Two former UFC fighters faced off on the main card of PFL 5, as Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis took on Scotland’s Stevie Ray. Pettis, a former UFC lightweight champion, went into the fight with Ray as a -200 betting favorite. However, Ray would pick up a massive upset victory in truly impressive fashion. The first round […]
Two former UFC fighters faced off on the main card of PFL 5, as Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis took on Scotland’s Stevie Ray.
Pettis, a former UFC lightweight champion, went into the fight with Ray as a -200 betting favorite. However, Ray would pick up a massive upset victory in truly impressive fashion.
The first round was a competitive affair, with Pettis attempting to put a stamp on it at the end with a typical ‘Showtime’ spinning kick.
However, in the second round, the fight would hit the canvas. Despite Pettis being in top positon, Stevie Ray was able to lock in a modified submission, which some are calling a twister and others a body lock. Regardless of its name, the unique submission attempt was successful and Anthony Pettis was forced to tap out.
This win secured Stevie Ray’s place in the PFL Playoffs, alongside Olivier Aubin Mercier, Alexander Martinez, and Anthony Pettis – who had already secured his place in the playoffs with a first-round finish over Myles Price, prior to the fight with Ray.
Stevie Ray was not the only underdog to pick up a big win at PFL 5
Despite Stevie Ray being priced by the bookies as a +250 underdog, his win was far from the biggest upset on the card.
Heavyweights Bruno Cappelozza and Renan Ferreira were both massive favorites to win their respective bouts. However, both men were handed shocks losses, as Matheus Scheffel and Klidson Abreu both ground out tough decision victories.
On the preliminary card, Juan Adams was also able to pick up an underdog victory, TKOing Sam Kei inside the difference.
If you were looking for slick submissions and brutal knockouts last month, you weren’t disappointed. Let’s take a look back at some of the best MMA finishes of May 2022 from the UFC, Bellator and the PFL. 7. Yoel Romero def. Alex Polizzi — Bellator 280 45-year-old Yoel Romero wound back the clock at Bellator…
If you were looking for slick submissions and brutal knockouts last month, you weren’t disappointed. Let’s take a look back at some of the best MMA finishes of May 2022 from the UFC, Bellator and the PFL.
7. Yoel Romero def. Alex Polizzi — Bellator 280
45-year-old Yoel Romero wound back the clock at Bellator 280 to snatch his first win in over four years. And it came right at the buzzer.
The “Soldier of God” had outclassed Alex Polizzi for most of the fight, having dropped him on four occasions. Then, with just one second on the clock, Romero gave the Parisian crowd what they’d come to see. Surging forward with fists pumping, the Cuban knocked Polizzi to the canvas before finishing the job with a huge right to the temple.
A far cry from Romero’s flying-knee KO’s of old, but still a worthy mention among the best MMA finishes of May 2022.
Flyweights Brandon Royval and Matthew Schnell were involved in a quick yet wild encounter at UFC 274. It all seemed to be going Schnell’s way when he dropped Royval and quickly pounced into top position. But that’s when Royval—a man with nine submission wins to his name—got to work.
Schnell soon found himself hopelessly ensnared in Royval’s jiu-jitsu and fending off multiple submission attempts. When those didn’t work, Royval separated and quickly reengaged to lock in a guillotine choke that had Schnell tapping in seconds.
It took him three attempts, but Anthony Pettis finally got his first PFL win in May—and a quick one at that. The 35-year-old started strong against Myles Price, sending him to the canvas with a right uppercut. On top and in control, “Showtime” then got to work.
Price did well to stifle any effective ground and pound and eventually scrambled out from underneath Pettis, then shortly after assumed top position. But “Showtime” used this to his advantage. Rolling Price into a triangle choke, Pettis then transitioned back into top position and squeezed Price into submission with less than a minute left of round one.
Andre Fialho could be the dark horse of the UFC welterweight division, and at UFC 274 he showed why. Fialho took a very measured approach early in his fight with VanCamp, stalking the American down and landing tentative strikes. But when VanCamp clipped Fialho, the Portuguese decided to throw caution to the wind.
His hands opened up and now free flowing, Fialho traded with VanCamp before holding back slightly and allowing the American to take the initiative. And when he did, Fialho landed a left counter that sent VanCamp collapsing to the canvas in stages.
Coming off a 16-second KO win on his UFC debut just three months prior, you couldn’t blame Chidi Njokuani for expecting to make quick work of Dusko Todorovic. But it’s fair to say that for most of this fight, things didn’t go to plan for the former Bellator and Contender Series veteran.
