Usyk (22-0) added Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and WBO belts with a spectacular late rally highlighted by a ninth-round knockdown in a back-and-forth bout between two previously unbeaten heavyweight champs. Two judges favored Usyk, 115-112 and 114-113, while the third gave it to Fury, 114-113.

“It’s a great time. It’s a great day,” Usyk said.

Usyk started quickly, but then had to survive while the confident, charismatic Fury dominated the middle rounds. Usyk surged in the final rounds, just as the Ukrainian Olympic gold medalist has done so many times in his career, taking control with a dominant eighth and nearly stopping Fury in the ninth.

Usyk hurt Fury (34-1-1) with a left hand and eventually sent him sprawling into a corner in the final seconds of the round, getting credit for a knockdown right before Fury was saved by the bell. Fury struggled to mount a consistent attack after nearly getting stopped, and the knockdown turned out to be the decisive factor in the decision.

“Thank you so much to my team,” Usyk said while fighting back tears in the ring. “It’s a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country. Slava Ukraini!”

Fury kissed Usyk on the head after the final bell. Fury also said he wants the rematch in October.

“I believe I won that fight,” Fury said. “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them, and I believe it was one of those what-can-you-do, one of them … decisions in boxing. We both put on a good fight, best we can do.

“You know, his country is at war, so people are siding with a country at war. But make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion, and I’ll be back. I’ve got a rematch clause.”

The 37-year-old Usyk is the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held the honor for five months in 1999 and 2000. He is also now the lineal heavyweight champion by beating Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko to earn that distinction in 2015.

Usyk is 6 inches shorter than the 6-foot-9 Fury, and he weighed in 30 pounds lighter than the hulking British star this week. The size difference didn’t matter to Usyk, who has used his athleticism and skill to counter every challenge he has faced since moving up from cruiserweight to heavyweight in 2019.

Usyk upset Anthony Joshua to win three title belts in 2021, and he kept them through two defenses while angling for the ultimate payday of a fight against Fury in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk landed 41% of his 407 punches, while Fury landed just 31.7% of his 496 punches, according to CompuBox statistics. Usyk both threw (260 to 210) and landed (122 to 95) more power punches.

Usyk has now joined the elite club of fighters who held every major world championship belt at heavyweight 鈥� and he is the first to do it in the four-belt era, which began in 2007. The list of undisputed champions includes Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson.

The most recent undisputed heavyweight champ was Lewis, who beat Evander Holyfield in late 1999 and enjoyed a five-month reign. He soon lost a title because of the territorial squabbles that have beset boxing for the past quarter-century and routinely prevented the biggest fights from happening.

Fury and Usyk both asked for this matchup, and they finally got together in the ring largely because of the involvement of Saudi Arabia, which made the financial rewards simply too great for the fighters’ typically recalcitrant promoters and the sanctioning bodies to reject. Fury will reportedly make more than $100 million for the bout.

To reach the lucrative Western pay-per-view audience, the bout didn’t begin until 1:45 a.m. on Sunday morning at Kingdom Arena.

Usyk was aggressive from the opening bell, repeatedly getting inside his taller opponent’s defenses to land body shots. Fury was his usual carefree self, even putting both arms on the ropes in a corner and pretending to dodge punches when Usyk advanced.

But Fury picked up his attack from the third round, working his size advantage and his typically unpredictable movement to throw right hands behind his sharp jab. Fury appeared to hurt Usyk with body shots right at the belt, and he rocked Usyk twice in the sixth with vicious uppercuts.

Usyk rallied, bloodying Fury’s nose and face with a left hand. Usyk then punished Fury in the ninth, hitting him with another concussive left before battering the British star around the ring. Fury sagged into a corner while barely staying on his feet with about 10 seconds left in the round.

The referee could have stopped the fight, but he ordered Usyk away for a standing 8-count interrupted by the bell.

On the undercard at Kingdom Arena, Australia’s Jai Opetaia retained his IBF cruiserweight title with a clear unanimous decision over Mairis Briedis. Ireland’s Anthony Cacace also claimed the IBF super featherweight title when he stopped Joe Cordina in the eighth round.

Earlier, 41-year-old former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev returned to the ring for only the second time since 2019 with a decision loss to Sweden’s Robin Sirwan Safar.

Six months ago, the Professional Fighters League founder and chairman oversaw , fortifying his burgeoning combat sports organization with an influx of top-quality fighters and further securing its place in the sport. While many appear eager to compare PFL with the UFC, Davis is quick to point out that it’s not so much about competing with the stalwart MMA standard bearer as it is growing the sport and appeasing its fans.

“This is not about PFL versus UFC. This is not about choosing one or the other. It’s not about who’s going to win,” Davis said in a recent interview with the Southern California 色情论坛 Group. “This is a story about the rise of PFL. And the markets now being a duopoly with two winning companies: PFL and UFC.”

Entering its sixth year and armed with an ESPN deal, PFL not only added a deep and talented Bellator roster in November, it offered an intriguing inaugural event 鈥� PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions 鈥� in February. PFL also essentially doubled its distribution by striking a streaming deal with Max in March for its new Bellator Champions Series, featuring eight events with two title fights planned for each card.

“We’re always focused about a tapestry of distribution,” Davis said. “Multiple places, all premium, all free that you can see PFL.”

With the second Bellator Champions Series set for Friday in Paris, the Southern California 色情论坛 Group spoke with Davis about PFL and Bellator, along with some notable fighters with local connections 鈥� Huntington Beach’s Cris Cyborg, former St. John Bosco High wrestling star Aaron Pico and Long Beach’s A.J. McKee 鈥� and the series making its United States debut Sept. 7 at Pechanga Arena in San Diego.

