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Longtime UFC fighter Thiago Santos has just signed a deal with the PFL to compete in their next tournament season.

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger, Thiago Santos, has parted ways with the world’s largest MMA promotion after nine years on the roster to sign with the Professional Fighters League. It is expected that Santos will make his promotional debut as part of the light heavyweight lineup for the 2023 season.

In an interview with ESPN, PFL president Ray Sefo stated, “We are very excited to bring in Thiago Santos to the PFL light heavyweight division. He is known throughout the MMA world as a guy who delivers exciting fights, and I’m looking forward to seeing his elite knockout power up close.”

Santos first blipped on the UFC radar on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil Season 2, as a welterweight no less, way back in 2013. Since officially signing with the promotion, ‘Marreta’ made waves as a middleweight, building a name as a bonafide knockout artist who could unleash killer Capoeira kicks.

Up at 205-pounds, he fought through the likes of Jimi Manuwa and Jan Blachowicz to secure a championship shot against Jon Jones (a fight many fans still argue he actually should have won). Following double knee surgery after that Jones match, Santos posted up an unfavorable run of 1-4. He dropped his last bout back in August to Jamahal Hill, who pulled out a fourth round TKO on the veteran.

Perhaps a new promotion is just what a 38-year-old Santos needs to get back to his winning ways, and a million dollar prize sure is one heck of a motivator. The Brazilian’s manager Alex Davis also spoke to ESPN, describing a mutual exit and a desire to win that PFL jackpot: “It was an amicable separation with the UFC. Thiago is very grateful for everything the UFC did for him, and he’s very grateful toward the PFL for signing with him. He’s looking forward to winning a million dollars.”

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There may be a few big fights in the MMA sphere this week, but there’s a whole lot of other fun stuff out there in the world as well.

Being what can be described as a “Karate Magazine“, we’ve sort of neglected our duties in presenting more actual Karate or Karate-adjacent activities. This week, we aim to correct that.

We’ll start off with Daido Juku, which can be (and I’m slightly oversimplifying things here) a combination between Karate and Judo. The competition gets heated real quick. Here’s a compilation of highlights from last year that’s packed with a lot of action.

These cats go ham, even with the helmets. The takedowns and throws are a lot of fun. So much so, we’ve got this clip that exclusively showcases throws and takedowns:

Next, it’s more Sumo action courtesy of Chris Sumo. Here we have a competitor that was on the brink of demotion after being in the hole at 0-6 and roared back in a run that has to be seen to be believed.

And now for something completely different. Here’s the winning performance from the Chinese National Wushu Championships just last month:

While it’s not a direct 1 on 1 competition or sparring footage, it’s still impressive to see how this has remained revered and practiced with such reverence and dedication to this day.

Here’s the first place finish for competition with staff:

And here’s the winner of the Changquan (longfist) competition:

We’re back with more SlapFIGHT content, and here’s the Big Chungus division giving us what the people have been clamoring for – big meaty men slapping meat. Highlander and Frank the Tank went toe to toe and you won’t believe just how this shootout ends.

I don’t want to have to be one of the guys having to pick either guy up after that.

From London, a Capoeira session that is straight fire. Shot in 4K for maximum visual enjoyment. Simply lovely movement and tons of fun for all parties involved.

Finally, we have someone I’ve been following for some time now – Lawrence Kenshin. He’s been a striking analyst for years that puts a lot of love and effort into his breakdowns, and in this video he looks at the one and only Muay Thai phenom, Buakaw.

Specifically, what happens when he gets mad. You don’t want to make this man mad. Don’t believe me? Check this out:

And here’s one of his breakdowns of another Muay Thai boogeyman, Lerdsila. I’ve watched this like eight times now. Dazzling stuff.

Be sure to also check Lawrence out on Twitter as well as Instagram.

That’s it for this week, kids. Don’t let stress and despair take over if you have a chance to boogie. And remember – you might think you can fight, but there are many guys like you all over the world.

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Questions and storyline to watch for during the UFC 279 pay-per-view card

A much anticipated welterweight contest serves as the headliner for Saturday’s ESPN+ streaming UFC 279 pay-per-view fight card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In that contest, the heavily favored Khamzat Chimaev faces massive underdog Nate Diaz.

Chimaev, who is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the official UFC welterweight rankings, risks his spot in the promotional rankings and his perfect 11-0 record against a fighter in Diaz who has nothing to lose. This bout marks the last fight on the unranked Diaz’s contract with the UFC.

In the evening’s co-main event, former interim UFC lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson looks to end a four-fight losing skid, which dates back to May 2020, with a move up to welterweight. Ferguson does not have a simple task on his hands, as the UFC has matched Ferguson against Li Jingliang, who is the No. 14 ranked fighter in the division. Jingliang is coming off a July knockout win over Muslim Salikhov.

Ahead of the September 10, ESPN+ streaming PPV event, I look at the questions and storylines to follow on the main card of the UFC 279 fight card.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz – Does Diaz have one last surprise in his bag o’ tricks…. motherf—er?

It appears the UFC is doing the thing the UFC loves to do in the main event of UFC 279. That thing is send a fighter who is looking to explore free agency out with a loss. The promotion seems to think that doing so will hurt that fighter’s power to negotiate a favorable deal once they hit the free market. Even if Nate Diaz loses at UFC 279, I doubt very much it will hurt his ability to strike a deal that is to his liking.

Diaz has spent his 15 years with the UFC building goodwill with fight fans and becoming one of the most marketable fighters the promotion has ever had under its thumb. That the UFC would book Diaz, who is unranked in the welterweight division and 1-3 dating back to 2016 against the 11-0 Khamzat Chimaev, who is the No. 3 ranked fighter in the official UFC rankings, tells you just how desperate the UFC is to send Diaz out of the promotion with a detrimental defeat.

However, this is not the first fight the UFC gave Diaz that he was supposed to lose for the benefit of the promotion. One glaring example of that was UFC 196, where Diaz submitted Conor McGregor for the upset win. Which leads to the big question: does Nate Diaz have one last surprise in him… motherf—er?

Li Jingliang vs. Tony Ferguson – Can Ferguson beat time?

It’s rare that a fighter has to tell the media and the fans, “no, this fight is fair, makes sense and is not a squash match,” but that’s what Li Jingliang did when he pumped Tony Ferguson’s tires ahead of their UFC 279 matchup.

“For the people who say it like that — Tony Ferguson [has] four losses straight, never fought at welterweight — you forget who he is,” said Jingliang through an interpreter. “He is Tony Ferguson. You forgot all those people whose face got cut by Tony Ferguson. Amazing fighters were choked by him. You should give credit to him.

“I believe if you fight against him, you would know how hard [it is] to deal with a guy like ‘El Cucuy,’” continued Jingliang. “You shouldn’t forget those fighters like Tony, who is a pioneer in the sport. You should give him respect. We cannot see the very superficial things like the four losses straight, got knocked out. He had 12 wins straight before and fought a lot of hard opponents, so we cannot see things in that way.”

You know what? I’ll buy what Jingliang is selling here, but only to a point. MMA is an unforgiving sport and all signs show Ferguson has reached the point of diminishing returns where will, toughness and heart can’t overcome time. To make matters more worrisome in this matchup, Ferguson is moving to welterweight and facing a top-15 ranked fighter who is younger and who has earned his past four victories via knockout.

Frankly, the worst thing that could happen to Tony Ferguson here would be a win and the hope of a career revival that would come with that pyrrhic victory.

Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez – Who passes the test?

The circumstances of this fight aren’t ideal, but my feeling is fans will quickly forget those conditions when Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez meet in the center of the octagon at UFC 279.

Holland and Rodriguez were set to meet in 2020, but a Holland injury prevented that scrap from taking place. The UFC 279 matchup came together on short notice and Rodriguez has not fought — because of hand injuries — since he scored a unanimous decision win over Kevin Lee in August 2021.

These two have both battled opponents who have been on the downswing over their past few fights, so it’ll be interesting to see how they fare against a foe who is at about the same stage of their UFC career.

Holland has never dealt with someone as aggressive as Rodriguez. In fact, no one in the UFC, outside of his previous opponents, has dealt with someone as aggressive as Rodriguez. His 8.24 significant strikes landed per minute is an all-time UFC record.

Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson – Who will be ‘in the mix’ after UFC 279?

Irene Aldana had a chance to put her name in the mix for a bantamweight title shot in October 2020 when she faced Holly Holm in the main event of UFC Fight Island 4. She failed to win a single round of that fight on any of the scorecards.

When Aldana returned to action in July 2021, she referred to the Holm fight as her “worst performance ever.” Aldana bounced back from that loss with a first-round knockout win over Yana Kunitskaya. However, the victorious fighter came in at 139.5 for the bantamweight fight, which might have been one reason the UFC booked her at UFC 279 opposite Macy Chiasson and not against her requested opposition, UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.

With that being said, the UFC has not decided who Nunes will fight next. Because of that, this outing is an incredibly important matchup, especially for Aldana, who is the No. 4 ranked fighter in the official divisional rankings.

After two fights and more than a year away from the weight class, Macy Chiasson, who is the No. 10 ranked fighter as 135 pounds, returns to bantamweight. I don’t know the ins and outs of why she is dropping back to the division at UFC 279, but I know the move comes at the right time and this is the right matchup. She’s facing a fighter who is coming off a long layoff and who struggled on the scale in her last outing. There’s also the fact that Aldana has been mentioned as a potential title challenger. If Aldana has issues with weight or cage rust and Chiasson can capitalize on those difficulties, she will quickly become a player in the division.

Johnny Walker vs Ion Cutelaba – Who bounces back?

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to think UFC 279 could be the end of the line for Johnny Walker. I know that sounds crazy, but I think that’s the reality of the situation.

Between November 2018 and March 2019, Johnny Walker knocked out Khalil Rountree Jr. (0:15), Justin Ledet (1:57) and Misha Cirkunov (0:36). With that, the hype behind Walker was high. Since then, Walker has gone 1-4 with two knockout and two decision losses. Walker is currently the No. 13 ranked light heavyweight. If he loses to Ion Cutelaba, who is unranked and 1-3-1 in his past five outings, the best outcome Walker can hope for is that he’ll fall out of the official light heavyweight rankings.

Cutelaba is very good at getting his opponent to the mat — he ranks third among active light heavyweights in takedowns with 30 and first in takedown accuracy (active 205-pounders) at 62.5 percent. Walker struggled with the takedowns of Nikita Krylov, who is far less successful (35 percent) in his wrestling than Cutelaba.

This matchup is a tough one for Walker. If he reverts to his wild style of the past, he could open himself up for takedowns. However, if he goes with the more reserved style he has employed in his past two fights, he could also be susceptible to takedowns. It’s going to be very interesting to see how Walker and his team at SBG Ireland have prepared for this incredibly important fight.

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The one-time title challenger suffered a setback at UFC Paris. 

Marvin Vettori has vowed to return stronger after his loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Paris this past Saturday.

Vettori was soundly defeated by Whittaker, the former UFC middleweight champion who continues to stave off challenges from the rest of the division. Though the ‘Italian Dream’ fell short against the ‘Reaper,’ he has promised to go forward and pursue his dream of becoming a UFC champion.

“Starting from Mezzocorona and getting to the top of the MMA world didn’t happen overnight,” wrote Vettori in Italian on Instagram. “Against all odds and working steadily over the years, many have been passionate about and inspired by my career, where my determination has always prevailed. For this, I thank you from first to last. What you’ve seen so far is not the top of the mountain. We will climb back to conquer higher peaks. It’s a promise.

“This game ain’t for the faint of heart,” continued Vettori. “We got big shoulders, and we don’t quit. There is just one way and that is forward. I promise everyone I’ll be back better than ever. Hat off to Whittaker, good execution and good adjustments. Nothing changes, we are gonna be champion one day. I promise you that.”

Vettori earned a championship opportunity after five consecutive wins, which included decisions against fellow contenders in Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland at UFC Vegas 16 and UFC Vegas 23, respectively. He shared the Octagon with Israel Adesanya, the man he previously lost to by split decision at UFC on FOX 29 over four years ago. Fast forward to UFC 263, and the ‘Last Stylebender’ emerged victorious once again, this time by unanimous decision for his third successful defense.

The Kings MMA product then moved from middleweight to light heavyweight for a fight with Paulo Costa, who he defeated by unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 41 this past October.

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The former politician challenged the former prime minister during an appearance at the O2 Arena for KSI’s boxing event.

Nigel Farage has called out Boris Johnson for a boxing match, adding that he can “deal” with the disgraced former prime minister.

Speaking at the O2 Arena following KSI’s boxing match against rapper Swarmz on Aug. 27, 2022, the former leader of the Brexit Party suggested he could be tempted to face Johnson in the boxing ring in the foreseeable future.

“Boris, if you’re listening now, let’s do it,” Farage said.

The controversial politician, who described himself as a “big boxing fan,” later took to TikTok to add: “Was that heat of the moment? Or Boris, are you up for it?”

Johnson, whose administration collapsed in scandal, was replaced by Liz Truss as prime minister earlier this week.

Farage also emphasized his respect for influencers like KSI, whom he believes have the platforms to counter so-called “left-wing propaganda” in the United Kingdom.

“I’m guessing that virtually nobody in the Westminster media or politics will have spotted it, but, these influencers like KSI, followed by millions and millions of people are actually providing pretty good role models to our young people,” Farage said. “They are a counter to the left-wing propaganda that is being fed to our youngsters through our schools and our universities. It was for me a really fascinating, transformative moment. I’ve seen out there that there is a big upwelling of millions of young people that are quite patriotic, quite decent. Something really, really interesting is going on here.

“Politically, there are millions of young people that will be voting in the next general election, and the one after, and these influencers could have a major impact on millions and millions of votes.”

Farage’s challenge to Johnson isn’t the only way that he has attempted to stay relevant in British politics. The former UKip and Brexit party leader recently launched “Farage Gin,” an “artisan distillery in the heart of Cornwall.”

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The former featherweight king grabbed $ 400k in a losing effort to Merab Dvalishvili, while Edwards had a guaranteed purse of $ 350k for his win over Kamaru Usman.

UFC 278 took place in Salt Lake City, UT back on August 20th. As it turns out, Utah is one of the few states remaining that publicly releases fighter pay info from combat sports events (even if it sounds like MMA Fighting’s Steven Marrocco had to go through a struggle to get it). That means fight fans get an increasingly rare look at the current UFC salary numbers for some of the promotion’s most and least notable talents.

Unsurprisingly, Kamaru Usman walked away as the night’s biggest earner with his $ 500,000 guaranteed champion’s purse. Coming in second, however, wasn’t Leon Edwards (who made $ 350,000 guaranteed for his title winning performance). Rather it was former featherweight king Jose Aldo, who pocketed a cool $ 400,000 in a loss to Merab Dvalishvili. Marcin Tybura, Luke Rockhold, and Merab Dvalishvili all clocked in around $ 200k for their efforts. All told, the UFC paid out $ 2,740,000 in officially reported salaries and bonuses.

Here’s a look at the complete UFC 278 show/win purse numbers* as provided by the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission and reported by MMA Fighting.

Leon Edwards – $ 350,000 (no win bonus) + $ 50k POTN bonus
Kamaru Usman – $ 500,000

Paulo Costa – $ 130,000 ($ 65,000/$ 65,000 show/win) + $ 50k FOTN bonus
Luke Rockhold – $ 200,000 + $ 50k FOTN bonus

Merab Dvalishvili – $ 198,000 ($ 99,000/$ 99,000 show/win)
Jose Aldo – $ 400,000

Lucie Pudilova – $ 46,000 ($ 23,000/$ 23,000 show/win)
Wu Yanan – $ 20,000

Tyson Pedro – $ 86,000 ($ 43,000/$ 43,000 show/win)
Harry Hunsucker – $ 12,000

Marcin Tybura – $ 240,000 ($ 120,000/$ 120,000 show/win)
Alexandr Romanov – $ 36,000

Jared Gordon – $ 94,000 ($ 47,000/$ 47,000 show/win)
Leonardo Santos – $ 44,000

Sean Woodson – $ 24,000
Luis Saldana – $ 14,000

Ange Loosa – $ 24,000 ($ 12,000/$ 12,000 show/win)
A.J. Fletcher – $ 10,000

Amir Albazi – $ 32,000 ($ 16,000/$ 16,000 show/win)
Francisco Figueiredo – $ 14,000

Aoriqileng – $ 24,000 ($ 12,000/$ 12,000 show/win)
Jay Perrin – $ 12,000

Victor Altamirano – $ 20,000 ($ 10,000/$ 10,000 show/win) + $ 50k POTN bonus
Daniel Lacerda – $ 10,000

*As always these number represent only the guaranteed purse money reported by the UFC to the athletic commission. These numbers do not include any side notes, locker room bonuses, PPV percentages, taxes, fees, fines, or any other potential event revenue or expenses.

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Dana White and Nate Diaz almost got into a fight in 2014.

UFC president Dana White confirmed on Tuesday that he almost got into a fight with Nate Diaz after the latter claimed he ‘almost beat Dana up’ at a nightclub in 2014.

White didn’t go into specifics but admitted that he and Nate almost came to blows after the two got into a heated argument while drinking at a club.

“Allegedly,” a smiling White said when asked about his near-altercation with Diaz (h/t MMA Fighting). “Allegedly. We were drinking.”

“Does anybody else have any other questions?” White added with a chuckle.

Diaz went into a bit more detail during his interview with ESPN, revealing the two started arguing after Diaz requested more money and better fights.

“I almost beat up Dana White in a club one time here too, you should’ve seen it,” Diaz said with a laugh. “He was talking s***. … You should ask him. He was talking s*** and I was arguing with him. I was mad at him — I shouldn’t have been mad at him, I understand.

“It was a long time ago, when Gilbert [Melendez] did The Ultimate Fighter [20]. … Everybody had gotten off the show and then we went to the club when Dana and them were having a big afterparty, and then Dana’s all [intoxicated]. He’s all, ‘What’s up, motherf*****?’

“I was like, what’s up? And he’s telling me about, ‘What do you want?’ I was like, ‘What the f*** do you think I want? More money and more f****** better fights than everyone here.’ It’s because I was never on the destination [path] for a title though, at the time.”

Diaz got his wish two years later at UFC 196, taking on Conor McGregor on short notice and submitting the Irishman with a rear-naked choke in the second round. The win vaulted Diaz into stardom and saw The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner go from cult hero to overnight superstar.

Diaz returns to action this Saturday at UFC 279 where he takes on surging welterweight Khamzat Chimaev in a five-round, non-title fight main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Watch the full countdown show for UFC 279.

UFC has released their trademark Countdown special to promote the upcoming UFC 279 pay-per-view event. The card will feature a welterweight grudge match on top, with rising star Khamzat Chimaev taking on veteran Nate Diaz in what be Diaz’s swansong in the UFC.

Watch the full episode of Countdown to UFC 279, which previews the main event and co-main welterweight bout between Tony Ferguson and Li Jingliang.

You can check out the current card for the PPV, which goes down Saturday, September 10th in Vegas below.

Main Card (ESPN+ PPV)

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz

Tony Ferguson vs. Li Jingliang

Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Irene Aldana vs. Macy Chiasson

Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba

Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)

Hakeem Dawodu vs. Julian Erosa

Jamie Pickett vs. Denis Tiuliulin

Jake Collier vs. Chris Barnett

Norma Dumont vs. Danyelle Wolf

Fight Pass Card (ESPN/ESPN+/Fight Pass)

Alateng Heili vs. Chad Anheilger

Elise Reed vs. Melissa Martinez

Darian weeks vs. Yohan Lainesse

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The former heavyweight boxing champion also claimed US media stole his “freedom of speech.”

Mike Tyson is not a fan of discussing politics in a public setting.

During a recent interview with Newsmax, the former heavyweight boxing champion was asked to comment on Florida governor Ron DeSantis since Tyson resides in the state. The former champ dodged the question and reiterated his determination not to express his political views publicly, claiming that “my family gets mad, my friends get mad when we talk politics.”

“Listen, if I start talking politics, my friends aren’t going to like me,” Tyson said. “Let’s just not do that, OK? Let’s just not do that.”

Tyson, who previously endorsed Donald Trump for president of the United States in 2015, claimed that he used to share his political perspectives until he received a “beating” from U.S. media. “They stole my freedom of speech,” Tyson said.

Despite not wanting to get into a political discussion, Tyson was willing to present an honest admission of his current political leaning, noting that he is getting more conservative with time.

“When I was younger, I was all-out liberal. But as I get older, and I look at my children, and I see what’s out there in the world, I get a little conservative.

“It’s common sense, looking at the world we have now. You want safety.”

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Khamzat Chimaev will move up in weight if he can’t get a title shot at welterweight.

Khamzat Chimaev is willing to move up in weight if he can’t get a title shot at welterweight with a victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 279.

The undefeated Chechnan understands the UFC will likely book a trilogy between Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman no matter the result on Saturday. And If that’s the case, he’s happy to move back up to middleweight.

Chimaev, 2-0 at middleweight, will look to fight the winner of Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira for the 185-pound title should the UFC decide to book an Edwards vs. Usman trilogy after his fight against Diaz at the weekend.

“If they want to do it, for me no problem,” Chimaev (11-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) told ESPN of Edwards vs. Usman 3 (h/t MMA Junkie). “I’m gonna take some other fight, and we will see what’s happening. Maybe Israel Adesanya or the other guy, Pereira. Who wins that, maybe fight with them. I don’t know.”

Chimaev hasn’t fought at middleweight since 2020 when he knocked out Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 178. Since then, he has made a name for himself at welterweight, notching back-to-back victories over Li Jingliang and former title challenger Gilbert Burns, beating the latter in a Fight of the Night at UFC 273.

UFC 279: Chimaev vs. Diaz takes place this Saturday, Sept. 10, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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