Tag: PFL News (Professional Fighters League)

Gabi Garcia Calls Out Kayla Harrison: ‘Why Not Fight Me?’

Gabi GarciaGabi Garcia has called out PFL star and world Judo champion Kayla Harrison, claiming that she absolutely wants to fight her. Garcia, who competes as a heavyweight, claimed in an interview with AG Fight that she does indeed want to fight Harrison, as Harrison has been speaking a lot about Garcia on the internet. Garcia […]

Gabi Garcia

Gabi Garcia has called out PFL star and world Judo champion Kayla Harrison, claiming that she absolutely wants to fight her.

Garcia, who competes as a heavyweight, claimed in an interview with AG Fight that she does indeed want to fight Harrison, as Harrison has been speaking a lot about Garcia on the internet. Garcia claims she is now stepping up to the plate, but that Harrison is now attempting to avoid her instead.

“Kayla (Harrison) came on the internet to talk shit, Julia Budd (ex-Bellator champion) too. I accepted all these fights, but she (Kayla) always said that I was an easy fight. That I had no technique to fight her. But the Gabi of yesteryear is not the same as Gabi (today). Then I came to my manager and said: ‘Look, she is challenging me, I want to fight with her. What does she want to fight with me? ‘ Then it starts: ‘I fight in any category, I fight open weight’. I said: ‘No, it will arrive on time and it will not be like this’. Then: ‘No, I want a test at Gabi, I want this, I want that’. All right then! Let’s go! Do you want to test me all the time? What you want? Do you want me to hit how much weight? I talked to my doctor, (to find out) what the minimum weight I could get. Everything she was asking for. (But) in reality, she doesn’t want to fight ”,

“So, she comes to say, ‘I’m number one.’ You are the number one of the PFL, who put you in (good) fights and made an event for you, as Rizin also put up a good fight for me,” Gabi Garcia added. “Only she does not come to say that she is number one, because there is Amanda (Nunes), well, there is Cris (Cyborg). She is far from being … So if I am a very easy fight, why not fight me? Her last opponent seems to have 11 losses. I come from seven victories. So then. Kayla, I want to fight you. First time I challenge someone. She challenged me, we have been talking for two years now, and I say: ‘What do you want to be able to fight with me? Do you want the test, the (anti) doping? Do you want me to hit the weight? What you want?’. Because (just) challenging me is easy. So, that’s my goal. I want to fight with her. I don’t know when that will happen,

Ultimately though, there are a lot of issues to this fight ever even happening. The main issue is, of course, the weight disparity between Garcia and Harrison. Harrison, of course, competes in the 155lb division in the PFL, whilst, as outlined, Garcia competes in RIZIN as a heavyweight. Even a catchweight fight would most likely be either too much weight for Harrison to move up to and too much weight for Garcia to move down. Garcia naturally carries a massive frame anyway, so there is a limit to how much weight she could cut. Harrison would also lose a lot of her natural explosiveness and speed moving up too much weight either.

This does not even consider the fact that the two women compete in two different promotions. Harrison competes in the U.S. based PFL, whilst Garcia competes in Japan with RIZIN. Under normal circumstances, the logistics of this fight would have been difficult, but even more so now with COVID-19 remaining at large globally, it is extremely unlikely that this fight would happen any time soon.

Do you want to see Gabi Garcia vs. Kayla Harrison?

Rory MacDonald Rejuvenated Ahead of PFL 5 Fight vs. Gleison Tibau

Rory MacDonaldRory MacDonald is a man on a mission ahead of his PFL 5 fight against Gleison Tibau and is physically and mentally ready to make the climb up the ranks once again to become an MMA champion. MacDonald has had an up-and-down career since leaving the UFC. After earning the Bellator welterweight title at Bellator […]

Rory MacDonald

Rory MacDonald is a man on a mission ahead of his PFL 5 fight against Gleison Tibau and is physically and mentally ready to make the climb up the ranks once again to become an MMA champion.

MacDonald has had an up-and-down career since leaving the UFC. After earning the Bellator welterweight title at Bellator 192 over Douglas Lima, he would lose two of his next three including a rematch with Lima at Bellator 232, ultimately losing the belt.

After the loss to Lima, MacDonald signed a deal to compete with the Professional Fighters League. Following the cancellation of the 2020 PFL season, MacDonald made his league debut against Curtis Millender at PFL 2, earning the first-round submission via rear-naked choke.

