MMA

RAF 13 live blog: Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer

Published

5 hours ago

September 18, 2026

RAF 13 live blog: Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer

This is the RAF 13 live blog for Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer, who wrestle this Friday at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla.

A former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold left MMA in 2022 and has spent the past several years mixing it up across nearly every discipline of combat sports. Rockhold was never a serious wrestler, stopping the sport after high school, but he made his RAF debut earlier this year, losing by tech fall to Colby Covington at RAF 5 in January.

Pyfer, like Rockhold, stopped wrestling in high school, shifting his focus to MMA. That choice seems to have worked out, as â€œBodybagzâ€ is currently ranked in the top-15 of the UFC's middleweight division and coming off a knockout win over former champion Israel Adesanya. Pyfer returns to wrestling to make it two-for-two over former UFC champions this weekend.

Check out the live blog for Rockhold vs. Pyfer below.

Rockhold in shockingly blond hair. He's apparently been training very seriously for this.

Tie up early and Pyfer powers through to get a bodylock. Danger for Rockhold and here comes the throw, two points for Pyfer. Rockhold rolls and there's back exposure but he gets to belly and stalls for the standup. 4-0 Pyfer.

Back on the feet and Pyfer's physicality is an issue for Rockhold who just doens't look like a wrestler. Pyfer barrels into him and forces him out. 5-0 Pyfer.

Rockhold trying to handfight and then shuck through, but can't. Pyfer powers ahead and this time Rockhold uses a whizzer to throw Pyfer out and score. 5-1 Pyfer.

Handfighting in space but nothing for the remainder of the round.

Pyfer pressing the issue to start. He's got much better feet than Rockhold, and that's been the difference. Rockhold's feet are stone. Pyfer gets into a bodylock again but he steps out first as he drives on Rockhold. 5-2 Pyfer.

Rockhold keeps looking to punch through but can't. Now Rockhold shoot his first real shot, deep on double. Pyfer uses the whizzer to toss him though! They land outside the mat, but ref calls takedown and back exposure. 9-2 Pyfer.

Back on the feet and Rockhold is trying to press the issue but it allows Pyfer to get another bodylock and lifts for the finish. Rockhold bellies down. 11-2 for Pyfer.

Now he's sensing the end and Pyfer presses forward, getting another pushout, but somewhere in there Rockhold got another point? I don't know where that happened. 12-3.

And on the restart, Pyfer bumrushes him to get another push out and the tech fall.

Joe Pyfer def. Luke Rockhold via tech fall (13-3)

MMA

RAF 13 live blog: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns

Published

4 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

RAF 13 live blog: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns

This is the RAF 13 live blog for Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns, who wrestle this Friday at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla.

Chimaev got his start in wrestling, winning Swedish nationals three times in his youth. From there, Chimaev moved to MMA, where he became one of the biggest stars in the sport, winning the UFC middleweight title last year, before dropping the belt to Sean Strickland in May. Since then, Chimaev has returned to his wrestling roots, beating both Dillon Danis and Tyron Woodley in RAF, setting up this match with his former MMA foe.

A former UFC welterweight title challenger and world champion BJJ player, Burns was the first man to give Chimaev a hard fight in MMA, losing a competitive decision to â€œBorzâ€ in 2022. After retiring from MMA in April, Burns is now back to competing in grappling sports and makes his wrestling debut this weekend.

Check out the live blog for Chimaev vs. Burns below.

Chimaev looks significantly bigger than Burns.

Chimaev pressing forward immediately and shoots an early double leg when Burns get to the edge of the circle, scoring a push out. 1-0 Chimaev.

Burns responds with a shot off the whistle, but Chimaev sprawls and shifts to the back, getting a quick two points. Gut wrench from there for back exposure, turning Burns out of the circle. 5-0 Chimaev.

Oh! Burns comes out and powers a double this time, and Chimaev is trying to defend but he's moving backward. Burns keeps driving and gets the takedown! Honestly, Chimaev went to his back outside the ring, so that could've been four, but two points. 5-2 Chimaev.

