VIDEO: Former PFL Champion Raush Manfio Suffers Scary KO vs. Russian Nicknamed ‘Headhunter’ 

2021 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio’s struggles since leaving the promotion have continued. Manfio was among the PFL’s leading names after he joined in 2021 off the back of title success under the Titan FC banner. “Cavalo da Guerra” won the championship in his first season, defeating Joilton Lutterbach, Anthony Pettis, and Clayton Collard en […]

2021 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio’s struggles since leaving the promotion have continued.

Manfio was among the PFL’s leading names after he joined in 2021 off the back of title success under the Titan FC banner. “Cavalo da Guerra” won the championship in his first season, defeating Joilton Lutterbach, Anthony Pettis, and Clayton Collard en route to a victory over Loik Radzhabov in the final.

But the Brazilian’s PFL tenure came to an end on bad terms in 2023. Manfio was booked opposite friend and fellow countryman Natan Schulte in the final round of regular season matchups, losing by unanimous decision in a low-output and lackluster contest.

The promotion had been accused of pairing them up in order to boost Shane Burgos’ chances of qualification. And when the ex-UFC fighter couldn’t capitalize, the victorious Schulte was suspended and forced to sacrifice his playoff place to Burgos due to what the PFL branded an unacceptable level of effort against Manfio, who was also penalized.

Both later departed the PFL, with Schulte yet to make his return and Manfio competing twice.

After a submission defeat under the XFC banner this past May, “Cavalo da Guerra” moved to 0-2 in 2024 this weekend when he fought Bibert “Headhunter” Tumenov at ACA 182 in Moscow. Manfio’s woes were compounded in brutal fashion, as he was folded against the fence and rendered unconscious inside one round.

The result has left Manfio winless in three fights. Prior to his recent defeats, the Brazilian hadn’t fallen to a losing skid across his professional career.

Tumenov, meanwhile, has now won back-to-back outings opposite PFL alums under Russia’s ACA banner. He previously stopped Lance Palmer with strikes to move his winning run to three bouts. “Headhunter” also boasts a victory over Diego Brandão.

MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (2/19 – 2/25)

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there are highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. Many of the sport’s biggest promotions hel…

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there are highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. Many of the sport’s biggest promotions held events last week, but not all of them were able to make…

Continue Reading MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (2/19 – 2/25) at MMA News.

MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (1/29-2/4)

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. The majority of January seemed to provide a fairly…

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. The majority of January seemed to provide a fairly slow start to the year’s MMA calendar, but things are definitely…

Continue Reading MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (1/29-2/4) at MMA News.

MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (12/18–12/24)

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. A quiet week on the MMA schedule paved the way for…

Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. A quiet week on the MMA schedule paved the way for ROAD FC and ACA to put on a pair…

Continue Reading MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes Of The Week (12/18–12/24) at MMA News.

Khamzat Chimaev corners Ali Kadyrov, son of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov in MMA debut TKO win

Ali KadyrovMaking his professional mixed martial arts debut at an ACA 150 event in Moscow, Russia this Friday afternoon, Ali Kadyrov, the son of Republic of Chechnya dictator, Ramzan Kadyrov – turned in a one-sided first round ground strikes TKO win over opponent, Islam Akbarov – cornered by undefeated UFC welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev.  Ali Kadyrov, […]

Ali Kadyrov

Making his professional mixed martial arts debut at an ACA 150 event in Moscow, Russia this Friday afternoon, Ali Kadyrov, the son of Republic of Chechnya dictator, Ramzan Kadyrov – turned in a one-sided first round ground strikes TKO win over opponent, Islam Akbarov – cornered by undefeated UFC welterweight contender, Khamzat Chimaev. 

Ali Kadyrov, the son of sanctioned Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, made his professional mixed martial arts debut on an ACA 150 card at the CSKA Arena in the Russian capital at the lightweight limit against the aforenoted, Akbarov. Turning in a one-sided first round win, Kadyrov eventually forced the finish with a flurry of opening frame ground strikes.

Ali Kadyrov trained alongside Khamzat Chimaev at AllStars MMA ahead of ACA 150

Cornered by the #3 ranked UFC welterweight contender, Chimaev, Ali Kadyrov spent time training with the Chechen-born challenger at AllStars MMA in Stockholm, Sweden – with footage emerging last week of Kadyrov and Chimaev, pictured with former undisputed UFC bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt. 

Ramzan Kadyrov, an ostracised dictator of the Republic of Chechnya, has been accused of allegedly sanctioning targeting purging of the LGBTQ+ community in the region, as well as sanctioning extrajudicial murders, kidnappings, abductions, tortures, and assassinations. Kadyrov is also a notable close friend of Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this month, reports detailed how Dominance MMA trio and Ali Abdelaziz clients, former UFC champions, Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, and Henry Cejudo had travelled to a military training complex in Chechnya where they fired multiple firearms at a firing range, at the behest and invitation of Kaydrov. 

UFC bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley also revealed in recent weeks how he had received a similar invitation from an unnamed party to attend the same trip, however, declined the offer, describing the 46-year-old, Kadyrov as a ‘murderer”. In the time since, O’Malley has received widespread support for declining the invitation, and speaking out against Kadyrov. 

Ali Kadyrov, son of Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov set for MMA debut at ACA 150 in Russia

Ali KadyrovAli Kadyrov, the son of Republic of Chechnya leader and sanctioned head of state, Ramzan Kadyrov, will make his professional mixed martial arts debut this weekend under the ACA (Absolute Championship Akhmat) 150 in Russia – receiving backing from UFC duo and AllStars MMA teammates, Khamzat Chimaev, and Darren Till. Set to make his first […]

Ali Kadyrov

Ali Kadyrov, the son of Republic of Chechnya leader and sanctioned head of state, Ramzan Kadyrov, will make his professional mixed martial arts debut this weekend under the ACA (Absolute Championship Akhmat) 150 in Russia – receiving backing from UFC duo and AllStars MMA teammates, Khamzat Chimaev, and Darren Till.

Set to make his first venture into professional mixed martial arts, Ali Kadyrov, the son of Ramzan Kadyrov – who is alleged to have led systemic purges of the LGBTQ+ community in the Republic of Chechnya amongst a slew of other human rights violations and sanctioning extrajudicial murders, is set to fight at the lightweight limit.

Competing against Islam Akbarov, Grozny native, Kadyrov will feature at ACA 150 is scheduled to feature as the fifth fight of the night in Moscow, Russia at the CSKA Arena – as part of a 12 fight card headlined by Andrey Koshkin, and Artem Reznikov. 

Ali Kadyrov has spent time training at AllStars MMA with Cody Garbrandt

Recently travelling to Sweden to train with the above-mentioned, Chimaev at AllStars MMA in Hagagatan, Kadyrov as pictured alongside the undefeated welterweight challenger, as well as former undisputed UFC bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt in Dubai – before training and sparring with the latter in Stockholm

Sharing a promotional video ahead of Kadyrov’s fight with Akbarov, UFC contender, Chimaev shared footage of the former training ahead of his scheduled fight at ACA 150 – tagging Ali Kadyrov in the post.

In the comments section of the same post, one-time welterweight title challenger, Darren Till commented with a heart emoji, while former light heavyweight championship challenger and AllStars MMA staple, Alexander Gustafsson liked the promotional video. 

UFC bantamweight contender, Sean O’Malley also revealed recently how he had rejected a proposal to travel to Chechyna alongside former UFC championship holder trio, Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, and Henry Cejudo on the behest of Ramzan Kadyrov, labelling the sanctioned dictator a “murderer”.