Sherdog’s live
PFL Sioux Falls coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
Round 1
The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will host a
dozen matchups for the latest PFL offering this May. There may be
no title on the line at night’s end, but that does not mean these
matches will be any less compelling. We kick things off at the
heavyweight division, as U.S. Virgin Islands native Williams (10-5,
1-3 PFL) looks to end the longest losing streak (three) of his
career. To do so, he will have to get through Nana (7-2, 2-1 PFL),
who saw his own victorious stretch come to a halt last October. The
third man in the cage for the big men will be referee Nick Berens,
who keeps watch as the fighters touch gloves.
Nana positions himself in the center of the cage, where he pushes
out a few jabs right off the bat. When Williams is about to
counter, Nana kicks his front leg. He tosses the same strike once
more to try to set something else up, but Williams is out of the
way for anything else. Williams lunges behind an overhand right,
and Nana skirts back to take the sting out of it. Williams chops at
the front leg to disrupt him coming in, and he hand-fights to parry
an intercepting blow. Nana lets go a thudding inside leg kick,
getting knocked back a step with a right hand but no worse for
wear. Both big men reach at one another with wide swings, but they
are out of range with most of it. Williams does get off the end of
a one-two on the forward brow, and he takes a right hand to the
ribs for his effort.
Both men scoop with awkward left hooks to score them on one
another, and the match turns into a sparring match with little put
behind their swings. Nana comes up short on a left hand, and he
dances away from a counter. Williams stands Nana up with a right
hand, and he eventually shoots in for a takedown after absorbing a
few naked low kicks. All Williams can do is press Nana to the
fencing for a moment, with the Cameroon native turning him back
around as they jockey for position. Williams tags Nana with a right
hand right before bell, concluding a close round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Round 2
The two slowly work towards one another offering tentative strikes,
still not committing fully as they take turns tossing strikes at
one another. Nana is the aggressor, although not by a wide margin,
as Williams is ready and willing to counter and jab back. Nana
springs around with his jab, and he sneaks in a right hand as
Williams is transitioning to sting him. Williams reacts poorly from
a subsequent punch, an oddly angled left hook, but he gathers his
thoughts and rifles off a one-two. Nana gets poked in the eye
during an exchange, and Williams backs off to let him clear it out
when Berens does not register it.
Nana meanders towards his target, ripping a body shot as a takedown
shot bears down on him. Williams is shut down when pursuing the
tackle, and he gets popped in the chops on the way out. Nana keeps
pressing forward behind his jab, doubling it up to decent effect.
After some chasing from Nana, Nana walks face-first into an
overhand right and tanks it without batting an eye. Nana’s counters
do not get released, as he fakes and feints to draw out exaggerated
reactions from the man from the Virgin Islands. Nana walks into a
jab and no-sells it, looking to set up an overhand right with a low
kick but not throwing the former. The tepid round draws to a
close.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Round 3
The big men high-five, neither man appearing fatigued thus far.
Nana bounces on his heels before letting go with a body kick, and
Williams kicks him back in the knee. Nana answers that strike back
post haste. Williams punches his way into a takedown attempt, but
he does not even go for the standard double or single and instead
just mashes his way forward into a body lock clinched position.
Nana pushes him away without absorbing any damage, and he gets back
to flicking his jab out. When Williams reaches out to find his
distance, Nana grabs his wrist with both gloves, and Williams looks
at him strangely until he releases the grip. Nana sneaks in short
double jabs, pecking and probing without swinging for the
bleachers. Williams lets go with a left hand, and Nana wipes his
eye as if he was poked again, and Berens does not call it so they
sort of fight on. Williams lets him off the hook for a few seconds
before confusedly shooting in for a naked single, this time
changing levels enough to actually possibly take the fight
down.
Nana stands his man up with his own back to the wall, and he shoves
Williams away to reset. Williams parries the jab he knows is
coming, and he cannot quite figure out what to do when Nana grabs
his lead hand in exchanges. Williams swats out a left hook that is
well out of range, and he pulls a right hand before letting it go
all the way. Nana lets go with a body that lands a bit low, and
Williams ignores it to rush forward in pursuit of a level change.
Nana shuts it down and keeps himself close enough to Williams but
not within clinch territory. Nana beats Williams to the punch with
a left hand on the temple, and he leans to the side to avoid a few
punches. Fifteen minutes elapse, and both men raise their arms in
the air.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
The Official Result
Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Karl Williams via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Round 1
It’s an all-South Dakota affair between MMA neophytes as the
prelims roll on. Making not just his organizational debut but also
his first walk to the cage professionally, “Seabass” Bye (0-0, 0-0
PFL) wants to kick the ass of Michels (1-0, 0-0 PFL)—and
those in the crowd are sure to let him know he should. The
welterweights will test the waters as they collide under the
auspice of referee Kevin MacDonald, clocking the match in with a
glove touch.
Bye gets right to work, stringing short combinations together. He
mixes punches into kicks, setting up body shots with head work and
vice versa. Michels takes them on the chin and abdomen and
considers a level change. Bye fires off a left hand and absorbs one
back, and Michels gets in close to ding him with an overhand right.
Bye catches a body kick to loop a right hand back at his man, and
he turns Michels with a few punches upstairs. Michels gathers his
thoughts, his nose glowing read, and he looses a kick the same time
Bye does. Michels falls to the mat, and Bye leaps at him and almost
instantly has an arm-triangle choke in play. Michels explodes out
of the danger, and Bye time a head kick when Michels is resetting.
Michels takes it well, but uppercuts from Bye that follow get
through and bloody him up.
Bye lets fly a kick under the armpit, and he tosses out a low kick
and gets countered. His foot bumps into the peninsula south of the
Equator, and there is no pause from it but just a short first bump.
The blood begins to leak more heavily from Michels’ right cheek,
and Bye goes right to the head and left to the body.
Bye steps through to keep landing blows, driving a
knee to the liver and bending Michels over. Bye digs a left to the
same spot, and Michels collapses. Bye knows he is on the home
stretch. Michels shells up, and Bye lords over him beating him down
with his fists until MacDonald has to step in and rescue
Michels. That is one way to kick off a professional
career, who did not need to even use the grappling chops that he
supposedly has in his arsenal.
