Jorge Masvidal Defeats Nate Diaz via Third Round Doctor’s Stoppage at UFC 244

Jorge Masvidal got a victory against Nate Diaz on Saturday at UFC 244 via doctor’s stoppage in-between rounds three and four.

Masvidal put on a dominant performance for three rounds, out-striking Diaz and visibly doing more damage.

Before the fourth round started, a doctor came into the ring to check on the cuts on the face of Diaz. While Diaz insisted on continuing with the fight, the doctor opted for the fight to end.

“We running it back,” said Masvidal after the fight, not satisfied with the outcome.

Masvidal was awarded the B.M.F Championship after the fight by Dwayne Johnson.

The co-main event of the evening saw Darren Till defeat Kelvin Gastelum. The win was Till’s first fight at middleweight.

The fight was the main event of UFC’s fourth appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA.

Kanako Murata Claims Invicta Strawweight Championship In Decision Victory

Kanako Murata prevailed in a five-round battle on Friday against Emily Ducote for the Invicta Strawweight Championship.

Going all 25 minutes of the fight, the fighters relied on scorecards to determine a winner. In a split decision, Murata walked away as the new champion (48-47 Murata, 48-47 Ducote & 49-46 Murata).

The championship was vacant before, as previous champion Brianna van Buren had dropped the belt to sign with the UFC.

Murata made her Invicta debut in June, defeating Liana Pirosin via rear naked choke. She had previously fought in JMMA promotions RIZIN, DEEP, Pancrase and Shoot Boxing.

This article is part of a series of coverage called the “JMMA Tracker.” The series keeps track of Japanese MMA fighter’s activities in other promotions around the world.

 

UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz Live Report

This Saturday night, UFC will hold UFC 244, a pay-per-view live from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA. The stacked card is headlined by Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz battling for the B.M.F Championship. Follow this article throughout the night for live results and updates.

The preliminary card begins at 6:30 PM EDT. For prerequisite reading, check the site’s UFC 244 preview article.

Bout 1: Julio Arce (16-3) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (10-1-1) (Featherweight)

The first fight of the evening was Julio Arce returning to MSG to face Canadian prospect Hakeem Dawodu. Dawodu was landing good leg kicks early on. Dawodu put Arce in a clinch against the cage, but they separated shortly after. Arce landed a good left straight with two minutes to go which stunned Dawodu. Dawodu continued with his stellar kicks. Dawodu landed good knees in another standing clinch.

In the second round, the fighters went into a clinch after exchanging hard strikes. They separated after a minute or so. When Dawodu initiated another clinch with two minutes left, Arce got a trip takedown, taking top position. Arce took the back of Dawodu and then pursued a rear naked choke. Dawodu flipped over and took top position. Dawodu got up and landed some leg kicks before Arce got up. 

Dawodu put Arce up against the cage in the first minute of the final round. Arce shoved him off and they returned to striking. The same exchange happened again later in the round. Arce tried for a takedown in the final minute of the fight which Dawodu defended. The striking hit the highest gear in the final moments, as both fighters were landing good shots. The fight went the distance, with Hakeem Dawodu getting the victory via split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). Dawodu was upset about his performance afterwards.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Arce 9 10 9 28
Dawodu 10 9 10 29

Bout 2: Lyman Good (20-5) vs. Chance Rencountre (14-3) (Welterweight)

The next fight saw up-and-coming welterweights in Lyman Good and Chance Rencountre face off. Good landed a jab right off the bat in the fight. He was landing the better strikes early on, especially leg kicks. Rencountre tried for a takedown in the third minute. Good got pinned against the cage but resisted takedown and eventually got back to striking. Rencountre clinched up again after Good landed some hard punches. Good kept tagging him, although Rencountre was absorbing the shots. Good landed a solid head kick in the closing ten seconds of the first round.

At the start of the second round, good capitalized off a failed flying knee attempt from Rencountre, coming in and landing a combination of punches. While Rencountre was landing some strikes, Good was pushing the pace of the fight throughout the second round.

Good continued to land good shots in the final round. Good landed a right which dropped Rencountre in the second minute of the third round. Only seconds later, the referee came in to end the fight. In nothing short of an impressive showcase, Lyman Good stopped Chance Rencountre in the third round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Good 10 10
Rencountre 9 9

Bout 3: Katlyn Chookagian (12-2) (#1) vs. Jennifer Maia (17-5-1) (#5) (Catchweight 127 lbs).

Finishing off the early prelims was Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia. What was originally set to be a flyweight match was changed to catchweight after Maia missed weight. Chookagian had some solid strikes early on. Maia put Chookagian up against the cage with two minutes left in the first round.

The second round was another one where Chookagian was out-striking Maia.

