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PFL results: Johnny Eblen fends off late comeback from Fabian Edwards to win unanimous decision

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Bellator champ Johnny Eblen rolling with the punches after his fight was moved for unknown reasons

Johnny Eblen probably didn’t have the performance he wanted but he’ll still leave Saudi Arabia as Bellator middleweight champion with a unanimous decision win over Fabian Edwards at PFL: Battle of the Giants.

A strong start with superior wrestling and grappling kept Eblen up early but Edwards managed a late comeback that nearly shifted the momentum to his favor. Unfortunately, Edwards just waited too long to get movie and Eblen had already racked up enough on the scorecards to hold onto the victory.

All three judges scored the fight 48-47 with Eblen remaining undefeated with the fourth defense of his middleweight title.

“I kind of faded a little bit,” Eblen said afterwards. “I’m pretty satisfied. I wish I could have ended it again. Fabian’s a top level guy. He’s one of the best in the world.”

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Eblen wasted no time setting the pace early as he established himself in the center of the cage and continuously found a home for a stiff right hand on Edwards’ chin. While Edwards kept attempting to set up a well-timed uppercut, Eblen avoided that punch before rushing forward and looking for the takedown.

Again and again, Eblen rag dolled Edwards around the cage as the British middleweight struggled to deal with the Bellator champion’s superior wrestling and grappling. As time passed, Eblen’s ability to drag Edwards to the canvas seemed to get easier, although he wasn’t able to produce much offense with the superior position.

Still, Eblen maintained control as he kept moving Edwards around the cage and then bringing him crashing back to the ground.

When the fight did stay on the feet, Edwards finally started to connect with a few shots but he just couldn’t keep Eblen from slipping inside and pressuring him back to the cage again. Because Edwards was so wary about getting taken down again, he was typically only throwing one strike at a time and that was much easier for Eblen to avoid.

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Even with Edwards in a defensive posture, Eblen still managed to find a way to consistently toss him back to the ground as time started running out on the two-time title challenger.

It wasn’t until the final frame when Edwards finally started throwing caution to the wind because he knew a finish was the only way he had a chance to win. Edwards stabbed at Eblen with a good lead jab and even threw a few slick inside elbows just trying anything to inflict some damage.

Edwards was also digging to the body with some nasty knees but he just ran out of time before he could produce a knockout to pull off the comeback win. While it certainly wasn’t the last round that Eblen wanted, he still survived the late onslaught to get the decision and retain his title.

Now 16-0 in his career, Eblen’s biggest problem moving forward might be finding worthwhile competition to keep him interested now that he already has a pair of wins over Edwards.

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Football

Rocco Becht dives into the end zone to help seal Iowa State's 38-35 victory over UCF

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October 20, 2024

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Rocco Becht dives into the end zone to help seal Iowa State




Rocco Becht dived into the end zone to help seal the Iowa State Cyclones’ victory over UCF. 



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MMA

UFC 2024 post-fight bonus winners: Inside the numbers

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October 20, 2024

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UFC 2024 post-fight bonus winners: Inside the numbers

The UFC handed out more than $9 million in disclosed $50,000 post-fight bonus checks in 2023. What will the totals be this year?

Here’s a running tally of all kinds of interesting UFC bonus-related stats that will update throughout the year after each event.

(Story updated following UFC Fight Night 245 on Oct. 19.)

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MMA

UFC Vegas 99 bonuses: Anthony Hernandez earns lone Performance of the Night after battering Michel Pereira

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31 mins ago

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October 20, 2024

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UFC Vegas 99 bonuses: Anthony Hernandez earns lone Performance of the Night after battering Michel Pereira

Anthony Hernandez earned the biggest win of his career and another $50,000 to boot.

Hernandez dominated Michel Pereira in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 99 card at the UFC APEX en route to a fifth-round TKO win. Pereira landed a big flurry early on, but for the next 20-plus minutes, it was “Fluffy” wearing Pereira down with relentless pressure, battering and bloodying the exciting standup fighter throughout the contest.

The just-turned 31-year-old earned the lone Performance of the Night bonus for his outstanding showing.

The UFC did award a Fight of the Night, and to the surprise of very few, it went to the featherweight clash between Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda. Elkins won a unanimous decision, and his first career Fight of the Night bonus, while Pineda announced his retirement in defeat. It was the second time Pineda earned the award in his UFC career. Both fighters go home with an extra $50,000.

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MMA

9 decisions + 11 fights = Only 3 $50,000 bonuses

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52 mins ago

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October 20, 2024

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9 decisions + 11 fights = Only 3 $50,000 bonuses

The UFC handed out three bonuses after Saturday’s card – one less than is customary.

After UFC Fight Night 245, three fighters picked up an extra $50,000 for their performances in Las Vegas. Check out the winners below.

Performance of the Night: Anthony Hernandez

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (R-L) Anthony Hernandez punches Michel Pereira of Brazil in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Anthony Hernandez def. Michel Pereira via TKO (strikes) – Round 5, 2:22

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Anthony Hernandez (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) absolutely destroyed Michel Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC) and eventually finished him with a fifth-round TKO. But the fight really could’ve been stopped well before that. Hernandez landed 10 takedowns for more than three full rounds of control time. He set a new record for takedown attempts and called for fights at the next level at middleweight.

Fight of the Night: Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 19: (L-R) Daniel Pineda knees Darren Elkins in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 19, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Darren Elkins def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Darren Elkins (29-11 MMA, 19-10 UFC) and Daniel Pineda (28-17 MMA, 5-8 UFC) put on a classic Elkins fight, with blood all over the canvas by the time things were done. This time, most of it was Elkins’ opponent and not his own, though. Elkins and Pineda had a grinder of a scrap, and after 15 back-and-forth minutes, Elkins had his third win in four fights – and Pineda hung up his gloves.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Football

Match of the Day analysis: Alan Shearer on Man United’s front three

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October 20, 2024

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Match of the Day analysis: Alan Shearer on Man United's front three


Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer analyses how the link up between Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford proved to be a “constant threat” for Manchester United in their 2-1 win over Brentford in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

MATCH REPORT: Man Utd ease pressure on Ten Hag with win over Brentford

Available to UK users only.

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MMA

Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou’s vicious knockout win at PFL Battle of the Giants

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1 hour ago

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October 20, 2024

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Jon Jones reacts to Francis Ngannou’s vicious knockout win at PFL Battle of the Giants

Jon Jones paid attention to Francis Ngannou’s return to MMA — and he was impressed.

Ngannou headlined PFL’s Battle of the Giants pay-per-view card on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, facing Renan Ferreira. The former UFC heavyweight champ disposed of Ferreira in the first round with absolutely brutal ground and pound that left his opponent unconscious on the canvas.

Jones went on Twitter and put Ngannou, and his performance over.

“What an amazing job Francis did tonight, displayed a complete MMA game,” Jones wrote. “Great kicks, great takedowns. It feels good to see him shine. Wow congratulations Champ, I see you.”

Ngannou and Jones were linked to a potential fight for years before the former made the decision to leave the UFC and vacate the title. Jones would fight former interim champ Ciryl Gane for the vacant belt at UFC 285 in March 2023 and picked up a quick submission to win his second divisional title.

“The Predator” competed in MMA for the first time in nearly three years after taking a pair of boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, suffering losses in both contests.

Jones will now defend against Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309 next month at Madison Square Garden.

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