After failing to lock in a guillotine choke early on, a frustrating night of clinching against the fence and fending off single legs seemed destined for Njokuani. That was until “Chidi Bang Bang,” out of nowhere and with just 12 seconds left in the round, produced an elbow animated by such velocity that any follow up strikes were rendered glaringly unnecessary.
Somehow, Charles Oliveira turned one of the most disastrous weeks of his career into a triumph.
It took just over three minutes for the Brazilian to submit Justin Gaethje in their championship bout at UFC 273. And the manner in which he did it all but erased the fact that just a day earlier he’d become the first UFC champ stripped of their title for missing weight.
It was a frenetic, back-and-forth fight while it lasted. Oliveira rocked Gaethje early before the American returned the favor, sending Oliveira sprawling to the canvas. But soon after, the Brazilian took Gaethje’s back, landed some wicked elbows, attempted a triangle choke, and when that didn’t work, sunk in a rear-naked choke to get the win.
Olivera is now in rarefied air atop the UFC record books. His 16 submissions, 19 finishes and 18 bonuses earned in the promotion are unmatched by any fighter. And with 11 consecutive wins, he’s quickly closing in on Anderson Silva’s record of 16.
in result of UFC274: Charles Oliveira!def. justin gaethje via 1st Round Sub(rear neck choke) 16 submission finishes(most in ufc history)
— Count Christian’s: State of Combat (@StateofCombat) May 11, 2022
1. Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson — UFC 273
Many of us thought the greatest front-kick KO would forever belong to Anderson Silva. That was until UFC 273, where the best MMA finish of May 2022, and possibly the year, took place.
Eyes widened and lower jaws hurtled to earth when Michael Chandler’s foot made contact with Tony Ferguson’s chin—an impact that warped his face into a frighteningly ghoulish mess before it thudded almost in slow motion to the canvas. So nasty was Chandler’s punt that UFC President Dana White deemed it “the most vicious knockout” he’s ever seen.
Chandler isn’t someone who needs much of an excuse to launch himself into a somersault, and this KO was certainly reason enough to do so. The former Bellator lightweight champ repeatedly hurled himself through the air not meters from the seemingly lifeless Ferguson, who remained laid out unconscious on the canvas for several minutes.
We’d seen Ferguson beaten to a pulp before, namely two fights earlier by Justin Gaethje, but this was the first time he’d been knocked out in his career. And it came after a wild first round in which “El Cucuy” showed flashes of his former brilliance, rocking Chandler several times.
But just when we thought Ferguson might be back on track to challenging the best in the lightweight division, 17 seconds into round two, he was handed his fourth-straight loss with what may turn out to be the knockout of the year.
Former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis and defending PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza will headline PFL 5 on June 24th. The PFL announced the full fight card in a press release for the upcoming June 24th event as fighters such as Cappelozza and Pettis push for a playoff spot. Heavyweights and featherweights will be…
Former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis and defending PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza will headline PFL 5 on June 24th.
The PFL announced the full fight card in a press release for the upcoming June 24th event as fighters such as Cappelozza and Pettis push for a playoff spot.
The @PFLMMA have announced their matchups for PFL 5 on June 24 featuring heavyweights and featherweight, plus a lightweight bout between Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray. pic.twitter.com/BDNpNbBhYf
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 26, 2022
Heavyweights and featherweights will be the main features on the card, except for Pettis’ lightweight fight against Stevie Ray. Cappelozza will face Matheus Scheffel, who fell to 2021 runner-up Ante Delija at PFL 2 back in April via a second-round knockout.
Pettis makes his return to the PFL cage after a first-round submission win over Myles Price. He is looking to clinch a playoff spot after failing to reach the PFL postseason last year.
Cappelozza and Pettis’ matchups will be preceded by the return of 2021 featherweight finalist Chris Wade, along with former 145lb champion Lance Palmer. Brendan Loughnane also returns against former Dana White’s Contender Series standout Boston Salmon while Bubba Jenkins faces Saba Bolaghi.
The next three PFL cards, including the June 24th card, will take place in Atlanta, GA at the Overtime Elite Arena.
What are your thoughts on the PFL 5 card on June 24th? What are your predictions for Bruno Cappelozza and Anthony Pettis?
Anthony Pettis had a smile on his face for the entirety of PFL 3 fight week in Arlington, TX. Through Media Day, to the weigh-ins, and more. After appearing to be in the best state mentally and emotionally in a long time, Pettis put it all together with a first-round submission of Myles Price on…
Anthony Pettis had a smile on his face for the entirety of PFL 3 fight week in Arlington, TX. Through Media Day, to the weigh-ins, and more.