Maia put Chookagian in a clinch in the first minute of the final round. She let go of the clinch, going back to stand-up. Maia finally landed a takedown with a minute left in the round. The fight went the distance, with Katlyn Chookagian getting the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Chookagian 10 10 10 30
Maia 9 9 9 27

Bout 8: Kevin Lee (17-5) (#10) vs. Gregor Gillespie (13-0) (#11) (Lightweight)

The main card started with a battle between Kevin Lee and undefeated Gregor Gillespie. Starting the fight, both fighters had close striking, mostly throwing jabs. With just over two minutes left in the round, Lee landed a punch and a head kick which absolutely shut Gillespie off. Kevin Lee got a vicious first round knockout victory, taking Gregor Gillespie’s undefeated record.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Lee
Gillespie

Bout 9: Derrick Lewis (21-7) (#5) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (18-2) (#8) (Heavyweight)

In a ranked heavyweight clash, Derrick Lewis faced Blagoy Ivanov. Early on, Ivanov caught a kick and brought Lewis to the ground. Lewis got up and landed some punches. They went into a standing clinch, then Lewis got a takedown. They stood up shortly after. The rest of the round had close striking from the fighters.

Ivanov landed a good right straight in the first minute of the second round. Ivanov landed a trip takedown after both fighters landed good punches. In top position, Ivanov put in a kimura. Lewis was in it deep, but escaped and got back up. He stormed Ivanov with punches, then had a stand-off. Ivanov came in for a clinch up against the cage again. Lewis landed a knee and punches exiting the clinch. Ivanov initiated another clinch after scoring a few strikes. Ivanov got a throw takedown and tried for a choke before the round ended.

The final round was mostly slow from both fighters until Lewis had a flurry of punches at the very end. Heading to the scorecards, it was Derrick Lewis who took a split decision victory (30-27 Lewis, 29-28 Ivanov & 29-28 Lewis).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Lewis 10 9 10 29
Ivanov 9 10 9 28

Bout 10: Stephen Thompson (14-4-1) (#9) vs. Vicente Luque (17-6-1) (#14) (Welterweight)

The next fight saw well-known Stephen Thompson face the red-hot Vicente Luque. The first round had very close striking from both fighters. Both fighters were very selective with their shots.

The second round was a continuation of the one before. It was clear that each fighter respected the other’s power. Thompson landed a sidekick to the head which dropped Luque. When he got back up and resumed, Luque got stunned by a punch. 

In the first minute of the third and final round, Luque was getting picked apart. Luque got knocked down by a punch, and then was forced to stand back up moments after. By the end of the fight, Luque was showing real damage on his face. The judges all had the fight heavily in favour of Stephen Thompson (30-26, 30-26 & 29-27).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Thompson 10 10 10 29
Luque 9 9 9 28

Bout 11: Kelvin Gastelum (16-4) (#4) vs. Darren Till (17-2-1) (Middleweight)

In the co-main event of the evening Darren Till moved up to middleweight to face Kelvin Gastelum. Many clinches happened in the first round, although each one didn’t seem to have much action in them.

Till constantly kept his distance from Gastelum, dipping in for a strike or two before backing up again. A pause came after Till was poked in the eye. They resumed quite quickly. The crowd started to boo with a minute left in the round. 

Till caught a kick early in the third round and landed a punch because of it. Gastelum tried for a double leg takedown but Till avoided it. Till was able to take down Gastelum by catching another kick, although he got up moments later. Gastelum finally landed a takedown in the final minute of the fight. Till got up within seconds and continued with stand-up. The fight went all 15 minutes, with Darren Till getting a split decision win (30-27 Gastelum, 29-28 Till & 30-27 Till).

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Total
Gastelum 9 9 9 27
Till 10 10 10 30

Bout 12: Jorge Masvidal (34-13) (#3) vs. Nate Diaz (20-11) (#7) (Welterweight)

In the main event of the evening, Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz battle for the B.M.F belt. Masvidal started the fight running similar to when he fought Ben Askren, but stopped himself before doing anything. Masvidal clinched up with Diaz against the cage after Diaz came forward with a few punches. Masvidal landed elbows while leaving clinch, and then dropped Diaz with a leg kick. Diaz was on his back on the ground. He got hit with some punches and become quite bloodied. Diaz did a front kick to Masvidal which he seemingly pretended to be hurt by. Diaz was eventually stood up by the referee. Diaz exploded forward with punches which Masvidal ate. Masvidal went into a clinch smiling. Diaz landed another left straight before the round ended.

Both fighters had good strikes in the opening minutes of the second round. Diaz got hurt by a right hand, dropping him for the second time in the fight. He stayed on his back after falling, but was told to stand up by the referee. To an extent it felt like Diaz was just absorbing damage in this round. Masvidal got the first takedown of the fight with a minute left in the round.