And Chimaev with a double and quick takedown on the restart, getting two right back as Burns goes out. 7-2 Chimaev

Chimaev with a clean entry on a double-leg, hits the pass by to get the takedown and then another gut wrench for four points. 11-2 Chimaev.

On the restart, neither can gain purchase and the round ends.

Chimaev only needs two and he immediately goes for a low single leg to try and get it, but Burns defends well this time and gets the reversal! Now Burns going for back exposure by going over the top but the ref stops it. 11-4 Chimaev.

Chimaev right after it on the restart and Burns gets snapped down, but ref stops as Chimaev nearly gets a d'arce choke, lol.

On the restart and Chimaev goes from a tie-up to a blast double and gets the takedown, with Burns landing on his back. That should be four points, but Burns' corner challenges. No reason not to, because if it stands, Burns loses. And it stands! Chimaev with the tech fall.

Khamzat Chimaev def. Gilbert Burns via tech fall (15-4)

After the match, Chimaev and Burns hug a lot. Tons of respect between them. Then Chimaev goes to speak with Chael Sonnen.

Chimaev says he's going to L.A. to support Arman Tsarukyan tomorrow. Then he says he's looking to beat Colby to take the title. Then he gives respect to Gilbert Burns, before speaking in Russian, that gets no translator.

MMA

Video: Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy have to be separated at UFC 331 final faceoff

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Video: Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy have to be separated at UFC 331 final faceoff

Arman Tsarukyan continues to have issues during faceoffs.

On Saturday, Tsarukyan takes on Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331. The five-round lightweight fight is ostensibly a title eliminator bout, but despite his pre-fight antics hurting his reputation with the UFC before, Tsarukyan simply couldn't help himself, nearly getting into it a day early with Ruffy.

While Tsarukyan and Ruffy haven't had much friction during fight week, that all changed at the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday night in Los Angeles. After stepping off the scale, Tsarukyan made a beeline for Ruffy, who stood posing with his fist out. Tsarukyan stepped inside Ruffy's fist, leading Ruffy to use that fist to push him back, nearly starting an altercation between the two before security stepped in.

This is not the first time Tsarukyan has had issues at weigh-ins. â€œBatmanâ€ famously headbutted Dan Hooker at their final faceoff before their fight at UFC Qatar in November.

Saturday's main event is a flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexander Pantoja, and in contrast to the co-main event, Van and Pantoja have been feuding all week; however, none of that boiled over for their final faceoff as the two kept their hands to themselves before delivering their final statements to the crowd.

â€œThat's opportunity. I'm grateful. But what happened in December, it's not going to happen tomorrow,â€ Pantoja said. â€œI'll see you in the octagon.â€

â€œIt ain't no accident,â€ Van responded. â€œIt happened the way it did, and it was meant to be. Tomorrow, we kill or be killed!â€

Check out the full UFC 331 ceremonial weigh-ins above.

MMA

Video: Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev face off for the first time at UFC 333 press conference

Published

8 hours ago

September 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Video: Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev face off for the first time at UFC 333 press conference

Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev are locked in.

On Oct. 24, Volkanovski looks to make the second defense of his reclaimed featherweight title when he takes on the undefeated Evloev in the main event of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. For Volkanovski, it's a chance to add to his already Hall of Fame-worthy legacy and solidify his claim as the best 145-pounder in the world, while Evloev finally gets his shot at a UFC title. But even with so much on the line, both men looked very calm for their first faceoff at the UFC 333 opening press conference on Friday in Los Angeles.

Throughout the press conference, both Volkanovski and Evloev â€” who briefly trained together many years ago â€” were highly respectful of each other, and that energy carried through to their first faceoff, where they shook hands and then gestured to the crowd.

The co-main event for UFC 333 is perhaps even more heavily anticipated as Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili look to settle their rivalry in a trilogy bout for bantamweight gold. Dvalishvili is the last man to beat Yan, taking a decision from him in 2023, but Yan got his revenge in December, winning a decision over Dvalishvili and taking the 135-pound belt from him. With so much history between the two of them, things got a little more intense in their faceoff, though nothing untoward occurred.