After appearing to be in the best state mentally and emotionally in a long time, Pettis put it all together with a first-round submission of Myles Price on Friday night.
Pettis secured his first submission win since 2018 when he finished Michael Chiesa at UFC 226. He’s looking for a season of vengeance in 2022 after falling short in his debut PFL season last year.
Just minutes after his first PFL victory, Pettis spoke about how he embraced the moment as he made his walk to the cage to begin his revenge tour.
“Seeing those fans out there, I almost wanted to cry,” Pettis told MMA News during his PFL post-fight press conference. “The emotion of having that energy again, I haven’t felt that in a long time. The emotion of the fans there. That’s what I feed off of, my name is ‘Showtime’ for a reason. Fans are there, the lights are on, I turn into ‘Showtime’.”
Pettis fell well short of expectations in 2021, suffering losses to Clay Collard and Raush Manfio. After being dubbed by many as the favorite to win the PFL lightweight title, he failed to make the playoffs and saw an early exit from the beginning of his PFL tenure.
Pettis signed with the PFL last year following title runs in the WEC and UFC. He was one of the biggest stars in the UFC during his lightweight title reign, which began with a win over Benson Henderson at UFC 164.
When Pettis is in the right mindset, he remains one of the most dangerous competitors in the sport. After earning six points and taking the early lead in the PFL lightweight standings, he’ll look to bring plenty of encores for ‘Showtime’ going forward.
What were your thoughts on Anthony Pettis’ performance at PFL 3?
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) 3 fight card saw the big names come out on top as Kayla Harrison extended her undefeated run to 13. Kayla Harrison extends her unbeaten record Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison returned to action against Marina Mokhnatkina at PFL 3. The former Olympian won by unanimous decision in a lopsided […]
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) 3 fight card saw the big names come out on top as Kayla Harrison extended her undefeated run to 13.
Kayla Harrison extends her unbeaten record
Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison returned to action against Marina Mokhnatkina at PFL 3. The former Olympian won by unanimous decision in a lopsided contest. Though Harrison believed her performance to be “utter dog crap”, her dominant display was evident on the scorecards.
With her win over Mokhnatkina this past Friday, Harrison has officially surpassed Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, and Ronda Rousey for the best start to a women’s MMA career in history.
Former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis put on a signature performance against Myles Price to win by triangle choke in the opening round of the bout. Following a rough start to the regular season that saw ‘Showtime’ drop two fights by decision, Pettis is aiming for another run at a third major promotional title.
With his thrilling submission win over Price, Pettis took home the Finish of the Night bonus as he moved up the lightweight standings. He has racked up eight performance bonuses over his UFC run that included wins over the likes of Cowboy Cerrone, Stephen Thompson, Charles Olivera, and Benson Henderson.
Former Bellator welterweight champion and UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald returned for his second PFL season against the newcomer Brett Cooper. After beginning his 2021 PFL campaign with a quick six first-round submission, MacDonald lost the next two by decision including one considered to be one of the worst robberies in the game against Gleison Tibau.
Getting the fight to the mat in the first 15 seconds, the veteran MacDonald made quick of Cooper as he dominated his way to a first-round finish. After doing some damage with his ground and pound, ‘Red King’ took Cooper’s neck to lock in a rear-naked choke and take a “6 point finish”.
In March this year, the PFL pulled off what many did not expect. Kayla Harrison, arguably MMA’s biggest female star, was persuaded to remain with the promotion despite lucrative offers from both the UFC and Bellator. It was a watershed moment for the PFL, signaling its growing power within the MMA landscape and newfound ability…
In March this year, the PFL pulled off what many did not expect. Kayla Harrison, arguably MMA’s biggest female star, was persuaded to remain with the promotion despite lucrative offers from both the UFC and Bellator.
It was a watershed moment for the PFL, signaling its growing power within the MMA landscape and newfound ability to compete with the big boys. The promotion, which was established upon the ashes of the World Series of Fighting just five years ago, now appears to be on a growth trajectory that could see it soon surpass Bellator as the number two name in MMA.
But if you ask PFL CEO Peter Murray, it already has.
“By a number of metrics, we’re the number two,” he told The MMA Hour earlier this month.
Murray, a former high-ranking executive at the NFL and UFC owner Endeavour Group, believes the PFL’s combination of top talent and broadcast partnerships with the likes of ESPN now make it second only to the UFC.
“How I value it; number one, it’s the quality of the production,” he continued. “Two, caliber of fighters and exciting fights. Three, distribution.”
So, is Murray right in saying the PFL has now surpassed Bellator? And can it ever become as big as the UFC?