Masvidal landed a strong right straight in the first minute of the third round. Diaz had some good combinations at the start of the round, although he was the fighter circling the outside of the octagon. Just over halfway through the round both fighters were trading punches. After being in a standing clinch for some time, Masvidal took Diaz down and landed strikes from above.

Before the fourth round was about to start, a doctor came in to check on Diaz. After seeing the cuts on his head, the fight was waved off. Jorge Masvidal won the fight via doctor’s stoppage, and had the B.M.F belt put on him by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

My Scorecard:

Fighter Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Total
Masvidal 10 10 10
Diaz 9 9 9

 

UFC 244: Masvidal vs. Diaz Full Preview

Ever since mixed martial arts have been legalized in New York State, UFC has made an effort to do an annual large show at Madison Square Garden. The first time, it was Conor McGregor becoming a “Champ-Champ,” dethroning lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez. The next year it was MMA legend Georges St-Pierre returning to win a belt off of Michael Bisping. Last year, Daniel Cormier built on his legacy, making his first heavyweight championship defense against Derrick Lewis. This year is a little different.

Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz will headline the show, although a belt with lineage won’t be on the line. Instead, a new belt is being introduced, and will be awarded to the “BMF (Baddest M*****F*****).” Along with the main event is also a stacked card, even down to the preliminary portion. Celebrating their 500th show, live from Madison Square Garden on Saturday, here’s a look at UFC 244.

Bout 1: Julio Arce (16-3) vs. Hakeem Dawodu (10-1-1) (Featherweight)

The evening will begin on UFC Fight Pass at 6:30 PM EDT with a battle of two featherweight prospects. Julio Arce and Hakeem Dawodu are both currently with a 3-1 record in the UFC. Dawodu most recently finished Yoshinori Horie with a head kick at UFC 240. Arce also finished his last fight with a head kick, defeating Julian Erosa in the third round. This will be Arce’s second appearance at Madison Square Garden.

Bout 2: Lyman Good (20-5) vs. Chance Rencountre (14-3) (Welterweight)

The welterweight division has a real pick-em bout between Lyman Good and Chance Rencountre on the prelims. While being the more experienced fighter, Good is returning from a loss to Demian Maia. Rencountre hasn’t faced anyone big like Maia yet, but is currently on a two-fight winning streak.

Bout 3: Katlyn Chookagian (12-2) vs. Jennifer Maia (17-5-1) (Catchweight 127 lbs)

While only being in the UFC for three years, Katlyn Chookagian has racked up an impressive promotional record of 5-2. She attempts to better that against Jennifer Maia, who is currently riding a victory against Roxanne Modafferi. Maia missed weight on Friday by one pound, causing the fight to be moved from flyweight to a catchweight bout.

Bout 4: Andrei Arlovski (28-18) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (8-0) (Heavyweight)

At 8 PM EDT, the broadcast will move to TSN 5 for four final preliminary bouts. The first of the four is between Andrei Arlovski and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Arlovski recently snapped a winless streak of four bouts by defeating Ben Rothwell. While experience weighs heavily on Arlovski’s side, he will have to try to snap the undefeated record of Rozenstruik. The Suriname fighter has won twice via stoppage since joining the UFC. More notably, Rozenstruik finished Allen Crowder in nine seconds in June.

Bout 5: Brad Tavares (17-5) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (10-0) (Middleweight)

Young and undefeated fighter Edmen Shahbazyan will see his biggest UFC challenge yet when he faces Brad Tavares on Saturday. Tavares is a UFC veteran who got into the promotion in 2010 by winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 11. To compare, Tavares has been in the UFC for six years more than Shahbazyan has been doing MMA. Tavares hasn’t fought in over a year, with his last fight being a decision loss against Israel Adesanya in July of 2018 (for reference, Adesanya has fought four times since then). Shahbazyan most recently finished Jack Marshman in just over a minute at UFC 239.

Bout 6: Shane Burgos (12-1) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (15-3) (Featherweight)

Two experienced UFC fighters in Shane Burgos and Makwan Amirkhani will face off on the prelims. Burgos is a New York fighter who competed on the MSG show last year as well. He most recently bested Cub Swanson in a split decision bout in May. Amirkhani has fought only half as many times as Burgos in the past three years, but is still a young and successful fighter. He defeated Chris Fishgold with an anaconda choke in June, sounding his return after a one year absence.

Bout 7: Corey Anderson (12-4) vs. Johnny Walker (17-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The preliminary card will finish off with Corey Anderson and Johnny Walker competing. Walker has become a famous name within the promotion due to his flashy KO victories. His most recent appearance, while being a cakewalk of a fight, sidelined him for some time. This was because his post-fight celebration which included falling on the canvas dislocated his shoulder. Anderson is a step up in competition for Walker. Anderson is on a three-fight winning streak, most recently beating Ilir Latifi. The majority of Anderson’s career has happened in the UFC, unlike Walker’s. Will Walker put on another memorable performance, or will Anderson out-wit the Brazilian’s dangerous flashes of offense?

