Brendan Loughnane and Kai Kamaka III will square off in the PFL 9 main event. | PFL
MMA Fighting has PFL 9 results for the Loughnane vs. Kamaka III fight card and more from The Anthem in Washington, D.C., on Friday night.
In the main event, 2022 PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane faces Kai Kamaka III for a berth into this year’s $ 1 million featherweight final. Loughnane is undefeated with two knockouts in the 2024 season, while UFC veteran Kamaka is 2-0 with two decisions.
Magomed Umalatov and Neiman Gracie face off in a welterweight semifinal in the co-main event.
Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images
Former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev appeared to avoid any serious injuries after a scary car accident took place in his native Dagestan on Thursday.
Numerous Russian outlets reported that the 24-year-old fighter was involved an accident after his Mercedes-AMG A 35 AMG lost control and he ended up in a ditch. Mokaev later updated his condition along with photos of his car after the accident.
“Alhamdulillah, I’m well, out from hospital,” Mokaev wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for the support! I have been tested on high level at this stage of my career and I will be back stronger. InshaAllah!”
Alhamdulillah I’m well, out from hospital Thank u for the support!❤️
I have been tested on high level at this stage of my career and I will be back stronger InshaAllah! pic.twitter.com/FGmkOALgz5
— Muhammad Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev) August 22, 2024
There’s no word on what actually caused the accident but a quick look at the photos posted by Mokaev reveal the serious nature of the crash. It appears several cars were actually involved with the hood from one vehicle being completely ripped off.
BREAKING: Muhammad Mokaev involved in car crash in Dagestan
According to multiple reports from Russian media outlets, former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev has been involved in a car accident in Dagestan. Mokaev was reportedly driving his Mercedes-AMG A 35 AMG, but lost control… pic.twitter.com/j3dDuBS5f2
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 22, 2024
Mokaev’s car sustained a lot of damage as well but it appears he walked away without suffering any serious injuries.
Of course, Mokaev is just a few weeks removed from his final fight in the UFC where he earned a decision win over Manel Kape at UFC 304. Despite winning, the UFC opted not to renew his contract and ultimately he entered free agency to begin looking for a new fighting home.
Mokaev recently hinted that he may have struck a deal to continue his fighting career outside the UFC but he hasn’t made any formal announcement about where he’s competing next.
For now, Mokaev looks to rest up following the harrowing accident in Dagestan that left his car banged up but thankfully didn’t end with him suffering any major injuries.
Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III will square off Saturday night. | Photo by Medios y Media/Getty Images
The Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight card will feature 12 fights at the Arena CDMX on Saturday night in Mexico City, Mexico.
Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather will step into the ring against John Gotti III in an exhibition rematch. The last time Mayweather and Gotti III a massive brawl broke out after the fight was stopped in the sixth round.
Former champions Victor Ortiz and Rodrigo Damian Coria will also clash in an exhibition fight.
Get the Mayweather vs. Gotti III fight card below.
Renan Ferreira warns Francis Ngannou that his return to mixed martial arts could end up badly for him if he’s not fully committed and focused on the sport, dividing his attention between MMA and a potential return to boxing in the future.
The former UFC heavyweight champion shocked the world in his boxing debut against Tyson Fury in late 2023, putting on an impressive performance in a split decision loss to “The Gypsy King,” but then lost via second-round knockout to Anthony Joshua this past March.
Ferreira brutalized Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds in a champion vs. champion clash between PFL and Bellator stars earlier this year to win the ticket to welcome Ngannou to PFL, and they will face off Oct. 19 in Saudi Arabia.
“Francis is going through a rough year, but [the task] is even tougher ahead of him,” Ferreira said at Thursday’s PFL press conference in Washington. “He knows he has a big problem ahead of him that will be very hard to solve.”
Ferreira said he’s followed Ngannou’s career for a long time and has been preparing to face someone like him “my whole life.” The Brazilian talent will enter the cage riding a four-fight knockout streak. Ngannou hasn’t competed in MMA since his final UFC appearance in January 2022, when he defended his UFC title against Ciryl Gane.
