Tag: Thiago Alves

GFL announces new draft entrees, managers, coaches, and team cities

The fledgling Global Fight League continued to get its business in order Thursday.

The fledgling Global Fight League continued to get its business in order Thursday with several important announcements.

Last month, the GFL, headed by co-founder Darren Owen, announced plans for its official launch this year, with the concept of team-based mixed martial arts at the forefront.

The GFL will feature six teams from six cities competing in a league format that includes playoffs. As part of its initial announcement, the GFL said it had signed a plethora of big-name fighters – chalk full of former UFC champions and legends of the sport – ahead of a scheduled Jan. 24 draft date. The GFL hopes to put on its first event in April.

On Thursday, the promotion announced new draft entrees, team locations, as well as team managers and coaches.

Who are the new GFL draft entrees?

The GFL confirmed that [autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag], [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag], [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag], [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag], [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag], and [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag] will enter the draft.

The GFL’s announcement also teased that “additional athletes will be revealed in the days leading up to the draft.”

Where will the GFL teams be located?

Dubai, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Sao Paulo will serve as the homebase for the GFL’s six teams.

Who will manage and coach the GFL teams?

The coaches and managers for the six GFL teams will be as follows:

  • Dubai – Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag], who awaits sentencing after pleading no contest to an attempted murder charge in California, will be manager, with American Kickboxing Academy’s Javier Mendez serving as coach.
  • London – Six-fight UFC veteran [autotag]Luke Barnatt[/autotag] will manager, while Manchester Top Team’s Carl Prince will coach.
  • Los Angeles – UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] will be the manager for the L.A. team, with famed coach Rafael Cordeiro.
  • Miami – The American Top Team duo of [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (manager) and Conan Silveira (coach) will lead the way for Miami.
  • New York – No manager has been determined, but Ray Longo will serve as coach.
  • Sao Paulo – Former UFC champion [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (manager) and legendary coach Andre Pederneiras (coach) will head the Brazilian squad.

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).

Video: What’s next for Mike Perry after KnuckleMania 4 KO win?

Where does Mike Perry go next after his latest KO win? Our panel discusses on the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique.”

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel reacts to [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]’s big win over [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag], along with the big news that UFC star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is now part owner of BKFC.

This past Saturday, Perry – arguably the biggest star in BKFC – knocked out Alves in the main event of KnuckleMania 4 to continue his rise in stardom following his UFC exit in 2021. On that same card, it was announced that McGregor has invested in the promotion, and he’s now part owner of BKFC.

What does this all mean for the leading brand of bareknuckle boxing?

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Farah Hannoun, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia react to the results and big news from KnuckleMania 4.

Watch their discussion in the video above and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.

https://youtube.com/live/1W_eLDUuvQE

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Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Conor McGregor buys BKFC, UFC 301 preview, Alex Perez’s KO, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Conor McGregor becoming part owner of BKFC, Alex Perez’s KO win, the upcoming UFC 301, more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Farah Hannoun and Nolan King will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC on ESPN 55 is in the books. The UFC Apex event saw [autotag]Alex Perez[/autotag] make a huge statement at 125 pounds, knocking out [autotag]Matheus Nicolau[/autotag] in the main event. This card also saw [autotag]Bogdan Guskov[/autotag] pick up a big TKO win over veteran [autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag], among many other results. We discuss the headliner bout, as well as other standout performances from the card.
  • UFC wasn’t the only show around this past Saturday. BKFC hosted the fourth edition of its tent pole KnuckleMania events. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], arguably the face of the promotion and the “King of Violence,” defeated former BKFC champ and former UFC title challenger [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] in the main event of the card. It was also announced that [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is now part-owner of BKFC.
  • This past week was busy in terms of callouts (and requests): [autotag]Chris Weiman[/autotag] interested in taking a step up against [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]; [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] doubled down on his plan to box [autotag]Ryan Garcia[/autotag]; [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] interested in an interim title fight against [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag]; [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] teased a move down to 185 pounds; [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] says he’s all in to run a trilogy bout against [autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag] in Karate Combat.
  • Looking ahead, the UFC 301 goes down this Saturday in Brazil. Although not the most stacked pay-per-view, at least on paper, this card features a UFC flyweight title fight between [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] and [autotag]Steve Erceg[/autotag], and the return of former UFC and WEC champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], who fights [autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag].

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BKFC KnuckleMania 4: Best photos from Los Angeles

Check out these photos from the bareknuckle boxing fights at BKFC KnuckleMania 4 in Los Angeles.

Check out these photos from the bareknuckle boxing fights at BKFC KnuckleMania 4, which took place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The event was headlined by a clash between UFC veterans Mike Perry and Thiago Alves. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)

 

BKFC KnuckleMania 4 results: Mike Perry makes quick work of Thiago Alves, goes ballistic afterward

Thiago Alves was gone in 60 seconds because of one punch from the “King of Violence” Mike Perry.

LOS ANGELES – [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] was gone in 60 seconds because of one punch from the “King of Violence.”

On Saturday night, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] remained undefeated as a bareknuckle boxer after he landed a hard left hook that knocked down Alves in the first minute of their BKFC KnuckleMania 4 headliner. Alves couldn’t answer the 10-count, giving Perry the win by TKO.

