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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Michel Pereira and Anthony Hernandez might not be the first names that come to mind when you think “future title challenger,” but that’s exactly what the UFC Vegas 99 main event winner could be after Saturday.

“Demolidor”—currently holding on to the No. 15 spot at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings—has evolved into a legitimate contender after beginning his UFC career as an oddity. Following a run at welterweight that was foiled more by the scale than his opposition, Pereira made the shrewd decision to move to middleweight where he’s racked up three straight finishes. He faces his toughest challenge in the division yet, though, with Hernandez having won five straight fights.

Since a disappointing knockout loss to Kevin Holland, Hernandez has racked up a series of strong performances, including a stunning submission of grappling ace Rodolfo Vieira, and a streak-busting win over Roman Kopylov in his most recent appearance. “Fluffy” has been saying all the right things about wanting to take on a champion someday and he’s working his way to that opportunity one win at a time.

Not only is Pereira vs. Hernandez unlikely to disappoint from an action standpoint, but we’ll also find out how close either man is to joining the middleweight elite.

In other main card action, Rob Font looks to snap a skid and the three-fight win streak of Kyler Phillips, Charles Johnson is out to prove he’s a player at 125 pounds as he fights Sumudaerji, Jake Hadley takes on short-notice replacement Cameron Smotherman, and Darren Elkins meets Daniel Pineda in a battle of featherweight veterans.

What: UFC Vegas 99

Where: UFC APEX in Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The six-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a five-fight main card at 7 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)

Michel Pereira (15) vs. Anthony Hernandez

Michel Pereira’s plans for world domination are going swimmingly.

First, he dialed back his one-of-a-kind fighting style, going from full-on jazz odyssey every time he went out there to a more technical and, yes, winning approach.

Second, he saved himself an extra 15 pounds of weight cutting by moving to middleweight, which is where he belongs at this stage of his career. Dude is massive.

Third, and most importantly, bring back some of the craziness while still adhering to the more mature tactics that have put you on a career-best eight-fight win streak.

It’s almost too simple.

Anthony Hernandez has the style needed to ruin Pereira’s unlikely championship charge, with a deep reserve of wrestling and grappling techniques in his arsenal. He knows he has to take Pereira down to win, it’s just a matter of executing. We have seen Pereira fall prey to a wrestling-heavy attack before, but that was a bizarre fight against Tristan Connelly in which we clearly didn’t get the best version of “Demolidor,” so I wouldn’t use that as a strong point of comparison.

If Hernandez can take this fight to the championship rounds, Pereira’s cardio might not be up to snuff, so that’s another factor to consider. But I like Pereira’s chances of keeping the fight standing and scoring a knockout before Round 4.

Pick: Pereira

Rob Font (14) vs. Kyler Phillips

Saturday’s main event isn’t the only fight with title contender implications.

Kyler Phillips has been a sleeper at 135 pounds for some time now, his rise to the top only hindered by inactivity and a narrow decision loss. Otherwise, Phillips just needs more quality wins to continue building his résumé. Pedro Munhoz and Song Yadong were good ones, and Rob Font could be the most important victory yet.

That’s not to say Font is a walk-over for Phillips. If Font is a gatekeeper, he’s one of the best, as evidenced by his having gone five rounds with names like Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and Marlon Vera. All losses, but all fights in which Font’s opponent had to work hard to get by.

The same will be true of Phillips, who has to put forth a career-best effort to avoid losing momentum. Both of these fighters are outstanding technical strikers, with Phillips having the slight edge in activity, speed, and agility. He can’t let up for a second, because all it takes is a couple of mistakes for Font to steal rounds and cause Phillips’ night to end in disappointment.

Phillips keeps it together and wins a decision.

Pick: Phillips

Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji

Charles Johnson has shown some great hands during this unexpected three-fight win streak, but it’s his versatility that could be the difference against Sumudaerji. “The Tibetan Eagle” has proven susceptible to submissions throughout his career and if Johnson wants to make it four in a row, he should be sure to include takedowns in his game plan.

Sumudaerji is a threat on the feet and if he hurts Johnson early, it could be a long—or even worse, short—night for “InnerG.” The length of Sumudaerji is one of his strengths and if he controls distance, he’ll work his way to a decision win.

