Rory MacDonald was defeated by Ray Cooper III in the semifinals of the 2021 PFL playoffs last week. 

Rory MacDonald was one fight away from fighting for another welterweight championship and $1 million in prize money. He advanced to the semifinals of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) welterweight tournament and encountered a former champion in Ray Cooper III, who dominated MacDonald en route to a unanimous decision win at the 2021 PFL playoffs last week.

MacDonald did not immediately respond to the loss that led to his elimination from the tournament, but has since released a statement on social media and revealed one of the reasons why his performance was not up to par. He also vowed to come back stronger and committed to returning to competition under the PFL banner next year.

“Happy to be home with my family after spending 6 weeks apart,” wrote MacDonald on Instagram. “Being away from them for that long really affected me & showed me how much we need to be together for me to be at my best.

“I’ll be taking a few weeks off to enjoy relaxing at home with family and use the time to start planning my comeback for my 2nd season in [PFL].”

The former UFC welterweight title challenger and Bellator champion signed a multi-fight deal with PFL almost two years ago and had to wait awhile before he made his promotional debut against Curtis Millender at PFL 2. He submitted Millender with a rear-naked choke in the first round and earned six points to secure his spot in the playoffs.

MacDonald returned just two months later to take on another fellow former UFC fighter in Gleison Tibau at PFL 5, where he completely controlled the Brazilian veteran for three rounds. Despite his impressive performance, MacDonald would surprisingly lose the fight to Tibau by way of split decision, which stirred up a lot of controversy in the mixed martial arts community. He was still able to advance to the semifinals against the aforementioned Cooper, but did so fresh off of the loss to Tibau.

Live, blow-by-blow updates for today’s UFC Vegas 32 event in Vegas on ESPN+, which features a middleweight tilt on top.

Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and full play-by-play (main event) as UFC Vegas 34 goes down at the APEX facility.

The headliner of the card is a middleweight bout between former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum and former heavyweight and light heavyweight Jared Cannonier. Both Gastelum and Cannonier are coming off losses to Robert Whittaker, although Gastelum’s was over five rounds to Jared’s three.

The co-main is a lightweight bout between veteran Clay Guida and Danish Olympic silver medal wrestler Mark O. Madsen. Opening the main card is a flyweight top contender bout between Brandon Royval and Alexandre Pantoja.

This is an ESPN show but it is simulcast on the ESPN+ streaming service. The six-fight preliminary card is scheduled to start at 7pm ET/4pm PT on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The six-fight main card will kick off at 10pm ET/7pm PT on ESPN and ESPN+.

After more than two years on the sidelines, the inimitable Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring at 42 years old tonight (Sat., Aug. 21, 2021) atop a PBC on FOX pay-per-view (PPV), taking on late replacement Yordenis Ugas for the WBA “super” Welterweight title.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s main event below. The FITE/FOX PPV kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, with Pacquiao and Ugas likely to make the walk closer to 12 a.m. ET.

Pacquiao — last seen taking out Keith Thurman in 2019 — was originally slated to face former Olympian and current unstoppable force Errol Spence Jr. When “The Truth” withdrew because of a torn retina and the lethal Ugas lost co-main foe Fabian Maidana to a cut, the stage was set for a makeshift main event. Earlier this evening, veterans Victor Ortiz and Robert Guerrero duke it out in a fight straight out of 2013, while unbeaten Featherweights Mark Magsayo and Carlos Castro square off against dangerous punchers Julio Ceja and Oscar Escandon, respectively.

