Brendan Loughnane can now freely refer to himself as a champion after successfully clinching the featherweight championship along with the $1 million prize by defeating Bubba Jenkins in the co-main event of the PFL Championship show on Friday in New York. Loughnane was on point throughout the evening, first taking out Jenkins with leg kicks early on before ramping up the pressure on the head with each subsequent round. Loughnane finally stopped the fight in the fourth after continuing to throw punches until he wiggled Jenkins with a well-timed shot and rushed on the former NCAA wrestling champion. At 2:38 in the fourth round, the game was over. “Forget the belt, forget the million, it’s about the performance,” Loughnane said afterward. “I’m trying to prove how good I am. It’s a grind. It’s the hardest competition in sports. I’m emotional. Just thank you to everybody.” Brendan Loughnane notably failed to receive a UFC contract in 2019 though he ended up winning his match on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS). The UFC president cited Loughnane's "lack of heart" as the basis for his choice. On DWCS, Loughnane had the upper hand, but in the final round, he attempted a takedown, the exact reverse of what White wanted to see. The Englishman was then signed by the PFL and has an 8-1 record since the promotion. Loughnane (26-4) had this moment in mind ever since he agreed to the promotion's terms in 2019. “That’s why I was so emotional when I finished him, I was just like, ‘Wow, it’s over – the goal I’ve had,'” Loughnane told reporters at the post-fight press conference (via MMA Sucka). “I’ve had this up on my wall since I joined the PFL. That’s how serious I was about this sh*t. I didn’t come here to play around. You just watched a young lad achieve his dream.” Loughnane is confident the victory cements him as one of the best featherweights today. “There’s f*king plenty left in the tank,” Loughnane said. “What a performance, what a performance. It’s going to take someone very f*cking good to beat me. … Look what I just did to him. Let’s be honest about something here, I’m one of the best 145ers on planet earth in any organization.’’ Looking back on that occasion, when Dana White failed to act in the best interest of Loughnane considering his superior position over his challenger, Loughnane does have something to comment on. “I remember an interview that was done like, ‘If I’m wrong about this kid, then show me.’ There you go. There you go,” Loughnane said. “What more can I say on that?”

Larissa Pacheco's stunning knock on Kayla Harrison on Friday at Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater stunned everyone. Pacheco (19-4) defeated Harrison (15-1) by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) in the 2022 PFL Championships main event to win the women's lightweight title and a $1 million prize. It was a major surprise to win. The average underdog for Pacheco at the top online sportsbooks was +529. “It’s a culmination of a career,” Pacheco said following her upset win. “A culmination of a dream. It means the world to me.” Harrison was the only one in the opening round. She immediately showed off her superb grapple and powerful dominant play. However, situations became a little more intriguing in Round 2. Harrison encountered difficulty, maybe more so than in any other round of her career. In her pursuit of Harrison, Pacheco was successful both in the air and on the ground. Harrison did not react well to Pacheco's powerful punches, which were landed with force. Soon after, Pacheco attempted to choke Harrison, but Harrison countered and took the side control. In Round 3, Harrison faced more difficulties. After Harrison skillfully forced the battle to the ground, Pacheco threw up a tight-looking triangle. But there was a problem with the placing of the arms, and Harrison got away. Pacheco tried to get up, exhausted, but Harrison mounted her. Harrison won the round, but Pacheco prevailed. The judges' scorecards might go anyway because the championship rounds were the closest of all. Harrison's stamina burnt more quickly than Pacheco's as the bout went on. The distinction became clear. Even though Harrison was able to stop much of Pacheco's onslaught, especially errant and overused body kicks. At one time, Pacheco took charge of Harrison's back. Harrison emerged victorious from the melee, while Pacheco was still in motion on her back. The 2022 PFL Championships' main event was the third meeting between the two warriors. Harrison had previously won both. The first took place during the regular season of 2019 and was a unanimous choice. The 2019 PFL Championships' main event came in second. Harrison won against Pacheco by unanimous decision in that bout to win her first significant promotional championship. “This belt just motivates me to work even harder,” Pacheco said. “I’ve got a lot more to do in this sport. “Just like Kayla said before, I’ve always made her a better competitor while she’s always made me a better competitor and she drove me to this moment right now.” The outcome will undoubtedly change the PFL going into 2023 as Pacheco won the lightweight championship while Harrison previously declared she will not participate in another competition. The promotion will almost certainly try to match these two together again in the not-too-distant future considering the stakes in this battle. In the post-fight conference, Larissa kept the door open for the fourth meeting inside the cage with Kayla Harrison whenever she feels strong and confident. The Brazilian hopes a better comeback from Kayla in the next meet up. During her talk, he expressed that she was confident of pulling a stunner against the former Olympian medalist. “I already knew it was going to be an upset,” Pacheco told reporters through an interpreter at the post-fight news conference (via MMA Sucka). “I came here ready to screw with everyone’s bets and put on one hell of a fight.”