But his defensive shortcomings are too significant to ignore, so I’m actually picking Johnson to catch him on the feet sometime after the opening five minutes. From there, Johnson will find an opening to grapple, either wrestling Sumudaerji down or scrambling to take his back. A choke and a tap are soon to follow.

Pick: Johnson

Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman

If you’ve never seen Cameron Smotherman fight before, the strategy to foil him is pretty clear so far: Take this dude down.

That’s not to say that Smotherman isn’t capable on the ground—in fact, he’s difficult to attack even if put on his back—but you’re much better off wrestling with him there than trading shots on the feet. “The Baby-Faced Killer” is a speedy and accurate striker, always looking for an opening and a threat to finish for all 15 minutes. He could have Jake Hadley on skates early if Hadley isn’t careful.

Fortunately for Hadley, he’s got good hands, too, and Smotherman isn’t always the most defensively responsible fighter. Add in Hadley’s potential to take Smotherman down and he has a clear path to victory so long as he doesn’t freelance too much on the feet.

I have Hadley winning a decision after a tense three rounds, but Smotherman is an exciting addition to the roster and I look forward to his next fight when he has a full training camp.

Pick: Hadley

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

Combined, Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda have 41 UFC appearances and 86 pro bouts overall. To put it lightly, they’ve been through it.

It was only a matter of time until these two faced off and the only complaint one can have is that it’s taking place at the APEX as opposed to being witnessed live by thousands of appreciative fans. It’s just weird to think about how Elkins and Pineda clawed their way up from fighting in local bars to competing at packed venues and now back to an empty building.

Sigh.

None of that matters once the cage door shuts and these fighters rush headfirst into a scrap. How does one even begin to break this one down? It’s not as if Elkins and Pineda are devoid of technique, it’s just that they’re quick to throw it out the window once the poop hits the fan. And it definitely will.

I see the grappling game being dead even here, so they’re going to have to slug it out, and in that scenario I favor “The Damage.” He might not put Pineda down for the count, but he’ll do enough to win a decision in a bout that will likely see both warriors bloody and battered by the end.

Pick: Elkins

Preliminaries

Asu Almabayev (15) def. Matheus Nicolau (13)

Brad Katona def. Jean Matsumoto

Tamires Vidal def. Joselyne Edwards

Jessica Penne def. Elise Reed

Melissa Martinez def. Alice Ardelean

Robelis Despaigne def. Austen Lane

MMA Fighting – All Posts

UFC Fight Night takes place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

In the main event, ranked middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira will clash. While in the co-main event, Rob Font will face Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight matchup. 

There was just one weight miss at the weigh-ins, with Joselyne Edwards missing the bantamweight limit by 3.5 pounds. 

Make sure to catch all the UFC Fight Night results and highlights as they happen below! 

Main Card (ESPN+, 7PM ET): 

• Middleweight Main Event: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira  

• Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips 

• Flyweight: Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji  

• Bantamweight: Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman  

• Featherweight: Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda 

Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 4PM ET): 

• Flyweight: Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev  

• Bantamweight: Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto  

• Women’s Bantamweight: Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal  

• Women’s Strawweight: Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed  

• Women’s Strawweight: Melissa Martinez vs. Alice Ardelean  

• Heavyweight: Austen Lane vs. Robelis Despaigne  

Continue Reading UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira Results & Highlights (4 PM ET)  at MMA News.

MMA News

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Francis Ngannou’s return to mixed martial arts is here.

After leaving the UFC, vacating the promotion’s heavyweight title, signing with the PFL, having two pro boxing matches against two of the biggest names in the sweet science, Ngannou faces knockout artist Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL’s Battle of the Giants on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

It’s no secret that Ngannou is dealing with a lot heading into this one, and while both fighters seemed respectful and Bull Durham-like in the build, things got heated up in the final faceoff — giving this fight an extra (and, frankly, well-needed) boost.

In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg battles Larissa Pacheco, while Johnny Eblen battles Fabian Edwards in a rematch. The other big main card highlight is a lightweight tilt between former Bellator champ A.J. McKee and Paul Hughes.

