Tag: Ray Cooper III

Kai Kamaka III credits cousin Ray Cooper III for big-time PFL influence

Kai Kamaka III got tossed into the deep end of the pool for his PFL debut Friday, but had a confidence boost thanks a family bond.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Kai Kamaka III[/autotag] got tossed into the deep end of the pool for his PFL debut Friday, but had a confidence boost thanks a family bond.

Kamaka (13-5-1) outworked Bubba Jenkins (21-8) for a unanimous decision at the PFL’s third and final event of the first half of the 2024 regular season in Chicago. The win gave Kamaka 3 points in the featherweight standings.

After the fight, Kamaka, a Bellator transfer from Hawaii who now has won four of his past five, said advice from his cousin, [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], helped ahead of his PFL debut. Cooper is a two-time $1 million PFL winner at welterweight.

“I was kind of teary-eyed this morning,” Kamaka told MMA Junkie and other reporters after his win over Jenkins. “My cousin Ray surprised me for my fight, and then locking eyes with him right before the fight started – I mean, just full circle. Five years ago, I was following him around this league from the East Coast.

“I wish we both could have been competing tonight, but I think it was more of a blessing that he wasn’t because I think I would have been even more nervous. But to see him today, and then during the fight, him giving me assurance, he lit more of a fire under me, especially between that second and third round, seeing him standing up and then, you know, locking eyes with him again – he just brings a different fire to me.”

Kamaka’s 3 points in the featherweight standings have him in a three-way tie behind Brendan Loughnane and Gabriel Braga, who got first-round finishes for 6 points.

A win for Kamaka against whoever he’s matched up against in the second round in late June will be critical to make the four-man postseason, and a finish might be even more important, though the 29-year-old said he’s just concerned about getting a ‘W’ and not gunning for a finish.

“The season picks up from here,” Kamaka said. “It’s whoever can stay healthy, whoever can have the strong mind and keep going. But I don’t have bad weight cuts. I don’t need too much time to rest. I heal my body up good and I’m a student of the game. The tournament picks up now.

“I’m just trying to frickin’ win fights. I keep winning, you move on. The win, then the finish, that’s all for PFL – but I’ve got to make my money and I’ve got to keep winning.”

Welterweights fought on the card with Kamaka’s featherweight division Friday at Wintrust Arena, but Cooper wasn’t in the field. He won the welterweight season in 2019, then again in 2021. In 2022, he missed weight for his first bout of the season and despite a 24-second KO in his second fight, missed the playoffs.

Cooper moved up to middleweight in 2023, but dropped a decision to UFC vet Derek Brunson, and against Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson earlier this year, he lost a catchweight fight. But despite his current hurdles, Cooper remains a steadfast influence in Kamaka’s career.

“He was there in my UFC debut,” Kamaka said. “He probably pulled me through to that one, too. The turning points in my career, if it wasn’t for him doing so well in the PFL, I don’t even think I’d be anywhere in my career.

“After he was doing well, he won the championship, that’s when my career started to come around because during his camps, I’m right there with him on everything. Seeing him win, I knew I was doing everything right, and that helped turn my career around. That just pushed me. That just gave me assurance that I was doing the right things.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2024, Week 3.

Jason Jackson def. Ray Cooper III at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions: Best photos

Check out these photos from Jason Jackson vs. Ray Cooper III at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in Saudi Arabia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]’s TKO victory over Ray Cooper III at PFL vs. Bellator: Champions, which took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 22-28)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 22-28.

Video: Which side has the edge in the upcoming PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” debates if PFL or Bellator has an advantage, and the potential for a complete sweep.

Next month, the best of the best in PFL and Bellator will travel across the globe for a unique event.

On Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event goes down, and it places champs from both promotions against one another. The top four fights on the card will be champion vs. champion bouts, all three rounds, with no title on the line.

This event will give us [autotag]Renan Ferreria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag], [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Johnny Eblen[/autotag], [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] and other PFL vs. Bellator matchups.

Should either promotion bring a broom for the clean sweep, or will both sides pick up victories?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed the matchups with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s episode below on YouTube or in podcast form.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Jan. 15-21)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights 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, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 15-21.

Ray Cooper III replaces Magomed Magomedkerimov at PFL vs. Bellator event, faces Jason Jackson

The 2019 PFL welterweight champion replaces the 2023 PFL welterweight champion against the current Bellator welterweight champion.

The 2019 PFL welterweight champion will leplace the 2023 PFL welterweight champion on the promotion’s upcoming card that pins its champions and fighters against their Bellator counterparts.

With [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag] out with an undisclosed injury, [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] has stepped in to fight Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] at the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia, a promotion official told MMA Junkie on Monday.

The bout will be contested at a contracted weight of 182 pounds.

Cooper (25-10-1) has only competed once since July 2022, as he angled to elevate to middleweight, a non-season weight division for PFL. His most recent fight was in November when he lost a unanimous decision to Derek Brunson.

Jackson (17-4) rides high off a title-clinching knockout of Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 301 in November. The victory extended his winning streak to seven. He also holds wins over Douglas Lima, Paul Daley, and Neiman Gracie among others.

With the change, the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions now includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 3 p.m. ET)

  • Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
  • Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Jackson
  • Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Pitbull
  • Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
  • Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
  • Clay Collard vs. AJ McKee

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, ESPNews, 12:30 p.m. ET)

  • Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico
  • Biaggio Ali Walsh (pro debut) vs. Chris Morris
  • Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
  • Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao
  • Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

Derek Brunson def. Ray Cooper III at 2023 PFL Championship: Best photos

Check out these photos from Derek Brunson vs. Ray Cooper III at 2023 PFL Championship in Washington, D.C.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag]’s PFL debut victory over Ray Cooper III at 2023 PFL Championship at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. (Photos by Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

2023 PFL Championship results: Derek Brunson dominates in debut decision over Ray Cooper III

In his first fight since exiting the UFC, Derek Brunson’s wrestling was too much for Ray Cooper III to handle at 2023 PFL Championship.

[autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] shined in his first fight under the PFL banner.

In a 186-pound catchweight bout that opened the main card of 2023 PFL Championship at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., Brunson (24-9) dominated Ray Cooper III (25-9-1) behind his wrestling to earn unanimous scores of 30-27, 30-25, and 30-25.

Brunson came out looking for a highlight reel moment with a spinning heel kick, but Cooper was ready for it. A battle for position in the clinch followed, but Cooper was able to separate and look to land heavy shots. Brunson appeared stronger in the clinch. He lifted Cooper’s leg high to get a takedown, but Cooper rocked Brunson with a hard short left.

Reeling from the damage, Brunson knew he couldn’t take much more, and immediately hit a nice trip takedown to stop Cooper’s momentum. Brunson took full mount, postured up and began raining down hard punches. Referee Kevin Mulhall stepped in closer as each punch landed. Cooper did just enough defensively to survive until the end of the round.

Brunson didn’t waste much time getting the fight back to the mat in Round 2. In back mount, Brunson patiently looked for openings for punches while maintaining control. It was a dominant frame for Brunson who didn’t allow Cooper to escape from the bottom.

Looking to change the course of the fight, Cooper surprised Brunson with a takedown of his own early in the final round. Brunson did well to keep Cooper locked down, and eventually reversed position to take top control. Staying busy with short punches to the body and head, Brunson smothered Cooper until the final horn.

The fight was Brunson’s debut in the PFL after exiting the UFC following a loss in March to Dricus Du Plessis. Brunson had 21 fights in the UFC, a run that began in 2012.

Up-to-the-minute results of 2023 PFL Championship include:

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

Ray Cooper III expects wrestling-heavy game plan from Derek Brunson’s PFL debut

Anything can happen in a fight, is what they’ve drilled into our heads. And that probably is fine with Ray Cooper III.