Gervonta 'Tank' Davis tweeted Floyd Mayweather Jr, the owner of Mayweather Promotions, asking when he would be sending him his "termination papers." It's unclear why Mayweather Promotions would need to send Tank Davis (27-0, 25 KOs) termination letters if his contract with them had already ended. When a contract expires, the situation is different than when you terminate it. Tank's request for "termination papers" from Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe shows that he is still being pushed by them. Gervonta clearly wants to be independent of Mayweather, whether with another promoter or to market himself. Tank's fights would most certainly continue to be televised on Showtime without Mayweather Promotions, and he would continue to promote himself. Gervonta is most likely still being guided by Al Haymon and PBC, and he would be providing him with the information he requires to advance his career. Gervonta is like a machine at this moment, and he'll continue to garner a lot of interest for his fights even without Mayweather Promotions. When you reach Tank's level, you don't need a promoter like the less popular fighters do. Tank, the WBA'regular' lightweight champion, recently stated that his contract with Mayweather Promotions was over after his previous bout in May against the Mayweather-promoted fighter Rolando 'Rolly' Romero. Why would Mayweather release Tank if his contract with them is still active? It's not like Floyd has another popular boxer who could step in and make the money that Tank is generating at the moment? What do you guys think of this messy situation. Let us know in the comments.

Curtis Blaydes has set his eyes on the UFC gold strap. "Razor," a consistent heavyweight contender in the UFC, has not yet attempted to fight for the title in this category. Blaydes has rebounded with three straight victories after his most recent blemish, a loss to Derrick Lewis in February 2021. Unfortunately for Blaydes, his most recent fight ended in a 15-second technical knockout victory over the promising British fighter Tom Aspinall. Aspinall's knee injury ended the fight, raising some questions about Blaydes' future prospects. Even with the victory, Blaydes was still able to lead the division because of victories over Chris Daukaus and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. According to MMA Junkie, Blaydes is now a potential choice for Jon Jones' divisional premiere challenger if a showdown involving "Bones" and the current champion Francis Ngannou does not eventuate. “That’s about as far as I know, as well,” Blaydes told Fanatics View (h/t MMA Junkie). “But seeing as how it’s been reported by all these official MMA websites and authors, I think it’s legit, and I’m going to begin preparing when I get home after the holidays. I’ll be in champ mode or the mindset, so I’ll be ready. We’ll see what happens though.” Ngannou is the only person to have ever defeated the 17-3 (1 NC) Blaydes in his career, in addition to the aforesaid Lewis. The 31-year-old is generally a dominant force because of his significant wrestling background, and his ultimate goal in life is to win a championship. “Title shot, that’s the ultimate goal,” Blaydes said. “Jon is just the ultimate consolation, but what you workout for every day is the real belt, not the interim belt. The real belt.” Francis Ngannou’s injury has put a great halt in the progress of the heavyweight division in the UFC. With Jon Jones's intention to fight for the title on his return to the octagon has been the real issue. At one moment UFC tried to arrange an interim title shot between the former champion Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones but it never came to fruition. While Ngannou’s future still remains uncertain, rumors are being circulated that Bones might be matched up against Blaydes or Ciryl Gane.

