated to the main card. When Medeiros made his Bellator debut a year ago in Honolulu, he also had his fight moved from the prelims to the main card – but found out backstage during the event.

Borg was set to make his Bellator debut. He has 21 career fights – but also has nearly as many fights that have been scheduled, but canceled. This will be his 11th on-the-books fight cancellation since 2018. Horiguchi, a former Bellator bantamweight champion, was looking to extend a modest two-fight winning streak.

With the change, the Bellator 295 lineup now includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 11 p.m. ET)

  • Interim champ Raufeon Stots vs. Patchy Mix – for interim bantamweight title; grand prix final
  • Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kana Watanabe
  • James Gonzalez vs. Aaron Pico
  • Charlie Leary vs. Yancy Medeiros

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Mads Burnell vs. Justin Gonzales
  • Adli Edwards vs. Kai Kamaka
  • Veta Arteaga vs. Sumiko Inaba
  • Weber Almeida vs. Keoni Diggs
  • Aalon Cruz vs. Bobby King
  • Kasim Aras vs. Davion Franklin
  • Bruna Ellen vs. Ilara Joanne
  • Masayuki Kikuiri vs. Alexey Shurkevich

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.

Ray Borg: Beating Kyoji Horiguchi at Bellator 295 will throw me right in the title mix

“I don’t see why winning this fight wouldn’t throw me right in that mix.”

HONOLULU – [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] expects to emerge as a title contender with a win over [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag].

Borg (16-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) draws former champion Horiguchi (31-5 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) in a flyweight bout in his promotional debut at Saturday’s Bellator 295 event. The card takes place at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu with the main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator doesn’t have a flyweight division, but it appears Borg’s sights are set on 135-pound gold. On the same night Borg competes, the Bellator bantamweight grand prix will be settled when interim champ Raufeon Stots meets Patchy Mix in the final. The winner of that fight will face champion Sergio Pettis or upcoming title challenger Patricio Freire.

Borg plans on entering the title discussions, too, if he’s victorious.

“I don’t see why winning this fight wouldn’t throw me right in that mix,” Borg told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “I don’t know why winning this fight wouldn’t catapult me into the front of the line or at least close to the front of the line. There’s some good fights this weekend in terms of this division, but right now I have my eyes set on Horiguchi and we’ll worry about all that later.”

[lawrence-related id=2618788,2635302,2634660]

A former UFC flyweight title challenger, Borg wouldn’t have it any other way than to take on a stern test like Horiguchi right off the bat.

“I would’ve been kind of bummed if they didn’t give me someone like Horiguchi,” Borg said. “I’ve been in this sport a long time, I’ve fought some really high-level competition, and the fact that me and Horiguchi hadn’t fought in the past was surprising. I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to make my Bellator debut. He’s a great fighter, he’s been in the sport a long time, he’s a veteran as well. I just think it’s a great matchup.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.

UFC veterans in MMA and boxing action April 21-23

Check out which UFC veterans are in MMA and boxing action across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC is back in Las Vegas at the UFC Apex for a heavyweight showdown. In the main event, [autotag]Sergei Pavlovich[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] in a fight scheduled for five rounds.

Elsewhere, many other MMA and boxing events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This weekend, there are a total of 18 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA and boxing this week from April 21-23.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (March 6-12)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported 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 March 6-12.

Ray Borg to make Bellator debut vs. Kyoji Horiguchi on April 22 in Hawaii

Kyoji Horiguchi will welcome fellow UFC veteran Ray Borg to the Bellator cage.

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] will welcome fellow UFC veteran [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] to the Bellator cage.

Former Bellator and Rizin FF bantamweight champion Horiguchi (31-5) faces Borg (16-5) in a flyweight bout April 22 at Bellator 295 in Honolulu. A person with knowledge of the booking confirmed the news Wednesday to MMA Junkie after an initial report from MMA Mania.

ESPN first reported the possibility of the matchup in late February after Borg signed with the promotion.

Horiguchi has split his past four appearances. After dropping back-to-back bouts to Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis and grand prix finalist Patchy Mix, Horiguchi rebounded with a submission of Yuto Hokamura, followed by a unanimous decision against Hiromasa Ougikubo in his return to flyweight.

Since parting ways with the UFC in 2020, former title challenger Borg has won three consecutive fights over Jesse Arnett, Cody Gibson, and Ricky Bandejas. Borg, who signed a multifight deal with Bellator, hasn’t competed at flyweight since defeating Rogerio Bontorin in February 2020. He missed weight by 2 pounds.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=420030791]

The current Bellator 295 lineup includes:

  • Raufeon Stots vs. Patchy Mix
  • Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kana Watanabe
  • Kasim Aras vs. Davion Franklin
  • Adil Edwards vs. Kai Kamaka III
  • Charlie Leary vs. Yancy Medeiros
  • Aalon Cruz vs. Bobby King
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Weber Almeida
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Veta Arteaga
  • Ray Borg vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.

Former UFC title challenger Ray Borg signs multifight deal with Bellator

Ray Borg has signed an exclusive multifight deal with Bellator to compete in the bantamweight division.

Former UFC flyweight title challenger [autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] has a new home.

Tuesday, Bellator officially announced the signing of Borg (16-5) to an exclusive, multifight contract. The 29-year-old is expected to make his debut later this year in the bantamweight division.

“I am beyond excited and very happy to have signed with Bellator MMA,” Ray Borg said in the announcement. “I feel like they have the best 135ers in the world and I am very excited to get in there and mix it up with all of them on one of the very biggest stages in the sport.”

Borg competed 12 times under the UFC banner from 2014-20. During his stretch to the title, he defeated Louis Smolka and Jussier Formiga by unanimous decision, leading to a shot at the crown against Demetrious Johnson at UFC 216.

[lawrence-related id=2530629]

Following his exit from the UFC, Borg picked up a unanimous decision win over Jesse Arnett at UAE Warriors 20 in June 2021, followed by a pair of decision wins against Cody Gibson and Ricky Bandejas in Eagle FC last year.

Ray Borg wants his UFC job back: ‘Three straight wins, no hiccups or f*ck ups’

Ray Borg thinks he’s done enough for an octagon return.

[autotag]Ray Borg[/autotag] thinks he’s done enough for an octagon return.

Borg (16-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was released from the UFC in August 2020 after missing his second straight fight against Nathan Maness at UFC on ESPN+ 31. Since parting ways with the UFC, Borg has won three straight, including two under the Eagle FC banner against former UFC fighters Cody Gibson and Ricky Bandejas.

The former title challenger posted on Twitter to address the UFC and his desire to come back.

“It’s been 2 years since being cut from the UFC. I’ve gone through a lot in that time frame and have reinvented myself as a man. 3 straight wins, no hiccups or f*ck ups, and 2 of my 3 fights where fight of the night bangers. @danawhite @seanshelby @Mickmaynard2 I want my job back!”

Borg had a history of canceled fights throughout his UFC tenure, as well as four weight misses. His last octagon fight came in a split decision loss to Ricky Simon, but prior to that, he had back-to-back wins over Gabriel Silva and Rogerio Bontorin. Borg briefly retired after the news of his UFC release, but walked back his decision after admitting that “depression and stress” got the best of him.

[vertical-gallery id=2059648]