4/18/24: PFL To Debut MENA Series on May 10th
Also: UFC announces return to Louisville, Kentucky
Welcome to a Thursday edition of the Knockdown Daily. It’s been a pretty quiet week in the world of MMA thus far, so today’s issue is a smaller one than usual. We have just two quick stories for you, discussing PFL’s MENA league and an upcoming UFC event location.
We also have a lengthy notes section, touching on the more niche MMA news from UFC undercards to regional pairings. We’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of Friday’s PFL card, plus other news and takes. Let’s get started.
PFL Announces Debut MENA Event For May 10th In Saudi Arabia
The second-ever PFL regional tournament series will kick off in a few weeks.
PFL MENA, an offshoot series that will focus on talent from the Middle East and North Africa, will begin on May 10th, per recent social media posts from the promotion. The first of what is expected to be four events this year will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The series will feature four different weight classes competing in eight-man, single-elimination tournaments. It follows the same format as PFL’s European brand, which launched last year and is currently in its second season.
PFL has revealed the names of the bantamweight and featherweight fighters who will compete in the tournament.
Featherweight will include Abdullah Al Qahtani, Islam Reda, Ahmed Tarek, Abdelrahman Alhasyat, Marouane Bellagouit, Motaz Askar, Taha Bendaoud, and Adam Meskini.
For bantamweight, PFL has signed Tariq Ismail, Ali Taleb, Elias Boudegzdame, Nawras Abzakh, Xavier Alaoui, Jalal Al Daaja, and Rachid Haz. The eighth and final member of the tournament hasn’t been revealed yet.
The PFL MENA league is kicking off after a slight delay. The original plan was for the season to begin this month with a show on April 26th. The roster rollout—which is currently underway—was originally scheduled to happen in March.
PFL hopes to grow its regional leagues even more over the next couple of years. A graphic shown during a late 2023 card showed the intention to also open tours in Africa, Australia, Latin America and Asia all by 2026. The idea with these smaller leagues is that they feed talent into the main PFL season, which takes place in the U.S.
The MENA offshoot, which is being launched by the PFL in partnership with Saudi Arabia-backed brand SRJ Sports Investment, shows the promotion’s increased ties to the country.
SRJ reportedly invested more than $100 million into PFL last year. The promotion visited Saudi Arabia in February for a “Champion vs. Champion” themed card, putting PFL titleholders against top names from Bellator.
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in MMA, along with other sports like boxing, football, and golf. The country has been criticized in the past for “sportswashing,” a term that describes putting money into sports with the hope of bettering a location’s reputation.
UFC Announces Return to Louisville, Kentucky For June 8th
UFC will return to Louisville, Kentucky for only the second time in the promotion’s history later this year.
A “Fight Night” card on June 8th will take place at the KFC Yum! Center, as recently announced by the promotion.
UFC’s sole previous appearance in Louisville dates back to 2011 when they hosted a card headlined by a welterweight bout between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann.
The promotion has returned to the state of Kentucky just once since then, hosting “Fight For the Troops 3” at Fort Campbell in 2013.
The KFC Yum! Center has a capacity of over 20,000. The last time the promotion showed up, a crowd of 8,300 attended fights. We’ll soon see if that number will be surpassrd.
No main event is known for UFC’s June 8th card yet. The lineup currently includes an appearance from rising bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr., a fight involving the returning Julian Marquez, plus a clash between Cody Stamann and Taylor Lapilus.
Notes On: UFC, PFL, Bellator, KSW, ONE Championship & LFA
UFC
Three fights have joined UFC’s May 18th “Fight Night” card, per a lineup released this week.
Undefeated light heavyweight Oumar Sy (9-0) will make his UFC debut against Rodolfo Bellato (12-2). Sy debuted in 2019 and has earned wins in notable promotions like KSW, Ares FC and OKTAGON. Bellato won his first UFC bout late last year, stopping Ihor Potieria with strikes. Just two months prior he overcame Murtaza Talha on “Dana White’s Contender Series” to earn a contract with the promotion.
Both coming back after unsuccessful UFC debuts, Tom Nolan (6-1) and Victor Martinez (13-5) will meet at lightweight. Nolan was stopped in just 63 seconds three months back, suffering his first pro loss against Nikolas Motta. Martinez was also finished in the first round the last time we saw him, getting put away by Jordan Leavitt early last year.
After suffering her first pro loss just over a year ago, former LFA champ Piera Rodriguez (9-1) will take on Ariane Carnelossi (14-3). Rodriguez had her run as an undefeated fighter stopped last year when veteran Gillian Robertson submitted her with an armbar. Carnelossi’s last fight was a decision defeat against Loopy Godinez.