At the 2022 PFL Championship game on Friday in New York City, Larissa Pacheco doesn't believe her rivalry with Kayla Harrison will be put to rest. On this week's Trocaço Franca podcast, Pacheco stated that she anticipates finding the two-time Olympic gold medalist at least two more times inside the cage. Harrison was Pacheco's opponent twice in 2019; she lost both fights by decision. Harrison's first professional MMA bout went the distance when she won the lightweight title at PFL that year. They both finished the 2022 season 3-0, clinching their places in the championship contest. “I believe we’ll meet again because there are no other girls in her weight class,” Pacheco said. “We know the [other ones] are not on our level. Putting myself in No. 2 here, because I don’t have the same eyeballs or hype, she does, we’re on the same level. “After I beat her now, I think she will have to change strategies to become a good opponent because her game is getting exposed. I wasn’t the first to slow her down. [Marina Mokhnatkina] did that, too. She has to innovate at some point. If that’s already happening when she’s fighting girls that aren’t on her level, imagine when he faces someone like Amanda [Nunes] and [Cris] Cyborg. That would be way tougher for her.” One year after a failed attempt at the featherweight division on The Ultimate Fighter 28, Pacheco was making her debut at lightweight when she first faced Harrison in May 2019. They reconciled seven months later when the Brazilian beat Sarah Kaufman by decision and tapped Bobbi Jo Dalziel. However, Pacheco suffered yet another failure and left for home. She has since earned five first-round knockouts, and she is greatly improved. “I’m way more mature now as an athlete and professional,” Pacheco said. “I was able to show another side of my game. Everybody saw me as a grappler, and now people fear my hand. It’s going to be completely different for me this time around. She was superior at that time, she was on a roll winning many fights against girls that were not on our level. Even though she’s still the favorite in this fight, I see myself winning pretty clearly.” This season, Pacheco (18-4) has been on a rampage, and she intends it continues against Harrison (15-0) in the ESPN+ pay-per-view main event on Friday at the Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, where $1 million is on the stake. Larissa Pacheco will achieve two goals if she prevails in her upcoming match: she will capture the PFL championship and become the first woman to defeat the inevitable Kayla Harrison.

Before his fight with Jermaine Franklin on Saturday in London, Dillian Whyte fiercely refuted the notion that he is a "wounded lion." After a disagreement with Franklin's promoter Dmitry Salita, security dragged Whyte away from a face off. During a news conference on Thursday, Franklin coach Jesse Addison referred to Whyte as a "wounded lion prowling the jungle." Whyte retaliated by imitating the American and insisting that his "fire never goes out." The heavyweight rivals will square off at the OVO Arena in Wembley on Saturday evening in a critical match for both men. Franklin, 29, is undefeated in 21 fights but remains largely unknown as a top heavyweight since he has yet to face a seasoned opponent. Whyte, 34, is fighting for the first time since being knocked out by Tyson Fury in their WBC heavyweight world title bout in April. Franklin took a back seat throughout the press conference, saying little when called upon, and Whyte followed Franklin's lead, declaring he had no intention of "underestimating" his opponent. Whyte was plainly enraged by the charge that his best days were behind him after losses to Fury, Alexander Povetkin, and Anthony Joshua. And tensions erupted during the usual brawl when Salita got embroiled in the verbal sparring. Whyte and Salita shoved each other, prompting security to come in and separate the two squads, however Franklin remained emotionless, seemingly undisturbed by the insults flying around him. Eddie Hearn later stated that Salita was pressing Franklin to inform Whyte that he would knock him out, which triggered the heated outburst. If Whyte wins, he will be able to pursue a rematch with long-time rival Joshua, who will make his