Pacquiao Vs. Ugas Quick Results:

Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas — Ugas def. Pacquiao by unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112 x2)
Victor Ortiz vs. Robert Guerrero — Guerrero def. Ortiz by unanimous decision (96-94 x3)
Mark Magsayo vs. Julio Ceja — Magsayo def. Ceja by KO at 0:50 of Round 10
Carlos Castro vs. Oscar Escandon — Castro def. Escandon by TKO at 1:08 of Round 10

Pacquiao Vs. Ugas Round-By-Round Updates:

WBA “Super” Welterweight Championship: Manny Pacquiao vs. Yordenis Ugas

Round one: Early flurry from Pacquiao. Ugas working behind his jab. Looking to counter. There’s a right hook from Pacquiao, who opens up on the ropes. Ugas shoves him away, lands a right hand. Another Pacquiao flurry halfway through. Ugas digs a right downstairs. More jabs. Left hook downstairs, Pacquiao claims it’s low. Ugas continuing to sting away with the jab. Pacquiao tries a final blitz and slips. Close, think Pacquiao stole it with those flashy moments. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round two: Ugas keeping the jab in Pacquiao’s face. PAcquiao looking to jab with him but outranged so far. Pacquiao looks for lefts, lands a jab ove rUgas’. Pacquiao fires a left, Ugas digs a right downstairs. Counter right. Halfway through. Another body shot. Pacquiao tries to open up, forced back with a right hand. Ugas controlling the round with his jab. Pacquiao looks for lefts, takes a body shot, tries to swarm. Looping right form Ugas. Pacquiao combination answered in kind. More Ugas jabs. Clear round for him. 10-9 Ugas, 19-19.

Round three: Pacquiao trying to set the tempo early, thus far unable to crack Ugas’ guard. Ugas continuing to keep Pacquiao at bay with the jab. Overhand right lands for Ugas. Pacquiao tries to swarm, doesn’t land, takes another overhand right. Pacquiao tries to sneak lefts around the guard. Halfway through. Ugas jabs, Pacquiao overhand left. Two-piece from Ugas, burst from Pacquiao. Ugas comes back with body shots. Double jab from Ugas. Pacquiao blitzes, eats a pair of shots on the exit. 10-9, 29-28 Ugas.

Round four: Good body shot from Pacquiao. Ugas cracks him with a jab in return, fires a right hand that Pacquiao claims is low. Ref threatens to take a point next time. Trading jabs. Good exchange at close range, right hand from Ugas. Two-piece from Pacquiao. Halfway through. Pacquiao to the body, uppercut from Ugas inside. Lead right lands for Ugas. Another long right. Pacquiao doubles up the jab, eats an overhand right. Slip by Ugas. Pacquiao tries a lead left. 10-9, 39-37 Ugas.

Round five: Good combos from Pacquiao early. Ugas with a double jab. Counter left catches Pacquiao coming in, Pacquiao comes back with a four-piece. Trading jabs. Counter right by Ugas, 1-1-2. Pacquiao tries to flurry halfway through the round. Both men bounce punches off the guard. Ugas lands a body shot, clash of heads. Pacquiao splits the guard with a left. Again. Good exchange in the center. Pacquiao turning up the volume later in the round. Ugas keeping up so far but Pacquiao’s definitely taken the round. 10-9 Pacquiao, 48-47 Ugas.

Round six: Ugas back behind the jab, doing well early. Pacquiao tries combinations, they fall short. Right hands from Ugas. Halfway through the round. Ugas tries a 1-2. Pacquiao goes for a flurry, slips an uppercut through the guard. Clubbing right by Ugas inside. Straight right upstairs, double jab. Pacquiao looking to jab with him. Pacquiao combination. Ugas 1-1-2, body shots. Pacquiao tries to open up before the bell. 10-9, 58-56 Ugas.

Round seven: Both men bouncing combos off the guard. Ugas body shot, clean jab. Pacquiao tries a combo, eats body shots in return. Jab lands for Pacquiao. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao trying some flashy moments. They exchange at the bell. Swing round, I think; 10-9, 68-65 Ugas.

Round eight: Pacquiao with an early left hand. Overhand right from Ugas, might be his best punch so far. Pacquiao to the body inside, good combination. Ugas right hand. Looping right by Ugas halfway through the round. Both fire combinations in the center, heavy overhand by Ugas. Pacquiao tries to get it back with a combo, eats a body shot. Trading right hands. Ugas with a low-high 2-3. Pacquiao tries to burst in return, met by a hard right from Ugas. Cleanest Ugas round in a while. 10-9, 78-74 Ugas.