The Official Result
Brett Bye def. Taylor Michels R1 3:40 via TKO (Punches)
Round 1
A pair of well-traveled lightweights duel as they introduce
themselves to the PFL brass in this preliminary offering. Alvarez
(10-2, 0-0 PFL) reps Cuba and trains out of Kill Cliff FC, while
36-year-old Logan (13-9, 0-0 PFL) will be receiving a veritable
hero’s welcome as one of the few competitors on the billing from
the home state. A fist bump kicks things off, with referee Jason
Herzog standing by.
Logan stays on the outer edge of the cage to work his way in, while
Alvarez hangs out in the center of it measuring his range. Logan
reaches him with a long left and a right, and he remains in the
pocket too long and gets countered by a pair of speedy punches.
Logan escapes and resets to work his way forward, dodging a body
kick and a couple fists as well. Logan pounds a kick into the
raised guard, and he ducks away when Alvarez swarms him. Logan
kicks low with both legs, sticking out his jab behind it. Alvarez
backs him off with a few swings, and he takes one in the solar
plexus on the way. Alvarez gives chase and winds up with a hefty
left hook.
Logan strikes back with his own lead hook, with his guard high
enough to protect from an Alvarez high kick. Alvarez lets fly
another head kick, and he rushes at Logan and loads up on a trio of
punches. Logan bounces off the fencing and goes to the body with a
left and keeps working on the front leg. Alvarez crashes the pocket
but cannot find his mark, with Logan playing the matador to
Alvarez’ bull. Alvarez has strikes careen off his foe’s gloves with
little impact, and he eats a hard leg kick and a left hook on the
temple. While Logan circles away, Alvarez boots him hard in the
front leg to make him stumble. Logan blitzes with a low kick and a
left hook, keeping Alvarez honest when engaging. Alvarez loads up
and whiffs on an overhand right, and both men land right hands
before the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Logan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Logan
Round 2
Alvarez works his way forward to start the round, and he finds the
perfect spot to slam his foot into the side of Logan’s dome. Logan
hits the deck, scrambling like a madman to get back to his feet.
Alvarez is so excited about the impact, he winds up clinching, and
Logan is able to survive and get his wits about him, all while
Alvarez is still swinging when he can. Logan breaks off and
separates, taking a left hand that makes him blink and a liver kick
that makes him frown. Alvarez gets right in front of Logan, ready
and willing to throw hands as he gains confidence in his power.
Logan keeps moving, but his offense is considerably lower while
Alvarez is in his grill. Alvarez bullies him with short, strong
punches up close, making Logan rebound off the wire.
Alvarez can play target practice as Logan remains largely
offensively muted, relegated to single strikes for the most part.
Alvarez gives chase, throwing kicks anywhere open, as Logan’s jab
falls feebly past him. Alvarez invests in another body kick, easily
parrying what comes back his way and countering that with a sharp
right hook. Logan finally appears to be getting back into it,
authoring up several long jabs and follow-up punches in short
barrages. Alvarez boots him in the liver and chases after him with
two hooks. Logan keeps his jab active, but it is now Alvarez who is
doing the leg kicking for the most part. Logan steps in to attack,
but he peels back before engaging. This leaves him wide open, and
Alvarez staggers him with a right hand. Logan gathers his thoughts
and shoots in low for a single, abandoning it in hopes of opening
up a haymaker. Alvarez is able to stop the takedown and avoid the
big swing, all while bopping Logan once before the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Round 3
Logan offers a glove touch, and Alvarez accepts it before they get
to it. Logan, fired up by corner advice between rounds, lunges at
his opponent repeatedly. Logan catches his man a few times,
resulting in Alvarez slipping and dropping frustratedly to a knee.
Alvarez bounces back up to return to his forward-moving best, and
he whiffs on a pair of huge hooks by the smallest of margins. Logan
turns his hips into a chopping kick, and when he throws another,
Alvarez charges him and storms him with a long surge of punches.
Logan bounces off the cage to find a better angle in, and Alvarez’
body kicks are starting to pay off as he reacts worse when taking
each successive one. Logan tries to tie up and body lock Alvarez,
but he falls woefully short and has to back away. Logan has to turn
tail and run when Alvarez backs him into a proverbial corner, and
he does not have the speed to take advantage with Alvarez falling
after lobbing a head kick.
Alvarez is right back up, boxing up Logan with strikes that have
drawn swelling around both of the South Dakotan’s eyes. Logan chips
at the head leg and leans back from a wide swing, staying in motion
so he does not get his chin checked. Logan splits the guard with a
right hand and considers a takedown shot, but he abandons it in a
hurry. Alvarez plods forward, putting three fists on his opponent
and allowing Logan to close the distance. When Logan gets in range,
Alvarez brawls with him with a few concussive blows that make Logan
question his life decisions. Logan shakes it all off and hurls
punches back, bloodying up Alvarez’ nose when he does manage to get
through. The momentum of Logan’s swings lead him to a takedown
effort, but Alvarez stands him up and absorbs a flush elbow. Logan
tries for one final takedown, and Alvarez flips him over and tosses
him aside as time expires.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (30-27 Alvarez)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
The Official Result
Angel Alvarez def. Bryce Logan via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)
Round 1
Back after a suspension for multiple banned substances—to say
nothing of her explanation, where she claimed in a rush to work
out, she inadvertently took bodybuilder husband’s
supplements—Santos (22-4, 3-1 PFL) is aiming to bounce back from
her first pro stoppage loss in a big way. She welcomes China’s Yan
(25-5, 0-0 PFL) to the promotion, and she will likely serve as the
heftiest betting favorite this evening as she hovers well north of
-1000 to near -1500. Never tell Yan, or referee Nick Berens, the
odds. The flyweights do not bump fists.