“It’s a long time away from the cages, and it’s completely different [from boxing],” Ferreira said. “Francis has done boxing matches and it’s a whole different game so I think he will feel the difference, but he’s a warrior. It’s going to be difficult for him on the feet, and in the grappling area, because he knows I can either knock him out or submit him at any moment.
“Many things can happen, but I know Francis is a big champion and is definitely taking this next fight seriously. If his head is not 100 percent on this fight, he has a big problem ahead of him.”
Ferreira said he never doubted that he would be the one to welcome Ngannou to the PFL cage, and used the extra time to enjoy some time with his family and sharpen his tools.
With Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall holds heavyweight belts currently in the UFC, and Ferreira ending 2023 as the division king in PFL, the Brazilian feels that his clash with “The Predator” defines who’s the No. 1 heavyweight in the world today.
“This is the most anticipated fight of the year, two great heavyweights with similar styles, who move forward for the knockout,” Ferreira said. “So this is definitely going to be a great fight and will definitely define who’s the world’s best heavyweight.”
The PFL 9 weigh-in video features all 20 fighters set to compete on Friday’s card at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.
The fight card features semifinal matchups for the featherweight and welterweight divisions as fighters vie for their chance to compete in the championship event for the chance to win $ 1 million.
In the main event, past featherweight season winner Brendan Loughnane faces UFC veteran Kai Kamaka III. Both fighters have to hit the 146-pound limit for a non-title fight.
For co-main event competitors Magomed Umalatov and Neiman Gracie, both semifinalists will have to hit the 171-pound welterweight limit for a non-title fight.
The PFL 9 ceremonial weigh-ins kick off at 6 p.m. ET. Watch a live stream above.
Official PFL 9 weigh-ins took place Thursday morning.
See official results below.
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Brendan Loughnane (146) vs. Kai Kamaka III (145.6)
Magomed Umalatov (170.6) vs. Neiman Gracie (170)
Gabriel Braga (146) vs. Timur Khizriev (145.8)
Shamil Musaev (170.2) vs. Murad Ramazanov (171)
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Ray Cooper III vs. Mukhamed Berkhamov
Eric Alequin vs. Luca Poclit
Tyler Diamond (145.6) vs. Enrique Barzola (145.4)
Jesse Stirn (145.6) vs. Jose Perez (145.3)
Maxwell Djantou Nana (263.8) vs. Kent Mafileo (248)
Shido Boris Esperanca (170.8) vs. Tyler Hill (171)
Francis Ngannou knows how the game works, especially when it comes to Dana White.
Now that he’s preparing for his PFL debut, which comes more than a year after he passed on a lucrative offer to stay with the UFC and test free agency, the former heavyweight champion understands that his former boss can create whatever story he wants about avoiding a potential fight against Jon Jones.
Following the most recent edition of The Contender Series, White put the blame on Ngannou as he responded to a question about that potential matchup when he claimed “you can’t make people fight and we couldn’t make Francis fight [Jon Jones].”
On Thursday during a pre-fight press conference to promote his fight against Renan Ferreira in October, Ngannou smiled when asked about White saying that he was the one who prevented a fight against Jones from happening.
“I think that’s the new narrative since he needs to say something either way,” Ngannou said. “As far as I’m concerned, it was Jon Jones that didn’t want to fight me — according to them. So many times we sit down on the meeting, [they said] ‘oh it can’t happen, Jon Jones doesn’t want to fight anymore. He’s living in Albuquerque, he’s living his small life, he has a lot of money in his bank account.’
“I think the guy who controls the narrative can say whatever he wants. But that’s just the narrative.”
While he openly pursued the fight against Jones going back several years, Ngannou admits that the only way he would have turned down that potential matchup was if that became a condition of his negotiations with the UFC.
Prior to leaving the company, Ngannou made it clear he was seeking some concessions in his contract to allow him more freedom to pursue outside interests like the boxing matches he eventually landed with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou also sought other conditions beyond just money that eventually led to him leaving the heavyweight title behind when he exited the UFC.
Looking back now, the 37-year-old Cameroon native doesn’t have any regrets but he can promise that he never just passed on Jones as an opponent simply because he was desperately trying to avoid that fight.