PFL CEO Peter Murray awards Kayla Harrison with $1 million for winning the 2021 PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament (Cooper Neill / PFL)
PFL Fighters Might Be Better Than You Think
Talent development, says Murray, is one of the key focus areas for the PFL. And the promotion’s strategy is to continually inject new talent into its roster.
“What I love about our format, the product’s fresh every year. Forty-five percent of the roster, new fighters,” said Murray on The MMA Hour. “One of the key KPI’s for us is, a minimum of 25 to 30 percent of the roster, to ensure that their rankings are in the top 25 in the sport.”
Perhaps the most notable inflow of talent has been from the UFC. And despite many considering the PFL a step down in competition, it’s not uncommon to see UFC fighters beaten by the promotion’s mainstays.
Former UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens became the latest this month, losing to Clay Collard in what was an absolute war that surely converted many UFC fans to the PFL. It must be noted, however, that the 35-year-old Stephens is hardly in his prime, having been cut by the UFC after losing five of his last six fights.
But then there’s Anthony Pettis, who after defeating Donald Cerrone and Alex Morono in the UFC, has lost both of his fights since joining the PFL in 2021. Rory MacDonald, both a Bellator and UFC alum, has been similarly tested in the PFL. Additionally, former UFC-turned-PFL heavyweights Fabricio Werdum and Klidson Abreu have found it harder than expected to get their first win in the promotion.
The PFL Is Making Moves To Expand Its Fanbase and Talent Pool
One of the key strengths of the PFL over Bellator, and one that Murray highlights regularly, is the promotion’s distribution through the world’s biggest broadcasters.
In 2019, the PFL followed in the UFC’s footsteps by becoming a broadcast partner of ESPN. But while it’s yet to stage pay-per-view events, Murray says the PFL’s championship event this year will “100 percent” be a pay-per-view event. And next year, he says the pay-per-view structure will expand.
“Then we’ll launch a pay-per-view division in 2023 and we’re working on those details right now, including [signing] some fighters who are in our view and [are of] pay-per-view stature,” Murray told The MMA Hour.
Challenger Series 3 at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, Friday, March 4, 2022. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
But perhaps the biggest potential game-changer for the PFL is Challenger Series—the promotion’s answer to the UFC’s Contender Series, which launched this year. Like it’s UFC counterpart, the Challenger Series gives up-and-coming fighters the chance to compete for a PFL contract.
This means they have the chance to potentially make $1 million within a year, thanks to the generous compensation offered by the PFL’s seasonal tournament structure. For many, this is a refreshing change from the remuneration practices of the UFC, who are notorious for paying their new talent relative peanuts.
The Challenger Series hasn’t all gone to plan, however. Earlier this month, it was flagged for suspicious betting activity after the PFL announced that the final event of the series would be broadcast live, but was later discovered to be pre-recorded.
The PFL Aims To Capitalize On MMA’s Growing Popularity
Despite the PFL still lacking several divisions offered by the UFC and Bellator, including middleweight and bantamweight, the promotion seems to have all the ingredients to challenge the big boys. And while Murray believes the PFL has already surpassed Bellator, challenging the UFC’s near-monopolistic hold on the MMA market is another thing entirely.
But Murray believes the PFL will only continue to grow and prosper alongside the UFC, thanks to the ever-expanding global MMA fanbase.
“Our thesis and why we launched the PFL four years ago; there’s room for more than one leader in the sport,” he told The MMA Hour. “600 million fans. This is Nielson data; three years ago, 400 million fans. So, in three years’ time, you have fan growth around the world of 200 million. So, it’s the third-largest fan base in all of sports, behind soccer and basketball, it’s the fastest-growing, it’s the youngest of all major sports in terms of the fans, and half of this fan base is not watching stick and ball sports.”
PHOTO: PFL
Murray says that the PFL’s goal isn’t necessarily to steal fans away from the UFC. By having a tournament-based structure, the promotion is simply offering them a different experience and more fights.
“So [MMA fans are] underserved; they want access to more premium MMA content and fights,” said Murray. “For the PFL, that is simply our business thesis, we’re fulfilling that demand with a quality product, with great fighters, and a differentiated experience.”
Kick by @Showtimepettis to close out the 1st round!#2022PFL5 LIVE on ESPN & ESPN+
Kick by 
def. justin gaethje via 1st Round Sub(rear neck choke) 
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) 3 fight card saw the big names come out on top as Kayla Harrison extended her undefeated run to 13. Kayla Harrison extends her unbeaten record Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison returned to action against Marina Mokhnatkina at PFL 3. The former Olympian won by unanimous decision in a lopsided […]