Santos strikes first, kicking the Chinese woman in the ribs. She
stays just out of range of any counter, but she is warned for
outstretched fingers. Yan circles on the outside, working a leg
kick, and she has her head snapped back with a right hand. Yan dips
in to throw hands, and Santos welcomes a short flurry with one of
her own. Santos reaches with her long jab, digging out with a body
kick and keeping Yan far at the end of her strikes. Yan struggles
to get in, as Santos chews her up with kicks to the front leg and
torso. Santos calls on her inner Bas Rutten to keep
crushing the body of “Queen Kong,” pushing out a finalizing front
kick that stabs directly into Yan’s liver. Yan backs off and hits
the wall, crumbling when the crippling pain sets in a moment later.
Berens watches on but is not getting involved yet, allowing Santos
to beat down Yan with punches until he finally
intervenes. Santos walks off and flexes, recording
what will likely be her fastest finish in nearly a decade after
putting in about two minutes of work.
The Official Result
Taila Santos def. Qihui Yan R1 2:02 via TKO (Front Kick to the Body
and Punches)
Round 1
In a classic battle of Peru vs. South Korea, Bandenay (27-9, 2 NC;
0-0 PFL) and Kim (14-6-1, 0-0 PFL) take center stage ready to throw
down for the next 15 minutes or fewer. Both men celebrate
relatively evenly distributed methods of victory, which means that
referee Nick Berens will need to be on his A-game to be ready to
intervene at a moment’s notice. The 145ers get after it without a
glove touch effort.
Both fighters measure one another with kicks, with the longer
Bandenay using his body kick from a wide berth to get through. Kim
answers with a clapping body kick, darting away from a punch combo
that does not reach him. Bandenay fires off another kick to the
side, already making the South Korean’s torso turn red. Berens asks
for both fighters to close their fists, and Kim answers first with
a takedown shot. Bandenay defends it by putting his back to the
wall, and Kim looks for a body lock but only ends up twirling
Bandenay around. Kim stays busy in the clinch with knee strikes,
and Bandenay answers him right back.
Bandenay digs a loud punch to the ribs, thwarting a Kim body lock
toss but unable to stop Kim from hitting a head-and-arm throw to
put him down. Kim looks to impose himself on top, and he runs into
butterfly hooks from Bandenay’s knees to his hips. Bandenay turns
to give his back up and hopefully stand, and Kim quickly mat
returns him and nearly pulls his foe’s shorts all the way off in
the process. Bandenay keeps an active guard from his back, but
there is no setup or anything from it as Kim measures an elbow and
shucks aside a couple submission setups. Kim steps over to half
guard and lowers his shoulder down for a possible arm-triangle
choke. Bandenay bucks to kick Kim back to his guard, and the horn
sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Round 2
Kim rushes out of his corner and kicks high, falling over and
bouncing back up before Bandenay can get to him. Bandenay hammers
him in the ribs with a kick with a sound reminiscent of a baseball
bat thwacking a side of beef. You know, when that happens at the
butcher shop. Bandenay starts ripping knees when they get up close,
mashing them into the liver as he briefly compromises Kim. Kim
hurries to take the fight down, elevating and slamming “The
Peruvian Problem” down to take his back. Kim gets a hook in and has
Bandenay on his side, where he proceeds to bash and batter Bandenay
with punches and elbows while seated in full mount. Bandenay
hand-fights to protect the worst of what is raining down on him,
until Kim starts lashing out with high-amplitude elbows. Berens
watches closely while Kim jackhammers his adversary with
elbows.
Bandenay twists and turns to remain just active enough to stay in
the fight, pushing his feet off the fence to reposition himself.
It is not enough, as Kim clobbers him with a
seemingly unending onslaught of vicious elbows. The elbows do not
stop, and Bandenay is taking unnecessary damage while no longer
intelligently defending himself. Berens calls it on account of
rain, with the only surprise that Bandenay’s face is not
reminiscent of a horror movie after taking so many hacking
elbows. Kim leaps on top of the cage to let out a
roar, and his team joins him inside of the cage to hoot and holler
with him.
The Official Result
Sang Won Kim def. Humberto Bandenay R2 2:56 via TKO (Elbows)
Round 1
Once scheduled as a flyweight contest, de Sousa (5-0, 2-0 PFL)
struggled to get to 126 pounds and was permitted by Bowers (7-2,
0-0 PFL) and the company to shift the match all the way up to 134
pounds. Of the two, the Bahrain native has already made a walk to
the PFL cage before, while it will be new grounds for LFA vet
Bowers. The women touching gloves to open up the melee, referee
Kevin MacDonald stands back to observe what is next.
Bowers works her way in while constantly switching stances, backing
off when de Sousa lets her hands fly. Bowers spins with a kick to
the ribs, and de Sousa backs her off with fast punches. Bowers jabs
the body with the ball of her foot, staying in the pocket a bit too
long to take some shots. De Sousa beats Bowers to the punch with a
left hand, and she goes with two to the body. Bowers backs her off
with a front kick, using her foot as a jab. De Sousa strings short
but effective combinations together, nailing the front leg with a
kick after landing punches. De Sousa dings Bowers again, drawing
out an inaccurate spin. The South Dakotan gathers herself and keeps
wading into the fury, driving home a knee on the jaw and checking
her own nose to see if she is bleeding. She is not, and she
celebrates this with a spinning back fist.
Bowers has a kick caught, and she takes a punch and shakes it off
to hurl back a slapping kick. De Sousa digs a left to the body,
with Bowers ready and willing to retaliate with a knee up the
middle. De Sousa paws out punches, leaning back when counters fly.
Now Bowers’ nose is bleeding. De Sousa uses the blood as a
bullseye, marking her up with blazing fast combinations. Bowers
keeps at range with a high kick, which bounces off the guard. De
Sousa clips her opponent, taking a low kick on the way out but
landing the flusher of the two with her hands. De Sousa catches a
kick and considers a takedown, but Bowers stands her up with a few
elbows on the face. The Brazilian by way of Bahrain cannot get the
fight down, and they duke it out to the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Round 2
The ladies clap hands before picking up right where they left off.
