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The road to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) playoffs will continue in Salt Lake City, Utah, tomorrow (Fri. June 21, 2024) as the light heavyweights and lightweights take center stage inside Jon M. Huntsman Center.

Headlining the event will be a a 155-pound fight between Clay Collard and Mads Burnell. Collard earned five points at PFL Las Vegas earlier this year by defeating Patricky Pitbull via strikes in the second round, while Burnell lost to Michael Dufort.

2023 light heavyweight season winner, Impa Kasanganay, will look to keep his momentum going in the co-main event following his first-round technical knockout (TKO) win over Alex Polizzi in “Sin City” this past April (see it again here). He will be taking on Jakob Nedoh, who is coming off a first-round loss at the hands of Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.

Checkout the full PFL Salt Lake City weigh ins results and staredowns — which went down earlier today — below:

155 lbs.: Clay Collard (155.8) vs. Mads Burnell (155.6)
205 lbs.: Impa Kasanganay (204.8) vs. Jakob Nedoh (206)
155 lbs.: Patricky Pitbull (155) vs. Bruno Miranda (154.6)
205 lbs.: Rob Wilkinson (205.6) vs. Josh Silveira (206)
205 lbs.: Dovlet Yagshimuradov (205) vs. Simon Biyong (203.8)
205 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Jr. (205.6) vs. Alex Polizzi (203.4)
155 lbs.: Brent Primus (155.8) vs. Solomon Renfro (156.4)*
205 lbs.: Sadibou Sy (205.2) vs. Tom Breese (206)
155 lbs.: Gadzhi Rabadanov (156) vs. Elvin Espinoza (155.8)
155 lbs.: Michael Dufort (156) vs. Adam Piccolotti (155.8)
155 lbs.: Anthony Romero (156) vs. Sergio Cossio (156)
205 lbs.: Andrew Sanchez (204.8) vs. Karl Albrektsson (205.2)
145 lbs.: Brayhan Zurcher (146) vs. Julian Ruiz (145.6)

*missed weight, fined 20-percent of fight purse

Clay Collard vs. Mads Burnell

Impa Kasanganay vs. Jakob Nedoh

Patricky Pitbull vs. Bruno Miranda

Rob Wilkinson vs. Josh Silveira

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Alex Polizzi

For all the latest PFL news and notes click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

At the UFC Saudi Arabia official weigh-ins, all 22 fighters on Saturday’s fight card will step on the scale early Friday morning in Riyadh. MMA Fighting has a live stream of the official weigh-ins, courtesy of MMA Crazy.

In the main event, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker fights Ikram Aliskerov, who steps in on short notice for Khamzat Chimaev. Both fighters have to hit 186 pounds, the maximum limit for a non-title bout.

Whittaker has won two of his past three fights since losing a pivotal rematch to Israel Adesanya. Currently ranked No. 4 at middleweight, “The Reaper” eyes another championship opportunity with a win over Aliskerov after scoring a decision nod over Paulo Costa in his most recent outing.

Aliskerov has impressed in his first two UFC outings, finishing both fights in under half a round. He has won seven straight fights and has emerged as a dark horse contender at 185 pounds. The Russian standout was to compete in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 93 this past weekend, but was called upon to replace an ill Chimaev on a week’s notice.

In the evening’s co-main event, heavyweight contenders Sergei Pavlovich and Alexander Volkov square off.

Friday’s weigh-ins are expected to begin at 2 a.m. ET.

See official UFC Saudi Arabia weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ABC, ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)

Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Shara Magomedov vs. Antonio Trocoli

Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir

Preliminary Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 12 P.M. ET)

Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jared Gordon

Muhammad Naimov vs. Felipe Lima

Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nicolas Dalby

Kyung Ho Kang vs. Muin Gafurov

Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Brendson Ribeiro

Xiao Long vs. Chang Ho Lee

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After missing out on a chance to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 303, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler appears to be targeting the promotion’s baddest motherf*cker.

After nearly two years on the shelf, the former Bellator MMA champion was scheduled to step into the main event spotlight on June 29 for a long-awaited clash with the returning Irish megastar. Unfortunately, those plans were scrapped after it was revealed that McGregor sustained an injury, forcing him to bow out of the bout.

Recently, McGregor’s friend and training partner Peter Queally claimed that the fight would be rebooked for September. However, it looks like Chandler may already have his eyes on the UFC’s bragging rights belt and, more importantly, the man who’s carrying it around.

“Bravo. Mike. Foxtrot,” Chandler wrote on X.

Of course, ‘Iron’ is clearly using the phonetic alphabet to spell out BMF. He followed that up with another post on social media featuring his head superimposed on the body of Maximus Decimus Meridus, Russell Crowe’s character in the 2000 Best Picture winner, Gladiator.

“Blessed Man Forever,” Chandler wrote in the caption.

Will it be conor mcGregor or Max Holloway for Michael Chandler?

Currently, the BMF title resides with former featherweight champion Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ captured the belt with an insane buzzer-beating KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

As it stands, Holloway is primed for a title clash with the reigning 145-pound champion Ilia Topuria later this year, though no official announcement has been made by the UFC.

Are you interested in seeing Michael Chandler pivot to a BMF title fight with Holloway, or should the Missouri native continue to hold out for his red panty night with ‘Mystic Mac’?

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ryan Garcia is Tweeting through it.

On Thursday, boxing report Dan Rafael broke the news that Garcia reached a settlement agreement with the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for banned substances following his April 20 bout against Devin Haney. Per the agreement, Garcia’s win is no officially overturned to a No-Contest, Garcia will receive a one-year suspension from competition, he will forfeit his official purse to Golden Boy Promotions, and he will pay a $ 10,000 fine.