Responses have been condensed and lightly edited for concision and clarity.

SCNG: How do you see the MMA landscape right now?

DAVIS: From the very, very beginning of starting PFL, I’ve always said the MMA market is big enough for two big winning companies. UFC was the first winner, and they’re clearly still the number one company. But PFL is now the second winner. And to be the second winning company, when you look at the dynamics of the market 鈥� fighters, fans and media distribution 鈥� those are the three important constituents of any sports league. Fighters, fans and media companies, all three of them wanted a second MMA company. There was more fighters than UFC can handle on a premium level. There’s more fan demand for premium MMA. UFC only gives them 50 events a year and there’s 650 million fans. And media distribution wanted more premium MMA … and we fulfilled that need and very quickly. Five years, but that’s very quick.

SCNG: It’s been roughly six months since PFL acquired Bellator MMA. Where’s the organization at right now?

DAVIS: Great question. The big reason we acquired Bellator was for the athlete talent. There has never been a second sports league that had near equal talent. It’s generally a minor-league sports league. It’s always a second-rate product. And that’s always been true until the PFL came along. And we were able to put together our talent with the Bellator talent. I’ll give you two quick metrics, which are pretty astounding. There’s only one organization writing about MMA that ranks all fighters independently. That’s . Thirty percent of our combined roster this year is ranked in the top 25 in the world. The exact same percentage of the UFC roster this year, 30% of their roster, is top 25 ranked. Now I recognize that the UFC brand is stronger. They’ve been around 30 years, we’ve been around six years. But fighter quality is now equal in terms of top 25 ranked, same percentage, 30% to 30%. And fact number two, is we’re now able to produce 25 events on four continents a year. We have enough product. We couldn’t expand unless we had enough talent to expand. And we now have enough talent to be able to do 25 events a year.

SCNG: As you know, Donn, Southern California, great base for MMA. Three fighters that we specifically cover are with your organization. At the top of the heap arguably is Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg. We know Cyborg signed a four-fight deal before Bellator sold and still has three fights left on her deal. She’s 38 She’s not getting any younger. Why has Cyborg not defended her Bellator belt yet?

DAVIS: We’ve been very consistent saying she’s, if not the best, one of the three best of all time in female MMA. No doubt about it. And as such, she deserves, one, great matchups to cement her legacy, and two, the biggest stage to showcase her to the world. Candidly, Bellator is not doing that. Matchups were weak and her stage was small. That’s not befitting of her as a champion. So we are going to do big matchups, big stage, Cris Cyborg. So to that end, we said she is a pay-per-view fighter. And she will be fighting on an elevated PFL Super Fight division and a Super Fight division only. She’s that big. She deserves that. So when Cris talks about other fights, we go, ‘That’s beneath you, Cris. You’re past that. So you are a Super Fight fighter and you are in the paid PFL Super Fight Division, number one. Number two is great opponents. You’ve only lost to one person of all time. Cement your legacy.’ And so we’ve set her next fight will be against (PFL featherweight champion) Larissa Pacheco. We know what great fights are. And we’re gonna put on those great fights. So as we said for several months, and I think now Cris likes and accepts, you will see on the next pay-per-view card as a co-main event, Cris Cyborg-Larissa Pacheco. And we’re not ready to announce that date. We know that date, she knows that day. But that’s the fight you will see. And the fans will love it. I think that’s the biggest women’s MMA fight of 2024.

SCNG: It seems to me some of Cyborg’s concerns are, she’s worthy of a pay-per-view, but how many pay-per-views you guys do per year. And the fact that she’s 38 and not getting any younger. And I think she might be looking to get this three-fight deal done, but it might be happening slower than she wants. How do you reconcile that with her being a great champion deserving of a pay-per-view, but maybe the fights aren’t happening as frequently as she wants.

DAVIS: Obviously, those who know us as a company, know me as a leader, we’re always transparent, always direct, not like the other guys, right? We make sure every fighter gets two fights a year, in terms of what we’re going to offer them. And we always give them plenty of opportunity, but we can’t force anybody to do anything. So she was offered a fight in February. She didn’t take it. We’ve been public on that. So she would have had two fights this year. She wanted two fights this year. She didn’t want that fight. So in 2024, she’s got one fight. But we’re going to offer her two fights every year. Somebody of her caliber and somebody of her seasoned age, two fights a year is the right number of fights. We just think that’s good for her and that’s good for fans.

SCNG: Sticking with Bellator featherweight champions, Patricio Pitbull successfully defended his title in March. Afterward, he said, ‘Aaron Pico, you’re next.’ Now, to my knowledge, and I’ve been writing about Aaron Pico for a while now, not many fighters call out Aaron Pico. What are the chances of that title fight happening?

DAVIS: I love Aaron Pico. Obviously, he’s a new fighter to our organization, but not a new fighter known to us. I will tell you that on my way back from Saudi Arabia, Aaron Pico and I were on the same flight. We were trapped in the airport together on a delay for several hours. And without ruining any fun for the fans, all I’ll tell you is Aaron Pico asked me what he would like to do for his next fight. And he said his dream fight would be ‘x’ and his dream location would be ‘y.’ And I called (Head of Bellator Fight Operations) Mike Kogan and I said, ‘I’m in the Saudi Arabian airport. And this is what he would like to do. Sounds pretty good to me. What do you think?’ Mike said, ‘I think that sounds excellent.’ And that’s what’s gonna happen. So we’re not ready to announce it yet. But a clue might be that you’ll cover it and it’s in your area of the woods.

SCNG: You jumped the gun a little for me here. And I appreciate it because I was going to ask you, we’re excited to see the first Bellator Champions Series in the U.S., September 7th, Pechanga Arena, San Diego. No fights have been announced. And I was gonna ask you if you could offer any clues to what MMA fans might be able to expect September 7th.