Glover Teixeira, a former UFC light heavyweight champion, felt belittled after Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev's title match was pronounced official. Teixeira and Jiri Procházka were slated to duel for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 282. Procházka regrettably disclosed that he had had a serious shoulder injury during training camp, and the fight was called off. Procházka was consequently compelled to give up his belt as he prepared for his first championship defense. The promotion angled for a title fight between Teixeira and Ankalaev. Teixeira claimed that he declined the bout because he needed to prepare his strategy for a certain kind of challenger. The originally scheduled fight between Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz will still take place, but it will now be for the unoccupied strap, eliminating Teixeira from contention. “I told them I needed more time for this guy, that he has a different style,” Teixeira told ESPN. “The guy is a southpaw. I said, ‘What about fighting him in Brazil’ (at UFC 283)? They denied that and said they needed someone to fight in Vegas. I said, ‘OK, I’ll fight Jan in Vegas. If you’re going to throw me off, Jan has a regular stance. Ankalaev is a totally different game. I need more time.” The former UFC champion is perplexed as to why the promotion chose to book him instead of Blachowicz versus Ankalaev but believes "that's what they wanted to do, and that's what they got." That, though, won't alter his feelings about the business. Teixeira ranks his legacy over the money as he doesn’t want to step in the ring against a new opponent unprepared just for the sake of big bucks. “I give my blood and life inside the octagon. You’ve all watched my fights before, I leave everything in there. I want to bring the belt back Brazil and for myself, and I believe I can do it. I was beating Prochazka, this hero, the guy everybody said was knocking everybody out. I was breaking him until I made a mistake. I’ll get the belt back, but I have to do things right. I have to go there to win. “I can’t go there for the money because I don’t fight for money. I fight for honor, I fight to elevate my name. I’m not even attached to wins and losses anymore. I fight for a goal. If I were fighting for money I wouldn’t even be fighting anymore, I would have become a YouTuber or something.” Teixeira responded, "I'm confident of f****** nothing anymore," when asked if he is certain that the winner of Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev in 2023 will follow after him. The Brazilian uttered the following words: "F*** it, I don't even care who wins at UFC 282."

Jiri Prochazka suffered "the worst shoulder injury the doctors have seen in UFC history," according to Dana White, and was forced to withdraw from his main event commitments against Glover Teixeira at UFC 282. Now, Jiri Prochazka apologizes for having to miss UFC 282 and give up his light heavyweight title, but he swears to win it back. Prochazka explained that he sustained the setback in the closing days of his training camp as he got ready to take on Glover Teixeira in the UFC 282 main event on Instagram. Prochazka's injury necessitates surgery, which will keep him out of business for several months. Prochazka explained his reasoning for vacating the title and said that keeping the rest of the division moving forward was his top priority in a challenging scenario. “I am very disappointed to announce that I will not be defending my belt at UFC 282,” Prochazka wrote. “I was injured in training in Las Vegas while finishing my preparation for my title defense in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. I injured my shoulder and surgery is required which will put me out of action for at least six months. “Knowing this information, I have decided, after consulting with UFC management, that due to this time constraint, I will not hold [up] the light heavyweight division and will vacate the title.” Prochazka's choice to abandon the title, which he said he made independently of the promotion, was lauded by UFC president Dana White. Now, Magomed Ankalaev and Jan Blachowicz will face off for a vacant title in the main event of UFC 282, as a consequence. At UFC 275 in June, Prochazka submitted Teixeira in the fifth round to win the title. The 30-year-old Czech fighter has pledged that in his first come back from shoulder surgery, he will compete for the UFC light heavyweight championship. “I will go for the UFC belt as soon as the doctors give me the green light to fight,” Prochazka wrote. “I’m going to go for the belt and I’m going to get it no matter who currently holds it. It’s always been the most important thing for me to put on the best performance and compare myself to the best. Let the best show no matter who’s there now. “I’ll be back in six months, and I’ll take the title whoever holds it. I apologize to my fans, friends, family who bought tickets and made plans to come to Las Vegas to support me, it means a lot to me. I also want to apologize to Glover. Victory!” Despite Prochazka's stated goal of making a comeback in six months, it's anticipated that his shoulder ailment may prevent him from playing for much longer. A proper diagnosis won't be determined until after his surgery, though. Later, Prochazka made a video statement in which he thanked the public for their support, congratulated Blachowicz and Ankalaev, and expressed regret to Teixeira.