Bout 8: Kevin Lee (17-5) vs. Gregor Gillespie (13-0) (Lightweight)

The main portion of the show will kick off at 10 PM EDT on pay-per-view. Starting the main card will be lightweight gatekeeper Kevin Lee facing undefeated Gregor Gillespie. Despite having a six-fight winning streak in the UFC and having never lost, Gillespie flies under the radar of many. It’s possible that a win over a name of Lee could finally give him attention. Lee is conditioned to fighting five round fights, having last done a three round fight in 2017. Lee is 2-3 in his last five, all up against fighters of a similar calibre.

Bout 9: Derrick Lewis (21-7) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (18-2) (Heavyweight)

While Derrick Lewis fights on the main card this year against Blagoy Ivanov, it’s a clear step down from main eventing, which he did in 2018. Lewis is on a two-fight losing streak, recently dropping to Junior dos Santos on the main event of a fight night card. Ivanov is considered an up-and-coming fighter within the division. He bounced back from his UFC debut loss by recently defeating Ben Rothwell and Tai Tuivasa.

Bout 10: Stephen Thompson (14-4-1) vs. Vicente Luque (17-6-1) (Welterweight)

Vincente Luque has been on the rise lately, defeating high level welterweights. Most recently, Luque got a split decision win over Mike Perry. He will look to add Stephen Thompson to his list of names on Saturday when they match up on the main card. Thompson has been absent since his knockout loss to Anthony Pettis. He also lost to Darren Till in the fight before then. He will aim to return to his winning ways against a seemingly unstoppable Luque.

Bout 11: Kelvin Gastelum (16-4) vs. Darren Till (17-2-1) (Middleweight)

Darren Till was an undefeated fighter a year ago that was near championship material. He was pushed into a fight against Tyron Woodley for the welterweight belt in 2018. The fight was one-sided, with Woodley ending Till’s championship hopes in under two rounds. Till then went against Jorge Masvidal in March, getting finished via punches in less time than his championship outing lasted. In hopes of finding success, Till moves down to middleweight for his fight against Kelvin Gastelum. The bout is no step down in competition, as Gastelum was the runner-up to face Robert Whittaker and unify the middleweight belts. He got bested by Israel Adesanya in April, losing via scorecards. Before then, Gastelum had wins over Michael Bisping and Jacare Souza.

Bout 12: Jorge Masvidal (34-13) vs. Nate Diaz (20-11) (Welterweight)

The main event of the show sees Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz face off in a five round competition. The winner receives the BMF Championship, a one-use belt to determine the “Baddest M*****F*****.”

Masvidal’s rise in popularity was quite out of left field. The welterweight has been in the game for longer than most people at this point, and has stayed at a mid-level or gatekeeper status for a long time. After a brutal victory over Darren Till in early 2019, Masvidal went viral with a flying knee knockout to Ben Askren. The knockout was brutal and online basically overshadowed the two championship bouts that happened that night as well.

The story of Nate Diaz lately is similar to his opponent. Diaz has been popular before, but his mid-2019 run could be described as a resurrection. After losing to Conor McGregor in 2016, Diaz disappeared until late 2018. He was scheduled to be on the 2018 MSG show, facing Dustin Poirier. That fell through after Poirier got injured, putting Diaz back on the bench. Diaz finally made his long-awaited return in the summer of 2019, defeating Anthony Pettis at UFC 241.

While it could be described as unexpected that these two fighters would headline one of the biggest cards of the year, their collision makes sense. Two fighters who are in the same division, both have charisma, both had a boom at a similar time, and are both considered real badasses.

Invicta FC 38: Murata vs. Ducote Full Preview

Invicta FC will return on Friday night, including a main event that will see an up-and-coming flyweight in challenge Karina Rodriguez challenge long-time Invicta fighter Vanessa Porto. Also on the show, a new strawweight champion will be crowned as Kanako Murata and Emily Ducote compete. Live from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, USA, let’s look at Invicta FC 38.

Bout 1: Serena DeJesus (1-0) vs. Taneisha Tennant (1-0) (Bantamweight)

The evening will open with two bantamweight fighters making their Invicta debut. Both undefeated with one victory, Serena DeJesus and Taneisha Tennant will face off. DeJesus first fought as an amateur in 2014, racking up a 5-2 record before moving to professional MMA, getting a decision victory. Tennant stayed undefeated as an amateur at 3-0, then got a first round stoppage victory in her pro debut.