“I was the one requesting the Jon Jones fight but I didn’t want [to get trapped] into some deal and get to something that I didn’t want. I wanted things to be straight and square. So yes, I wanted to fight Jon Jones but in good conditions. Not just to fight to be paid out.”
At the PFL Battle of the Giants press conference, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira will answer questions from the media on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
The press conference is set to be hosted by Jake Paul.
The PFL Battle of the Giants press conference is expected to begin at 1 p.m. ET.
UFC 305 is officially in the books, and Dricus du Plessis is still the UFC middleweight champion after submitting former two-time champ Israel Adesanya in the fourth round. While du Plessis continues to surge, Adesanya has now dropped three of four. What does the future look like for both fighters following their battle in Perth?
On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel discusses the fallout of du Plessis’ big win, how long his reign might last, and where Adesanya goes from here. Additionally, topics include the rest of the UFC 305 storylines, Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree headlining UFC 307, Dana White saying he should get the blame for the Francis Ngannou scrub from the UFC 305 Countdown show, White saying he adamantly believes Jon Jones will fight Tom Aspinall if he beats Stipe Miocic, and more.
Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between #MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew and Eric Jackman.
Watch the show live at Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT in the video above.
If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.
Sean Strickland doesn’t see his former opponent going back down to middleweight.
Following Dricus du Plessis’ successful title defense over Israel Adesanya this past Saturday at UFC 305, current light heavyweight champion — and former middleweight champ — Alex Pereira sent a warning to du Plessis, declaring he was “coming down to 185 one more time.”
Strickland, who was knocked out by Pereira at UFC 276 and is expected to be du Plessis’ next opponent in a rematch, doesn’t see “Poatan” making the drop back down.
“Alex’s big ass ain’t going back down to 185, dude,” Strickland told ESPN. “As a welterweight that moved up to 185, once you get used to that weight class, the thought of going back down sounds f*cking miserable.
“I think Alex should fight [du Plessis] at 205 [pounds] any day of the week.”
Pereira has his next fight booked as he’s scheduled to defend his title against Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307 on Oct. 5 in Salt Lake City.
As far as Strickland’s opinion on Pereira attempting to go back down to 185 pounds, he cites Pereira’s final middleweight cut — one he got to see portions of firsthand — as a big road block.
“I remember seeing Alex for his last fight [at 185 pounds] in the back room, and dude, he looked like f*cking death,” Strickland said. “Like, when he last [cut to] middleweight, I walked through to say hi to him, and dude, he just looked like f*cking death, like to the point where I’m like, ‘Man, this ain’t good for you, dude. Go up.’
“So I think at 205 he’d [fight du Plessis] in a heartbeat, but [185] man, I can’t see him doing that. Luckily for us.”
Ilia Topuria’s confidence has only grown since he became the UFC featherweight champion.
In his first title defense, Topuria will be met with one of the toughest challengers imaginable. At UFC 308 on Oct. 26, Topuria attempts to take out the division’s former champion and current BMF champion Max Holloway in an expected battle for the ages.
If that isn’t your most-anticipated fight currently booked, please explain yourself in the comments below. After Holloway’s stunningly epic lightweight performance to capture the BMF crown against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, the proud Hawaiian could have been “Blessed” with a heavyweight title shot and fans would believe he’d have a shot to win.
Unfortunately for Topuria, his request to have both belts on the line in this upcoming matchup was not met by the promotion.
“No, the BMF title is not going to be on the line,” Topuria told MMA Junkie. “To be honest, I don’t care. They took that decision, and at the end of the day, it’s like, when I’m going to beat him he can’t say he’s a BMF or however they want to call him. I’m just concentrating on my title defense and that’s it. I don’t care about anything else.”
Topuria shocked the world when he fulfilled his self-proposed prophecy by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in round two of UFC 298’s main event in February. We knew the undefeated 15-0 “Matador” was a legitimately elite 145-pound fighter. Doing what he did to “The Great” featherweight legend was still a sight to behold regardless.
Against Holloway, Topuria is expecting an even better performance out of himself, which simply seems impossible, all things considered. Holloway, 32, has fought some of the greatest fighters in and out of his weight class throughout his 33-fight career (26-7) and hadn’t suffered a knockdown until the aforementioned last fight against Gaethje.