DAVIS: I think the main clue would be we’re not going to disappoint local fans. That’s the clue.

SCNG: OK, sticking with local fighters and featherweight again. Last but not least, A.J. McKee, former Bellator featherweight champion, dynamic debut defeating Clay Collard like he did (at PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions in February). He is in an interesting situation between featherweight and lightweight. Where do you see A.J. fitting 145 pounds vs. 155 pounds?

DAVIS: As we do with most fighters of A.J.’s stature, stardom and caliber, we work with him to help him develop and cement his career in the way he wants to do. So I think we’d be flexible in either one with him. In terms of what I think would be the best for him is to elevate his career. So I think for him to perhaps headline closing out the Bellator series, you know, the final show of the year, would be such an elevation. I know that our team is planning how to end the Bellator series in a big and major way. What would be the biggest stars to do that as the co-main events? What would be the biggest title fights to end our first Bellator Champions Series in December? And I think A.J. is in the mix as a perfect candidate to do that, I think that would celebrate his stardom. And I think that would be a direction that would be exciting and fitting.

SCNG: The San Diego card, like you said, that’s in our backyard. You’re promising the locals won’t be disappointed. This feels like a really big year for your company.

DAVIS: Really big year. And as we said, what we’re really proud of is a lot of people said, when we acquired Bellator, just fold it. And we said no. We said, ‘How many MMA companies have put on 300 events?’ Two: UFC and Bellator. And there’s a deep, rich history there that can be reimagined and reinvigorated. And we believe this Bellator Champions Series combines the best of a one-off event and the best of, call it, the meaning that PFL brings to each and every event. So it’s not just same old, same old, you know, and every Bellator Champions year stands on its own. Those champions will always compete in the Champs v. Champs in February, those belts are on the line each and every year in multiple ways. Every Bellator Champions Series has two title fights, there’s only eight a year, you shouldn’t miss them. So they’re very curated. They’re very premium. They’re not just one after another with random numbers that roll on and on. So I’m super excited about what’s happening with Bellator. And we think fans are responding but will really start to respond as the season rolls on.

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  Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez knocks down Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Jaime Munguia motions from the ring before fighting Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Canelo Alvarez motions from the ring before fighting Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Fabian Maidana lands a left to Mario Barrios in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Mario Barrios lands a left to Fabian Maidana in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Brandon Figueroa lands a left to Jessie Magdaleno in a featherweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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  Eimantas Stanionis lands a left to Gabriel Maestre in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By MARK ANDERSON (AP Sports Writer)

LAS VEGAS 鈥� The question of whether Canelo Alvarez can any longer knock out anyone likely won’t go away his victory by unanimous decision Saturday night, but he remains the undisputed super middleweight champion because he was the stronger and more effective boxer.

Alvarez (61-2-2), who closed as a minus-380 favorite at聽BetMGM, overcame a somewhat slow start to dominate and hand Jaime Munguia (43-1) his first loss.

The champ took full control after knocking down Munguia in the fourth round before the announced crowd of 17,492, which was fairly evenly split between the two competitors.

Tim Cheatham scored the fight 117-110, David Sutherland had it 116-111 and Steve Weisfeld 115-112.

鈥淲hen I retire, my numbers will say what position I鈥檓 in,” Alvarez said. 鈥淚 know there鈥檚 a lot of great Mexican fighters in the past, but I鈥檓 the best fighting right now.鈥�

This is the second straight time that Alvarez left no doubt who was the better fighter and showing why, even at 33, he remains one of the sport’s all-time greats. Alvarez also聽had his way with Jermell Charlo聽in September to win by even wider margins.

These two fights followed two victories and a loss that were anything but impressive. While Alvarez showed he still is the class of his division, he still hasn’t delivered a knockout since defeating Caleb Plant in 2021 鈥� a span of five matches.

Alvarez was circumspect regarding what he might do next, saying he’ll return to the ring 鈥渋f the money is right.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e fought everyone and I can do what I want,鈥� he said.

The lead-up to the bout was聽unusually civil, with both fighters saying they were proud to represent Mexico on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

鈥淭his win means a lot,” Alvarez said. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad that I gave him this opportunity. Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He鈥檚 going to have a great career. I鈥檓 very proud that all the Mexicans are here watching us.鈥�

Alvarez saved his harshest criticism during week not for his opponent, but for Munguia’s promoter. Oscar De La Hoya used to be in Alvarez’s corner, but they clearly are on opposite sides now and nearly even came to blows Wednesday at the news conference after trading allegations.

The 27-year-old Munguia the more aggressive boxer the first three rounds, even getting Alvarez into the ropes in the third. Alvarez, though, showed in the fourth he wasn’t going anywhere, using a left and then a right to the face to send Munguia to the canvas with 38 seconds left to change the tenor of the fight.

Alvarez then proceeded to sting Munguia over the next four rounds with shots to the face. Munguia put together his own sets of flurries, but they did little noticeable damage to Alvarez.

That is until the ninth round when Munguia landed some blows to the face that sent Alvarez backward, even into the corner at one point. But Alvarez responded with his own combinations, including coming out of the corner, in the fight’s most action-packed round.

The 10th and 11th rounds were close, but largely the same trends followed of Alvarez delivering the harder shots.

Munguia came out in the final round as if he knew he was trailing on the judges’ cards, but did little to change the outcome. It was Alvarez who again came through with the best blows, using a combination with about a minute left to Munguia’s head and following with several more shots to end the fight.