Bout 2: Shaianna Rincon (2-0) vs. Auttumn Norton (0-1) (Featherweight)

The second bout of the evening is between two fighters very early in their careers. Undefeated featherweight Shaianna Rincon will face Auttumn Norton, who is attempting to come back from a loss. Both fighters have had all of their professional fights within Invicta. Norton had a 7-2 record as an amateur, with Rincon being an undefeated 4-0.

Bout 3: Lisa Verzosa (4-0) vs. Kerri Kenneson (3-1) (Bantamweight)

The third fight will see undefeated Lisa Verzosa face Kerri Kenneson. Verzosa has only been a pro since 2018, although she’s picked up four wins, all via decision. She has been fighting since 2014, finishing her amateur career with a 9-1 record. Kenneson got her first loss as a pro recently, losing in the first round to Stephanie Geltmacher. Unlike Verzosas, Kenneson’s career has happened in promotions outside of Invicta.

Bout 4: Shanna Young (6-2) vs. Maiju Suotama (8-4) (Flyweight)

Shanna Young and Maiju Suotama will face off for the second time this year. While their first meeting was only a one-round fight, Young defeated Suotama in September on an Invicta card. Previously, Young lost on Dana White’s Contender Series, a show where fighters compete for UFC contracts. This is the first proper fight that Suotama has taken in the Invicta promotion.

Bout 5: Mallory Martin (5-2) vs. Cynthia Arceo (5-1-1) (Strawweight)

Mallory Martin got a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series last summer, but sadly didn’t impress UFC brass. She returns to Invicta on Friday, facing Cynthia Arceo, who is making her Invicta debut. Arceo attained a 5-1-1 record within the King of the Cage promotion, 9-1-1 if you include the amateur bouts. On the same night as the strawweight championship bout, either Martin or Arceo could set themself up as a contender.

Bout 6: Vanessa Porto (21-8) vs. Karina Rodriguez (8-3) (Flyweight)

Vanessa Poro and Karina Rodriguez go up against each other in the co-main event of the evening. What was originally meant to be the main event for the Invicta Flyweight Championship was demoted to co-main after Rodriguez missed weight for the fight. Rodriguez is currently on a two-fight winning streak, getting decision victories against Milana Dudieva and DeAnna Bennett. Porto is on a three-fight winning streak, defeating Milana Dudieva and Mariana Morais before facing Pearl Gonzalez for the promotion’s flyweight belt. Porto has been in Invicta since nearly the start, fighting on the promotion’s second card ever in 2012.

Bout 7: Kanako Murata (10-1) vs. Emily Ducote (8-5) (Invicta Vacant Strawweight Championship)

In the main event of the evening, Kanako Murata and Emily Ducote will compete for the currently vacant strawweight championship. The former champion was Brianna Van Buren, who vacated the belt once she got a UFC contract. Murata has been undefeated since 2017, on a six-fight winning streak. She has four wins in RIZIN and most recently defeated Liana Pirosin via submission at Invicta FC 35. Ducote is coming off an Invicta win against Janaisa Morandin via first-round punches. Ducote previously had a 4-4 record in Bellator, notably fighting current Bellator Flyweight Champion Ilima-Lei MacFarlane.

PFL 2019 #9 Live Report

Happy Halloween! PFL held their final quarter-final and semi-final evening of fights in 2019 on Halloween night. The show showcased their light heavyweight and heavyweight fighters aiming to reach the New Year’s Eve grand finals.

All of the quarter-final fights this evening were two-rounds long, with the semi-final bouts being three-rounds.

Bout 1: Emiliano Sordi (19-8) (#1) vs. Sigi Pesaleli (1-2) (#8) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The evening opened up with a quarter-final fight between top seed Emiliano Sordi and Sigi Pesaleli. Sordi was the more dominant striker from the start. Sordi started to pour on punches and kicks early on to Pesaleli, who was up against the cage. Pesaleli was dropped from uppercuts, getting hit a couple more times before the referee stepped in.

Bout 2: Bozigit Ataev (21-4) (#4) vs. Viktor Nemkov (30-7) (#5) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The next light heavyweight bout was between the two closest light heavyweight seeds, Bozigit Ataev and Viktor Nemkov. Nemkov got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. They stood back up, with Nemkov keeping Ataev in a clinch against the cage. Ataev dropped Nemkov with strikes while in clinch. Nemkov was able to recover and stayed on the ground until the referee stood him back up. Ataev kept coming forward, landing punches. Nemkov stopped Ataev’s momentum with a headlock. Ataev got a takedown in the final minute of the round, catching a leg of Nemkov and throwing him.

In the second minute of the final round, Nemkov put Ataev up against the cage, attempting a takedown. Nemkov tried for another takedown which was stuffed. Not much more happened before the fight concluded. When heading to the scorecards, the fight was ruled a draw. When the judges were asked to pick one fighter, two of the three fighters chose Bozigit Ataev.