The result was the latest triumph in what’s been a post-UFC career resurgence from Perry, who is now 5-0 in BKFC with wins over Julian Lane, Michael Page, Luke Rockhold, Eddie Alvarez, and now Alves.

“My easiest fight yet, just like I said it would be,” Perry said during his post-fight interview. “I’m the undisputed king of bareknuckle. I’m No. 1 pound-for-pound. F*ck anybody who thinks differently. I’m the king in this b*tch. Come and see me, bro. If you want the smoke, if you want the money, I want all the smoke and all the money. You can’t beat me. It’s my money. Give me the belt. Let’s go, David Feldman. … I’ve been screaming all night. I’ve been ready for this. It’s life long. Come and see me, bro. I’ll f*ck you up in here.”

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Not surprisingly, Perry threw out a high-profile trio of names as potential next moves.

“… Darren Till, you fat f*cking b*tch. Get your ass over here, or I’ll come to the UK.,” Perry said. “Nate Diaz got a fight with Jorge Masvidal, some East Coast vs. West Coast sh*t. Throw the hands. I would’ve asked for a faceoff, but (Nate) would’ve told me to square off with myself, motherf*ckers. So shoutout to him, man. I ain’t a hater. We are all out here trying to make it. I’m f*cking fighting for every step I take.”

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BKFC KnuckleMania 4 live and official results, preliminary stream

Keep up with the BKFC KnuckleMania 4 official results and watch the prelims live on MMA Junkie.

BKFC KnuckleMania 4 took place Friday, and you can check out the official results and watch a replay of the preliminary card below.

The 12-fight bareknuckle boxing event takes place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The main card airs live on fuboTV and the BKFC app.

Headlining the event was a clash between UFC veterans [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]. The co-main was a title fight between BKFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag] and former two-division BKFC champ [autotag]Lorenzo Hunt[/autotag]. In addition, another UFC veteran matchup was on the docket, a heavyweight matchup with No. 1 contender status on the line, [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag].

You can watch the prelims in the video above and check out the live and official results below.

BKFC KnuckleMania 4 official results include:

MAIN CARD (fubo TV/BKFC)

  • Mike Perry def. Thiago Alves via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:00
  • Mick Terrill def. Lorenzo Hunt via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 1:48 – for heavyweight title
  • Ben Rothwell def. Todd Duffee via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 0:43
  • Alfredo Angulo def. Jeremiah Riggs via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:07
  • Julian Lane def. Evgeny Kurdanov via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 1, 2:00
  • Crystal Pittman def. Sydney Smith via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:48
  • David Diaz vs. Shane Jordan ruled a unanimous draw (47-47, 47-47, 47-47)
  • Andrew Angelcor def. Ruben Warr via split decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47)
  • Daniel Alvarez def. Victor Rosas via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 4, 2:00

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie)

  • Vincent Familari def. Fernando Gonzalez via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 49-46)
  • Tommy Aaron def. Richard Brooks TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:14
  • Keith Richardson def. Cody Vidal via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 2:00

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Video: BKFC KnuckleMania 4 ceremonial weigh-ins live stream

Watch the ceremonial weigh-ins for BKFC KnuckleMania 4, which features Mike Perry vs. Thiago Alves in the main event.

The BKFC KnuckleMania 4 weigh-ins takes place Friday, and you can watch a live stream of the event right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

The ceremonial weigh-ins take place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the same venue that hosts the event Saturday night. BKFC KnuckleMania 4, one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, takes place Saturday at Peacock Theater. The main card airs on fuboTV and the BKFC App.

Headlining the event is a clash between UFC veterans [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]. The co-main is a title fight between BKFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag] and former two-division BKFC champ [autotag]Lorenzo Hunt[/autotag]. In addition, another UFC veteran matchup is on the docket, a heavyweight matchup with No. 1 contender status on the line, [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag].

You can watch the weigh-ins in the video above.

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Video: BKFC KnuckleMania 4 ceremonial weigh-ins live stream

Watch the ceremonial weigh-ins for BKFC KnuckleMania 4, which features Mike Perry vs. Thiago Alves in the main event.

The BKFC KnuckleMania 4 weigh-ins takes place Friday, and you can watch a live stream of the event right here on MMA Junkie beginning at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT).

The ceremonial weigh-ins take place at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the same venue that hosts the event Saturday night. BKFC KnuckleMania 4, one of the promotion’s biggest cards of the year, takes place Saturday at Peacock Theater. The main card airs on fuboTV and the BKFC App.

Headlining the event is a clash between UFC veterans [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]. The co-main is a title fight between BKFC heavyweight champ [autotag]Mick Terrill[/autotag] and former two-division BKFC champ [autotag]Lorenzo Hunt[/autotag]. In addition, another UFC veteran matchup is on the docket, a heavyweight matchup with No. 1 contender status on the line, [autotag]Todd Duffee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag].

You can watch the weigh-ins in the video above.

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Photos: BKFC: Knucklemania 4 pre-fight press conference

Check out these photos from the BKFC: Knucklemania IV pre-fight press conference in Los Angeles.

Check out these photos from the BKFC: Knucklemania IV pre-fight press conference ahead of the event featuring [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag], Mick Terrill vs. Lorenzo Hunt and Ben Rothwell vs. Todd Duffee at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)