30 Days in MMA: November 2023
There might not have been a more historic and game-changing period in MMA than the last month! November 2023 saw one major promotion be acquired by another and multiple fight cards from the market leader. Along the way, many champions secured their destinies while others were freshly crowned.
PFL Acquired Bellator
The biggest story from the month was that the Professional Fighters League officially acquired the Bellator company and brand. While all the details are yet to be fully finalized, the belief is that the two brands will continue to operate as separate entities but will come together for collaborative events. The first of these was announced as the PFL Champions versus Bellator Champions card which could take place in early 2024.
Championship Night at PFL
The PFL had its season endgame on the 24th, which most certainly entertained the live crowd in Washington, D.C., as well as all of the spectators around the world. While there were only two finishes on the main card, the action was frenetic. The re-match between Magomed Magomedkerimov and Sadibou Sy saw the Russian win again just like when the two met in the 2020 season. Larissa Pacheco made PFL history by becoming the first multi-division champion in the promotion by defeating her opponent, Marina Mokhnatkina, by unanimous decision.
Aspinall Scores First-Round KO
Tom Aspinall scored an impressive first-round victory at Madison Square Garden as part of UFC 295. The heavyweight matchup lasted just 69 seconds as Sergei Pavlovich was seeing stars after a series of heavy punches from the English fighter. Aspinall would then lay claim to the interim heavyweight championship.
Andrade Stops Losing Streak
Jessica Andrade is part of the furniture in the UFC, having been with the company since 2013 and continually fighting all challengers. Before this last fight, she had endured three consecutive losses, which put her career prospects in real doubt. Taking on Mackenzie Dern, another storied female fighter, was no short ask. Andrade was able to produce a Performance of the Night showing and finally got a W on her resume at UFC 295.
Jackson Beats Undefeated Amosov
Jason Jackson might not have been an uber-underdog against Yaroslav Amosov, but he wouldn’t have been considered the favorite by any means. Bellator 301 pitted the Jamaican against the Ukrainian fighter for the welterweight championship, with the latter defending the strap. Amosov went into the fight with an awe-inspiring 27-0 record, only to have his title reign stopped by a series of hard punches landed by Jackson, as the ref stopped the fight two minutes into the third round. Jackson lifted the title belt and appeared on the PFL championship night and stared down Magomed Magomedkerimov as the pair could face off in the PFL Champs vs. Bellator Champs card.
Mix Upgrades Interim Championship
Bellator 301 had multiple title fights, and the co-main event saw the Bellator bantamweight championship change hands as Patchy Mix, the interim champ, defeated Sergio Pettis to unify the division titles. On a main card devoid of fight finishes before this bout, the crowd yearned for a big event. Mix delivered by locking in a raucous rear-naked choke, forcing his opponent to tap out and submit the championship.
Suzuki Defends Title in Baku
Japanese MMA news websites were surprised when the premier domestic MMA promotion, RIZIN Fighting Federation, decided to host an event in Baku, Azerbaijan. Chihiro Suzuki headlined this international card by defending his RFF featherweight championship against the Azerbaijani challenger, Vugar Karamov, with a first-round KO win. This followed a night of mixed fortunes for the local fighters, with two Azerbaijan-based combatants having their hands raised but another two ending the night in defeat.
Saint-Denis Continues to Surge
French and European MMA news sites went into a frenzy for Benoît Saint-Denis’ fight at UFC 295. The man from Nimes, France, only joined the promotion back in October 2021, and despite losing his first match, he’s been steadily climbing the lightweight division rankings. If anyone was still unconvinced come November 2023 then the French fighter couldn’t have done much more, scoring a KO triumph in 91 seconds with a head kick against Matt Frevola. This led to Saint-Denis earning his second Performance of the Night award as he angles toward a title shot.
Brave CF’s Guseinov Goes 6-0
Undefeated streaks are never to be scoffed at in MMA; it only takes one strike or mistimed moment to end up with an L. Murad Guseinov might have been born in Russia but now represents Bahrain, having been based in the country working with Brave CF for many years now. Last month, he defeated David Martinez, an Australian fighter, with a submission move to 6-0. Brave CF is now consistently monitored by the ‘bigger promotions’ with Benoît Saint-Denis having signed for UFC from the Bahrain-based company. Could bigger challenges also await Guseinov?
Rousey Looks Unlikely to Fight in Cage Again
Another interesting piece of news out of the MMA machine was that Ronda Rousey made her first public appearance after leaving WWE in the summer. She is reportedly on a per-appearance contract with Ring of Honor, which allows her to keep her plans open. Furthermore, she’s said that she wants to dedicate more time to bringing up her children now. All of this leads fight fans to think she’s not going to be appearing at UFC 300 or in any MMA competition ever again.
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