The PFL did not like what a UFC star had to say during the final of the tournament.
The Professional Fighters League hit Atlantic City on Friday with nine fights, led by a goodweight title fight between Thad Jean and former Bellator Interim champion Logan Storley.
The PFL card produced one of the worst stop settlements of the year, while the head of Fighter Nathan Kelly bounced from the Canvas for 11 seconds after he tapped a Guillotine Choke. The referee did not see the tap because she ran to the other side for a different angle.
However, that was not the only controversy of the Night, because recently victorious UFC light heavyweight Tuco Tokcos was cast out of the event for criticizing the promotion.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Tuco Tokkos: 'I just kicked PFL for the third time'
Tokkos has been quite busy in recent weeks.
The Kill Cliff FC product won his UFC fight in Nashville in July, where he all his top candidate -teammate Brendan in Conneal in New Orleans Conneal in New Orleans, and then a trip to Atlantic City for the PFL World Tournament Final -with an escort through the security of the door.
“The best advantage about a UFC hunter is that you are not a PFL hunter,” Tokkos told Bloody Elbow.
“I just kicked PFL for the third time,” Tokkos continued.
“I just have – I have a big mouth, you know? I think that PFL has a kind of favorite man in the fight.
'[In the] Co-Main event, [Jesus] Pinedo was like getting Takedowns. I think they get up from the entire mountain at some point. It was like things you would never see in the UFC. The man dominates, he is at the top, he lands strikes and they get up.
“It is insane,” said Tokkos about officializing in the featherweight final between Mlvlid Khaybulaev and Jesus Pinedo.
“I had something like this, what is this? They clearly want the red corner [Khaybluaev] To win.
“And then in the main event my boy Logan Storley lost the decision. And yes, the other man might win more rounds, but they gave him every round. It was insane … I had something like that, there is no way. Logan certainly won two rounds.
“So I had something like that, this is why UFC is the best,” said Tokkos.
“Because for the most part it is fair. I know we see robberies, but it is as if the fights are just more legitimate, man. They are more honest fights.
“Once they are in the cage, the fight is honest, man. There is no fixed fighting. There is no pressure for committees. You see the referee no more to win one man than another man. It's crazy …
“I said all those things aloud, and then I went in the back after fighting my boys, Logan, and the security came and kicked me out. Although there were a hundred people backstage who were not corners. They came and came specifically for me because they don't like being talking.
“But thank goodness I am in the UFC. Dana thinks it is great when we uncover other promotions. So I keep talking to my s -. I have nothing to fear from PFL … PFL is waste,” Tokkos added.
Tuco Tokkos about the future of PFL: 'I don't know if they can support it'
In 2023 Top Promotion Bellator MMA was taken over by PFL.
The aftermath of the merger could have gone better, because PFL had a number of talented hunters such as Aaron Pico, Patricio Pitbull, Patchy Mix and even the current UFC champion Kayla Harrison has lost, leaving promotion in recent years.
While the PFL continues to spend on their global outreach, Tokkos was asked if the competition will still be in the next 2-3 years.
“I don't know,” Tokkos replied.
“It was a good thing because they had money and they paid boys. I have teammates who fight for PFL, and they are paid, which is great. I am happy with that.
'But I don't know if they can sustain it because the product is not the same [as the UFC]”Tokkos went on.
“Like every UFC show sold out. They could go to Alaska – they are sold out in the largest arena in Alaska, 20,000 people. They are sold out every weekend.
“I just went to PFL. 500 people there. They give tickets away. Buy two, get two free. They are like 25 dollars.
“They did those shows in Saudi Aarabia. I think they had that Saudi investment and things like that. But they just went to Atlantic City for the last show. So I don't know, man.
“I hope they will continue, but I don't know how much money they earn. I don't know who is really looking at, you know? And it goes back to what I said because they have favorites. The fights are not legitimate,” Tokkos said about the PFL.