What: PFL Super Fights PPV: Battle of the Giants

Where: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The four-fight preliminary card begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN, followed by a five-fight main card at 4 p.m. ET also on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Francis Ngannou should win this fight, and I think he will, but there’s a reason a lot of people believe Renan Ferreira is a darling dog.

Momentum in combat sports is huge, and if we’re looking at this through a down-the-middle lens, Ferreira has it after obliterating Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in seconds at PFL vs. Bellator. Ngannou has a lot of pressure heading into this fight, with the lineal heavyweight champ talk, the layoff, the two-fight trip into boxing, the PFL’s investment in him, not to mention what this fight means to him on a personal level.

Could the monster Ferreria find Ngannou’s chin with a big shot? Very, very possible. But when it comes to MMA, Ngannou is a sponge when it comes to game plans and execution. I actually see Ngannou getting a takedown or two in this fight, and eventually, landing some big shots on the floor in Round 2 to have a feel-good moment.

Question is: Does he return to the boxing ring after?

Pick: Francis Ngannou

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

This is a tremendous matchup on paper, but the road to it has been a weird one, hasn’t it?

It doesn’t seem like the transition from Bellator to PFLator for Cyborg has been all that pleasant if you’ve been following her on social media since the merger. She’s also only had two fights in MMA since April 2022, including a rematch with Arlene Blencowe that nobody asked for, and a straight destruction of Cat Zingano. But for the first time since she faced Amanda Nunes, Cyborg finds herself in a fight that seems it could go either way.

Pacheco has been outstanding — winning 10 fights in a row, a couple of $ 1 million checks, and is the only fighter on the planet to beat Kayla Harrison. While that’s a spectacular win on her résumé, I still don’t truly know how good Pacheco is, and while Cyborg doesn’t have her fastball anymore, she’s still a pretty damn good fist-fighter.

I’m not confident, most notably because Cyborg doesn’t seem all that thrilled to be a part of this fight week through my curious lens, but since I view this as a 50-50 fight, I’m leaning towards experience and accomplishment. Cyborg by decision is the pick and, what I predict, will be the first of multiple fights between the two.

Pick: Cris Cyborg

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

In my opinion, this is a pivotal moment for Johnny Eblen, and you can make a real case that he has the most to prove on this entire card.

I know, it’s weird to say that about a guy who is undefeated, but there was a moment or two not that long ago where a lot of pundits claimed Eblen was the best middleweight in the world. While Eblen did finish Edwards in their first meeting, he had to work a lot harder than most expected to do so. Many believed it was not his best night in the office, and then he had the fight with Impa Kasanganay, who gave Eblen a run for his money at PFL vs. Bellator.

Now, we’re running this one back, and frankly, this fight is happening for one reason — Eblen just has nobody else to dance with. Edwards is a fine fighter and has some good wins, but in most cases, he would’ve needed another win, probably two, after beating Aaron Jeffrey in a fight nobody will go back and re-watch.

To me, a win is not enough for Eblen. He needs to look like he’s in a showcase fight, and he has the opportunity to do exactly that. The pick is Eblen via third-round stoppage in a fight that isn’t as close as the original.

Pick: Johnny Eblen

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

Kudos to both of these guys for building interest for this fight from Jump Street. I can’t wait for it, honestly.

A.J. McKee has always been a damn good fighter, but now that he’s at lightweight, he’s also fun as hell, and that makes him even more dangerous. Hughes is a 27-year-old stud that has an extremely bright future. The scary thing about the longtime Cage Warriors star is that he’s nowhere near a finished product. He’s two to three years away from his athletic prime. Unfortunately, he’s facing a guy in McKee who is in that prime, and has been in there with way better competition.

I think this fight delivers the goods, and if Hughes wins, he can put himself in a position to be one of the top headlines of the weekend in MMA. The pick is to have our cake and eat it too — McKee wins a decision, and Hughes proves he belongs in defeat.

Pick: A.J. McKee

Other bouts:

Husein Kadimagomaev def. Zafar Mohsen

Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno

Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders

Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos

Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

MMA Fighting has UFC Vegas 99 results for the Hernandez vs. Pereira fight card, a live blog of the main event, and more from UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

In the main event, surging middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira square off. Hernandez has won five straight fights, while Pereira has reeled off eight straight wins.

