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Beneil Dariush is the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award winner.

Given out annually as part of the International Fight Week honors, the Forrest Griffin Community Award is personally selected by UFC CEO Dana White and recognizes fighters for their charitable efforts. On Saturday, UFC announced Dariush as the 2024 recipient for his work with the Shlama Foundation and Promise Child Ministries.

“Beneil does an incredible job giving back to his community,” White said in a press release. “Beneil sets a perfect example of how athletes should use their platforms to raise awareness for the charitable causes they care about the most while helping those who are less fortunate. It’s an honor to present him with this award.”

Per its website, the Shlama Foundation is a non-government organization that funds “humanitarian aid and community projects that will promote the survival and prosperity of the Assyrian Chaldean Syriac people in their ancestral homeland.” An Assyrian American, Dariush began working with the organization in 2018 to raise funds and awareness about its mission. Also a devout Christian, Dariush started working with Promise Child Ministries in 2019, using Performance Bonus checks to fund orphanages in Haiti.

Dariush reacted to the announcement in his traditional humble fashion.

“Thank you UFC [and] Dana White. I’m humbled and honored to receive this. Praise the lord!”

Started in 2020, Dariush is the fifth winner of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, following in the footsteps of Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway, Giga Chikadze, and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and his brother Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He will be honored during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 27 in Las Vegas, and receives a $ 25,000 donation to the charity of his choice.

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Darren Till is tired of hearing Mike Perry run his mouth.

On Saturday night (April 27), ‘Platinum’ earned his fifth-straight victory under the BKFC banner, scoring a smashing 60-second TKO over former UFC standout Thiago Alves in the KnuckleMania IV main event.

Immediately following the bout, Perry delivered a fiery post-fight promo targeting longtime rival Darren Till.

“Darren Till you fat f*cking b*tch, get your ass over here,” Perry said immediately following his latest win.

Perry’s comments extended into the post-fight press conference, telling Till that he needs to stop chasing gold in MMA and come get a piece of ‘Platinum’ inside the squared circle.

“I think that fight is something a lot of people have wanted for a long time, including me and him, you know, he’s talking big sh*t,” Perry said. “He’s talking his sh*t, but he ain’t doing nothing. I’m talking sh*t and I’m out here doing it. So, get your ass – he say he’s in the gym or whatever and he’s working and he with, you know,  Khamzat (Chimaev) is undefeated. But he’s over there in the MMA world chasing that gold.

“I’m better than gold. I am the gold over here, I’m above it. I’m ‘Platinum.’”

It didn’t take long for Till to respond to the callout, promising to “destroy” Perry once the two men finally meet.

“FKN bum. I am going to destroy this man when we finally meet,” Till wrote on his Instagram Stories. “He’s been fighting old slow sh*tty dopes.”

Mike Perry Smashes the competition while Darren till continues to sit on the sidelines

Mike Perry and Darren Till have been on a collision course dating back to their days of competing inside the Octagon.

Recently, ‘Platinum’ claimed that BKFC president David Feldman offered Till $ 2 million to knuckle up with Perry, but turned down the deal in hopes of securing a traditional boxing match with Perry before taking off the gloves and toeing the line.

Thus far, Perry has run through a who’s who of top-tier talent since signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2021. Kickstarting his run with a win over Julian ‘Let Me Bang Bro’ Lane, he promptly upped the ante against a slew of MMA stars including Michael ‘Venom’ Page and former UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez.

He walked away with a majority decision win over MVP before TKO’ing his last three opponents, including his destructive performance against former BKFC middleweight champion Thiago Alves at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Till has been sitting on the sidelines since December 2022 after exiting the UFC on a 1-5 losing skid.

When it comes to Perry’s next opponent in BKFC, Darren Till undoubtedly makes the most sense, but it seems as though the UK-based star isn’t interested in trading in his gloves for a pair of hand wraps. At least, not yet.