De Sousa dodges a spin kick and a follow-up right hand, targeting
the body when Bowers settles. Bowers plods forward swinging hard,
and de Sousa welcomes this and trades with her. De Sousa whips a
right and left hand around the guard, with Bowers tanking them and
offering back a head kick. De Sousa splits the guard with a left
hand, and she catches Bowers coming in with a left hook. She nails
Bowers with another left, and Bowers completely ignores it and
walks her down fearlessly. De Sousa pecks out with her jab and
ducks a spinning strike, intercepting a low kick thrown by Bowers
with three or four fast hands. Bowers remains in de Sousa’s face,
chasing her around the cage, but this opens up de Sousa’s offense.
De Sousa thinks about a throw attempt, but Bowers pushes through it
and keeps pressing forward to force the unbeaten woman to
continuously fight off her back foot. Bowers just misses with a
front kick down the middle.
De Sousa sees that Bowers is loading up more on her attacks, and
she slips away from the big wings. Bowers goes high with a kick,
and de Sousa catches it. Bowers walks on her hands and turns to
slap de Sousa in the face with her other foot. De Sousa reels and
resets, but it is Bowers consistently pushing the pace on her. De
Sousa partially flattens the bridge of Bowers’ nose, as Bowers
leads with her head more often than not. De Sousa is exceedingly
accurate as Bowers sometimes walks directly into her swings, and
Bowers’ pressure is significant but may not be having the effect
she intended. The round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bowers
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bowers
Round 3
There is a clap of hands to lead off the last round, and the two
women appear fresh as daisies and display it with immediate
offense. Bowers is the aggressor again, to the point that she
closes in, grabs hold of a single-leg takedown, and dumps the
Brazilian to the floor. De Sousa off her back searches for a
leglock, and Bowers climbs over it to establish herself in half
guard. De Sousa continues pursuing a free foot, and Bowers puts her
posterior in her face until standing up again. De Sousa follows
her, taking a knee to the body on the way up. Bowers marches
forward and gets countered with a quick right hand, but she is able
to push the pace just a bit more to get off three on her own.
Bowers continues to press the action, forcing de Sousa to deal with
her pressure and increased volume. De Sousa fires back efficiently,
allowing Bowers to sell out so she can bust her in the chops with
solid counters. One such heavy counter from de Sousa forces Bowers
to turn around, and Bowers uses this to her advantage by spinning
with a back fist that careens off the temple. Bowers is not taking
many steps backwards, forcing de Sousa to deal with her
snowball-rolling-down-a-hill momentum. De Sousa does technically
take plenty of steps back, but they are strategic for the most part
and draws out a fun back-and-forth brawl. The two ladies go one
after the other trading hands and feet, fighting all the way to the
bell. It could go either way.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 de Sousa)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 Bowers)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 Bowers)
The Official Result
Sabrinna de Sousa def. Cheyanne Bowers via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Round 1
Wrapping up the preliminary section of the fight card is another
representative from Bahrain in unbeaten Magomedov (8-0, 1-0 PFL).
He draws well-traveled Xavier (14-8, 1-0 PFL), whose list of recent
training camps include Thailand, Brazil and Germany. Referee Jason
Herzog will learn quickly whether all that training has paid off,
or if Magomedov will keep the 0 next to his name. The light
heavyweights touch ‘em up to start things off.
The taller, longer Xavier slowly walks forward, and after about 20
seconds, he slams his shin into Magomedov’s calf. Xavier kicks the
same spot, and he is countered with a right hand upstairs. The
Russian by way of Bahrain crashes forward and practically tackles
Xavier to the mat with his chest and shoulder. Magomedov lands
right on top, in the guard looking to do some damage. He slashes
down with short, menacing elbows as he keeps Xavier stuck on his
back. Magomedov steps over to half guard with relative ease.
It takes mere seconds after that for Magomedov to advance to side
control, and he gets a little too greedy and tries to isolate an
arm for a crucifix setup. This allows Xavier to buck him to the
other side, but not completely off of him. Xavier manages to
recover his guard, but this only keeps Magomedov on top of him
smacking him around and racking up control time. Xavier uses his
knee to push off and get a modicum of space, but Magomedov is a
205-pound-plus lead weight on him smothering and grinding him out.
The fans do not approve, and voice their frustrations with a
smattering of boos. Magomedov ignores it all and keeps attacking,
opening up a cut on the bridge of his foe’s nose. When Xavier gets
feet on the hips to push off, Magomedov wiggles through it to
remain in the guard raining down strikes. The fairly one-sided
round concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 2
Xavier comes out of his corner on the offensive, using his leg to
stick Magomedov in the chest. He whiffs on a head kick, and
Magomedov answers him back with a low kick that makes Xavier recoil
it to take the oomph out of it. Xavier boots Magomedov in the leg,
and he slides to the side as Magomedov dives after a takedown.
Magomedov climbs back to his feet, lands a right hand and backs off
to allow Xavier to come to him. Xavier stands around waiting for
something to happen, and Magomedov runs at him and blasts him in
the temple with a right hand. The Brazilian stumbles back on baby
deer legs and/or on the stanky leg, and Magomedov bowls him over
with a takedown rather than pummeling him upright. Magomedov climbs
straight into the guard again, with Xavier closing it up trying to
defend his face with his hands. Magomedov stacks him up and exerts
heavy pressure.
The grind has been embraced by Magomedov, who advances to half
guard smoothly. Xavier looks for a sweep off his back, but there is
nothing to it. When Xavier flirts with a leglock, Magomedov reaches
over, grabs the fence and improves his position. Herzog yells at
him, but the damage is done figuratively speaking. Magomedov sits
down again in half guard, nullifying the Brazilian for prolonged
stretches. Xavier defends against giving up full mount, but time is
his enemy as he has no answers. The round comes to an end.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 3
The 205ers bump fists, and like before, Xavier commences the round
walking forward. He tosses a calf kick, and then one to the lower
body as his foot slaps directly into the cup. Herzog calls time,
and Magomedov paces back and forth to adjust himself and recover.
