MMA UK

2023 PFL 4 matchups announced: Loughnane, Wilkinson to return

Ben Matthews 26/04/2023

The 2023 PFL regular season is set to continue on June 8th in Atlanta, Georgia, with former champions set to headline. Per a press release issued today, 2023 PFL 4 will be headlined by 2022 featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane, who will be taking on Peruvian MMA staple Jesus “El Mudo” Pinedo. Loughnane will be looking to continue his win-streak and success in the PFL after having a career best year with them in 2022. To start 2023, he capitalised upon this success with a masterclass of Marlon Moraes at PFL 1. Pinedo, who fought on the undercard of the same event, lost a split decision to Gabriel Braga in his debut with the organisation. Helming the co-main spot is 2022 light heavyweight champion “Razor” Rob Wilkinson, who is set to fight Will Fleury. 2022 was a dominant year for Wilkinson, who reeled off four consecutive finishes inside the PFL to win the season’s light heavyweight championship. Furthering this success, Wilkinson started this year with a decision victory over Thiago Santos in what was potentially the biggest name-value victory of his career. Fleury is coming off a close fought decision victory against Krzysztof Jotko, which saw a gruelling pace take its toll on both men. Moraes and Santos will also feature on the card, along with undefeated Russian standout Movlid Kkaybulaev – the last man to defeat Brendan Loughnane. The full lineup for 2023 PFL 4 can be seen below: Main Card/ESPN: Brendan Loughnane vs. Jesus Pinedo Robert Wilkinson vs. Will Fleury Thiago Santos vs. Mohammed Fakhreddine Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Daniel Torres Marthin Hamlet vs. Sam Kei Prelims/EPSN+: Joshua Silveira vs. Delan Monte Bubba Jenkins vs. Jo Sungbin Krzystof Jotko vs. Ty Flores Alejandro Flores vs. Marlon Moraes Chris Wade vs. Ryoji Kudo Abigail Montes vs. TBA Showcase Alexei Pergande vs. TBA Showcase Fans can expect opponents for both Montes and Pergande to be announced in the coming weeks, ahead of the event. The event will be able to be watched live via a DAZN subscription in the UK, or via ESPN.

First round of matchups confirmed for Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix

Frankie 06/08/2018

The bracket for the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN has been set. Streaming exclusively on DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service, the first round includes a highly anticipated grudge match, a trilogy matchup between former champs looking to reclaim the title, a battle of undefeated elite prospects and a championship on the line. Click here to view the full Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN bracket unveiling on YouTube. It all begins with Bellator 206 on September 29 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., as former champions Douglas “The Phenom” Lima (29-7) and Andrey “Spartan” Koreshkov (21-2) square off in an exciting trilogy bout. With the series tied at one win apiece, fans can expect fireworks in this long-awaited rubber match between two of the absolute best welterweights in the world. Coinciding with DAZN’s September U.S. launch, this event will stream live and exclusively on DAZN beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The remaining first-round matchups feature six more of the world’s best 170-pounders, including an explosive all-British grudge match between MMA veteran Paul “Semtex” Daley (40-16-2) and the flashy undefeated Michael “Venom” Page (13-0), more commonly known to fans as “MVP.” Additionally, former three-time NCAA Division 1 National Champion wrestler from Penn State “EZ” Ed Ruth (6-0) will test his skills against undefeated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Neiman Gracie (8-0), while the fourth and final first round bout of the Grand Prix will feature current Bellator welterweight champion Rory “Red King” MacDonald (20-4) defending his title against former Purdue wrestler and perennial contender Jon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC). In addition, a bout pitting Lorenz “The Monsoon” Larkin (19-7, 1 NC) against unbeaten Yaroslav “Dynamo” Amosov (20-0) will serve as a tournament alternate contest, with the victor available to fill in due to any unforeseen circumstances where a prior winner is unable to compete. Dates and locations for the remaining first round bouts, semi-finals and final will be determined at a later date. All Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN contests will consist of five rounds. Beginning with MacDonald versus Fitch, each time an athlete enters a tournament bout as champion, the Bellator welterweight title will be on the line, culminating in the Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN winner becoming the undisputed Bellator welterweight champion. Earlier this year, Bellator and DAZN announced a multi-year landmark distribution agreement. DAZN, the world’s largest dedicated live sports streaming service and part of Perform Group, will feature seven exclusive stacked fight cards per year on DAZN and another 15 that are simulcast across Paramount Network and DAZN. DAZN, which now streams 15,000 live events and 100 million hours of sports content globally each year, will be available in the U.S. this September for $9.99 a month, with the first month free for new subscribers. Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on DAZN First-Round Matchups: Bellator 206 at SAP Center – Sept. 29: Douglas Lima (29-7) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (21-2) TBA: Paul Daley (40-16-2) vs. Michael Page (13-0) TBA: Neiman Gracie (8-0) vs. Ed Ruth (6-0) TBA: Rory MacDonald (20-4) vs. Jon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC) Alternate Bout – TBA: Lorenz Larkin (19-7, 1 NC) vs. Yaroslav Amosov (20-0)