Patrício Pitbull Wants PFL Release By Christmas After ‘Lack Of Transparency, Events, & Answers’ 

Patrício Pitbull has spoken out once again about wanting to be released from his PFL contract so that he can go and fight elsewhere. The Bellator featherweight champion last fought in March where he stopped Jeremy Kennedy to defend his title in Belfast. He recently stated in an article from MMA Fighting that he has […]

Patrício Pitbull has spoken out once again about wanting to be released from his PFL contract so that he can go and fight elsewhere. The Bellator featherweight champion last fought in March where he stopped Jeremy Kennedy to defend his title in Belfast.

He recently stated in an article from MMA Fighting that he has had several fights cancelled with no plans to reschedule them or find him a different opponent. The Brazilian claims that fights with Aaron Pico and a rematch with Chihiro Suzuki in RIZIN both fell by the wayside and as a result, he would like to leave the promotion if they don’t have any plans for him.

Pitbull specifically mentioned wanting to use this opportunity to finally fight in the UFC before it is too late for him.

“I have to fight in the UFC. I have to face those guys. I see myself doing a good job there. I don’t see anything very special there. I can fight anyone there, even the champion. [Ilia Topuria] has some holes we can take advantage of. I’m sure they think the same about me, but I have to trust myself. This is the time.”

Dana White was asked to give his opinion on this during his post-fight press conference after UFC 310 this past weekend. In response to the UFC boss’ comments, Pitbull posted on X to vent his frustrations about the lack of communication and activity for some of the fighters on the PFL roster.

He ended the post by giving the promotion a deadline that he wants answers by.

“The lack of transparency, events and answers from @PFLMMA about its future and @BellatorMMA ‘s is making both promotions look bad. What do you all think about what’s going on? Christmas is coming up and I’d love to receive my release by then.”

Cris Cyborg Sends Message To Dana White Amid Growing Discontent Among PFL Fighters

Since acquiring Bellator and the majority of the promotion’s roster towards the end of 2023, it has been a difficult year for the PFL in some ways. Throughout 2024, several big names and champions have publicly voiced their issues with not being offered fights for various reasons. As a result, we’ve seen big names like […]

Since acquiring Bellator and the majority of the promotion’s roster towards the end of 2023, it has been a difficult year for the PFL in some ways. Throughout 2024, several big names and champions have publicly voiced their issues with not being offered fights for various reasons.

As a result, we’ve seen big names like Gegard Mousasi leave the promotion whilst other top stars like Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix have recently started to air their issues over fights being cancelled and not rescheduled with little communication. Pitbull in particular stated that if he isn’t going to be offered any fights, he would like to be released so that he can go and fight elsewhere with an opportunity to finally compete in the UFC being a big attraction for him.

In his post-fight press conference for UFC 310 this past Saturday, Dana White gave his thoughts on the fighters that are becoming frustrated with how they have been treated in the PFL.

“Listen, the last couple of months, we’ve been talking a lot about the PFL. They’re cancelling a lot of shows, I know that a lot of guys that are supposed to fight aren’t fighting and… I mean, you guys know what the f*** is going on. When you see that start to happen, you’re running out of money, things aren’t looking good and you’re gonna have people that want to jump ship. These guys want to fight. You have a very limited time of opportunity when you’re a professional athlete and even less when you’re a fighter. So I’m sure you’re gonna see a lot of that and we’ll see how this plays out over the next several months going into 25.”

Arguably the most outspoken major name regarding being unsatisfied with their treatment in the PFL has been Cris Cyborg. After beating Cat Zingano at the second to last Bellator event before the promotion was sold, she had to wait just over a year to get her next fight booked.

Despite getting the fight that she wanted against Larissa Pacheco at Battle of the Giants where she won the inaugural PFL Super Fights title in the women’s featherweight division, this hasn’t completely mended the bridge between Cyborg and the PFL.

Following her win over Felicia Spencer back in 2019, White stated that the UFC would not be re-signing the former champion after Cyborg’s contract had expired following a less than stellar relationship between the two parties. However, in a social media post reacting to the UFC boss’ recent comments at the press conference, it appears that the Brazilian isn’t opposed to stepping back inside the Octagon, especially if it means settling a score once and for all.