Bout 3: Maxim Grishin (30-7-1) (#2) vs. Jordan Johnson (11-1) (#7) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The third light-heavyweight quarter-final saw the more experienced Maxim Grishin face Jordan Johnson. Johnson got a takedown in the first minute of the fight, taking the back of Grishin. They got back up shortly after, where Johnson pursued another takedown. Grishin was taken down by a strike and a shove, although he got back up quickly. Grishin had Johnson backing up in the final moments as he landed some good strikes.

At the very start of the second round, Johnson got another takedown. They stood back up after a minute or so. Grishin stopped another takedown attempt but was put up against the cage for some time. When going to the scorecards, the fight was ruled a majority draw. The tiebreaker had all three judges pick Jordan Johnson move on to the semi-finals.

Bout 4: Vinny Magalhaes (19-11) (#3) vs. Rashid Yusupov (11-2) (#6) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The final light heavyweight quarter-final fight was between Rashid Yusupov and Vinny Magalhaes. After a close striking competition for a few minutes, Yusupov  dropped Magalhaes with a two-punch combination, earning a walkoff knockout victory.

Bout 5: Kelvin Tiller (11-3) (#4) vs. Ali Isaev (6-0) (#5) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The first heavyweight quarter-final of the evening was between Ali Isaev and Kelvin Tiller. Tiller clinched up early, although it was Isaev that got the takedown. Isaev did ground and pound on top of Tiller for most of the round.

Tiller found himself in the same position that he was in the round before, as Isaev took top position and continued ground and pound. When going to the scorecards, all judges favoured Ali Isaev in moving on (20-16, 20-17 & 20-17).

Bout 6: Mo DeReese (8-1) (#2) vs. Jared Rosholt (18-7) (#7) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The next heavyweight bout saw Jared Rosholt face Muhammed DeReese. A leg kick brought Rosholt to the ground early. Rosholt took lots of damage on the ground but after a few minutes got up. Rosholt got a takedown and took the back of DeReese. Rosholt kept throwing punches from the back, with DeReese not doing anything to fight out of it. The referee eventually got involved, giving Rosholt a win.

Bout 7: Denis Goltsov (24-5) (#1) vs. Satoshi Ishii (22-9-1) (#8) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

Moving from ESPN+ to ESPN 2, the heavyweight quarter-finals continued. Satoshi Ishii faced top seed Denis Golstov. Ishii had Mirko Cro Cop cornering him for this fight. After a minute of slow striking from both fighters, Ishii tried for a single leg takedown. The referee stood them back up. Ishii eventually got a takedown, taking top position with a minute left in the round.

The second round was another slow one. Ishii stayed on his back for a lot of the round, while Goltsov threw strikes while standing. Selected to move on via majority decision, Denis Goltsov got the win (19-19, 20-18 & 20-18).

Bout 8: Alex Nicholson (14-8) (#3) vs. Francimar Barroso (24-7-1) (#6) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The final quarter-final fight of the evening was between Alex Nicholson and Francimar Barroso. In the first minute of the fight, Barroso got a takedown. When they stood back up, both fighters were trading hard punches. Barroso landed an overhand right that shoot Nicholson. He later connected with another overhand, this time it dropped Nicholson. Barroso took top position on the ground. They got back up, with Nicholson throwing bombs. Nicholson landed a low blow knee to Barroso while up against the cage, causing a pause in the fight. They eventually resumed, with Barroso trying for a single leg. They went to the ground for a short moment. Nicholson stormed forward with punches as the round ended.

Nicholson started the second round with another charge forward of strikes. Nicholson slipped while doing a kick, hitting Barroso in the groin once again. Referee Herb Dean did not opt to take a point away from Nicholson. When they resumed, Nicholson landed a push kick which hit Barroso in the groin. A point was taken away that time. Nicholson got hurt by a punch from Barroso, falling to the ground. He recovered and got back up, but was taken down moments later. Nicholson tried for a kimura from the bottom position but couldn’t secure it. After going the distance, all three judges put Francimar Barroso to the semi-finals (20-17, 19-18 & 19-18).

Bout 9: Jordan Johnson (11-1-1) (#7) vs. Rashid Yusupov (12-2) (#6) (Light Heavyweight Semi-Final)

The first semi-final fight of the evening was between Jordan Johnson and Rashid Yusupov. The first round was a striking battle, with both fighters having good combinations.

Johnson got a takedown halfway through the second round. While both fighters were active strikers, it was clear that Johnson was the more active striker.

Johnson dumped Yusupov onto the ground in the opening of the second round as well. He kept the pressure from top position for the whole round. When going to the scorecards, all three judges selected Jordan Johnson as the winner (30-26, 30-26 & 29-27).

