MMA talk - PFL, Bellator, KSW, ONE...

[pawel7777]

There was an Octagon #91 event this weekend in Cologne, Germany.

The results are:
K. Jotko  def  Kerim Engizek Unanimous Dec
M. Machaev  def  Gjoni Palokaj KO/TKO, 2:34 R1
Patrik Kincl  def  H. Khajevand Sub, 2:08 R2
Cihad Akipa  def  Máté Kertész KO/TKO, 2:06 R3
Marc Doussis  def  S. Weinpolter Sub, 3:22 R1
K. Oniszczuk  def  Mick Stanton Unanimous Dec
Altin Zenuni  def  Patrik Šebek Unanimous Dec
Iwan Tagner  def  Maiwand Hamras Sub, 4:06 R1
Nicolaj Wagner  def  Jackson Ross KO/TKO, 4:13 R1
WAaron Aby  def  Zoran Milic Unanimous Dec
Furkan Ugur  def  Jakub Zacpal Sub, 1:25 R3

In the main event, Krzysztof Jotko defeated dirty-fighting Kerim Engizek.
Engizek, his team and Turkish fans were not excited with the outcome and a little brawl broke out after the fight:
https://x.com/miroTylka379/status/2076062112061771865

Not the prettiest of behaviours, but anyhow, Jotko is the new middleweight champion, so congratulations to him.

[pawel7777]

Today media started reporting on Jake Paul's intention to move away from boxing and start competing in mma:
https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/07/16/jake-paul-confirms-timeline-for-return-to-sparring-and-plans-to-compete-in-mma/
Paul is still recovering from a brutal KO he received from Anthony Joshua (I believe he had a broken jaw in two places), but is expecting to return to training soon.
His first mma fight, if it happens at all, will most likely be organised under his own promotion, MVP.
The article mentions Nate Diaz as a potential opponent. Which would be a sensible choice. Diaz is still a big name. His most recent fight was against Mike Perry, in an event organised by Jake Paul's MVP, Nate looked really disappointing in that fight, so he's not out of reach for Paul.

[TopTort777]

If that is really true, then it will be an easy fight and easy money for Diaz. Despite neglecting defense and have weird striking, Diaz was always good at jiu-jitsu. If one can learn how to punch correctly and master that withing years, it will take a lot of years to train wrestling and jiu-jitsu. At least because it has more moves than straight, uppercut, overhand, jab If Jake goes against Nate under MMA rules, fight will end in less than 2 minutes, if not scripted

[notblox1]

There is one interesting PFL event this weekend with main event Johnny Eblen vs Impa Kasanganay.
This two fighters already faced each other in octagon in 2024, and Eblen was better, but I think he won with split decision.
I am giving advantage to Elben again, but it is not going to be easy win and Kasanganay will be motivated for revenge.

[pawel7777]

If that is really true, then it will be an easy fight and easy money for Diaz. Despite neglecting defense and have weird striking, Diaz was always good at jiu-jitsu. If one can learn how to punch correctly and master that withing years, it will take a lot of years to train wrestling and jiu-jitsu. At least because it has more moves than straight, uppercut, overhand, jab If Jake goes against Nate under MMA rules, fight will end in less than 2 minutes, if not scripted

If that fight happens, I'm sure Paul's main focus during the camp would be takedown defence. If I'm not mistaken, he also has a bit of a wrestling background, so maybe he wouldn't be completely hopeless on the ground.
Nate was also a favourite against Mike Perry but couldn't do anything and looked lost. I'm not even taking about after he suffered that cut, but even before that. He himself admitted that that return was much harder than he expected and he couldn't get himself into decent shape.
With Paul, there would be another 2 big factors at play. Size difference - I don't expect the fight to be restricted to any specific weight class. And most of all, it would be organised by Jake Paul's MVP Promotion, so there's a potential for all kinds of shady, under-the-table deals that would incentivise Nate to take a dive.

[notblox1]

Guys I dont know if you saw this, but I am impressed with new modified full contact medieval cage fighting!
They have full knight steel armor and real weapons, and this is reminding me on real knight duels and gladiators.
Armored MMA is US based and you can see many fights on their youtube channel, last one was in Portland few days ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqb8kkIC4r4

Armored MMA official website:
https://armoredmmaxp.com/

[7788bitcoin]

~
Guys I dont know if you saw this, but I am impressed with new modified full contact medieval cage fighting!
They have full knight steel armor and real weapons, and this is reminding me on real knight duels and gladiators.

This is the first time I am hearing about this; I just saw the video you posted. What I do not understand is this: how do you even score a fight with full body armour? They are throwing kicks with full armour and using swords. It actually looks dangerous with the swords. If one accidentally pierces the armour, that will be the end of this league.