Exclusive | Rico Verhoeven Wants Francis Ngannou to Decide “The Baddest Man on the Planet”

Rico Verhoeven vs. Francis NgannouThe long-reigning heavyweight king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven wants a match against Francis Ngannou, the lineal UFC champion and…

Rico Verhoeven vs. Francis Ngannou

The long-reigning heavyweight king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven wants a match against Francis Ngannou, the lineal UFC champion and current PFL heavyweight titleholder. This would be a battle of combat sports superstars.

Rico Verhoeven vs. Francis Ngannou

The Dutch-born Rico Verhoeven has held the GLORY heavyweight kickboxing world title for a decade and has an incredible 11 title defenses to his name. Along the way, he’s defeated incredible fighters such as Badr Hari, Jamal Ben Saddik, and many others. Earlier this year he defeated three opponents in a single night to capture the Grand Prix title. Now, he will look to defend his throne at Glory Collision 7, on December 7, against Levi Rigters.

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou entered the UFC and quickly made a name for himself due to his fearsome power. He captured the heavyweight crown with a series of knockout wins and defended his UFC before leaving the organization. He then took on blockbuster boxing matches against heavyweight boxing royalty before capturing the PFL MMA world title by first-round knockout.

Both Rico Verhoeven and Francis Ngannou have experience across multiple combat sports; each man has competed at the professional level across Kickboxing, MMA, and boxing. However, Ngannou has far more experience in MMA while Verhoeven has far more experience in kickboxing.

Rico Verhoeven discussed the match with me in an interview, he explained:

“I would love that. That would definitely make sense, especially if we’re talking about the baddest man on the planet. Absolutely. Yeah, I think we’re both in that conversation. MMA, boxing, and kickboxing—let’s throw everybody in one jar and put them all together. Let’s do it!”

Both the PFL and GLORY would likely be okay doing a crossover event, but picking the right regulations would be an issue. As for the rules and gloves, Verhoeven is ready for anything. He continued:

“Let’s see what they offer and what they have in mind. A boxing match would be nice. It would be interesting because we both come out of our own worlds and do something else. Of course, in MMA, he would have an advantage. In kickboxing, I would have the advantage. Let’s see.”

Interestingly, Ngannou and Verhoevern have actually trained together before. The Dutch striker said:

“The training we had was so light, it was just fun. I was in town, and we were just hanging out. I know Eric is his trainer, and he’s really good. We just had fun, showed him some stuff I use within kickboxing, and yeah, we just hung out.”

Rico Verhoeven vs. Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou currently has no match scheduled in the near future. Rico Verhoeven is looking to cement his place as an all-time great in kickboxing with another defense of his title booked for December 7 at Glory Collision 7 facing the dangerous kicker Levi Rigters.

Rico Verhoeven I Would Love That. Baddest Man on the Planet On Facing Francis Ngannou YouTube 0 17 53

Bellator Champs Patrício Pitbull, Patchy Mix Request PFL Release: ‘They Don’t Know How To Act’

Two of the biggest names that the PFL acquired in the Bellator deal have recently voiced their frustrations with not being offered fights. Both Patrício Pitbull and Patchy Mix are reigning Bellator champions who have recently had upcoming bouts cancelled and they don’t seem happy with the communication that has taken place. Pitbull hasn’t fought […]

Two of the biggest names that the PFL acquired in the Bellator deal have recently voiced their frustrations with not being offered fights. Both Patrício Pitbull and Patchy Mix are reigning Bellator champions who have recently had upcoming bouts cancelled and they don’t seem happy with the communication that has taken place.

Pitbull hasn’t fought since March where after finishing Jeremy Kennedy, he says he was told that he would be able to return to RIZIN for a rematch with Chihiro Suzuki to try and get his revenge. He also claims that he was then told he would be fighting Aaron Pico instead but this has also not materialized for him.

As for the bantamweight champion Mix, he defended his title in May and was recently preparing for another title defence against Leandro Higo in November but since that event was postponed, he says that he hasn’t received word on when he will receive his next outing. Posting on X, Mix vented his frustrations and said that similarly to what has happened with other big names like Gegard Mousasi, he would like to be released if they don’t have any plans for him in the near future.