As you can imagine, Garcia didn’t take the news well.

Garcia, who has maintained his innocence throughout this process, took to Twitter after the news broke, lamenting his situation and lashing out at Haney in a series of emotional Tweets.

“They took my victory away. It’s okay, I’m retired. I’ll come back in a year. I was already retired so I’ll just come back out of retirement for a year.

“Nothing that was in my system was enough for any!!!!!!! This is why I’m done with the game. I never F’ing cheated. F YOU

“I don’t give a f*ck I’m hitting the switch again.

“Take away my victory add that on to the list of the shit I’m already going [through]. I’m ready for business. Get ready I already ain’t give a f*ck. Run when you see me.

“F*CK YOU CRY BABY B*TCH”

In the midst of his Twitter tirade, Garcia also teased a possible shift to MMA in response to his boxing troubles.

“I’m headed to the UFC. Dana [White] I want my 50 gs. For real Dana White hit me up.”

While Garcia teasing a UFC move is unlikely to end up happening, it’s worth noting that the NYSAC suspension would still preclude Garcia from competing in MMA the same as in boxing.

Garcia then continued his tirade

“I’m [mad emoji].

“I really hope boxing good without me. I fought everyone and was willing to. They have turned [their] back on me. I’m innocent. I stand by that I don’t care what everyone says. Gun [to] my head I say I didn’t take PEDs.

“Boxing is DEAD DEAD [skull emoji].

“Boxing messing with the wrong one.

“IMA DIG THEN DIG HARDER.

“Y’all never went [through] what I’ve been through. I’m innocent. You don’t know what I’m feeling. I’ve been fighting since I was seven. Someone cheated me. [Sad face emoticon]”

All of this comes after Garcia claimed to retire from boxing on Wednesday night, citing a litany of personal struggles.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Daniel Rodriguez and Kelvin Gastelum were originally slated to fight on the UFC Saudi Arabia main card in a welterweight contest.  The match will now take place in the middleweight division after Gastelum had issued cutting weight.  

Gastelulm has missed weight several times in the past and had returned to the welterweight division in his last fight in December.  During the UFC Saudi Arabia Media Day, Rodriguez explained the situation and said that he ‘lost a little respect’ for Gastelum because of it.  

“Matchmakers reached out and I tried to get it to a catchweight, but he must be having such a bad fight camp that he can’t even make 180. It’s been 13 weeks since I found out about this fight. I’m sure he has, too. So the fact that he’s saying that he’s having a bad fight camp makes no sense. I feel like it’s lack of discipline. I don’t know if Kelvin Gastelum is having a bad fight camp or he’s just being lazy and doesn’t want to make the weight,” Rodriguez said.  

“I already agreed to 185. I’m so invested in this fight. It put me in a really tough spot. I need this fight to happen. It’s been such a long fight camp and I did agree to take a percentage of his purse, which is only fair. I just felt like 180 would have been a good weight, but it’s not my first time coming through for the company, and I want the UFC to know that I’m that guy that’s going to make the sacrifices even if it’s not in my favor,” Rodriguez continued.  “In the sense of being a professional, I feel like I lost a little respect for the guy.”

Saturday marks the fight promotion’s first trip to Saudi Arabia.  The event is headlined by a middleweight bout between former champion Robert Whittaker and rising star Ikram Aliskerov.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

A victory at PFL Salt Lake City means Antonio Carlos Junior will advance to the light heavyweight playoffs. The 2021 season winner admits that kicking off the year with a statement win was a huge relief.

“Cara de Sapato” returned to the cage this past April after a near two-year layoff from a knee injury and his involvement in the popular reality TV show Big Brother Brasil in 2023. The American Top Team athlete stopped Simon Biyong with a rear-naked choke in the opening round this past April and now faces Bellator veteran Alex Polizzi this Friday.

“I was very happy with my performance,” Junior said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “It was just the way I wanted it to be, a submission against a tough opponent. I came out uninjured and ready to prepare for the next one. I was very happy, I felt like I lifted a truck off my shoulders. Fighting is my universe. [Big Brother] was a very intense experience, but this is where I like to be. This is where I feel happy.”

The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 winner is currently No. 5 in the PFL’s light heavyweight season standings as every other 205-pounder got a quicker finish, but the fact that Rob Wilkinson and Josh Silveira are facing off Friday means that a simple draw would be enough for Junior to advance.

“I always go in there looking for the win, looking for openings to come out victorious,” Junior said. “A submission, a knockout, that’s great, especially in a format like PFL’s when you fight back to back. You win fast and don’t get hurt, that’s better for you, but it’s hard to say I’m going there to knock him out in the first round. You have to create opportunities and make the most of them. That’s what happened last time, and that’s what may happen again.”

Polizzi joined PFL after a 4-3 run in Bellator that included a win over former middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho, but now has his back against the wall following consecutive defeats to Yoel Romero, Karl Moore and Impa Kasanganay. Junior is the odds-on favorite to advance to the semifinals, but doesn’t expect Polizzi to be an easy fight.

“He was the LFA champion and went to Bellator and fought tough guys and has a good folk wrestling style, but I think it could be a good match-up for me,” Junior said. “I believe he’ll come out strong for the first-round finish since he needs that to advance to the playoffs. I’ll be alert early and not let him impose his game. We’ll be ready to counter every attack he tries and come out victorious one more time.”

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