After about 30 seconds, Magomedov states he is ready, and they
touch gloves to restart. Xavier stands in front of Magomedov, doing
little more than offering a single body kick for the good part of a
minute. Magomedov jabs him in the stomach, and he whiffs on the
reply. Magomedov reaches out, and Xavier drills him in the chin
with a jump knee. Magomedov answers with a double, and he sucks the
wind out of his foe, his foe’s team and the audience as well by
landing it. Xavier sits his back against the cage and even flirts
with a front choke, but he does not have the proper leverage and
Magomedov pushes him to be flat on his back. Magomedov suffocates
from above, with a steady diet of body and head shots not
individually destructive but collectively scoring.
Xavier appears totally out of options as he tries to grab hold of
Magomedov’s wrist with both hands to force a lock, but Magomedov
easily pulls his limb free and proceeds to beat Xavier with it. As
fans start booing, Xavier’s team encourages them in hopes of
eliciting a crowd-inspired standup. Herzog is a true pro and just
stands watching on ever vigilant as Magomedov slashes Xavier open
with an elbow. Blood leaks from multiple wounds on the Brazilian’s
face, who is under fire and feebly offers up the occasional
responsive swing from his back that has nothing on it. Xavier lifts
his legs up to set up a possible submission, and Magomedov laughs
it off and remains in guard until the grueling match closes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27
Magomedov)
The Official Result
Rasul Magomedov def. Rafael Xavier via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)
Round 1
Unable to reach the bantamweight limit, Magomedov (21-5, 1-1
PFL)—no relation to the one from the previous bout, as far as we
know—clocked in heavy and surrendered a fraction of his purse to
his opponent. “Alter” Higo (23-7, 0-1 PFL) will gladly accept that
chunk of change in addition to still being able to throw down
tonight, and he proceeds without a glove touch. Referee Nick Berens
will keep things on the up-and-up.
Magomedov smacks the front leg with an introductory kick, as seems
to be the custom these days in the sport. Higo kicks him on the
front leg, and Magomedov pulls his shorts up and points at the limb
to implore the Brazilian to kick him again. When Higo does not
engage, Magomedov spins with a wheel kick as Higo is out of range,
and Higo points to his head mockingly. Magomedov spins with another
kick, this one a back kick, and it connects square on the body.
Magomedov goes to the well with one more spin, a back fist now, and
Higo is wise to it. Higo catches an advancing Magomedov and lifts
him in the air, and before he can land a slam, Magomedov threatens
with a standing mid-air choke. Higo sets him down, and Magomedov
jogs around laughing. Magomedov whips a kick at Higo, who catches
it and searches for a level change. Magomedov leans against the
fencing to keep his balance, and he turns Higo around in the
clinch.
Magomedov tries to break out of the clinch, but it is Higo who
concludes it with a powerful elbow on the temple. Higo stands in
the pocket to let go with a low kick, opening him up for a counter
overhand right. When Magomedov throws a second big right hand, Higo
closes in to take him down. Magomedov defends once more with the
fence at his back, and Higo threatens with a trip from a body lock.
Magomedov stays on his feet as Higo leans on him, with Higo
exerting so much pressure it is almost as if he wishes to squeeze
the Russian through the chain links like a Play-Do toy. Magomedov
slowly, methodically gains the leverage to turn Higo around,
kneeing Higo once before lifting him up and twirling him about.
Magomedov cannot get the takedown either, so they break off. With
seconds to spare, Higo gets a bit of space and blasts “Tiger” in
the face with a spinning back fist. The round concludes after that,
as Higo gets in his face and starts wooing.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 2
Higo is in a rush coming out of his corner, putting some mustard
behind a low kick. Magomedov shoots for a takedown in the open
cage, and Higo jumps in the air to snatch hold of a guillotine
choke. Higo cranks it with all his might, leaning back in hopes of
finishing the job, but Magomedov grits it out and lowers Higo to
the mat. Magomedov’s eyes go wide as he slides his head out,
slightly compromised from the submission and having to shake out of
it. Higo stays somewhat busy from his back, throwing his legs up
and hacking with elbows off his back. Magomedov’s shorts nearly
slide off as he engages in his grappling, and Higo hangs on rather
than pushing off to escape. Higo’s subsequent butterfly hooks lead
to little more than Magomedov posturing up to hammer him in the
face twice, so Higo thinks better of this strategy and closes his
guard up.
Magomedov softens up his opponent with steady ground work, and he
thwarts the triangle and armbar setups. Higo still manages to trip
Magomedov up, who hits his seat, and both men spring back upright.
Higo rushes after the Russian to bully him to the wire, and they
turn one another around while tied up. A few knees from Magomedov
get through on the inside, and Higo lifts Magomedov in the air and
sets him down still on his feet. Higo doggedly pursues a single,
and Magomedov defends it with a guillotine choke that Higo
practically ignores completely. The clinch is where this round
ends, and Higo jaws at Magomedov while walking back to his
corner.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Round 3
Higo engages in the final round by trying to draw out a brawl, and
he lets go with a wheel kick that Magomedov sees coming from a mile
away. Higo gathers himself after the spin to catch Magomedov with a
right hand, and he jams Magomedov up against the fencing in hopes
of taking the Dagestani fighter down. Magomedov easily turns him
about, absorbing palm strikes to the side of the head when there is
nothing else to offer. Magomedov thinks about a standing choke
attempt, and Higo once more no-sells it as he pursues a takedown at
all costs. Magomedov defends it and turns the tables to hunt for a
single, and Higo stonewalls him as well. Higo settles for
open-handed slaps to the body until Magomedov separates and elbows
him clean in the face. When Higo tries to return fire, Magomedov
steps in to jack him in the jaw with a knee.
Higo’s eyes roll around in his head, and Magomedov lifts him up and
slams him down on his face unceremoniously. Higo rolls to his back
and lashes his legs up and around the shoulders to search for a
triangle choke. Magomedov shakes out of it and find himself dealing
with an arm-in guillotine choke that Higo may be using more for a
sweep than a tapout, and Magomedov wall-walks with his feet to
position himself out of danger. Magomedov stacks Higo up and looks
to attack, but Higo explodes to his feet and tries for an off-angle
guillotine choke. Magomedov wriggles out without concern, and he
knees Higo in the face while Higo is trying to take the fight down
again. Magomedov turns all the way through to put Higo on his back
again, and Higo defends with a heel hook in the blink of an eye.