鈥淚 came out strong and was winning the early rounds,鈥� Munguia said. 鈥淚 let my hands go, but he鈥檚 a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it鈥檚 my first loss and I felt strong.鈥�

In the other main-card fights:

鈥� San Antonio’s Mario Barrios (29-2) successfully defended his WBC interim world welterweight title by defeating Argentinian Fabian Maidana (22-3) by unanimous decision in the co-main event. Each judge scored the bout 116-111.

Barrios prevailed despite fighting with his right eye nearly completely closed.

鈥淢aidana fought hard for 12 rounds like I expected,” Barrios said. 鈥淥nce my eye started swelling up, it was hard to find my range. But we stuck to the fundamentals, tried to find openings and came out with the victory.鈥�

鈥� WBC interim world featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) of Welasco, Texas, knocked out Jessie Magdaleno (29-3) of Las Vegas with a left uppercut to his kidney with one second left in the ninth round ended.

鈥� Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis (15-0) easily retained his WBA welterweight title by claiming a unanimous decision over Venezuelan Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1) with scores of 117-111, 118-10 and 119-109.

LAS VEGAS 鈥� Given the significance of two Mexican fighters facing each other on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia have been especially respectful of each other heading into Saturday night鈥檚 bout.

Much more so than what typically would be expected of a title fight when those going against each other often create fake controversies to gin up pay-per-view sales.

Alvarez saved most of his venom for his former promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, who now works on the other side with Munguia. De La Hoya gave just as well as he received, and at times it felt during Wednesday鈥檚 news conference as if he was the opposing boxer rather than Munguia.

A point Alvarez, the consensus super middleweight champion, was sure to make.

鈥淗e tried to get the attention for him not for Munguia,鈥� Alvarez said before unleashing a string of expletives at De La Hoya.

Alvarez went R-rated after the interpreter didn鈥檛 fully translate his Spanish words into English. So Alvarez made sure his feelings were clearly known by doing the translating himself. He soon rose to his feet to directly challenge De La Hoya, but no blows were thrown.

demanding that the boxer stop making claims that De La Hoya鈥檚 Golden Boy Promotions stole money from fighters.

The spotlight eventually will turn to the competitors in the ring and for good reason.

Just about any fight involving Alvarez is must-see. He is an enormously popular four-division champion who has established himself as one of history鈥檚 great boxers, taking a 60-2-2 record (39 knockouts) into this weekend.

Alvarez will try to do what no one else has accomplished 鈥� defeat Munguia, who is 43-0 (34 KOs).

鈥淐anelo has great experience,鈥� Munguia said through an interpreter. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gone up against great fighters. I may not have that resume where I鈥檝e gone up against so many great fighters, but what I do have is youth on my side. I want to be able to showcase my capabilities inside of the ring to come out with the win in the end.鈥�

A big question is one of age. Alvarez, at 33, is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning, In the 27-year-old Munguia, he is going against someone hungry to move that timeline along.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really pay attention (to) if he鈥檚 younger or older,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淚鈥檓 different. I鈥檓 Canelo. I don鈥檛 care. My experience, my talent, my intelligence is different.鈥�

Alvarez is a minus-450 favorite at聽BetMGM, meaning a $100 bet pays $22.22 if he wins.

From the unusually polite tone between the fighters this week, just the fact that Alvarez and Munguia are meeting is a win in itself.

鈥淚t鈥檚 more a celebration,鈥� Alvarez acknowledged. 鈥淣o matter what (fans) support, I think this fight is for them and I feel proud.鈥�

Munguia said through an interpreter that didn鈥檛 mean the fighters would go easy on each other.

鈥淵ou can expect a full-out Mexican war,鈥� Munguia said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to be disappointed. It鈥檚 going to be a great fight on Saturday night.鈥�

There are three belts on the line on the undercard: Mario Barrios will defend his WBC interim world welterweight title against Fabian Maidana, WBC interim world featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa faces Jessie Magdaleno and Eimantas Stanionis puts his WBA welterweight title at stake against Gabriel Maestre.

The former Brazil Judo National Team member embarked on an ambitious dream less than four years ago in pursuit of a pro MMA career. She left Brazil and moved to Huntington Beach to live and train with MMA star and countrywoman Cris Cyborg, helping the Grand Slam champion prepare for her Bellator featherweight title defenses while honing her own skills for her future in the sport.

The goal was ultimately realized in September, when Barbosa locked in a first-round armbar submission on Dana White鈥檚 Contender Series to earn a UFC contract. And what better way to debut in the UFC than to go back to her home country and face Ernesta Kareckaite in front of a partisan crowd at UFC 301 on Saturday in Rio De Janeiro.

鈥淥h my gosh, this is like a special moment for me,鈥� Barbosa (6-2) said by phone on Wednesday from Rio, which is roughly 1,500 miles south of her coastal hometown of Recife on the easternmost point of Brazil. 鈥淚鈥檓 so happy and glad to be back in Brazil. I go to the USA because I really want my UFC contract and everything, so to come back to Brazil with my contract and fighting here is like the world for sure.鈥�

Barbosa鈥檚 journey was even more challenging than it sounds. She received the opportunity to fight for a UFC contract eight months ago only after another fighter had to withdraw. That meant Barbosa, who turns 32 on Wednesday, had to cut 16 pounds on four days鈥� notice to make the 136-pound bantamweight limit.

No problem, right? Other than the fact that Barbosa is a flyweight and accustomed to fighting 10 pounds lighter and she was nursing a knee injury.

Then heavy rains caused the cancellation of her flight to Las Vegas. Undeterred by the downpour, Barbosa got in her car. The whole way, Barbosa was dead set on stepping in that cage: 鈥淚 will fight. I will. I will. It鈥檚 my moment, it鈥檚 my chance. I will get my contract,鈥� she said.

