PFL 7 2022 Playoffs Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

The PFL playoffs are here, and the company built a card around them
that contains both prelims – a pair of qualifiers for next year’s
season – and the dreaded postlims. Before we get to the latter, six
solid fights take the stage. The night begins with a qualifying
contest at 205 pounds for a pair of fighters that failed to make
the semifinals, in Syndicate MMA’s Hendricks (9-4, 3-1 PFL) and
powerful Norwegian Hamlet (9-4, 3-3 PFL). The first assignment of
the evening – a rematch, as these two battled last year and
Hendricks notched a submission – goes to referee Kevin MacDonald,
and the fighters touch gloves to seal the cage around them and
begin the evening’s hostilities. Hendricks pushes off with a front
kick as Hamlet advances immediately, and Hamlet swarms him with a
looping right hand. Hendricks ducks a few additional punches to
pursue a double-leg takedown, and he plants Hamlet on his back. The
fighter from Norway explodes upright, and he turns the tables to
trip Hendricks out and ground Hendricks. The American stays
composed, hitting a quick switch and flipping Hamlet over. Hamlet
does not wish to stay on his back, and he bursts back to his feet
once more. Hamlet remains pinned to his opponent, hammering knees
to the body while holding Hendricks tightly against the wire.
Hendricks responds with a knee and tries to spin out, but Hamlet is
strong and hangs on. This prolonged clinch period continues with
Hamlet using heavy shoulder pressure, and he stalls out in this
position. Hamlet changes levels, but the attempt is stuffed before
it can materialize. Hendricks knees the midsection and tries to
push off with his elbow, but Hamlet is stuck to him like he was
smeared with Krazy Glue. Although he secures double underhooks, he
cannot leverage for a takedown, and they continue to jockey for
position. Hamlet rips a right hand on the nose and pushes his man
across the cage, only to back off when the 10-second clapper
sounds. There is no aggression from either in this period, as they
stand at one another and look with their hands in the air,
expecting something that never comes. The grueling round
concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet

Round 2

The light heavyweights touch ‘em up to start off the second round,
and Hamlet comes out throwing a big one-two. Hendricks stays on his
bike, with a few front kicks, and just like the beginning of the
last round, a looping right hand from Hamlet bops Hendricks on the
nose and turns him about. Blood flows quickly out of the nostrils
from the American, and Hamlet capitalizes on this by setting up a
double and slamming Hendricks to the mat. Hamlet lands in side
control, and he looks to slide over into mount while hanging on
with his right shoulder pressed on Hendricks’ face. The blood is
making breathing difficult for Hendricks on his back, who coughs
out a spray of crimson droplets while Hamlet shifts over to half
guard to keep Hendricks flat. Hamlet grinds and keeps positional
control without utilizing many strikes, and he ponders an
arm-triangle choke but cannot secure anything due to the slippery
blood all over Hendricks’ face and neck. Hendricks worms his way
back to the fence, and when Hamlet pulls him back, Hendricks grabs
the fence in hopes of turning around – MacDonald is on him and
admonishes him for this. Hendricks does recover his full guard
while getting smothered, and he staves off guard passes until
Hamlet steps over again. Hamlet stacks him up, and this draws a
double wrist lock setup from Hendricks off his back. In the ensuing
exchange, Hamlet tries to isolate another arm-triangle, and
Hendricks is wise to it and stops it from getting anywhere close.
Hamlet remains in this position of half guard to ride out the
less-than-stellar round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet

Round 3

There is a final glove touch to open the final round, and Hendricks
is a little more urgent with his initial strikes. A high kick and a
few punches make Hamlet take a step back, but Hamlet crashes
forward to push the American on the fencing. Hamlet gets his arms
clasped around Hendricks’ waist, and his grip is tight enough to
shut any possible offense down from Hendricks. MacDonald issues a
warning for more action, and Hamlet looks for a single-leg takedown
in response. Hendricks stops it from succeeding, and he gains a
little space despite still being tied up to knee Hamlet in the
face. Hamlet doggedly continues his forward movement until he sets
his foe calmly on the ground. Hamlet moves to half guard as
Hendricks grabs the fence once more, and when he lets go, Hamlet
shifts to side control. Hendricks scrambles with all his might to
get back to his feet, and he keeps Hamlet’s right wrist isolated to
threaten with a kimura sweep or otherwise stop Hamlet from
grounding him once more. Hamlet still uses his full body weight to
push Hendricks over, and he plops on top in the half guard.
Hendricks turns to a knee in hopes of standing, and he slips out
and stands up thanks to the blood and sweat on his upper chest.
Hamlet does not let up with his grinding approach, pushing
Hendricks back to the wall and taking his foe’s back standing.
Hendricks again goes for the right arm to look for a throw with
that kimura, and Hamlet fights it off and does not go down.
Hendricks just misses with a huge uppercut when they gain a modicum
of space, but Hamlet drops down for a single. Hamlet gets a
takedown reversed, and suddenly Hendricks is ready to attack.
Hendricks slams Hamlet on his face, and Hamlet’s nose smashes open
as blood practically explodes from his face. Hendricks gives it all
he has to try to put Hamlet away, pounding on him with hammerfists
and punches, but Hamlet makes it to the final bell. With that, this
qualifier match is in the books.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hendricks (29-28 Hamlet)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hendricks (29-28 Hamlet)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Hendricks (29-28 Hamlet)