[pawel7777]

BKFC 91 (Saturday 18th July) results:
Main card:
Lorenzo Hunt def. Walter Pugliesi by KO (R4, 1:09)
Jindrich Byrtus def. Ernesto Papa by TKO (R1, 2:00)
Tomas Melis def. Toni Estorer by TKO (R2, 0:25)
Enzo Tobbia vs. Danny Christie – no contest (disqualification, R2, 0:27)
Jimmy Sweeney def. Nicholas Vescio by TKO (R2, 0:22)
Leonardo Damiani def. Andrea Bicchi by TKO (R3, 2:00)
Dan Chapman def. Marco Giustarini by KO (R2, 0:08)
Arbi Chakaev def. Dominik Herold by TKO (R1, 0:44)
Gianni Melillo def. Dawid Chylinski by TKO (R2, 0:47)
Pawel Werszynin def. Ramy Elsayes by KO (R1, 1:04)
Prelims:
Cristian Sabbatini def. Charli Marta by unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 29-27)
Cristian Brinzan def. Marco Saccaro by KO (R1, 1:12)
Guglielmo Gicco def. Antonio Moscatiello by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

There was no deficit of KO/TKO finishes. One of the best KO's was made by Paweł Werszynin, who landed a beautiful combo on Ramy Elayes, and, while doing that, he demonstrated a key difference between bear-knuckle fighting and boxing. You can't rely on your guard the same way when you fight with no gloves. The KO can be seen here:
https://x.com/Matysek88/status/2078544973545291881

[TopTort777]

BKFC 91

There was no deficit of KO/TKO finishes.

Even though my vision is spoiled by highlights, I cant recall a bare knuckle fight that hasnt ended with a TKO/KO I think whole sport is such that either opponent losses by TKO/KO, or punches made so much damage that doctor stops the fight, or referee and judges make fight go on even after knockdown or end of rounds (give extra round). On the other hand, it is hard to count score, because either you miss with punch or connect, as there are almost no blocks there. And each connection is either face damage or KO

[notblox1]

This is the first time I am hearing about this; I just saw the video you posted. What I do not understand is this: how do you even score a fight with full body armour? They are throwing kicks with full armour and using swords. It actually looks dangerous with the swords. If one accidentally pierces the armour, that will be the end of this league.

This AMMA have their own rules, it is not just wild sword fighting.
Armor is real steel, it is very heavy so it is providing good protection, and swords or other type of weapons are blunted steel.
Stubbing and thrusting are stricly prohibited, so combination of this rules prevents serious fighter injuries.
I think this is the next big thing after MMA, like Fencing was once very popular.

[pawel7777]

Arman Tsarukyan suffered his first loss in the RAF wrestling series to Colby Covington at the RAF 11 event.
I read in comments on X that Arman was a huge favourite with odds of x1.05 (not sure if that's true) but Colby is a very good wrestler himself + he had a size advantage.

During the event, there was an emotional moment when Ben Askren fought his last wrestling match against Belal Muhammad in the co-main event. Askren lost, but those who remember what shape he was in a year ago know how incredible it is that he's even able to fight again.

[pawel7777]

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2078521506007560474

Elon Musk posted the above a few days ago. I've also seen videos of Dana White checking out some fighting robots (I think it was in China).
Any thoughts on such events? Is humanoid robots mma something you would be interested to see, or is it more of a short-lived novelty?
I don't think I would be willing to pay any money to watch that, but it still sounds like a better show than the Power Slap.

[TopTort777]

Robot fights are more fun to watch because they are clumsy and act unpredictably. However, it is fun to watch them fighting only for the first time. I would have gone to such event once only for new experience, and will never buy tickets or translation later. Btw black robot destroyed himself and they havent connected a single strike Do these robot fight have rounds ? Is there a guy with screwdriver to fix them between rounds ?

[notblox1]

We have interesting MMA weekend ahead of us, and PFL is back with another event with undefeated champion Usman Nurmagomedov.
Khabibs cousin has 21-0 record and this time he is fighting against Archie Colgan, with another perfect Archie 13-0 record.
I think Usman is going to win again, unless he has a really bad day.

Robot fights are more fun to watch because they are clumsy and act unpredictably.

I watched robot fight recently and it was fun, but I would not watch it all the time or every week.

[pawel7777]

A long-reigning KSW Featherweight and Lightweight Champion, Salahdine Parnasse, has signed a contract with the UFC and will have his UFC debut against Dan Hooker in Paris on 5th September.
Parnasse's last fight was at the MVP Rousey Vs Carano event, live broadcast on Netflix. He fought a really good fight there and defeated Kenneth Cross by TKO.
I think he has the potential to cause some disruption in the top 15 and I think he will go past Hooker easily. I haven't checked the odds, but I imagine Parnasse is a favourite.