Higo torques it with all he has, but Magomedov is not about to
surrender and the match ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28 Magomedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28 Magomedov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28
Magomedov)
The Official Result
Magomed Magomedov def. Leandro Higo via Split Decision (30-27,
28-29, 30-27)
Round 1
It’s time for huge knockout artists to duke it out. Referee Kevin
MacDonald has steeled himself already for the violence that could
ensue between these hard-swinging heavyweights. Ferreira (13-5, 3
NC; 7-3, 3 NC PFL) has seen 11 of 13 wins end via strikes (or the
other man saying matte) while all of Bilostenniy’s (14-4, 3-1 PFL)
stoppage victories have come within two rounds. Gloves are just
barely touched, and the two will let their fists do the talking
going forward.
Bilostenniy lunges out with a long right hand to the body to greet
the much taller man. Ferreira fakes a low kick, and ends up kicking
the body instead. Bilostenniy knocks Ferreira off his feet with a
body shot, and both men tumble to the mat awkwardly. Ferreira works
his way upright, and Bilostenniy chases after him loading up with
full-power swings. The punches from Bilostenniy lead to a level
change, where he places the tall man on his back and ignores the
inevitable triangle setup the moment Ferreira hits the ground.
Bilostenniy resides in half guard, grinding down with his elbow on
the face of “Problema.” Bilostenniy keeps himself tight to
Ferreira, not allowing the Brazilian to get any space to get out.
Ferreira kicks off just enough to turn to his side, and Bilostenniy
smothers him over again.
Bilostenniy uses his forearm to pressure down on Ferreira’s chin
and throat, not quite enough for a forearm choke but heavily enough
to make Ferreira turn either way and open himself up for strikes.
Bilostenniy drops down short left hands, but they are few and far
between as Bilostenniy is content to smother. The fans do not like
it, until Bilostenniy turns up the heat with four increasingly
heavy right hands. He gets back to tight chest-to-chest pressure
after that salvo, making certain to ground Ferreira for as long as
he can. He does this until the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Round 2
The big men lumber towards one another, but they pull back before
engaging with anything of merit. After 30 seconds, both men launch
single low kicks. Bilostenniy follows his with a bomb of an
overhand right, rocking Ferreira and opening him up for an easy
destabilizing takedown. Bilostenniy climbs into half guard on the
other side, keeping Ferreira pinned between the floor and the
corner of the cage. Bilostenniy restarts his suffocating ground
approach of slow but steady attacks with his free hand, the
unsuccessful thread of a guard pass and a whole lot of time ticking
off the clock. No matter which way Ferreira turns, Bilostenniy is
263-ish pounds of dead weight keeping him flat and unable to fight
back.
Bilostenniy has no immediate risk of being stung, hurt or trapped
as he remains on top of Ferreira. His half guard tactic leaves
Ferreira with no answers, no way to buck out and zero submission
threats. Bilostenniy covers Ferreira’s mouth with his hand when not
grinding down Ferreira, and the best Ferreira can offer are a few
heel strikes to the posterior. MacDonald asks the Russian to do a
bit more than he is doing now, and this prompts him to drive a
short knee to the ribs as he rubs his elbow on Ferreira’s face.
Round 2 ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bilostenniy
Round 3
Bilostenniy takes to the center of the cage as soon as the bell
sounds, still light on his feet after laying on top of the
Brazilian for the good part of 10 minutes. Ferreira is extremely
gunshy, not willing to throw anything of note so that Bilostenniy
cannot get hold of him and ground him. Ferreira’s only strike in
the first minute is a very light low kick. Bilostenniy ducks a
half-hearted jab and jams Ferreira to the wall, and boos rain down
immediately. The Russian is unable to keep Ferreira stuck, so he
comes out blasting. With Ferreira’s hands down, Bilostenniy rifles
off a jab and sees Ferreira circle to his left—Bilostenniy’s power
side.
Bilostenniy tosses out a low kick to draw out a reaction, and out
of nowhere, he unleashes a dynamite right hand that puts Ferreira
down on his hands before slumping to his back. Ferreira is in a bad
way as he turns to his side, seemingly defeated. Bilostenniy puts
the screws to him with a final assault of ground strikes, finishing
the job after a couple of exhausting rounds. When
MacDonald steps in, Bilostenniy triumphantly leaps stop the cage to
scream, his work here done. He motions that he wants a title shot,
which is currently around the waist of fellow countryman Vadim
Nemkov.
The Official Result
Sergey Bilostenniy def. Renan Ferreira R3 1:56 via TKO
(Punches)
Round 1
Since his Week 8 emergence on the 2022 season of Challenger Series,
Powell (11-2, 6-2 PFL) has slowly, steadily grown up in the PFL
cage. Now at the age of 27, with no more tournaments in PFL to
enter, the Brit would like to seek other ways of moving up the
205-pound ladder. He encounters ultra-aggressive Argentinian Sordi
(27-13-1, 7-4-1 PFL) in doing so, with a clash that could merit
referee Jason Herzog’s intervention before too long. The two
high-five before before they go flying.
Sordi leaps behind his jab, and Powell is out of the way and able
to score a calf kick on his way. He lands a second and jabs the
stomach as Sordi adjusts his hair. Sordi tries to leap in and out,
and Powell defends the punches but not the low kicks that follow.
Sordi stalks Powell down behind a jab, and his hair is bothering
him as he keeps having to clear his field of vision. He grits
through that to knock Powell to the wall, and he dings him with a
few more punches before the Brit splits off. Sordi marches after
him and beans Powell with a right hand, staggering him briefly as
Powell tries to reset. Sordi uses his power jab to set up a right
hand, and he fixes his hair. Powell takes advantage of that moment
with a three-punch salvo, and his low kick that comes after it
brushes the cup. Sordi takes about 15 seconds before he is good to
go, with Herzog paying close attention.