Jeremiah Wells (12-4-1) said an injury forced him out of a UFC 302 fight against Niko Price (15-7). “I got injured in sparring,” he said on social media last weekend. “I was really excited to fight close to home, and I feel like I’ve let you all down. Thank you for your understanding and support. I will keep everyone updated on my recovery.”
Jeka Saragih (14-3) will meet Westin Wilson (16-9) at UFC’s June 15th show, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie. “Road To UFC” alum Saragih picked up his first promotional victory in November, stopping Lucas Alexander in just 91 seconds. Wilson will be fighting to avoid a three-fight skid after getting stopped by Joanderson Brito and Jean Silva.
A pair of fights have been recently confirmed for UFC 303, which will go down on June 29th in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Joe Pyfer (12-3) will return against Marc-Andre Barriault (16-7) at middleweight. Pyfer had his three-fight UFC winning streak broken in February when he lost a five-round main event against Jack Hermansson. Barriault is also coming off a loss, with his last fight being a split decision defeat to Chris Curtis.
A fight between Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-12) and Gillian Robertson (13-8) has been moved to UFC 303 after previously being positioned for June 1st. Waterson-Gomez will be trying to end a four-fight losing streak, while Robertson is coming off a finish win against Polyana Viana.
Should Alex Pereira move up to heavyweight, as he and his manager have suggested? I don’t think so, and I explained why in my latest column for LowKickMMA.
PFL
PFL will head to Salt Lake City, Utah, for their June 21st regular season card, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie. The event, which doesn’t have a venue announced yet, will include the final light heavyweight and lightweight bouts before their playoff brackets are set.
Bellator
Four fights have joined Bellator’s May 17th card from Paris, France, with three matchups involving some of the country’s own talent.
Undefeated middleweight Imamshafi Aliev (9-0) will return to action against Mike Shipman (15-4). Aliev won his Bellator debut back in November 2022 defeating Sean Connor Fallon, but has been out of action since then. Shipman has won six of his nine Bellator fights, with this bout being his first appearance since beating Charlie Ward in early 2023.
Asael Adjoudj (7-1) will try to keep his Bellator winning streak alive against undefeated talent Bruno Fontes (6-0). Adjoudj has earned seven wins since 2020 with five of those fights in Bellator. Fontes is getting the Bellator call-up after scoring six wins on the Brazilian regional scene.
Lightweight prospect Archie Colgan (9-0) will take on UFC alum Thibault Gouti (17-6). Colgan has put together six victories since joining the Bellator roster in 2021, beating names like Justin Montalvo and Emmanuel Sanchez. Gouti has won two of his three appearances for the promotion and is riding the momentum of a finish win over Kane Mousah from last year.
Yves Landu (20-9) will take on Bellator newcomer Jonas Bilharinho (11-2-1). Landu, a fighter making his landmark 30th pro appearance, will be trying for his fifth consecutive Bellator victory. His last win came against Pancrase vet Isao Kobayashi. Bilharinho, a “Dana White’s Contender Series” alum, is coming over to Bellator after a pair of wins in the LFA.
A trio of matchups has also joined Bellator’s June 22nd card in Dublin, Ireland:
After winning his last fight in just 40 seconds, Nathan Kelly (10-2) will return to face Fabacary Diatta (9-1). Kelly has won his last 10, including four fights in PFL. Diatta bounced back from his only pro loss just under a year ago, beating Keir Harvie at Bellator 296.
Italian prospect Francesco Nuzzi (10-1) is expected to meet Brian Moore (16-10). Nuzzi scored a stoppage win on a PFL Europe card last year, stopping Farbod Iran Nezhad in the first round with a head kick. His previous fight for the promotion ended in a no contest due to an eye poke. Moore, a Bellator vet of 13 fights, is returning after getting submitted by Otto Rodrigues in his last appearance.
In a clash of middleweight prospects, Norbert Novenyi Jr. (7-0) and Dalton Rosta (8-1) will meet. Novenyi Jr. has built up his record in Bellator since 2018, earning four first-round finishes along the way. Rosta, a fighter who similarly has gained a reputation for his fights in Bellator, is coming back after dropping a decision to Aaron Jeffery last year.
KSW
Former KSW heavyweight title challenger Ricardo Prasel (13-4) will make his return at KSW 94 on May 18th against Stefan Vojcak (7-1). Prasel was submitted in the first round of a championship bout against Phil De Fries in September 2022. Vojcak bounced back from his first pro loss last November, stopping Kamil Gawryjolek in just 66 seconds with strikes.
A pair of fights have joined KSW 95, which will take place on June 7th from Olsztyn, Poland:
14-fight UFC vet Marcin Held (28-10) will return to KSW for a lightweight bout against Roman Szymanski (17-8). Held lost his promotional debut late last year, getting stopped in the second round by Georgian talent Raul Tutarauli. Szymanski, a former KSW title challenger, will be looking to snap a two-fight skid after suffering losses to Valeriu Mircea and Leo Birchta.
Igor Michaliszyn (10-2) will try to keep his momentum going when he takes on the experienced Brian Hooi (19-10). Michaliszyn has put together five wins since 2020 with two of the wins via finish in KSW. Hooi lost in the main event of a card last May, dropping a decision to Andrzej Grzebyk.
ONE Championship
Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng (34-12-2) will meet Maurice Abevi (7-1) at ONE Championship’s May 3rd card from Bangkok, Thailand. Zhang picked up his third promotional win six months back, stopping Timofey Nastyukhin in the first round. Abevi is coming off his first ONE Championship victory, stopping Blake Cooper in the first round.
A pair of fights have joined ONE 167 on June 7th from Bangkok, Thailand. In a matchup between 115-pound fighters looking to get back into the win column, Itsuki Hirata (6-3) and Victoria Souza (7-2) will collide. Souza took a loss last month, dropping a decision to Noelle Grandjean. Hirata has taken a pair of losses to veterans recently, losing to Ham Seo Hee and Ayaka Miura. It was also announced that Rodtang Jitmuangnon will meet Denis Puric in a kickboxing bout.
LFA
LFA 183 will feature a three-round light heavyweight bout between Ozzy Diaz (8-2) and Bevon Lewis (7-4) in the main event, per a recent announcement. The fight will headline a card from the Commerce Casino & Hotel in Commerce, California, USA. Diaz, a former “Dana White’s Contender Series” competitor, returned to LFA last month with a first-round finish win over Chuck Campbell. Lewis is currently searching for his first win since departing the UFC roster in late 2020. His first fight following that stint was a submission defeat to Marcelo Nunes in 2022. Eight other bouts were announced for the LFA 183 undercard:
Lights Out Bantamweight Champion and former UFC talent Albert Morales (15-9-1) will meet former LFA title challenger Allan Begosso (8-3-1) in the co-main event. Morales has won five of his last six, including a first-round finish victory from February to win a regional belt. Begosso snapped a two-fight skid last summer, beating Cristian Giovannie on scorecards.
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (6-2) will look for his second consecutive win when he meets UWC stand-out Victor Kuiks (5-1). Lebosnoyani came back following an unsuccessful title fight last month, stopping Adam Wamsley in the first round with strikes. Kuiks has earned five wins and one loss in Mexican regional promotion UWC since turning pro in 2022.
Lerryan Douglas (9-5) will take on Nathan Ghareeb (9-2) in a featherweight bout. Ghareeb is a former titleholder in the Rhode Island-based promotion CES and previously competed in Bellator. He is coming off a trio of wins, with a finish win over Jair Junior on a Combat FC show from last year being the most recent performance. Douglas scored his first LFA victory a few months back, putting away Ivan Tena in the first round.
Former LFA Flyweight Champion Cody Davis (8-2) will make his return against Rodney Kealohi (7-4). Davis lost his flyweight belt last November, getting finished in the fourth round of a fight against Eduardo Chapolin. Kealohi is coming back to LFA after taking a win and a loss via stoppage over the past year.
After winning two pro fights via finish in the first round, Luis Francischinelli (2-0) will come back to LFA for an assignment against Greg Sun (1-0). Sun made his debut in October with a second-round stoppage win.
Rising middleweight Jake Woodley (3-0) will take on Oseyiomon Oiyemhonlan (2-2). Woodley, a four-year wrestler at The University of Oklahoma, will be hunting for the fourth win in his rookie year as a pro. Oiyemhonlan took his second loss in late 2023, getting submitted by undefeated Trent Miller.
Hoping to bounce back from her sole pro loss, Sidney Trillo (2-1) will meet Cristina Brador (1-1) at strawweight. Trillo’s first loss came in 2022 against Fatima Kline, who has gone on to earn a pair of belts in regional promotion CFFC. Brador dropped a split decision to Leslie Hernandez for her first defeat in November 2023.
Up at flyweight, Mariana Piccolo (2-2) has been matched against Taylor Mauldin (4-1). Piccolo last fought roughly one year ago, submitting Rachael Libbert with a rear naked choke to even up her pro record. Mauldin had her four-fight undefeated run stopped by former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Valesca Machado two months back.