Despite the setbacks, MacDonald feels like a brand new fighter ahead of his fight with Tibau as he moves closer to becoming a welterweight champion once again.

“I’ve set new goals for myself that I’m passionate to accomplish,” MacDonald said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The past few years kind of after I won the title in Bellator, I kind of let myself get comfortable. I think I lost my focus there and unknowingly led me down a trail of not even knowing if wanted to do this sport anymore.”

“A bit of time off gave me a chance to address those issues and get back to hard work and chasing down my goals. I feel like it’s been in my heart since I first found mixed martial arts to be the best in the world and I’m hunting that position down.”

The former UFC welterweight title contender is highly regarded as one of the favorites to earn the PFL welterweight title and the $1,000,000 grand prize this season. Tibau lost his PFL season opener against Joao Zeferino by unanimous decision at PFL 2 and has dropped seven of his last nine fights overall.

The 37-year-old MacDonald is looking to get back on top of the fight game this season, and Tibau is the next step in making that achievement happen. Despite being in the later stage of his career, MacDonald appears as dangerous as ever with a new mindset and approach to fighting overall.

What are your predictions for Rory MacDonald for the 2021 PFL season?

Kayla Harrison Responds to Dana White Saying She Isn’t Ready for UFC

Kayla HarrisonIt’s safe to say that Kayla Harrison doesn’t agree with UFC president Dana White’s assertion that the reigning PFL women’s lightweight champion isn’t ready to make the jump to the UFC. In a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Harrison was asked about her reaction to White’s comments and denial that she’s ready for the […]

Kayla Harrison

It’s safe to say that Kayla Harrison doesn’t agree with UFC president Dana White’s assertion that the reigning PFL women’s lightweight champion isn’t ready to make the jump to the UFC.

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Harrison was asked about her reaction to White’s comments and denial that she’s ready for the sport’s biggest stage.

“If Dana is ready to pay me a lot of money, I’m ready to make him a lot of money,” Harrison said. “I’ve stated many times that I’m ready to face the best in the world.”

Harrison is currently under contract to defend her lightweight title through the 2021 season. Beyond that, it’s unclear what could be next for the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist.

In her most recent fight, Harrison dominated Mariana Morais at PFL 3 just last weekend, leading to a finish in her first fight of the new season. Harrison is the frontrunner to earn the PFL women’s lightweight title once again as she awaits her next opponent for this summer.

It all started when White sat down with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter and gave his opinion on Harrison’s transition to MMA and a possible signing with the UFC in the near future.

“I mean, when she feels like she’s ready, I’m always looking for the best possible people to come in and fight,” White said. “I don’t know if she’s ready.”

Harrison currently trains at American Top Team in Florida alongside some of the best in the business, including UFC women’s double champion Amanda Nunes. Harrison and Nunes have long been rumored to be on a collision course at some point in their careers, but the two teammates have squashed and denied a fight happening any time soon.

What do you think about Kayla Harrison joining the UFC at some point? Does she have what it takes to beat Amanda Nunes and other top UFC women?

Kayla Harrison Quickly Stops Mariana Morais – PFL 3 Highlights

Kayla HarrisonKayla Harrison is not showing any signs of slowing down in her quest to regain PFL gold. The women’s lightweight champion started this season’s campaign with a devastating finish of Mariana Morais in her regular-season opener. Harrison needed less than 90 seconds to show her division and the rest of the MMA world that she […]

Kayla Harrison

Kayla Harrison is not showing any signs of slowing down in her quest to regain PFL gold. The women’s lightweight champion started this season’s campaign with a devastating finish of Mariana Morais in her regular-season opener.

Harrison needed less than 90 seconds to show her division and the rest of the MMA world that she does not plan on giving up her title anytime soon. She threw a head kick as soon as the fight started and immediately overwhelmed Morais with her pressure. After a well-executed trip, Harrison went to work with her ground and pound until the stoppage.

Harrison scored a perfect 100 fighter performance rating and did not allow Morais to earn a single strike in the brief matchup. Following the fight, Harrison made it known what her intentions are for the remainder of this season. “This isn’t a tournament, it’s a coronation, and I’m the Queen,” Harrison commented in her post-fight interview.

Harrison walks away from her season opener with six points for her efforts. Her points place Harrison second in the current standings behind Larissa Pacheco. Fighting last night as well, Pacheco also had a spectacular TKO in less than a minute of the first round against Julija Pajic. Harrison and Pacheco faced off twice during Harrison’s 2019 campaign, with the champion winning both fights. Still, Pacheco is the only fighter in the PFL to take Harrison the distance both times they met.

If Harrison can keep the momentum, she seems poised to run through the division again. Winning another PFL title would undoubtedly raise the question of what would be next for the two-time Olympic Judo gold medalist. Many have speculated that a move to the UFC to face Amanda Nunes or to Bellator to face Cris Cyborg is the only logical next step. However, Harrison is singularly focused on one goal, repeating a PFL women’s lightweight championship.

Do you think Kayla Harrison will be the 2021 PFL women’s lightweight champion?

Brandon Sayles Chokes Out Mohammed Usman – PFL 3 Highlights

Brandon Sayles Mohammed UsmanBrandon Sayles didn’t appear fazed by all the hype surrounding Mohammed Usman’s debut in PFL, submitting him in the second round at 2021 PFL 3. After a back-and-forth first-round in which Usman connected a few clean shots that Sayles took on the chin, Sayles continued to put the pressure on in the second round; knocking […]

Brandon Sayles Mohammed Usman

Brandon Sayles didn’t appear fazed by all the hype surrounding Mohammed Usman’s debut in PFL, submitting him in the second round at 2021 PFL 3.

After a back-and-forth first-round in which Usman connected a few clean shots that Sayles took on the chin, Sayles continued to put the pressure on in the second round; knocking Usman down and sinking in an effective choke that ended the fight.

Mohammed, the younger brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, was the favorite heading into the season opener for both fighters. Kamaru was also in Mohammed’s corner for his debut in the octagon. Sayles is also a U.S. Army Combative instructor and was one of eight heavyweight signings by the league heading into the 2021 season.

After his impressive win, it’s no secret that Sayles has emerged as one of the top heavyweights in the league. He has a legitimate chance to compete for the heavyweight title and the $1,000,000 prize following his impressive win over a tough prospect in Usman. Sayles, a former XFC and NFC standout is now 6-1 in his MMA career and is riding a four-fight winning streak.

“You shouldn’t praise someone just because of their last name,” Sayles said in his post-fight interview. “All respect to Usman, but I’m here to show what hard work, will and sometimes skill can bring.”

For his next opponent, Sayles could possibly face either Fabricio Werdum or Renan Ferreira in his second fight in the PFL regular season. Ferreira defeated Werdum in controversial fashion by TKO after appearing to tap to a shoulder submission earlier in the fight.

For Usman, he showed a lot of poise and promise despite falling in his PFL debut. With incredible genes in his family, there’s no question that fans and critics shouldn’t sleep on Usman just yet.

What did you think about Brandon Sayles’ performance against Mohammed Usman at PFL 3?

Fabricio Werdum Files Appeal Following TKO Loss At PFL 3

Fabricio WerdumFabricio Werdum will appeal his controversial TKO loss at PFL 3. The former UFC champion made his promotional debut against Renan Ferreira on Thursday evening. Werdum managed to get a takedown in the first round. The BJJ specialist began working on submissions. He appeared to have locked up a triangle choke that forced Ferreira to tap […]

Fabricio Werdum

Fabricio Werdum will appeal his controversial TKO loss at PFL 3.

The former UFC champion made his promotional debut against Renan Ferreira on Thursday evening.

Werdum managed to get a takedown in the first round.

The BJJ specialist began working on submissions. He appeared to have locked up a triangle choke that forced Ferreira to tap out.

The submission went unnoticed by referee, Keith Peterson, who allowed the fight to continue.

Ferreira quickly turned the tide and began dropping bombs on Werdum from the top position.

This time the referee did step in to wave off the fight and declare Ferreira the winner by first round technical knockout.

Werdum took to social media after the fight to suggest that he loosened the grip on his choke after feeling his opponent tap out.

“I’ve been fighting for 23 years and one of the first things we learn when your opponent gives up we have to respect,” Werdum wrote.

According to ESPN journalist, Marc Raimondi, Werdum is set to appeal the loss.

“Fabricio Werdum has filed an appeal of tonight’s #pflmma result with the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz,” Raimondi wrote on social media. “PFL will send the NJSACB the footage where it appeared Renan Ferreira tapped for review.”

Do you think Fabricio Werdum will be successful with his appeal?