On the reset, the 205ers start trading heavier, with Powell putting
more mustard behind his punches and kicks. Sordi bullies his way
forward and chops at the front leg with another kick, and Powell
just takes it. The Brit comes out with a left to the body and right
upstairs, but Sordi steels himself and shakes him up badly with a
right hand. Sordi makes Powell blink it out in his left eye as he
crashes into Powell with offense. Powell is on his bike able to get
away and stick out long punches, in hopes of his keeping Sordi at
range. Sordi keeps pressuring him closely, smashing Powell in the
face with multiple right hands. Powell’s leg kick response is not
effective, but his punch combinations are. He keeps Sordi at bay
with long one-twos, and he stands Sordi up with a big right. Powell
strings together punches to shake Sordi up badly, and Sordi swings
mightily and jumps after a takedown before he hits the deck. The
round comes to an end with Powell thumping the downed Sordi on the
side.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-10
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Powell
Round 2
Sordi comes out of his corner as if nothing happened to close that
last round, getting right into Powell’s face with fists and feet.
Powell makes him take a step or two back with a high kick, but it
does not take long for Sordi to adjust his hair and come in to
attack. Powell gets his hands on Sordi and clips him with a few
punches, only for Sordi to spin with an elbow that stuns Powell.
Sordi goes on the offensive, swinging for the bleachers while
Powell’s head movement keeps him mostly safe. Powell overswings
with a left hand, allowing Sordi to elevate him with a body lock
and hurl him to the mat. Sordi climbs onto the Brit’s back and
flattens him out, fastening a body lock and ejecting Powell’s
mouthguard. Sordi hunts for a rear-naked choke from one side, and
he adjusts his grip to shift it to the other. Neither get the job
done, so Sordi decides to slap Powell in the side with his
palm.
Sordi fastens hold of a neck crank, turning Powell’s head to the
side uncomfortably, and he switches to the other side to keep
cranking. Powell keeps a two-on-one grip on Sordi’s left wrist, and
Herzog politely replaces Powell’s mouthguard while they are in a
brief stalemate. Sordi’s body lock remains tight as a drum around
the waist of “Smooth,” who appears irritated that Sordi keeps
slapping him. Sordi transitions to an armbar with seconds left in
the round, and time runs out before he can lock it down.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Round 3
The athletes share a double-high five to get going, with Powell
appearing the fresher of the two. Sordi nevertheless swings his way
into the fracas, and he leans to the side when Powell responds with
a front kick up the middle. Sordi shoots for a double, and he
pushes Powell to the wall and tries to turn him about to sling him
to the mat. Powell stays afloat and skates an elbow off the
Argentinian’s brow. Sordi loads up with a haymaker that Powell
evades, and two more swings from him lead to little more than a
clinch. Sordi leans heavily on Powell, but Powell shoves him back.
Sordi adjusts his cup, and Powell jabs him up and plants several
more fists on his face in rapid succession. Sordi rushes after his
foe, and Powell spits out his mouthpiece and shrugs it off to keep
fighting. Powell’s power punches open a cut on the top of the
Sordi’s forehead, and blood trails quickly down his face. He reacts
poorly when getting tagged a few more times from Powell, but Powell
lets him off the hook and gets his mouthpiece back.
Powell dishes out a knee to the jaw, and Sordi grits his teeth and
throws big punches.
Powell freezes “He-Man” with a few body shots, jacking up the
former PFL tournament champion with a ferocious knee. Sordi, who
was already on the proverbial ropes, takes the knee square into the
chin, and his legs disintegrate beneath him. Sordi is done like
dinner, and Herzog sees this and waves the fight off as Powell is
starting to drop down punches. Just like that, Powell
bounces back from his first decision defeat with a crushing
knockout victory over a tough talent.
The Official Result
Simeon Powell def. Emiliano Sordi R3 3:05 via TKO (Knee)
Round 1
Once a featherweight, the 2025 155-pound finalist Rabadanov
(26-5-1, 7-1 PFL) will need five extra pounds in this catchweight
allowance at 160 pounds in the co-headliner. The Dagestan native
will welcome 2025 PFL Europe lightweight tourney victor Chizov
(13-3, 4-2 PFL) to the global portion of the organization, and he
will clock in very nearly as heavily favored as the aforementioned
Santos. Whether he can get it done or Chizov will spring the upset,
referee Jason Herzog will be there every step of the way. The
athletes opt against touching gloves to get going.
Rabadanov kicks and falls over, jumping back up before Chizov can
do anything. Chizov sticks out his jab, leaning forward to go after
the Russian. Chizov works the body with a right hand, and Rabadanov
responds with a check right hook. Chizov keeps attacking the
midsection, and they crash together and bang heads. No worse for
wear, Chizov advances further, and Rabadanov swipes counters back
his way. Chizov’s body shot keeps finding its home, drawing out a
takedown shot from his opponent. Rabadanov pushes Chizov to the
wall and drags him away to wrench him to the canvas, where he
asserts himself in a partial half-guard. Chizov pushes off his
other foot and springs back to his feet, where the two proceed to
trade hands.
Chizov lands the cleaner of the two as they trade willingly, but
Rabadanov is able to get him back with some power. Chizov lifts
Rabadanov up with a knee up close, and he backs off before anything
more comes of it. Chizov misses with a head kick and plants his
feet to stick Rabadanov with a stern jab. Rabadanov circles, and he
winds up with a left hand but is beaten to the punch by the taller
man. Rabadanov again throws a hook, and Chizov snipes him with a
straight left. Rabadanov runs through his opponent with a takedown,
and he fights to stay on top as Chizov throws his leg up for an
omoplata shoulder lock. Rabadanov stands up to get out of it and
lowers himself back down through the potential triangle setup that
follows. Chizov gets up without issue, but Rabadanov clips him
while standing. Rabadanov rings home two more big punches,
prompting Chizov to walk him down and land heavy punches. A whiff
from Rabadanov concludes the round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chizov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rabadanov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Chizov
Round 2
The first strike of the second round is a Chizov right hand, which
opens him up to a tackling takedown that puts him on his seat.