Rob Font and Kyler Phillips compete in a bantamweight contest in the co-main event. Font has lost four of his past five fights, while Phillips has won three straight.

Check out the UFC Vegas 99 results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips

Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev

Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto

Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal

Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed

Melissa Martinez vs. Alice Ardelean

Austen Lane vs. Robelis Despaigne

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Brutal Response
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is set to stage its biggest fight card to date, as the historic “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) event goes down TODAY (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Headlining the event will be a Heavyweight title fight as Francis Ngannou battles Renan Ferreira for the “Super Fight” championship belt, while Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco throw down for the women’s Featherweight “Super Fight” strap.

What’s Hot:

Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

It’s a great time in the Heavyweight division across the entire mixed martial arts (MMA) landscape. Aside from current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 265-pound king, Jon Jones, getting ready to defend his title against Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 next month, Professional Fighters League (PFL) is set to crown a new Heavyweight king as Ngannou makes his highly-anticipated debut against current division champ, Ferreira, in one of two Super Fights championship bouts.

PFL

Ngannou hasn’t competed in MMA since defeating Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in Jan. 2022, his last fight inside the Octagon. While he has been busy in boxing — losing back-to-back fights to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua — it will be interesting to see where he’s at with his all-around MMA game. On that note, he likely won’t use it all because big men like to throw bombs, and “The Predator’s” striking has only gotten better while preparing for his boxing career. And that striking will have to be on point because Ferreira is a real-life monster with power in his hands that will turn anyone’s lights out…just ask Ryan Bader.

Sure, Ferreira doesn’t have the biggest name or fanfare like a lot of the aforementioned Heavyweights, but he does have skills to pay the bills (literally). He has a record of 13-3-3 with 11 impressive knockouts on his resume. He won the 2023 PFL Heavyweight tournament with a technical knockout (TKO) win over Denis Goltsov, and followed up that performance by winning the “PFL Champion vs. Bellator Champion” Super Belt earlier this year with a 21-second knockout win over the aforementioned Ryan Bader (see it again here). Now he has the chance to win yet another 265-pound strap with a win over the man many feel is the hardest-hitting Heavyweight of all time. Ngannou is coming out of UFC, so some go as far as to say Ferreira will be the lineal Heavyweight champion since “The Predator” never truly lost the title. Let’s be honest, this fight can only end one way: with one man on his back looking up at the lights at the top of the arena. Both men hit hard, both prefer to stand-and-bang and both want to prove a point. That said, buckle your seatbelt because this will be a fun ride for as long as it lasts.

What’s Not:

PFL

The only minor issue I have with this event is the fact that the 135-pound showdown between Raufeon Stots and Marcos Breno is on the undercard, while Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen is taking up valuable real estate on the main card. Stots is a former Bellator champion and Breno a Bellator veteran. As for Kadimagomaev and Mohsen, their a bit less known. Mohsen is fighting out of Germany and is currently on a three-fight win streak, sporting an overall record of 13-4. As for Kadimagomaev, he is 11-1 and is riding a five-fight unbeaten streak as they both head into their PFL debuts against one another.

New Blood and ‘Prelims’:

Aside from Ngannou, Johnny Eblen, Cyborg, Stots, Paul Hughes and Fabian Edwards all making their PFL debuts — all of whom we know plenty of or will discuss further down the line — Taha Bendaoud will make his debut against Tariq Ismail. With a record of 3-0, Bendaoud is a baby in his MMA career, and he hasn’t been too active since making his debut in 2022. As for Ismail, he is coming off a win at PFL MENA 1 earlier this year, his second straight win.

Nacho Campos (5-0) will make his PFL debut against Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) in a battle of undefeated fighters. Campos has four finishes — three in the first round — on his resume, while Ibragimov has three submissions and three knockouts to be proud off. This is a fun fight between two fast-rising contenders with their chance to shine on the big stage.

