Latest news with #Bellator
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
MMA Junkie Radio #3569: Guests Mario Bautista (UFC), Sergio Pettis (PFL), Jon Jones news
MMA Junkie Radio #3569: Guests Mario Bautista (UFC), Sergio Pettis (PFL), Jon Jones news Monday's episode of MMA Junkie Radio with "Gorgeous" George and "Goze" is here. Monday's episode of MMA Junkie Radio with "Gorgeous" George and "Goze" is here. On Episode 3,569, the brosephs brought on guest Mario Bautista, who is charged with welcoming Patchy Mix to the UFC, and former Bellator champion and current PFL bantamweight Sergio Pettis. The also talked about the latest news, including more of the same with heavyweight champion Jon Jones still unbooked for a title unification bout with Tom Aspinall, and the MMA world growing increasingly put off by his apparent lack of urgency to defend his belt. Tune in!
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 316 bout
Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 316 bout Former Bellator champion Patchy Mix makes his UFC debut against Mario Bautista at UFC 316. Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix preview Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was originally scheduled to face former title challenger Marlon Vera before an injury forced a lineup change. Now, Bautista welcomes Mix (20-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the UFC, where they will meet in the UFC 316 main card opener. Bautista enters as a winner of seven consecutive fights. In his previous outing, Bautista won a split decision at UFC 307 over former featherweight champion Jose Aldo. His current winning streak includes stoppages of Guido Cannetti, Benito Lopez and Brian Kelleher. Mix, who was recently granted his release from the PFL, finally gets an opportunity to prove himself in the UFC. Mix brings an eight-fight winning streak to the octagon. In his last outing, he recorded the second defense of his Bellator title by split decision in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov. On his current run, he has stopped five opponents, including Sergio Pettis, Raufeon Stots, James Gallagher, Albert Morales, and Magomedov in their first meeting. Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix odds According to FanDuel, Mix will debut in the UFC as a -184 favorite against Bautista, who is a slight underdog at +142. How to watch Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix at UFC 316
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former RIZIN, Bellator star Tofiq Musyaev signs with UFC for debut vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Former RIZIN, Bellator star Tofiq Musyaev signs with UFC for debut vs. Myktybek Orolbai Former RIZIN and Bellator star Tofiq Musayev is headed to the UFC. His debut is already set, and it'll be in his home country. Musayev (22-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will take on Myktybek Orolbai (13-2-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in a three-round lightweight bout at UFC on ABC 8. The event takes place June 21 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Musyaev, 35, has not competed since November 2023. He rose to notoriety in RIZIN with five straight wins, including a tournament championship. In the final, he defeated Patricky Freire. After a loss to Roberto de Souza, Musayev signed with Bellator and went 1-1 under the promotion's banner. Following the Bellator-PFL merger, Musayev returned to RIZIN and won back-to-back fights. He then signed with GFL, but the MMA league never got off the ground. Orolbai, 27, aims to bounce back from a carnage-filled war vs. Mateusz Rebecki in October. The bout earned Fight of the Night and saw both men bloodied and battered. Orolbai lost a split decision, which marked his first UFC defeat. His first two UFC fights were wins vs. Uros Medic and Elves Brener. Current UFC on ABC 8 lineup
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
A.J. McKee, Corey Anderson join inaugural PFL Africa lineup in July
A.J. McKee, Corey Anderson join inaugural PFL Africa lineup in July 𝗧𝗪𝗢 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 #PFLCapeTown 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗 Stayed tuned as more fight announcements are on the way! 🔜👀 Tickets are on SALE NOW for July 19th 👇 🎟️ #PFLChampionSeries — PFL (@PFLMMA) May 23, 2025 PFL Africa continues to add some of the promotion's biggest names. Former Bellator champion A.J. McKee (22-2) returns to featherweight to take on Akhmed Magomedov (11-1) July 19 at GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, promotion officials announced Friday morning. McKee is coming off a split decision loss to Paul Hughes this past October at PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants. Meanwhile, Magomedov has won five of his past six fights, most recently submitting Nathan Kelly in January. Also joining the lineup is a heavyweight matchup between Corey Anderson (18-6-1) and Denis Goltsov (36-8). Anderson hasn't competed since claiming the vacant Bellator light heavyweight title with a win over Karl Moore in March 2024. 2024 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Goltsov will look to make it five straight victories. He has finished his past seven wins. The current PFL Africa card includes:
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lerone Murphy against Yair Rodriguez's potential UFC title shot: 'That would be terrible'
Lerone Murphy against Yair Rodriguez's potential UFC title shot: 'That would be terrible' Top contender Lerone Murphy can't stomach the idea of Yair Rodriguez being next up for the UFC featherweight championship. Murphy, an undefeated title contender at 145 pounds, thinks it would be a bad call to put Rodriguez in a rematch with champion Alexander Volkanovski, who's in need of a challenger. Aside from Rodriguez campaigning for the title shot, some have made the argument that he could indeed be next, given this year's Noche UFC event is scheduled to go down in Guadalajara, Mexico. "El Pantera," being a star and a pioneer for Mexican MMA, could be a solid candidate to headline the event on Sept. 13. Murphy sees Rodriguez as undeserving of the opportunity and wouldn't like to see that happening. "That would be terrible for the division, for the sport, because realistically – not to say Yair is not a good fighter – but he's lost about three or four title shots," Murphy told Submission Radio. "He's only had one win in three fights, and it was against a guy that's unranked. "It wouldn't make sense. Personally, me being in the division, I would want a shot, but I know I probably need one more, as well, but I wouldn't be against Mosvar getting the shot. I believe out of everybody, if someone is going to get a shot, it would be Movsar (Evloev) or myself. We're the both undefeated fighters, fresh fighters, never challenged for the title, and never fought Volkanovksi. You can't put Yair back in there." Rodriguez has had one crack at the UFC featherweight belt. That opportunity came in 2023 when he collided with Volkanovski in a title-unification bout, as Rodriguez held the interim belt. He lost the fight by third-round TKO. Since then, he was submitted by Brian Ortega in 2024 and last month bounced back with a unanimous decision win over former Bellator champion Patricio Freire. Meanwhile, both Movsar Evloev and Murphy remain undefeated. Evloev is coming off a decision win over Aljamain Sterling, and Murphy a decision win over Josh Emmett. Murphy doesn't think much has changed since Rodriguez and Volkanovski fought in 2023. He expects a similar outcome should the two get matched up again, reinforcing his stance on the title picture. "It wasn't close. It wasn't close," Murphy said regarding the potential rematch. "Who wants to see that fight again? What's really going to change? Nothing is going to change in that fight."