In the end, after driving nearly eight hours there, she needed just 4 minutes and 35 seconds to secure the victory.

Then came the waiting game. Barbosa鈥檚 was the first of five fights that night. A victory is no guarantee of a contract. So she had to agonize through four more fights before waiting to hear if UFC president Dana White called her name.

鈥淲hen he said my name, I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃hew, yeah! I get it. Yes!鈥欌�� Barbosa recalled. 鈥淚 do whatever I need to do, but I never wait for a lot from people, so I really put myself in position and I can like make the work done. But in this situation, we have like no idea.鈥�

Nicknamed 鈥淭he Witch,鈥� Barbosa gushes about Cyborg and the opportunity to learn from one of the sport鈥檚 greats and grow into the fighter she has become, which included earning her Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. When asked what advice the Bellator 145-pound champ gave her, Barbosa says the biggest lesson has simply been watching the Brazilian legend go about her business on a daily basis.

Barbosa, who also trains at Huntington Beach鈥檚 Kings MMA under Master Rafael Cordeiro, has won her past three fights, as has the 25-year-old Kareckaite (5-0-1), a two-time Lithuanian kickboxing champion who earned her UFC contract on the same show three weeks after Barbosa.

And now, Barbosa鈥檚 dream is over. For now, it has become an achievement.

鈥淚 know that the day I decided to come to the USA, I come here for this contract, for this moment. So like I鈥檓 not just dreaming. I鈥檓 like working hard,鈥� Barbosa said. 鈥淚 did what I needed to do, like I do whatever I need to do. If my coach talks to me like, 鈥極h, you need like run every day like 20 miles a day for you to have the result you want?鈥� I will. So yeah, in my mind there鈥檚 no halfway and I just do what I need to do.鈥�

UFC 301

When: Saturday

Where: Rio Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

How to watch: early prelims (3 p.m., ESPN+); prelims (5 p.m., ESPN); main card (7 p.m., PPV via ESPN+)

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  Ryan Garcia celebrates after winning a super lightweight boxing match against Devin Haney early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia prepares to fight Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during the first round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during the first round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during the second round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during the 12th round of a super lightweight boxing bout early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during the seventh round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia knocks down Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia knocks down Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia stands over Devin Haney after knocking him down during the seventh round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Challenger Ryan Garcia is held back by the referee after knocking down champion Devin Haney during their WBC super lightweight title fight on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed him his first loss, winning the fight by majority decision but not the title because he was over the weight limit. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney reacts after being knocked down by Ryan Garcia (white trunks) during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, reacts after being knocked down by Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney walks back to his corner during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout against Ryan Garcia at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney pauses after being knocked down during the seventh round of a super lightweight boxing match against Ryan Garcia ealry Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during the eighth round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, reacts against Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during the ninth round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 20: Ryan Garcia (white trunks) reacts against Devin Haney (gray trunks) during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during the 10th round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, knocks down Devin Haney during the 10th round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, top, punches Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia knocks down Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney reacts after being knocked down b Ryan Garcia (not pictured) during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, celebrates after knocking down Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, punches Devin Haney during the 11th round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, reacts against Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, taunts Devin Haney during the 12th round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. Garcia won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia, left, punches Devin Haney during the 12th round of a super lightweight boxing match Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Devin Haney, right, punches Ryan Garcia during the 12th round of a super lightweight boxing match early Sunday, April 21, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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  Ryan Garcia reacts against Devin Haney during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, talks with Devin Haney after their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia, right, talks with Devin Haney after their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Ryan Garcia celebrates after defeating Devin Haney in their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

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  Devin Haney looks on after his WBC Super Lightweight title bout against Ryan Garcia at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK 鈥� Ryan Garcia鈥檚 behavior leading up to his bout against Devin Haney seemed so erratic that some people thought he shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to fight at all.

Think of the performance they would have missed.

Garcia knocked Haney down three times and handed the WBC super lightweight champion his first loss, winning the fight by majority decision on Saturday night but not the title because he was over the weight limit.

Garcia鈥檚 odd actions in public and on social media throughout the buildup led to questions about how serious he was about this fight. It sure seemed as though he didn鈥檛 devote enough time for training when he was more than 3 pounds above the 140-pound limit on Friday.

But the speed and power in his hands was too much for Haney, who was hurt right from the opening round and went down in the seventh, 10th and 11th.

鈥淐ome on guys, you really thought I was crazy?鈥� Garcia screamed to the fans during his post-fight interview in the ring.

Garcia (25-1, 20 KOs) won by scores of 115-109 and 114-110 on two of the judges鈥� cards, while the third had it 112-112.

The Associated Press scored it 114-110 for Garcia.

The 25-year-olds from California split six fights as amateurs, but Haney had the stronger pro career, winning the undisputed lightweight title and then moving up to win the WBC belt in his first fight at 140 pounds.

Garcia couldn鈥檛 take that, but he took Haney鈥檚 perfect record. Haney fell to 31-1.

Haney had seemingly taken his place among the best fighters in the world, while it became easy to wonder if Garcia was overhyped. Garcia was stopped by Gervonta Davis last year in his biggest fight and expectations were he was going down again, even as he insisted he was ready to fight despite the appearance that he spent more time on the internet than in the gym.

Garcia explained that he needs his nights out and time for his other interests to help get past problems in his personal life, such as a divorce.

鈥淚 did what I thought I needed to do to feel OK,鈥� Garcia said.

He was better than OK. He was better than one of the best fighters in the world.

He wobbled Haney with a big left hook in the opening round, and though Haney steadied himself and appeared to winning the middle rounds, Garcia鈥檚 power showed up again in the seventh.