“My manager told me to hold off but haven’t heard anything from PFLMMA DonnDavisPFL If you are not gonna have me fight then just please release me from contract. This is not what I want but if I’m not important to the company being a multi time champ. Then let me go respectfully”

Pitbull made similar statements in a recent interview with MMA Fighting where he criticized the way that the promotion has handled the Bellator fighters since the acquisition last year.

“PFL guys seem a bit lost there. Looks like Bellator is a bit too big for them, and they don’t know how to act properly.”

Pitbull, like Mix, just wants to be active and he believes that leaving the PFL is the best way for him to do that at this stage in his career.

“We were left with only promises. We lost rhythm, we lost part of our careers waiting for something that never came. It’s bad for me as a champion. I need to stay active. We know I’m not getting any younger, too. So I spoke with my managers and since my contract is not that long, it’s close to the end, we’ll ask to leave. I need to work.

“Basically, Douglas Lima and my brother [Patricky Pitbull], the high-caliber guys of the organization, they either re-signed with their purse cut in half or they would be cut. That was basically forced, you know? Donn Davis said early in the merge that that would not happen, but it happened. We know the organization has valued semi-retired fighters and internet celebrities more than actual fighters that put on a show.”

PFL Fighter Suspended One Year After Failed Drug Test For Battle Of The Giants PPV

One of the victors on the PFL’s Battle of the Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira card has had their win overturned after failing a drug test. The Professional Fighters League staged its latest pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past October. It marked a big night for the promotion, with heavyweight star Francis […]

One of the victors on the PFL’s Battle of the Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira card has had their win overturned after failing a drug test.

The Professional Fighters League staged its latest pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past October. It marked a big night for the promotion, with heavyweight star Francis Ngannou and all-time great Cris Cyborg both making their SmartCage debuts.

They emerged victorious in the headline spots, defeating Renan Ferreira and Larissa Pacheco, respectively. A number of other fighters made the most of their position on the major lineup, including Johnny Eblen, Zafar Mohsen, and Paul Hughes on the main card.

Disaster has struck for one of those names, however.

MMA Junkie reported this week that Mohsen’s unanimous decision victory over Husein Kadimagomaev has been overturned to a no contest.

The information came through Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation chief Mike Mazzulli, who confirmed that a drug test submitted by Mohsen on fight night was flagged as positive in the aftermath.

As a result of his indiscretion, Mohsen has been suspended for a duration of one year and fined an undisclosed amount.

His contractual status with the PFL is unclear following his debut win under the promotion’s banner in the Middle East.

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko‘Dangerous’ Dakota Ditcheva just won the PFL world title by stunning knockout, stopping Taila Santos in the second round…

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko

‘Dangerous’ Dakota Ditcheva just won the PFL world title by stunning knockout, stopping Taila Santos in the second round in a dominant performance. Because of Valentina Shevchenko, Ditcheva thought Brazil’s Santos was going to bring more.

Dakota Ditcheva Knocks out Taila Santos

Three knockouts in a row are all the Bulgarian-Russian needed to capture a whopping $1,000,000 in the PFL capturing a world title for the 2024 season. In the finals, Dakota Ditcheva faced veteran athlete Taila Santos who got folded over in the second round.

dakota ditcheva

Brazil’s Taila Santos has defeated notable athletes such as Liz Carmouche, and Joanne Wood, among others. Valentina Shevchenko is a multi-time UFC champion with tons of title defenses to her name. In their five-round war with the UFC crown on the line, Santos nearly took the throne from ‘Bullet’ Shevchenko. Because of that match, Ditcheva thought Santos was going to have more.

dakota ditcheva pfl 1

Speaking in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Ditcheva explained:

“I expected Taila Santos to bring a bit more because of her fight with Valentina Shevchenko. But I knew I’d get the stoppage in there.

“She’s never been stopped. Shevchenko didn’t stop her. People thought [Santos] beat [Shevchenko]… Erin Blanchfield went 5 rounds with her. I just got in there and made it look like another on the list.”

Ditcheva added that she has loads of respect for the skills and strength of Santos as well. The undefeated Ditcheva comes from a Muay Thai and Kickboxing background which was largely taught to her by her moth who was a champion in these striking sports. After this win, she is next looking to compete in the PFL in February.