Round nine: Technical difficulties; we’ll start 30 seconds in, when Pacquiao slips. Ugas with a right to the body. Pacquiao looking to jab, eats a stiff one and an overhand right in return. More Ugas jabs, 1-2. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao fires a combo. 1-1-2 comes back at him. Jabs from Pacquiao. Flurry attempt, Ugas bangs the body in return. They trade combinations upstairs. Slick low-high right hands from Pacquiao. 1-2 from Ugas in return. They collide before the bell. 10-9, 88-83 Ugas.

Round ten: Ugas advancing a bit more. Pacquiao fires a flurry and they slug in the center. Clinch. Hard 1-2 by Ugas. 1-1-2 by Pacquiao in return. Halfway through the round. 1-1-2 from Ugas, Pacquiao with a similar combo in return. Ugas to the body. Good trade. Trading jabs and crosses. Swatting right by Ugas. Pacquiao tries to answer to the body. Trading combos. 1-2 from Ugas prompts Pacquiao to try to get it back. Closer, but 10-9, 98-92 Ugas.

Round eleven: Ugas again trying to back Pacquiao up. Ugas with a two-piece downstairs, eats the same in return. Jabs from Pacquiao, good straight left halfway through the round. Ugas comes back with an overhand right, met by a flurry. Ugas 1-2. Right hand upstairs. Pacquiao straight left, eats an overhand right. Pacquiao three-piece in return. Ugas fires some heavy rights in the latter seconds. 10-9 Pacquiao, 107-102 Ugas.

Round twelve: Two hard right hands from Ugas hit home. A third not long after. Pacquiao tries a looping left, falls short. 1-2 from Ugas. Halfway through the round. Pacquiao lead left. Ugas with two more right hands before a clinch. Counter right. Another looping right, heavy combination on the ropes. Ugas avoiding the big flurries, attacks the body. Counter left by Pacquiao. Ugas combination. Both men swing, then clinch before the bell. 10-9, 117-111 Ugas. I could maybe give two more rounds to Pacquiao, but anything other than an Ugas win is a robbery.

Final result:

For more on “Pacquiao vs. Ugas” and other boxing-related events, click here.

CM Punk received a hero’s welcome after appearing at AEW Rampage in Chicago. 

CM Punk has returned to professional wrestling and signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

The former WWE champion turned UFC fighter made an appearance at AEW Rampage on Friday night in front of a hometown crowd at the United Center in Chicago, where he received a welcome like no other. Loud chants of “CM Punk!” were heard in the opening seconds of the broadcast until “Cult of Personality” — a song by rock band Living Colour famously used by Punk as his entrance theme for several years — blared in the arena. Punk then walked out, took some time to relish in the moment at the top of the ramp and embraced his fans before grabbing a microphone to address them for the first time.

“August 20, 2021, I’m back. And I’m back for you!” said Punk, who proceeded to set up a match against Darby Allin that will take place on the upcoming pay-per-view event known as AEW: All Out in September. It is his first match in seven years following the completion of a nine-year stretch with WWE.

Punk was released from WWE in 2014 and opted to retire from professional wrestling after dealing with a number of health issues that included a potentially life-threatening staph infection. Punk spoke about allegedly being misdiagnosed by a WWE physician named Christopher Amann right before his release and was sued by Amann for defamation over his comments. Punk went on to win the lawsuit and was no longer involved with anything related to WWE by that point.

Punk focused his attention on mixed martial arts and announced that he had signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC at UFC 181 in late 2014. His professional and promotional debut was not immediate as he spent two years training under the tutelage of Duke Roufus of Roufusport in Milwaukee. Punk fought in the welterweight division and met Mickey Gall at UFC 203, where he was submitted in the first round with a rear-naked choke.

Punk fought again at UFC 225 in 2018. He lost a unanimous decision to Mike Jackson, but that result was later overturned to a no contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana. Punk would not receive another fight and was unsure about returning to the Octagon, so he has not competed in over three years. He has since become a color commentator for Cage Fury Fighting Championship (CFFC) and will remain in that role while he wrestles for AEW.