Chizov snatches up a guillotine choke when hitting his back, and
Rabadanov shakes his head out of it. Chizov sits up and works his
way back to his feet, where he puts long punches on the Russian’s
brow. Rabadanov hits another double smoothly, planting Chizov on
his seat. Chizov is warned for striking the back of the head with
his elbow, and Rabadanov lays on top of him without doing much
else. Rabadanov briefly threatens with an arm-triangle choke, but
Chizov is wise to it and protects himself. On the second setup from
the Russian, Chizov is able to break out of it and explode back to
his feet. Chizov walks Rabadanov down with his jab, and he
intercepts a level change with a knee up the middle.
Rabadanov hits a single with minimal effort, grounding Chizov but
once more not attacking once dragging the fight to a horizontal
position. Chizov tries for a low-percentage guillotine, and
Rabadanov ignores it and steps over to pass the guard to the side
and intentionally back into half guard. Chizov rolls over to his
stomach in an effort to escape, and Rabadanov follows him on the
way up by taking his back standing. Rabadanov hooks his leg around
Chizov’s as he hopes for a mat return, and Chizov grabs the fence
to pull himself to a better position as Herzog says don’t do that.
Chizov offers a front kick to the body, and he knees the Russian in
the sternum to result in a clinch. Chizov looks for his own
takedown to end the round in style, but there is nothing to it.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rabadanov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Rabadanov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Rabadanov
Round 3
In the opening seconds, Chizov reintroduces himself with a head
kick that slams into the raised guard. He jabs the body after it,
and is met with a few punches from the Russian to back him off.
Chizov staples his jab to Rabadanov’s face, drawing some swelling
around both eyes. The Latvian tries for a jump knee when closing
in, but when that fails, he doubles up on head kicks. Rabadanov
parries the follow-up step-in knee, with Chizov’s own nose starting
to leak from the return fire from Rabadanov. Chizov stands his foe
up with a knee and a left hook, and he loops a second left around
the guard before Rabadanov can get to him. Rabadanov doubles up on
two inaccurate hooks, and he dodges a big knee by a whisker. Chizov
goes high with his shin, and he goes to the body with it
afterwards. Rabadanov catches the latter and pushes Chizov to the
fencing, with Chizov getting away with a fence grab to free
himself.
Chizov snaps out a left and dodges the counters, slipping a head
kick up and keeping that jab in the Russian’s face. Rabadanov fakes
a left hand and sprints forward to tackle Chizov to the mat, only
for Chizov to defend with a guillotine as he goes down. Rabadanov
easily shimmies out of the choke and is about to work on top, but
Chizov turns over for an unorthodox scramble. Rabadanov wrangles
Chizov back down, wrapping his arms around Chizov’s waist when
Chizov bursts back upright. Rabadanov cannot trap Chizov and does
not go for a level change, with Chizov pitching an inaccurate head
kick at him and a jump knee when that too misses. Chizov rifles off
a left and a right, his hands down as he marches Rabadanov down
without any concern. He uses a knee to drill into Rabadanov’s
chest, who lifts Chizov up and slams him down. The horn sounds
shortly after the two hit the mat, and the judges will have their
hands full with this one.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Chizov (29-28 Chizov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Chizov (29-28 Rabadanov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Chizov (29-28 Chizov)
The Official Result
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Aleksandr Chizov via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Round 1
What was the prize for 2024 PFL Europe welterweight grand prix
winner Zendeli (9-1-1, 4-0 PFL)? A chance at the bigger leagues,
where he ultimately prevailed last year in Dubai against Omar El
Dafrawy. That served as a statement to put him against PFL-ranked
opposition, but they threw him to the wolves in this three-round
main attraction. He gets to battle fellow grappler and former
Bellator interim champ Storley (18-4, 3-2 PFL). With the 170-pound
title picture still unclear as champ Ramazan Kurmagomedov declared
he retired after beating Shamil Musaev in February, the victor of
this main event tonight could place himself in prime position for a
PFL championship opportunity. The last assignment of the night goes
to referee Kevin MacDonald, who brings the welterweights to the
center of the cage to issue final instructions and request a glove
touch. They gladly do so. It’s on with the show.
With “USA” chants raining down, Zendeli moves to the center of the
cage and starts sticking out long, reaching front kicks. Storley
catches up to him with a left hand and bulldozes Zendeli over to
his back. Storley does not need long before climbing to half guard,
and he puts his knee on Zendeli’s wrist to take that away from him.
Zendeli scrambles and crawls to the fence, grabbing it tightly to
prevent a mat return. MacDonald slaps his hand and shouts loudly at
him for the clear foul. Zendeli grabs the cage again, and MacDonald
deducts one point without inserting himself into the action or
stopping the fighters. Zendeli climbs to his knees and then
upright, pulling himself upright with another fence grab. MacDonald
deducts a second point for the clear and obvious foul, and Storley
mat returns the Albanian.
With Zendeli on one knee, Storley stomps on the back of his ankle,
but this is a foul as well—stomps to grounded opponents are
prohibited, no matter the target. Storley grinds in this position
without doing much damage other than spamming short knees to the
back of the calf while standing on the ankle. Storley holds on
until the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-7 Storley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-7 Storley
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-7 Storley
Round 2
Zendeli takes the center of the cage to start the second round, but
he does not commit to a strike until 30 second pass. Storley jabs
his way into a shot, bending Zendeli over to knee him on the top of
the dome. Zendeli stands up to shove the wrestler back, but his
left hands are all out of range despite his significant height and
reach advantage. Zendeli whiffs on a head kick as well, with
Storley seeing everything coming and well out of the way. The
Albanian scores a single low kick, and Storley stands him up and
pushes him to the wall to grind him out.
Storley does just that, grinding away while Zendeli can do little
to defend himself other than stay on his feet. Storley goes for a
takedown, and Zendeli rolls all the way through it but still winds
up on bottom on one knee. Storley laces his legs around Zendeli’s
plant leg, leaking from a wound under his left cheek, and he drags
Zendeli back down. Zendeli stands and is put back down again. The
South Dakotan cannot keep Zendeli down the whole round, with
Zendeli popping back up with 30 seconds to go. Zendeli reaches out
with a long right hand and a few high kicks to end the slog of a
round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Storley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Storley
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Storley
Round 3
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round: