Ray Cooper III – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Rory MacDonald: A fight with Ray Cooper III would match same grit and intensity as Robbie Lawler

If Rory MacDonald meets Ray Cooper III during the 2021 PFL season, he expects it to be an all-out war.

If [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] meets [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], the longtime Canadian veteran expects it to be an all-out war.

MacDonald (22-6-1) made good in his promotional debut, when he scored a first-round submission of Curtis Millender in the 2021 PFL 2 main event at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

On the same night, Cooper (21-7-1) also made quick work of his opponent, needing just 1:23 to tap out Jason Ponet in the co-main event. In the post-fight news conference, MacDonald was asked about a potential fight with reigning champion Cooper, and “Red King” is confident that they’ll meet at some point.

“To be honest, I’m ready for anything,” MacDonald said. “If it’s next, it’s next. If it’s in the finals, it’s in the finals. I don’t really have much of a say as far as that goes, but I’m up for whatever. I signed up to win this tournament, so at some point I’m sure Ray and I are gonna cross paths because he’s a dominant force to be reckoned with, and I’m looking forward to competing against him at some point, whenever it may be.”

MacDonald said Cooper reminds him of former foe Robbie Lawler, who he went to war with in 2015, in one of the most memorable fights in UFC history. MacDonald sees similar characteristics in Cooper, and he expects their fight to play out in similar fashion.

“You know he always brings it, and I’ve fought guys like that, like Robbie,” MacDonald said. “There’s some guys that are natural-born fighters, and I expect that same grit, that same hard, intense fight out of a guy like Ray. Those are always action-packed fights, so I’ve got a lot of respect for Ray. I’m a big fan of his, and I’m sure we’ll cross paths this season at some point.”

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2021 PFL 2 video: 2019 champ Ray Cooper III chokes out Jason Ponet

It looked like Jason Ponet may have found an early way to keep Ray Cooper III under control. Then Cooper changed the narrative in a hurry.

It looked like [autotag]Jason Ponet[/autotag] may have found an early way to keep [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] under control in their 2021 PFL 2 co-main event.

Then standout wrestler Cooper (21-7-1) got tired of Ponet (20-13-1) trying to knee him in the midsection. He picked him up for a big slam takedown, and from there, it was academic.

Cooper, the PFL’s 2019 welterweight season winner, worked for an arm-triangle choke, secured it, and before long the Frenchman was out cold. Cooper picked up a crucial six points in the regular season standings for the first-round finish.

Check out Cooper’s finish in the video below from Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

Ray Cooper III moves to the top of the welterweight standings!! 6 Point Submission for Braddah!#2021PFL2
🇺🇸 LIVE NOW ESPN2
🌍 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/jrHYYNEs4s

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 30, 2021

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2021 PFL 2 predictions: Can Curtis Millender upset Rory MacDonald?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2021 PFL 2 main card, featuring welterweights and light heavyweights.

	MacDonald vs. Millender	Cooper vs. Ponet	Tibau vs. Zeferino	Camozzi vs. Sordi
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 50-34	MacDonald (84%)	Cooper (91%)	Tibau (56%)	Sordi (66%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 53-31	MacDonald	Cooper	Zeferino	Sordi
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 52-32	Millender	Cooper	Zeferino	Camozzi
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 52-32 2018 Champion	MacDonald	Cooper	Zeferino	Sordi
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 51-33	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 51-33	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 50-34	Millender	Cooper	Zeferino	Sordi
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 50-34 2017 Champion	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 48-36	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 48-36 2020 Champion	MacDonald	Cooper	Zeferino	Sordi
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 46-38 2014 Champion	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 46-38	MacDonald	Cooper	Tibau	Sordi
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 44-40	MacDonald	Cooper	Zeferino	Sordi
BetMGM Betting Favorites	MacDonald -450	Cooper -650	Zeferino -175	Sordi -350

The PFL is back for its second event of the 2021 regular season with welterweights and light heavyweights on the docket.

2021 PFL 2 takes place Thursday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] (21-6-1) makes his PFL debut against [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-6). MacDonald is a heavy favorite at -450 at BetMGM, and he’s got a big 10-2 lead in the picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, 2019 welterweight season winner [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (20-7-1) is back to go after his second $1 million prize. He’s the biggest favorite on the card against [autotag]Jason Ponet[/autotag] (20-12-1) at -650, and he’s our staff members’ only unanimous pick.

Our most contentious fight from a picking standpoint is between former UFC fighters [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (34-14) and [autotag]Joao Zeferino[/autotag] (24-9) at light heavyweight. Zeferino is a mild favorite at -175, but the picks are dead even at 6-6.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] (25-14) meets [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (22-8). Sordi, the 2019 light heavyweight season winner, is a -350 favorite and is a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, MacDonald (84 percent), Cooper (91 percent), Tibau (56 percent) and Sordi (66 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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PFL champ Ray Cooper III: ‘I’m going to be in the finals again this year’

Ray Cooper III knows what it takes to cash a $1 million check as a PFL champion, but the challenge became even more difficult this year.

Hawaiian slugger [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] knows what it takes to cash a $1 million check as a PFL champion, but the challenge became even more difficult this year, with COVID-19 protocol forcing a lengthy quarantine for the competitors.

But the 28-year-old knockout artist believes it’s important not to lose sight of what matters against what doesn’t.

“You’ve just got to go with the flow,” Cooper III said. “Things are just going to fly at you. It’s just obstacles that you’ve got to overcome, and there’s nothing that anybody can throw at me that’s going to deter me from doing the same thing I did last year. It’s going to just transpire to this year, and I’m going to just dominate this year.”

Cooper III (20-7-1) starts his journey in the PFL’s new season at Thursday’s 2021 PFL 2 event, which airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ from Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. French newcomer Jason Ponet (20-12-1) stands on the opposite side of the cage.

Cooper III said it doesn’t matter who he’s paired up with along the path back to the title – they all await the same fate.

“I don’t care about anybody but my team and myself, and anybody you put in front of me, I’m going to finish them, and I’m going to be in the finals again this year,” Cooper III said.

With that type of focus, Cooper III may prove hard to beat. Winning the PFL season is tall order any circumstances, but “Bradda Boy” believes he’s built for the added challenges of this year.

“I did this before,” Cooper III said. “You’ve just got to keep your mind off things you can’t control and focus on the task at hand.”

Check out more from Cooper III in the video above, courtesy of the PFL.

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PFL 2021, Week 2: Rory MacDonald set for debut as welterweight, light heavyweight seasons begin

Former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald will make his PFL debut against 2019 season runner-up David Michaud on April 29.

Hot on the heels of the PFL’s announcement of this season’s curtain-raiser, the promotion has confirmed its lineup for its second round of bouts.

PFL 2021, Week 2 takes place on Thursday, April 29 and features a 10-fight card headlined by one of the promotion’s biggest new signings.

Former Bellator welterweight champion and UFC title challenger [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] will make his promotional debut in the night’s main event against 2019 welterweight season runner-up [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag].

MacDonald (21-6-1) won and twice defended the Bellator 170-pound title during a six-fight stint with the promotion, but he lost his belt in a rematch with Douglas Lima in his final bout with the organization at Bellator 232.

MacDonald subsequently explored free agency and signed a deal with PFL, and he will kick off the latest chapter in his career against Michaud (18-6), who has lost just twice since the summer of 2017.

His 2019 PFL campaign started with a 17-second body-kick knockout loss to Sadibou Sy, but he bounced back to register three successive wins over Handesson Ferreira, John Howard, and Glaico Franca to earn a spot in the welterweight season final. He lost out to [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] via second-round TKO and will be looking to bounce back with a statement win over MacDonald.

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The PFL’s 2019 welterweight and light heavyweight champions are both set for action on the card, with 170-pound champion Cooper (20-7-1) facing French contender [autotag]Jason Ponet[/autotag] (20-12-1) in the co-main event, while 205-pound champion [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (22-8) will kick off the defense of his crown against former UFC veteran [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] (25-14) in the main card opener.

The main card also features a light heavyweight battle between 2019 205-pound runner-up [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-2-1) and promotional newcomer [autotag]Tom Lawlor[/autotag] (10-7), while 2018 welterweight champion [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag] (27-5) will look to establish his championship credentials in 2021 after injury curtailed his title defense in the 2019 season. He will take on Brazil’s [autotag]Joao Zeferino[/autotag] (24-9) in the night’s featured preliminary card bout.

PFL 2 takes place at a venue to be confirmed. The event will air on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+. Further regular season events will follow on May 6, and June 10, 17, and 25.

The full PFL 2 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2)

Rory MacDonald vs. David Michaud
Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Ponet
Jordan Johnson vs. Tom Lawlor
Chris Camozzi vs. Emiliano Sordi

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)

Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino
Smealinho Rama vs. Jordan Young
Cezar Ferreira vs. Nick Roehrick
Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Gleison Tibau
Nikolai Aleksakhin vs. Sadibou Sy
Marthin Hamlet vs. Daniel Spohn

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PFL champion Ray Cooper III’s 2020 hit list includes Magomed Magomedkerimov, Rory MacDonald

Ray Cooper III has his eyes on multiple matchups for the upcoming PFL season.

[autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] has his eyes on multiple matchups for the upcoming PFL season.

Cooper (20-7-1 MMA, 7-2-1 PFL) won the 2019 welterweight season, capturing the title and $1 million dollars.

Heading into the semifinals, Cooper was matched up with [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag], who beat him in the 2018 finals, but an injury forced Magomedkerimov out, and Cooper never got his shot at redemption.

Instead, he faced Chris Curtis, whom he knocked out, leading to a showdown in the final with David Michaud. Cooper also took out Michaud in Round 2, and was crowned the season’s champion.

Cooper had contemplated a move up to middleweight last season, but is ultimately glad that he stuck around at 170 pounds. Though he missed out on facing Magomedkerimov in the semi-finals, he hopes to get the opportunity to run things back this season.

“It didn’t come through and I still had a bone to pick with Magomed, but obviously I didn’t get to get that matchup,” Cooper told MMA Junkie. “I’m glad I stayed at 170 and finished what I started in 2018.”

Another name Cooper is targeting is the newly signed [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag], and he has a specific reason for wanting to fight him.

“That’s my main concern right now with Rory MacDonald entering the season, but whoever they put in front of me, I’m going to go out there in the same way I go out there and take them out. But with Rory, it’s kind of personal. He took out B.J. Penn, and I’m going to get him back for that.”

With the PFL currently on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak, the promotion is yet to determine a date for the next event.

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Ray Cooper III featured in episode of PFL’s ‘Run it Back’ series

Ray Cooper III relives his 2019 PFL championship in the debut episode of “Run it Back.”

Mixed martial arts action is on hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, but the PFL will help fill the void with its “Run it Back” series.

“Run it Back” features PFL fighters looking back on their million-dollar championship victories. The second episode – which streams live Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on the promotion’s YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels – will feature reigning welterweight champ [autotag]Ray Cooper III.[/autotag]

After falling short in the 2018 final, Cooper found redemption in 2020 by defeating David Michaud by second-round TKO to claim the title and $1 million. Cooper will look back on his memorable season with PFL play-by play announcer Sean O’Connell.

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New episodes of “Run it Back” will air each Thursday through May 11. Future featured fighters are Sean O’Connell (April 16), Emiliano Sordi (April 23), David Michaud (April 30), Natan Schulte (May 7), and Lance Palmer (May 14).

You can watch a teaser clip from Cooper’s episode in the video above.

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PFL ‘Run it Back’ series teaser with Ray Cooper III

Kayla Harrison is featured in a PFL episode of “Run it Back,” which features champions looking back at their title runs.

Ray Cooper III featured in debut episode of PFL’s ‘Inside the Knockout’ series

Relive PFL welterweight champion Ray Cooper III’s devastating semifinals knockout from the 2019 playoffs with new footage and audio.

Mixed martial arts action is on hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, but the PFL will help fill the void with a second new series.

“Inside the Knockout” is a weekly show that tells the story of the best knockouts from the 2018 and 2019 PFL seasons with new camera angles and broadcast audio. The debut episode – which streams live Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. ET on the promotion’s YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels – will feature 2019 welterweight champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag]’s devastating second-round knockout of Chris Curtis in the semifinals.

New episodes of “Inside the Knockout” will air every Wednesday. You can watch the tease to Cooper’s episode in the video above.

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All six PFL champions to return for 2020 season

Kayla Harrison and five others will look to repeat next season.

All six reigning PFL champions will aim to repeat next season.

The promotion announced this week that [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag], [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] will return to be part of the 2020 season as they look to earn another $1 million.

Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Harrison, who remains undefeated in MMA at 7-0, claimed the PFL lightweight title last season with a unanimous decision win over Larissa Pacheco in the finals. Back-to-back champs, featherweight Palmer (22-3) and lightweight Schulte (20-3-1) are yet to lose in PFL.

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Light heavyweight champ Sordi (22-8) became the first Argentinian fighter to win a championship in MMA, finishing every fight last season. Welterweight champ Cooper (20-7-1) found redemption in 2019 after falling short in the 2018 finals by finishing UFC veteran David Michaud in the finals last December.

Former Olympic freestyle wrestler Isaev (9-0) claimed the heavyweight title with a fourth-round finish over ex-UFC fighter Jared Rosholt. The unbeaten Russian’s run also included a last-second stoppage win over Denis Goltsov.

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