[eaLiTy]

We have interesting MMA weekend ahead of us, and PFL is back with another event with undefeated champion Usman Nurmagomedov.
Khabibs cousin has 21-0 record and this time he is fighting against Archie Colgan, with another perfect Archie 13-0 record.
I think Usman is going to win again, unless he has a really bad day.

This will be the last fight for Usman Nurmagomedov in his PFL contract. I think he will be signing with the UFC and will be pursuing the family legacy of dominating the 155-pound division, which was previously ruled by his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. With the way he fights, he will comfortably carry their legacy forward.

There are three very heavy favorites on this fight card: Khabib Nabiev, Amru Magomedov, and Dakota Ditcheva. Is anyone expecting any upsets in these matchups?

A long-reigning KSW Featherweight and Lightweight Champion, Salahdine Parnasse, has signed a contract with the UFC and will have his UFC debut against Dan Hooker in Paris on 5th September.
Parnasse's last fight was at the MVP Rousey Vs Carano event, live broadcast on Netflix. He fought a really good fight there and defeated Kenneth Cross by TKO.
I think he has the potential to cause some disruption in the top 15 and I think he will go past Hooker easily. I haven't checked the odds, but I imagine Parnasse is a favourite.

It is actually interesting to see Salahdine Parnasse join the UFC. Usman Nurmagomedov will be another prospect in the division that might join after his contract with the PFL. So the division is once again stacked with new talents, which makes the landscape incredibly exciting. Dan Hooker is a really good opponent for his debut fight and Salahdine Parnasse could win that; if not, it will be a long wait to reach the top.

[TopTort777]

This will be the last fight for Usman Nurmagomedov in his PFL contract. I think he will be signing with the UFC and will be pursuing the family legacy of dominating the 155-pound division, which was previously ruled by his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. With the way he fights, he will comfortably carry their legacy forward.

In the interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov that I saw 2-4 weeks ago, he said that he sees that it will be better for Usman to stay for another countract in PFL. Because when new contract ends, Usman will be ~30 yo, and that will be start of his peak form and he would be ready for UFC. He also mentioned that Usman now earns very much more than UFC would allow for a newcomer even with big name. It is Usman to decide, but he as older brother will suggest him to stay in PFL for a little bit more.

[eaLiTy]

This will be the last fight for Usman Nurmagomedov in his PFL contract. I think he will be signing with the UFC and will be pursuing the family legacy of dominating the 155-pound division, which was previously ruled by his cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. With the way he fights, he will comfortably carry their legacy forward.

In the interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov that I saw 2-4 weeks ago, he said that he sees that it will be better for Usman to stay for another countract in PFL. Because when new contract ends, Usman will be ~30 yo, and that will be start of his peak form and he would be ready for UFC. He also mentioned that Usman now earns very much more than UFC would allow for a newcomer even with big name. It is Usman to decide, but he as older brother will suggest him to stay in PFL for a little bit more.

With the merger of PFL and MVP, it is highly likely they will make a lucrative offer to Usman Nurmagomedov. The fighters who grew up training under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov have strictly followed the vision he set for them. According to 'Father's Plan,' Khabib Nurmagomedov was to retire at the top after 30 fights, followed by Islam Makhachev taking over the division, and eventually, Usman Nurmagomedov succeeding him. Observing the team for years confirms that this is exactly how they intended to build their legacy.

It is just a matter of time before Usman Nurmagomedov will join the UFC and even if he joins now, he will be able to dominate the division with the skillset he has in his striking and the ground game.

[notblox1]

In the interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov that I saw 2-4 weeks ago, he said that he sees that it will be better for Usman to stay for another countract in PFL. Because when new contract ends, Usman will be ~30 yo, and that will be start of his peak form and he would be ready for UFC. He also mentioned that Usman now earns very much more than UFC would allow for a newcomer even with big name. It is Usman to decide, but he as older brother will suggest him to stay in PFL for a little bit more.

I dont see Usman Nurmagomedov moving to UFC soon, but there is a chance to see him fighting in cross promotion, or other martial arts sports.
Khabib is still in Usman team so I am sure he is helping him make best decision for his carrier, and only thing he can get in UFC is new tougfher opponents, not more money.
Cross promotion fight happened in past so I see no reason why we cant see that again soon.

[pawel7777]

Just catching up on the last weekend's results.
I see that Usman Nurmagomedov has served Archie Colgan his first career loss and he did it in an impressive fashion, by a first round KO.
Usman is now 22-0. If it's true that it was his last figh under his current PFL contract, he will have a big dillema to work through. I'm sure the UFC will take him with open arms, but he would probably need to prove himself by winning a few UFC fights before he starts earning any good money in the UFC.
On the other hand, I'm hearing that the PFL merged with Jake Paul's MVP, which famously criticised UFC's Dana White for underpaying fighters. So it's possible Usman could make much more by extending his contract with the PFL/MVP.