Bout 10: Bozigit Ataev (20-4-1) (#4) vs. Emiliano Sordi (20-8) (#1) (Light Heavyweight Semi-Final)

To find the grand final opponent of Jordan Johnson, Emiliano Sordi and Bozigit Ataev faced off next. This was a rematch from August, where Sordi beat Atave in the first round. Sordi had the better striking early on, although Ataev landed a punch which stunned Sordi for a moment late in the round. Sordi got a takedown, eventually took the back of Ataev and put in a rear naked choke which made Ataev tap out. After quite the quick and successful evening, Emiliano Sordi punched his ticket to PFL 10.

Bout 11: Kelvin Tiller (11-4) (#4) vs. Jared Rosholt (19-7) (#7) (Heavyweight Semi-Final)

In the first of two heavyweight semi-final fights, Jared Rosholt and Kelvin Tiller competed. Tiller was the replacement fighter after neither Francimar Barroso or Alex Nicholson were able to fight. Rosholt looked like he was in pain when doing his walkout. Rosholt got a takedown in the second minute of the fight. He stayed in that position until the round concluded.

After Rosholt was on top of Tiller on the ground for a while, the referee stood them back up for the final 30 seconds of the second round.

Rosholt got a takedown early in the final round, assuming the position he was in for the two prior rounds as well. They stayed on the ground until the fight concluded. Jared Rosholt won over the judges with his performance, moving on to the finals (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27).

Bout 12: Ali Isaev (7-0) (#5) vs. Denis Goltsov (25-5) (#1) (Heavyweight Semi-Final)

The main event of the evening determined the final entrant into the PFL finals. Undefeated heavyweight Ali Isaev went up against top seed Denis Goltsov. The first round was a very methodical one from both fighters.

In the second minute of the second round, Isaev tried for a takedown but Goltsov got out of it shortly. Isaev got a takedown again, but it was Goltsov who got the better position. Isaev eventually got in top position and kept control until the round ended.

The final round was mostly inactive until the final moments when Isaev dropped Goltsov with a punch. He continued to throw down punches from above until the referee stepped in with only a few seconds left. Ali Isaev is the final entry into the PFL 10 grand finals.

Jarred Brooks Gets First Win Since UFC Run, Submitting Victor Altamirano

One-time RIZIN and Pancrase fighter Jarred Brooks picked up a second-round rear naked choke win over Victor Altamirano on Wednesday in Southgate, Michigan, USA.

After a dominant first round, Brooks closed the show with a rear naked choke. The win was the co-main event of the WXC 83: Warrior Wednesday 8 card.

“Man this win means so much to me… This past year and a half I’ve had so much happen to me,” said Brooks after his victory.

The fight was a return to the flyweight division after Brooks’ last fight was a strawweight bout. That fight, which was his RIZIN debut against Haruo Ochi ended in a no-contest after an accidental headbutt 10 seconds in.

The loss was the first of Altamirano’s professional career, being undefeated in his pro run in LFA prior to this fight.

In the main event of the show, Eric Shelton defeated Jesse Bazzi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 29-28). Shelton’s win was his first since his departure from the UFC earlier this year.

This article is part of a series of coverage called the “JMMA Tracker.” The series keeps track of Japanese MMA fighters wherever they go around the world.

PFL 2019 #9 Preview

PFL’s third and second last playoff evening of 2019 will take place on Thursday, with light heavyweights and heavyweights taking the stage. Between the two divisions, eight quarter-final fights and four semi-final fights will take place. Just like the two evenings before, the quarter-final bouts are two-five minute rounds, as the semi-finals are three-five minute rounds.

Bout 1: Emiliano Sordi (19-8) (#1) vs. Sigi Pesaleli (1-2) (#8) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The evening will begin on ESPN+ at 5PM EST with six bouts. The first of the half-dozen is top light heavyweight seed Emiliano Sordi facing Sigi Pesaleli. Sordi did damage in his two-season fights, finishing Vinny Magalhaes and Bozigit Ataev. Pesaleli somehow made it into the playoffs despite losing his two-season matchups. Having a negative professional MMA record, Pesaleli is fighting an uphill battle to say the least.

Bout 2: Bozigit Ataev (21-4) (#4) vs. Viktor Nemkov (30-7) (#5) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

Bozigit Ataev will find himself in the PFL playoffs for the second time in his career, starting the evening off against Viktor Nemkov. Ataev lost one of his fights but secured a playoff spot by finishing Dan Spohn in the first round of a fight. Nemkov was 2-0 through the season, but went to the scorecards twice, hence his low ranking.

Bout 3: Maxim Grishin (30-7-1) (#2) vs. Jordan Johnson (11-1) (#7) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

Second year PFL competitor Maxim Grishin will face former UFC fighter Jordan Johnson. Grishin made it to the light heavyweight quarter-finals last season, falling short to Smealinho Rama. This season he got a decision win and a first round finish to move on to the playoffs. Johnson went 1-1 on decision fights in the season to move on. Johnson fought in the UFC four times prior to being in the PFL, going undefeated.

