Latest news with #Bellator
USA Today
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Video: UFC 319 'Countdown' for Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico
Did you miss the debut of UFC 319 "Countdown" or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now. The segment takes a special look at the featherweight fight between Lerone Murphy (16-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and former Bellator standout Aaron Pico (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is making his UFC debut. UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at United Center in Chicago. "Countdown" goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don't miss the entire episode in the video below.
News18
6 days ago
- Health
- News18
Ben Askren Shares Recovery Update After Double Lung Transplant: 'That's Progress...'
Former UFC and Bellator welterweight champion Ben 'Funky" Askren has always faced his toughest tests inside the octagon. Yet nothing could prepare him for the brutal endurance trial he's living now. After nearly two months in the ICU battling pneumonia that escalated into acute respiratory distress syndrome, Askren underwent a double lung transplant – an operation that saved his life but left him confronting a new, grueling opponent: recovery. In his latest Instagram update, Askren filmed himself pushing his walker down a sterile hospital corridor, visibly fatigued yet determined. 'I did a full lap earlier. I'm not sure if I'm going to do a full lap again. I'm gassed. I can't [do] more than one lap of walking. It gets me so tired," he confessed, voice strained but candid. Yet even amid exhaustion, a spark of optimism endured. 'That's progress. Hope you guys do the same with your life," he said. Askren's path to this moment was harrowing. After contracting pneumonia in late May, he spent 59 days in critical care before his failing lungs necessitated a transplant. Although his insurance fell short, a public fund and a $500,000 donation from Jake Paul ensured the surgery moved forward. Still, as boxing promoter Oscar De La Hoya pointedly criticised the UFC's fighter pay, he declared, 'They don't give a f*** about fighters," underscoring the wider struggle athletes face when health crises strike. Now, Askren's days revolve around physical therapy and breathing exercises. Tasks that most take for granted – standing unassisted, pacing a short hallway – have become monumental victories. In one update, he reflected on the humility of his ordeal: 'Before this, I was pretty much totally self-sufficient," he admitted. 'I didn't ask for help." Recognising how pride once held him back, Askren now embraces his limitations as stepping stones. 'If you acknowledge what your problem is, you can solve it," he asserted. 'If you're unwilling to acknowledge it, you can't." Social media has flooded with messages of support from fighters, journalists, and fans alike. Askren's wife documents each milestone, from rising oxygen levels to extended laps. Though a triumphant return to competitive fighting remains uncertain, his resolve is unmistakable: to rebuild strength, reclaim independence, and savor every earned stride. Each labored step down that hospital hall symbolises more than physical therapy – it's a testament to the warrior spirit. Askren may have lost countless breaths to pneumonia, but he refuses to lose hope. As he continues this uphill march, one truth rings clear: true toughness isn't measured by takedowns or knockouts, but by the courage to keep moving forward when every step feels impossible. Swipe Left For Next Video View all
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Andrey Pulyaev breaks down the comeback he needed against Nick Klein for first UFC win
LAS VEGAS – Andrey Pulyaev met the media Saturday after his second-round TKO win over Nick Klein at UFC on ESPN 71. Pulyaev (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) struggled in the first round against Klein (6-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex. But in the second, he found an opening, landed a kick to the body, and quickly closed in to get the TKO. 'Even in the first round, I noticed my opponent started getting tired,' Pulyaev told MMA Junkie at his post-fight news conference. 'My cornermen said it's time to start using your legs. In the second round, when we stood up, I felt it – he's too relaxed. I knew it was my chance. Before that body kick, I noticed he raised his hands. I made some punches and that body kick, and after that I knew it was time to finish him.' Pulyaev, who is a protege of former Bellator champion Alexander Shlemenko, said going through some adversity was good in the first round. He was able to battle back in a way he fell short of in his UFC debut in March, a decision loss to Christian Leroy Duncan. 'It was good to prove to myself (against Klein), and now I know what I can do,' he said. Check out Pulyaev's post-fight news conference in the video above.
USA Today
02-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL World Tournament 8 results: Thad Jean masterclasses Logan Storley in tournament final
Thad Jean is the 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament winner – and he might be soon one of the promotion's biggest stars. Over the course of five rounds, Jean (11-0) largely had his way with former Bellator interim champion Logan Storley (18-3) en route to a unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) victory. The bout headlined Saturday's 2025 PFL World Tournament 8 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. The opening round was all Jean, as he showed off not only striking prowess and poise but some grappling skills as well. Despite Storley's wrestling notoriety, Jean mounted him in the opening 90 seconds. Storley worked his way up and out of danger – at least, momentarily. Jean pummeled Storley in Round 2 after a front kick to the face. With referee Gary Copeland practically breathing on the fighters, the fight was close to being stopped. But Storley hung tough and did just enough to evade. While Storley's cardio maintained, he was unable to generate offense like Jean. Jean utilized both technique and flashiness to pick apart Storley for the remainder of the fight. With the victory, Jean earns $500,000 and is named the 2025 welterweight tournament winner. Jean, 27, is one of the promotion's top homegrown talents to date. He came through the PFL Challenger Series at 4-0. He competed on PFL undercards until 8-0, when he was a late replacement to the 2025 tournament bracket. He defeated Mukhamed Berkhamov and Jason Jackson in the first two rounds of the tournament to set up the Storley fight in the final. Storley, 32, was imported into PFL after the promotion's merger with Bellator. He went 1-1 in the 2024 season format but didn't qualify for the playoffs. In 2025, he defeated Joseph Luciano and Masayuki Kikuiri en route to the fight vs. Jean. The full 2025 PFL 8 results include:
USA Today
31-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Renato Moicano takes issue with Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico as UFC 319 co-main event
Renato Moicano says the UFC 319 co-headliner does not gauge fan interest. Lerone Murphy (16-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) vs. Aaron Pico (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will serve as the Aug. 16 co-main event at United Center in Chicago. The card is headlined by the middleweight title fight between champion Dricus Du Plessis and undefeated challenger Khamzat Chimaev. Pico was originally scheduled to make his octagon debut against Movsar Evloev in this past Saturday's UFC on ABC 9 co-main event in Abu Dhabi, but the bout was scrapped when Evloev withdrew. Pico hoped to have his fight with Evloev rebooked for UFC 319, but wound up drawing Murphy instead. Moicano is not happy with fight serving as a co-main event on a big pay-per-view. "UFC is not about being good, it's about people wanting to tune in to watch," Moicano said on his "Show Me The Money" podcast. "Like Tony Ferguson: eight-fight losing streak, and he was still in the UFC. This is not a sport, this is entertainment. If you're very good, but nobody knows you, people don't – I don't want to watch. Because let's be honest: I don't know Aaron Pico. Call me a casual. Maybe I'm a casual. I think I watched him once in Bellator, and you got only the highlights on Instagram and stuff. "I don't know his game. I don't know much about him. If it's Evloev, people know Evloev. There's controversy about Evloev because everybody is saying this guy should fight for the title next, and they don't give the title shot to him. At least everybody knows about Evloev. Not many people know about Lerone Murphy, to be honest – not in the U.S. If you ask a casual fan, you say, 'Hey, do you know Lerone Murphy?' They don't know." Pico was once one of the most highly touted prospects in MMA. He is on a three-fight winning streak with wins over James Gonzalez, Pedro Carvalho, and most recently a first-round TKO of Henry Corrales in February 2024. Meanwhile, England's Murphy has won eight fights in a row, and is coming off a main event win over Josh Emmett in April.