Anything can happen in a fight, is what they’ve drilled into our heads. And that probably is fine with [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag].

As far as Cooper is concerned, if anything does happen, it’ll be a situation he not only can handle, but can thrive in. Take Friday, for example. Cooper (25-8-1), a three-time PFL finalist who won the $1 million welterweight seasons in 2019 and 2021, takes on longtime UFC fighter Derek Brunson (23-9) on Friday at the promotion’s 2023 championship event.

This time, Cooper isn’t in the welterweight final gunning for $1 million, though. He’s up to middleweight after years at 170 pounds. Even though he said he’s prepared to fight anywhere, he thinks Brunson only has one spot in mind.

“Fighting Derek Brunson, it’s just another guy in front of me that I’m going to run over,” Cooper said at Wednesday’s 2023 PFL Championship media day. “I’ve been to world title fights, so this is nothing new to me.

“I don’t need to look out for anything. He needs to look out for me. He probably wants to just wrestle. My background is wrestling, so we can do whatever he wants. … That’s what I think: He’s going to wrestle. I’m going to get in his face and throw hands with him, and I don’t see him trying to want to throw. He’s going to want to grab me. He thinks he’s the bigger fighter. That’s what he thinks. He’s going to try to wrestle me, but I’m looking to throw hands and put hands on him.”

Cooper missed the 2022 PFL playoffs. He missed weight for his regular season fight against Carlos Leal, then lost a decision to boot. His 24-second TKO of Brett Cooper in his second bout wasn’t enough to get into the postseason, so those 24 seconds is all he’s had in the cage since his May 2022 loss to Leal.

Getting back in there is going to feel good, he expects. And with the PFL’s Monday news that Bellator soon will be. in the fold, Cooper thinks eventual bouts against some of Bellator’s best will make things interesting – especially if he stays at middleweight and can get the stars align to fight Bellator’s 185-pound champ, Johnny Eblen at some point.

“Just like any other one, I’m ready to go,” Cooper said. “I’m just real glad to get back in the cage again and fight. I have to beat Derek Brunson, and I’m looking to stay active with hopefully some fights with the new Bellator guys. I feel like there’s a lot of matchups there – anybody they want to put in front of me.

“I mean, I’ve fought guys from the UFC. It’s nothing new. They come over here, they think just because they’re from the UFC, they can run stuff in PFL. But I always shut that down real quick. None of these guys is one big threat to me that I think of. … That’s a good fight (against Eblen). I’m a two-time world champion. He is a world champion, himself. I’m from a lower division, but I feel like that doesn’t matter. Johnny is a great fighter. It’ll be great to fight him.”

The 2023 PFL Championship event takes place Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The main card, including the Cooper-Brunson middleweight feature, airs on pay-per-view (ESPN+) following prelims on ESPN+.

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

2023 PFL Championship pay-per-view price revealed

Is the 2023 PFL Championship priced fairly for five title fights and two feature bouts?

The 2023 PFL Championship is just days away, and ESPN has released what it’ll cost viewers who purchase.

As of Sunday, ESPN+ has the event listed at a selling price of $49.99, according to the point-of-purchase page online. The 2023 PFL Championship takes place Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

A pay-per-view purchase unlocks seven fights: five season championship bouts and two feature fights: [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag].

The price remains constant from the 2022 PFL Championships, which featured six title fights and no feature bouts.

The 2023 PFL Championship lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Clay Collard – lightweight season final
  • Renan Ferreira vs. Denis Goltsov – heavyweight title
  • Marina Mokhnatkina vs. Larissa Pacheco – women’s featherweight season final
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Sadibou Sy – welterweight season final
  • Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira – light heavyweight season final
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Aspen Ladd
  • Derek Brunson vs. Ray Cooper III

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

  • Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo – featherweight season final
  • Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Joel Lopez
  • Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade
  • Phil Caracappa vs. Khai Wu
  • Josh Blyden vs. Jesse Stirn

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