Tyson Fury has dismissed the possibility that he and Anthony Joshua will ever resolve their long-running feud, labeling his fellow Brit a "coward." Fury and Joshua's teams were on the verge of arranging a last-minute fight for December 3, but when those talks fell through, the world heavyweight champion instead chose to face Derek Chisora. Last year, and briefly again a few weeks ago, the world heavyweight champion appeared to be on a collision course with Joshua, but their paths have never crossed in the ring. They agreed to meet on August 14 in Saudi Arabia last year, but Fury was eventually ordered to face Deontay Wilder for the third time, and talks for a new meeting this year fell through. And Fury has since called Joshua a "coward" in a number of interviews, most recently in an interview with the Queensberry Promotions YouTube channel. He instead chose to fight Derek Chisora on December 3rd after missing out on another fight with the two-time champion, and he "No, there's no glamour in fighting a coward, none,” Fury said. "I don't fight cowards; I only fight real men. So, to say that's a glamour fight? No way. My glamour fight was fighting the 43-0 Deontay Wilder in America [he was 40-0 when they first fought, 42-0-1 the second time and 42-1-1 the third]. That was my glamour fight. "The first time two heavyweight champions have fought each other while being undefeated since Ali fought Frazier the first time. That’s my glamour fight. This other bum fight over here with Joshua was a bit like a Sunday roast, people over here only respect it in England and Usyk will be a walk in the park, I’ll butcher him." Last year's fight between Joshua and Fury would have been for the undisputed title, with the winner becoming the first person to hold every heavyweight belt since 2000. Nobody has ever done it in the four-belt era, with Lennox Lewis being the last to do it around the turn of the millennium. When the fight was called off, Joshua's team was unable to avoid the WBO's mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk, who snatched his belts from him at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that September. They were able to get him a contractually required immediate rematch, which he also won. Fury is expected to face his fellow champion early next year, with all of the titles on the line. The only stumbling block appears to be the IBF's decision to force Usyk to face mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic, but a deal could be reached to allow the undisputed clash to take place.

Inside the ring, Reinier de Ridder has yet to meet his match. 'The Dutch Knight' has kept his flawless record in his seven mixed martial arts contests under the ONE Championship umbrella. In addition, he's concluded five of them, taking home two world titles in the process. De Ridder will make his third title defense of the year 2022 of his light heavyweight world championship on December 2 at ONE on Prime Video 5. Interim heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin will drop down a weight class to challenge de Ridder for the title of double champion in a fight between two unbeaten world champions. With three impressive knockout victories inside the ring entering the battle, Anatoly Malykhin provides a fresh competition for the champion in the making. World champion at both middleweight and light heavyweight Reinier de Ridder feels Anatoly Malykhin lacks variety in his next opponent. This year, the grappling guru has already displayed his submission prowess. He wrestled against Andre Galvao in a grappling contest at ONE X while successfully defending his middleweight title with two submission victories. In terms of grappling, Reinier de Ridder doesn't think his rival can contend with him. Recently, "The Dutch Knight" said in an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP): “His grappling is not really there. His jiu-jitsu game has not evolved, at all, as far as I’ve seen his fights. He doesn’t pass guard. He only gets takedowns, and he stays at full guard and tries to pound the guy out – which he’s pretty successful at, though. I’m not being too critical there." De Ridder can counter Malykhin's strongest weapon thanks to his power advantage. The Dutchman discussed his fight strategy in an interview with SCMP MMA, saying: “I’m going to pressure him. I’m going to get close and I’m going to make this a dirty fight.” One of the largest events of the year, ONE on Prime Video 5 will feature the main event, Reinier de Ridder vs. Anatoly Malykhin. It's going to be a memorable night because four world championships are on the line under four different rule sets. The tournament is held at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines on Friday, December 2, as part of a titanic doubleheader program.