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UFC

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

With UFC 301 on Saturday night, it’s time for a closer look at the top two fights on the pay-per-view main card.

The ‘UFC 301 countdown’ video above features UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and his title defense against Steve Erceg. Jose Aldo’s return is also explored against Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Five fighters received potentially lengthy medical suspensions in the aftermath of BKFC KnuckleMania 4, including heavyweights Lorenzo Hunt and Todd Duffee, according to information released Monday by the California State Athletic Commission to MMA Fighting.

Hunt and Duffee suffered first-round losses at the hands of Mick Terrill and Ben Rothwell, respectively, in featured bouts on Saturday’s pay-per-view card. Hunt (left elbow) and Duffee (left shoulder) both sustained potential injuries in the bouts and are now suspended 180 days or until cleared by a physician.

In addition to the heavyweights, three other fighters received similar 180-day medical suspensions for potential injuries sustained during the event: Jeremiah Riggs (right knee, right hand fourth finger), Evgeny Kurdanov (left bicep), and Victor Rosas (left eye). All five competitors are eligible to return to action earlier if cleared by a physician.

BKFC KnuckleMania 4 took place April 27 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Bare-knuckle star Mike Perry bulldozed over Thiago Alves in just 60 seconds in the night’s main event.

A complete list of BKFC KnuckleMania 4’s medical suspensions can be seen below.

• Lorenzo Hunt: Suspended 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact unless cleared by physician (possible injury to left elbow); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO
• Todd Duffee: Suspended 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact unless cleared by physician (possible injury to left shoulder); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO; requires neurology clearance for shoulder/neck
• Jeremiah Riggs: Suspended 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact unless cleared by physician (possible fractures to right knee, right hand fourth finger); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to KO
• Evgeny Kurdanov: Suspended 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact unless cleared by physician (possible fracture to left bicep); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO; requires ortho clearance with MRI
• Victor Rosas: Suspended 180 days no contest, 180 days no contact unless cleared by physician (possible fracture to left eye); suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to left eye); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO
• Mike Perry: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to left cheek)
• Alfredo Angulo: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (lacerations to left cheek, right eye)
• David Diaz: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to left eye); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to hard bout
• Shane Jordan: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to left eye); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to hard bout
• Daniel Alvarez: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to lip); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to hard bout
• Vinny Familari: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to left eye)
• Richard Brooks: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to right cheek); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO
• Cody Vidal: Suspended 60 days no contest, 60 days no contact unless cleared by physician (laceration to face); suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to TKO
• Thiago Alves: Suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to KO
• Sydney Smith: Suspended 45 days no contest, 30 days no contact with no exceptions due to KO
• Mick Terrill: 7-day mandatory rest
• Ben Rothwell: 7-day mandatory rest
• Julian Lane: 7-day mandatory rest
• Crystal Pittman: 7-day mandatory rest
• Andrew Angelcor: 7-day mandatory rest
• Ruben Warr: 7-day mandatory rest
• Fernando Gonzalez: 7-day mandatory rest
• Tommy Aaron: 7-day mandatory rest
• Keith Richardson: 7-day mandatory rest

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Heartbreaking
| BJPenn.com

Francis Ngannou lost his 18 month-old son this week.

The former UFC heavyweight champion, who recently dabbled in the “sweet science” after signing with PFL, released a statement on social media shortly after the tragic news was posted by 237online.com.

“What’s the purpose of life if what we’re fighting tooth and nail to get away from is what finally hit us the hardest!?” Ngannou wrote on Twitter. “Why is life so unfair and merciless? Why does life always take what we don’t have? I’m f—king tired.”

Ngannou has not competed since a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in early March.

“It’s been a heavy few days, words can’t express the pain we all feel for the Ngannou family during this time,” coach Erick Nicksick added. “Please keep Francis and his family in your heart, and may this be a reminder of the fragility of life. Say ‘I love you,’ more often, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”

The cause of death has not been revealed.

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