鈥淗e caught me early when I was sleeping on it,鈥� Haney said of the first-round hook. 鈥淗e caught me by surprise.鈥�

A straight left set up the first knockdown and Haney struggled to regain his balance the rest of the round. He went down twice more in the round, but neither was ruled a knockdown by the referee, who also took a point from Garcia in the round for hitting on the break.

No matter. There was no denying the knockdowns in the 10th and 11th, and Garcia was able to spend most of the 12th taunting the champion.

It had been unclear from the start how enthused Garcia was for the fight, which he was lobbying to be held in Las Vegas even after it had already been announced for Brooklyn.

It became a non-title bout Friday when Garcia weighed in at 143.2 pounds, 3.2 above the super lightweight limit. He didn鈥檛 seem bothered, firing off social media posts saying the extra weight would make him stronger, then drinking what appeared to be a bottle of beer on the scale during the ceremonial public weigh-in later in the afternoon.

But he looked like the fast-rising sensation of earlier in his career, the crowd chanting his name as he began to dominate the latter rounds.

Garcia said he would look to move up to 147 pounds, saying he is unable to get to the 140-pound limit.

Throughout an abbreviated final stop on a four-city press junket promoting their crossover pay-per-view boxing match June 1 at The Forum in Inglewood, invectives flew and fans feigned like they were eager to scale a barrier separating them from Diaz, the 37-year-old combat sports star from Stockton, and fellow UFC fan favorite Jorge Masvidal, who delighted in egging them on.

“I expect more heat,鈥� Masvidal said between invitations to step outside. 鈥淚n my city, he couldn’t get a word out.”

Diaz wouldn鈥檛 claim L.A. as his city.

The Stockton native is a Giants-Niners-Kings-and-Warriors kind of guy, but they all play in California and, from a home-field advantage perspective, that played out like you might expect. Nonetheless, he was over the whole thing.

Diaz lasted 11 minutes before walking off the stage Friday night inside The Novo at L.A. Live, closing a weeklong promotional tour for the fists-only rematch of the first UFC BMF title fight in 2019 that sold out Madison Square Garden.

“It was a fun tour,鈥� Diaz said, buttering up his departure. 鈥淕oing all over the USA. I’m done with all this (crap). I’m cool with all this talking (crap).

“Sell this (crap) yourself, (expletive).”

A short time later in a room full of people he liked, Diaz summed up the experience:

鈥淥bnoxious,鈥� he said. 鈥淥bnoxious.鈥�

Diaz had had enough of Masvidal:聽“I don’t like him. Does anyone else like him?”

Masvidal felt similarly: “As this tour has gone more and more and this last stunt he pulled, yeah, I’m starting to actually dislike this (expletive). I really want to put his lights out in a violent way.”

A doctor鈥檚 stoppage for cuts above and below Diaz鈥檚 right eye courtesy of Masvidal鈥檚 elbows inside the Octagon was a point of controversy among the fan base when it happened.

Even though the cuts required 25 stitches to close, that sense of unfinished business is among the reasons Fanmio, a digital platform that is increasingly producing combat sports pay-per-view events, footed the bill to put Diaz and Masvidal together in Las Vegas a day before UFC 300, New York, the Cuban-American鈥檚 home base of Miami and, lastly, the host city, which turned out a hefty pro-Diaz crowd.

鈥淲e believe if we do it, do it right,鈥� said Solomon Engel, CEO and majority owner of Fanmio. 鈥淒on’t cut corners. That’s how it needs to be done. So why are we going to put in a ton of time, team resources, money behind something that really doesn’t have much of a return? That’s sort of the psychology we had. If we’re going to do an event, we’re trying to fit the right parties together. It all has to make sense.”

Counterintuitive as Diaz seems, by short-circuiting the streamed portion of the L.A. presser he likely did more to promote the event than by keeping to the confines of how the game is usually played. On top of his skill and determination as a fighter, both in the UFC and where he stands today as a free agent calling his own shots, it was the kind of viral example he鈥檚 paid millions to deliver for being himself.

The effect of combining forces, reputations and fan bases with Masvidal was weighed and measured by Engel鈥檚 data model, which he believes can accurately determine how an event could perform.

“We have a really detailed model, and it’s not just some fluff model,鈥� Engel said. 鈥淚t’s pretty detailed. Even running this show, running through this process, we’re comparing it up against the model and we’re like wow, in some areas we’re super close, which is good.”

Because Fanmio operates like a network and not just a promoter, Engel says that distributing its own events 鈥済ives us margins that traditional promoters don’t just have.鈥�

Prior to the start of the pandemic, negotiating with some of combat sports’ most robust personalities for big-money purses wasn鈥檛 in Engel鈥檚 job description. His Miami-based company sold video chat meet-and-greets for fans and celebrities. It was good money, but not successful pay-per-view money, which came into focus after that lucrative ability was built as a separate feature when they introduced the production and distribution of content to the platform.

“When we leaned into that, focusing on that, the next thing you know we’re doing [Floyd] Mayweather-Logan Paul,鈥� said Engel, who claimed the June 2021 exhibition did 鈥渋ncredibly well鈥� at the box office, better than has been reported publicly.

“We realized, well, we make a lot more money doing combat sports and doing PPV than these little meet-and-greet business things,鈥� he said, 鈥渟o we shelved that business.”

The price point for Mayweather-Paul was $49.99 at a time when influencer boxing was taking hold.

Engel tried to match Diaz with Paul, but at the late stages of the negotiations, the UFC veteran agreed to instead fight the younger brother, Jake, for $59.99 on DAZN.

Diaz vs. Masvidal is listed at $79.99 and occurs opposite UFC 302, which costs the same, making it a dilemma-inducing and expensive night for fight fans.