Bout 4: Vinny Magalhaes (19-11) (#3) vs. Rashid Yusupov (11-2) (#6) (Light Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The final quarter-final light heavyweight bout of the evening will be between Vinny Magalhaes and Rashid Yusupov. Magalhaes was a finalist of the 2018 PFL season, attempting to win it all this time around. While Magalhaes lost his first fight via second-round punches, he got a first-round armbar victory against Rakim Cleveland to get into the playoffs. Yusupov was 1-2 in the regular season, defeating Mikhail Mokhnatkin via decision to get points and move to the playoffs.

Bout 5: Kelvin Tiller (11-3) (#4) vs. Ali Isaev (6-0) (#5) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

In the first of four quarter-final Heavyweight matches, Kelvin Tiller will face undefeated PFL rookie Ali Isaev. Tiller punches his ticket into the playoffs by getting a first round kimura victory. Isaev got two decision wins to make it into the playoffs. Isaev fought in Fight Nights Global before debuting in PFL this year.

Bout 6: Mo DeReese (8-1) (#2) vs. Jared Rosholt (18-7) (#7) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

Number two seeded Mo DeReese faces Jared Rosholt in the next fight. DeReese started his season with a loss, but bounced back with a first round stoppage against Valdrin Istrefi. Rosholt also had a 1-1 record, but is seeded lower since his victory was via decision. Rosholt has a clear experience advantage.

Bout 7: Denis Goltsov (24-5) (#1) vs. Satoshi Ishii (22-9-1) (#8) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

After six preliminary fights on ESPN+, the show will head to ESPN 2 for the rest of the card at 8 PM EST. The #1 Heavyweight seed Denis Goltsov will have a similarly experienced opponent in Satoshi Ishii in the quarter-finals. Goltsov got the top seed by winning twice, finishing Jared Rosholt and Kelvin Tiller. Ishii had a less successful season, getting a decision win and then losing to Rosholt at PFL 6.

Bout 8: Alex Nicholson (14-8) (#3) vs. Francimar Barroso (24-7-1) (#6) (Heavyweight Quarter-Final)

The final quarter-final fight of the evening will be a heavyweight clash between Alex Nicholson and Francimar Barroso. This fight will be a rematch from the regular season, where Barroso prevailed in a split decision. Nicholson defeated Zeke Tuinei-Wily in his sole win of the regular season, finishing him with strikes. Barroso was undefeated through the season, getting two wins through scorecards.

The show will feature four more semi-final fights, with the finalists competing at PFL 10 on New Year’s Eve for the 1 Million Dollar prize.

Loma Lookboonmee Has Successful UFC Debut In Singapore

One-time Pancrase fighter Loma Lookboonmee got her first UFC win on Saturday, defeating Aleksandra Albu on the undercard of UFC Fight Night Singapore. Lookboonmee also made history as the first fighter from Thailand to sign with the UFC.

Lookboonmee fought for three rounds against Albu, out-striking the Russian fighter. When going to the scorecards, Lookboonmee was favoured on two of the three scorecards, giving her the win (30-27 Lookboonmee, 29-28 Albu & 30-29 Lookboonmee).

Lookboonmee improved to 4-1 as a professional. Her three wins came from fighting in Pancrase and Invicta FC. Her singular loss came to RIZIN and DEEP JEWELS fighter Suwanan Boonsorn, A.K.A AMP The Rocket. Boonsorn recently got a first-round victory at DEEP JEWELS 26.

The fight was the first strawweight fight for Lookboonmee, who had previously fought at atomweight throughout her career.

This article is part of a series of coverage called the “JMMA Tracker.” The series keeps track of Japanese MMA fighter’s activities in other promotions around the world.

Phil Davis Finishes Karl Albrektsson On Bellator 231 Main Card

RIZIN alumnus Karl Albrektsson suffered a loss to Phil Davis at Bellator 231 on Friday Night. It took Davis under three rounds to finish the Swedish fighter.

Davis landed ground and pound from top position until the referee finally stepped in and ended the bout.

“I want another light heavyweight tournament,” said Davis after his victory.

The first round of the fight saw both fighters have a good striking battle, along with a takedown from Davis. The first moment of brilliance from Davis came halfway through the second round, landing an overhand right which floored Albrektsson.

In the main event of the evening saw Frank Mir defeat Roy Nelson via decision in a rematch from 2011. The loss was Nelson’s fourth in a row, making his record 1-5 since exiting the UFC. On the flipside, Mir broke his previous four-fight losing streak.

This article is part of a series of coverage called the “JMMA Tracker.” The series keeps track of Japanese MMA fighter’s activities in other promotions around the world.