Makkasharip Zaynukov will make his PFL debut against Dedrek Sanders. Zaynukov brings his four-fight win streak into the Smart Cage for the first time after spending the majority of his career fighting in Russia. As for Sanders, he made a splash in his PFL debut by knocking out Sergio Cossio in the very first round earlier this year.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Believe it or not, Ngannou needs a win pretty badly here despite being on a six-fight win streak. Why? It’s simple: he is the new face of PFL and the promotion has put a lot of money behind him to help carry it into the future. Coming off two crushing defeats in boxing, a loss in his PFL debut would be catastrophic. Sure, he will still have a job and won’t be going anywhere with a defeat, but the higher-ups will be scratching their heads, wondering if they made the right decision to put so much financial and public relations support behind someone who throws up a dud in his first fight. Furthermore, there is no telling where Ngannou’s head space will be at should he come up short. He could very well go on another long MMA hiatus and try to cash as many big boxing checks before he decides to call it a career.

Interest Level: 9.5/10

PFL

After months of pleading, Cris Cyborg will finally get her first opportunity to show off her stuff inside the Smart Cage against PFL’s current women’s Featherweight champion, Larissa Pacheco (preview here). Cyborg is riding a seven-fight win streak, which includes a record five straight title defenses of her Bellator 145-pound strap, and has the chance to earn her fifth title in as many promotions, an unheard of feat that will likely never be duplicated. The fearsome striker hopes to not only add another belt to her mantle, but another vicious knockout to her highlight reel to further cement her status as the best female fighter of all time. As for Pacheco, she is looking to lock down her own legendary status with a win over the multiple-time champion. She already has an impressive win over Kayla Harrison, so adding Cyborg as a notch on her belt will be huge for her career. This one could end early, folks, because Pacheco is not afraid to stand and bang.

PFL

Bellator MMA’s middleweight champion, Johnny Eblen, and Fabian Edwards will run it back in a rematch a year in the making. Eblen (15-0) initially defeated Edwards (13-3) via technical knockout (TKO) at Bellator 299 in Sept. 2023. Since then, he has gone on to defeat PFL’s Light Heavyweight champion, Impa Kasanganay, while Edwards earned the championship rematch by defeating Aaron Jeffery earlier this month. The two were set to run it back at Bellator London earlier this year before the fight was postponed and rescheduled for this event. With a win, Eblen continues his ascension as one of the best 185-pound fighters on the planet, while Edwards wants to earn his first-ever world title in order to call himself champion like his brother, former UFC Welterweight king, Leon Edwards.

PFL

A.J. McKee continues his march toward a Lightweight title fight as he is set to take on PFL’s hottest acquisition, Paul Hughes, who made his debut under the Bellator banner by defeating Bobby King via second-round technical knockout (TKO) at Bellator Dublin earlier this year. Hughes was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Cage Warriors, and PFL was able to beat UFC to signing him to a deal. Now, he has the chance to earn one of the biggest wins of his career and get on the fast track to a title fight by defeating one of the most skilled fighters in the game. McKee is riding a four-fight win streak and was last seen defeating Clay Collard at the “PFL vs. Bellator” event earlier this year via first-round submission (see it here).

That was “The Mercenary’s” fourth straight win since making the jump up to 155 pounds following his loss to Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 277, which cost him the Featherweight title. The winner of this fight could very well lock down a championship showdown against division king, Usman Nurmagomedov, in 2025. For McKee, it would be his opportunity to win another title in another division, while Hughes can kick his blossoming career into high gear sooner, rather than later.

Enjoy the fights!

Full ‘Battle of the Giants’ Fight Card:

PFL “Battle of the Giants” Main Card on ESPN+:

265 lbs.: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira for heavyweight superfight title
145 lbs.: Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco for women’s featherweight superfight title
185 lbs.: Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards for Bellator middleweight title
145 lbs.: Husein Kadimagomaevvs. Zafar Mohsen
155 lbs.: A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

PFL “Battle of the Giants” Prelims Card on ESPN+:

135 lbs.: Marcos Breno vs. Raufeon Stots
155 lbs.: Dedrek Sanders vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov
145 lbs.: Nacho Campos vs. Ibragim Ibragimov
145 lbs.: Taha Bendaoud vs. Tariq Ismail

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire “Battle of the Giants” fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 1:30 p.m. ET before the main card start time at 4 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To checkout the latest and greatest news and notes for “Ngannou vs. Ferreira” be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized “Battle of the Giants” fight card and PPV lineup click here.

MMAmania.com – All Posts