Cris Cyborg begins her foray into the realm of professional boxing as she navigates MMA free agency. In a four-round lightweight boxing match, Cyborg will take on former Bellator competitor Gabrielle Holloway, according to a press release from boxing promotion BLK Prime on Tuesday. The special match-up will feature on the undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan event at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska on Dec. 10, 2022. “This is a great opportunity for me to make a splash in the boxing world, especially on a card with Terence Crawford, the best boxer in the world,” Cyborg said. “Boxing has always been a big part of my training and I feel I can compete at the highest level. I’m expecting Holloway to be in great shape, and I know she’s coming to win. That said, I’m taking this fight very seriously. I feel confident, and I can’t wait to showcase my boxing skills to the world.” This past September in her hometown of Curitiba, Cyborg, the current Bellator featherweight champion, was supposed to make her professional boxing debut against Simone da Silva. However, the fight was ruled an exhibition after a Brazilian boxing organization declined to oversee it because of Silva's medical suspension. The ABC's official record keeper, BoxRec, informed ESPN that the match was amateur. The Associacao Paranaense de Lutas, a Brazilian commissioning authority, was in charge of the event, according to Cyborg's team, who refuted the assertion. Nevertheless, Cyborg prevailed via unanimous decision in the eight-round contest. Holloway, who will face her in the ring, lost both professional fights by unanimous decision in 2016. She has a 6-6 overall MMA record, with a 1-3 record in Bellator. At Bellator 245 in September 2020, Holloway lost to Cat Zingano by a decision. This marked the final time she competed. Whereas Cyborg is the current Bellator women’s featherweight champion. Since leaving UFC in August 2019 for the Bellator, she has yet to lose. After defeating Arlene Blencowe in April, Cyborg's contract was finished. Although Bellator CEO Scott Coker and Cyborg have expressed a desire to keep working together, no agreement has yet been reached.

Teofimo Lopez, the former unified lightweight champion, has a new opponent for his December 10th fight at Madison Square Garden. This comes after Top Rank Boxing announced Monday afternoon that Sandor Martin will face Lopez in a non-title fight. Lopez-Martin is a final eliminator for the WBC world title and is set for ten rounds. Lopez (17-1, 13 KOs), a Brooklyn native, made his junior welterweight debut in August, stopping Pedro Campa in the seventh round. He aspires to be a two-weight world champion in 2023, but he must first overcome the slick Spanish southpaw, who is ranked No. 1 in the WBO. Martin (40-2, 13 KOs), from Barcelona, was the author of the 2021 Upset of the Year when he startled Mikey Garcia by majority decision and forced the four-weight world champion to retire. Martin, who is listed in the top 15 by all four major sanctioning bodies, followed up his Garcia victory with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jose Felix in April. Lopez promised his fan that they will see the best of him once he steps back into the ring once more. ” Lopez said. “I will continue to silence the doubters as I take over the 140-pound division. I look forward to giving my hometown fans a special night of boxing.” Martin said, “I’ve dreamed of fighting in a main event at Madison Square Garden. This is my time. I’ve taken the risk, and I will take control against Teofimo Lopez on December 10th. I will give the fans what they want to see.” Martin (40-2, 13 KOs) steps in for Jose Pedraza, who pulled out of the 140-pound Top Rank on ESPN contest due to a non-COVID sickness.