Engel booked his event first and explained that the UFC, which signed off on Masvidal鈥檚 participation, gave him the go-ahead to run June 1. When it became clear that the PPV events were actually running on parallel tracks, it was too late to hop off the train.

Diaz said fans should spend their money how they want. Masvidal made the case that if he was at home he鈥檇 purchase both events because that鈥檚 what combat sports addicts do.

NEW YORK 鈥� There was a time when Ryan Garcia was a better fighter than Devin Haney.

Haney himself concedes that, though he figures they were around 10 years old at the time. That was at the start of an amateur rivalry that spanned six fights, with each winning three times.

Now both are professionals, and Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) is one of the best in the world. The former undisputed lightweight champion moved up in weight last year and captured a title in a dominant debut at 140 pounds.

Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) seemingly is on a different path.

His bizarre behavior in public and on social media leading into their fight Saturday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn made it impossible to gauge how prepared 鈥� or even interested 鈥� he was. His inability to make weight means he can鈥檛 win Haney鈥檚 WBC title, even if he wins the fight.

But Garcia鈥檚 behavior had already made Haney even more determined to keep it.

鈥淭his is not an easy fight but this is a fight that I will make look easy,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淭hrough all the antics, through everything, I kept my blinders on. I stayed focused, I had my tunnel vision and on Saturday it will show. All his antics and all the stuff that he鈥檚 been doing will betray him and it will show.鈥�

A once-respectful rivalry between fighters from California, both now 25, has turned heated in a hurry. A face-to-face confrontation in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl managed to look tame during fight week, when聽Haney angrily shoved Garcia away聽as they exchanged words during a promotional event atop the Empire State Building.

Garcia followed a couple of days later by letting profanity fly faster than his punches ever could during their final press conference. He spent so much time during the buildup to the fight on social media, posting about conspiracies, religion, celebrities and occasionally even boxing, that it seemed there couldn鈥檛 possibly be enough time spent in the gym.

Garcia had insisted that he was not only serious but better than Haney, whom he calls a mid-level fighter.

鈥淚 know he has a lot of skills, I fought him six times, but this is my time and I鈥檓 here to just stamp it,鈥� Garcia said recently. 鈥淚 finally just get that green and gold around my waste and then nobody can say anything about me.鈥�

He can forget the belt, having come in more than 3 pounds over the limit the day before the fight. That cost him $1.5 million after betting Haney $500,000 a pound that he wouldn鈥檛 miss it, and meant the event could go on but not with Garcia being able to win the title, though he hardly seemed bothered.

Garcia was boxing competitively at an earlier age, which is why Haney said Garcia was the better fighter when they first met and got the better of him early on. Garcia then became a fast-rising and popular contender as a professional but he was beaten in his biggest fight so far, stopped by Gervonta Davis last April when he couldn鈥檛 get up from a seventh-round body shot.

That fight was contested at 136 pounds, below his normal weight, sapping Garcia of some strength. This one, which will stream on DAZN, was back at the 140-pound limit, though Haney didn鈥檛 see that making up for what he sees as a significant gap in skill.

鈥淚 know how much better I鈥檝e gotten since we were kids and I don鈥檛 think Ryan has gotten much better,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been doing what works for him and that鈥檚 been working for him, but we haven鈥檛 seen any real adjustments. We鈥檝e seen the same Ryan Garcia time in and time out.鈥�

Meanwhile, Haney looked as good as ever in his last outing, knocking down and shutting out Regis Prograis to take his super lightweight title in December.

Haney and Garcia could have had their tiebreaking seventh fight before that, when both fought at 135 pounds, but Garcia didn鈥檛 pursue it then. He said now is the right time for it to happen.

But he wasn鈥檛 able to make it count 鈥� though laughed it off on social media after missing weight.

鈥淚 feel great and I got a 3-pound advantage,鈥� Garcia wrote on the social platform X. 鈥淲inners do what they have to do I鈥檓 still sharp.鈥�

But at least for now, only Haney is a champ.

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  Max Holloway celebrates after knocking out Justin Gaethje during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts lightweight bout Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

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  Bo Nickal has Cody Brundage in a chokehold during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts middleweight bout Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

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  Arman Tsarukyan, left, kicks Charles Oliveira during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts lightweight bout Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

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  Max Holloway punches Justin Gaethje for a knockout during a UFC 300 mixed martial arts lightweight bout Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

By MARK ANDERSON (AP Sports Writer)

LAS VEGAS 鈥� Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira knocked out top-ranked challenger Jamahal Hill at 3:14 of the first round in UFC 300 on Saturday night.

Pereira dropped Hill to the canvas with a straight left hand and then pounded him. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight, giving the Brazilian the victory.

Pereira, 36, was a minus-132 favorite, according to聽FanDuel Sportsbook.

鈥淚 see myself as the champion. I didn鈥檛 want to let the belt go to my head,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “I had to step in and win the championship.鈥�

Hill, 32, was the previous title holder, but a torn Achilles tendon forced him to vacate the championship last July. That put the belt in Pereira’s hands, eventually setting up this matchup and is fourth pay-per-view event in 16 months.

As would be expected from a milestone card number, this was a strong lineup that included 12 current or former champions, and 11 have headlined UFC pay-per-view events.

Zhang Weili (25-3) retained her women鈥檚 strawweight championship in the co-main event, beating No. 1 challenger Yan Xiaonan (18-4) by unanimous decision. Each judge scored the fight 49-45.

Zhang nearly choked out Yan to end the first round. Yan, however, found a way to take the fight the five-round distance.

鈥淪he bounced back very quickly,鈥� Zhang said through an interpreter.