Despite that, the 27-year-old champion believes all he needs is one to get it done.
“No doubt about that,” Topuria said of his knockout prediction. “What makes me so excited about this fight is that no one could knock him out. There’s no way I’m not going to knock him out. I will be the first one to knock him out because every time I watch him fight I’m like, ‘I’m way better than him.’ If you put me with him in kickboxing or boxing, even in a chess match, I beat him. Whatever you want to do, boy, I can beat you.
“I respect Max Holloway. He’s been a great fighter. He gave us great fights. He seems to be a good person. I respect him. But I don’t know, I feel like I’m way better than him everywhere. It’s going to be a complete masterpiece. You will see. I will knock him out in the first round. There is no doubts about that. It’s going to be much easier than with Volkanovski, because I considered Volkanovski is way more difficult matchup for me, and he beat that guy three times.”
TOP STORIES
Beef. Ronda Rousey felt she had to save women’s MMA, no one wanted to watch ‘that cheating ass b*tch’ Cris Cyborg; Cyborg responds
Backlash. Dana White calls Merab Dvalishvili ‘next-level stupid’ for posting cut picture before UFC 306
Take. Sean Strickland shares his ‘unpopular opinion’ on Israel Adesanya: ‘Izzy’s not that f*cking good’
Accountability. Dana White takes full responsibility for Francis Ngannou scrubbing from UFC 305 video: ‘Blame me for that’
Locked. Chad Mendes still under UFC contract, cites condition for potential return
Onward. Dan Hooker says UFC targeting Charles Oliveira matchup next: ‘That’s a good fight’
LET’S WATCH
No commentary.
Full fights.
PFL Fight Week.
Belal’s celebration tour.
Chandler loves water.
Subs with Craig.
Fancy Shoulder Ripper.
LISTEN UP
No Bets Barred. MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew talks changing of the guard at UFC Vegas 96, plus a major announcement.
MORNING MUSIC
We always vibe for new Wallice around here.
Go to Twitter, use the #MorningReport hashtag, or find one of my tweets with it, and drop me a jam you’re currently really into. I’ll pick the best one alongside my daily choice and give you a shoutout! You can also share in the comments below — those are just harder to sift through sometimes!
This month’s full playlist:
SOCIAL SCROLL DOWN
Rivalry renewed.
Ronda Rousey says she felt a responsibility to save women’s MMA:
“When [Gina Carano] was gone, Cris Cyborg’s pumped to the f*cking gills with steroids. No one wants to watch that cheating ass bitch. Everything just tanked. The division was dying”https://t.co/mZ99HzmLxO
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) August 21, 2024
does @RondaRousey realize she only has 8 fights in the ufc and only won 75% of them?!
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) August 21, 2024
I have had a 19 year career, 17 world title fights, lost and didn’t quit.
The idea she saved a sport is goofy.
Calling me a Bitch when there’s no fight to promote is funny.
I just saw her mom and sister at the boxing fights in LA and they were nothin mg short of polite…
— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) August 21, 2024
Backup…
Mirebs 2 biggest moments of his career. 1. I let him hold my jacket. 2. He gets a cut before he fights me
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) August 21, 2024
Umnar wax that unibrow just in case merat pulls out.
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) August 21, 2024
Media day.
#UFCVegas96 Media Day is a WRAP pic.twitter.com/otpZvZuLbN
— UFC (@ufc) August 22, 2024
Reaction.
Very interesting strategy… don’t think anyone of us ever witnessed such a detailed game plan But frfr the insults, as if shit don’t happen in training ALL the time, was a bit excessive. Merab will be there. Old scar tissue breaks easily. It happens more often than ppl realize https://t.co/aWD0uPrrdZ
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) August 22, 2024
Normal.
MMA fighter sucker punched his opponent after the referee raised the wrong hand pic.twitter.com/CY2Zrp0Shz
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 22, 2024
Just Angie.
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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thomas Almeida (22-5) vs. Taylor Moore (12-8); Art of Scrap 9, Sept. 14
I am so ready for Topuria vs. Holloway that it isn’t even funny. It should be illegal to have as wide of a gap between Max’s last fight and this one.
Thanks for reading!
EXIT POLL
If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.
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