In perhaps the night’s most anticipated fight, Max Holloway (26-7) delivered a devastating right to knock out Justin Gaethje (25-5) with 1 second left in the five-round BMF title fight.

Holloway, who also used a spinning kick at the end of the first round to bloody Gaethje’s nose, was in control throughout most of the fight for the ceremonial title belt.

Even though Holloway was well on his way to a victory by decision 鈥� two judges had him ahead 39-37 鈥� the former featherweight champion pointed to the floor in the final seconds and then traded blows with Gaethje, a tremendous combination of punches from both fighters before the one that sent the now ex-BMF champ to the mat.

No. 4 lightweight challenger Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) won by split decision over top-ranked challenger and former champion Charles Oliveira (34-10). Each scorecard was 29-28, two in favor of Tsarukyan.

鈥淚 thought all (the) judges were going to give me the decision,” Tsarukyan said.

Three-time NCAA wrestling champion Bo Nickal (6-0) led off the five-fight main card by submitting Cody Brundage (10-6) by rear-naked choke hold at 3:38 of the second round.

鈥淚’m a little bit embarrassed with that performance because I expected to go in there and completely dominate,鈥� Nickal said.

One of the more notable matchups on the undercard was between two-time U.S. Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Holly Holm.

Harrison (17-1), who made her UFC debut, dominated Holm (15-7). She won the bantamweight bout by submission with a rear-naked choke at 1:47 of the second round.

Retired champion Amanda Nunes posted a video of herself on social media listening to Harrison in the cage and wondering why she didn’t mention her by name.

鈥淚 didn’t call Amanda’s name because Amanda’s not the UFC champion,鈥� Harrison said. 鈥淚 thought she was happily retired. I would love to win the UFC title, and if Amanda wants to come back, I would welcome her with open arms.鈥�

Also on the undercard, second-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka (30-4) put himself on track to reclaim the light heavyweight championship with a technical knockout at 3:17 of the second round of fifth-ranked Aleksandar Rakic (14-4). Prochazka lost his belt to Pereira in November on a second-round TKO.

鈥淲hoever will win tonight in the main event, I want to take (him on),鈥� Prochazka said.

LAS VEGAS 鈥� Jim Miller, who stands alone with 26 career victories, entered the media room on Wednesday wearing a way-too-big UFC 100 jacket with his name on it.

Miller decided this week was a good occasion to bring that jacket out of the closet for the first time in 15 years. He also competed in UFC 200, and now at 40 is on the preliminary card for UFC 300 on Saturday.

鈥淚 think I started mentioning fighting on this card in 2020, maybe 2019, and we鈥檙e here and I鈥檓 performing,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淲hen I first started talking about it, it was like, 鈥極K, maybe I鈥檒l drag myself to that card,鈥� because that鈥檚 kind of what I was doing for UFC 200.鈥�

Miller said he didn鈥檛 have to drag himself to this card after all, that even at an age when most fighters long ago stopped entering the cage, he feels reinvigorated. The card itself is strong enough to get the heart beating fast for anyone associated with the sport in any form.

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (9-2) and No. 1 contender and former champ Jamahal Hill (12-1) take top heading in a card in which they are among 12 current or former title holders. The event also includes 11 fighters who have been on the top line of a UFC pay-per-view event, two-time U.S. Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison and International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Holly Holm.

Hill said he wasn鈥檛 surprised to be in the main event, but was still honored to share top billing in one of the more notable cards in UFC history.

鈥淚 just always planned on being in these moments ever since I was a kid,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淔rom the time I was a kid, I always believed whatever I did I was going to be one of the best at it. For a time, it was football. For a time, it was basketball. I knew I would be here in moments like this fighting for championships and I would put myself up there with the greatest names to ever do it.鈥�

Hill, 32, could have been the one wearing the championship belt into the cage, but had to vacate the light heavyweight title last July after tearing his Achilles tendon. That meant the 36-year-old Pereira took over as champ.

鈥淲ho better than Alex to win the belt?鈥� said Hill, who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the two-division Glory (Kickboxing) champion, two-division UFC champion. Hands of stone, bad man, just a monster, dangerous, scary dude. He鈥檚 all those things. But watch what I do to him.鈥�

Pereira is a minus-138 favorite at聽FanDuel Sportsbook, meaning a $138 bet pays $100 if he wins. He is the only fighter in UFC history to hold belts in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions.

This is Pereira鈥檚 fourth UFC pay-per-view event in 16 months.

Should the Brazilian prove oddsmakers correct, he could turn his attention to becoming the organization鈥檚 first three-division champion, but said he鈥檚 not going there yet.

鈥淭he next step is to keep defending the title unlimited times,鈥� Pereira said through an interpreter. 鈥淚鈥檓 not the kind of guy to call out opponents because I鈥檒l fight anybody. I鈥檓 the champ. I鈥檒l keep defending it.鈥�

The co-main event is the women鈥檚 strawweight championship between champion Zhang Weili (24-3) and No. 1 challenger and China countrywoman Yan Xiaonan (17-3). Champion Justin Gaethje (26-4) of Denver faces second-ranked featherweight challenger Max Holloway (25-7) of Waianae, Hawaii, for the ceremonial BMF title.

HOLM TO ROUSEY: I WAS BETTER

Holm responded to Ronda Rousey鈥檚 claim in her book, 鈥淥ur Fight,鈥� that she went into their 2015 fight at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia, with a concussion.

Holm聽handed Rousey her first career loss, a shocking result at the time given Rousey鈥檚 dominance.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just hard for her to really admit that I was just the better fighter,鈥� Holm said. 鈥淲as she so dominant and a good fighter? One hundred percent. I give her that. But she wasn鈥檛 better than me and especially that night.鈥