The Result

Marthin Hamlet def. Cory Hendricks via Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)

Round 1

This matchup at 170 pounds is an odd one, because it will serve as
a swing bout – this means it might be slotted in during the
prelims, main card or even at the tail end of the night. As it
were, it takes the place of the second fight of the night. Sebie
(3-1, 0-0 PFL) and Babulaidze (1-0, 0-0 PFL) were prepared to step
up and fill a void on the broadcast when needed. They will receive
oversight from referee Bryan Miner, who watches as they do not
touch gloves, and away they go. Sebie gets pushed back with a few
kicks, and he goes up high with a kick that Babulaidze blocks just
in the nick of time. As Babulaidze pushes out a jab, Sebie quickly
changes levels and puts the fighter out of Georgia on his back.
Babulaidze stands back up fearlessly, even as Sebie circles around
to take his back. Babulaidze lowers himself back to the mat, and
when Sebie hunts for a choke or a body lock, Babulaidze spins
around to take top position. Sebie rolls all the way through to
allow them both to stand back up, and when upright, Sebie tosses
out a kick. A flying strike attempt from Sebie is countered over
the top before it can materialize, and Sebie pushes in to clinch.
Sebie manages to push Babulaidze over, but he cannot take top
position before the Georgian springs back up. Sebie wings looping
punches, and he cracks his foe with a left hand as Babulaidze is
backed up against the wall. Babulaidze unloads with a big right
hand that shakes up Sebie for a moment, and Sebie responds with a
body kick. Babulaidze attempts a takedown, and when that fails,
they start swinging heavy leather. Babulaidze ducks a couple
haymakers to secure a double, planting the “Prince of Egypt” on his
seat. After hanging on with little additional offense, Babulaidze
gets pushed back and Sebie jumps to his feet. Sebie then sells out
for his own takedown, and they jockey for position wildly against
the fence. Babulaidze ducks a swinging punch and takes a step back,
and they take a moment to catch their respective breaths. Sebie’s
punches appear labored and his hands are lower, and a Babulaidze
kick compromises Sebie.
Seeing that Sebie is not reacting well to strikes anymore,
Babulaidze dips down and blasts the Egyptian on the chin with a
blistering uppercut. Sebie’s legs abandon him completely like the
nose of the Sphinx as he crumbles, and Babulaidze is not about to
let him off the hook. Babulaidze leaps on top and slugs his man in
the face with a few jackhammering left hands until Miner steps in
to rescue Sebie from further damage. That seals the
deal for Babulaidze, who remains undefeated and one to watch in the
Challenger Series next year.

The Result

Itso Babulaidze def. Mahmoud Sebie Fawzy R1 4:30 via TKO
(Punches)

Light Heavyweight PFL Semifinal Playoffs:
Rob
Wilkinson (205.8) vs. Delan Monte
(205.2)

Round 1

In the combined 24 wins for these two light heavyweight
semifinalists, they have recorded exactly one decision. Australia’s
Wilkinson (15-2, 2-0 PFL) is the one to do this, snagging a win on
the scorecards all the way back in 2013. Unlike “Razor Rob,” Monte
(9-2, 1-1 PFL) has yet reach the 12-minute mark of a pro MMA fight.
The first playoff bout of the 2022 PFL season is about to be a wild
one, and referee Bryan Miner is geared up but the medical staff is
not. There is no ambulance nor the appropriate doctors in the
building, so the fight cannot begin. The fighters pace in their
corners awkwardly, and Miner tries to keep them in their corners
and not thinking about engaging. Both Wilkinson and Monte have to
wait inside the cage, getting cold, and this is a problem for both
competitors who warmed up right before competing. The first fight
starts at 7:17 p.m. ET thanks to this delay — a proper one, given
that safety is paramount — and they are finally able to go and
touch gloves. Monte comes out swinging, clearly ready to put an end
to this, and Wilkinson is smart and fights long to knock Monte back
with a few punches. The Brazilian jabs his way in and lobs a right
hand over the top, and he cracks Wilkinson with another to knock
Wilkinson all the way back to the fence. Wilkinson responds with
several flush knees up the middle, but Monte is a man possessed,
winging power punches until tying Wilkinson up. Wilkinson welcomes
this so that he can turn the shorter man around, and he pushes
Monte down to his knees before letting him up to knee him in the
face. They get back to striking range, and Monte catches his man
flush with a huge right hand.
Wilkinson chomps down on his gumshield and hurls ferocious punches
right back, and his fists and a nasty knee catch Monte right on the
chin and send him flying backwards. Monte’s arms and legs stiffen
up as he crashes to the ground, and Miner deftly recognizes this
and jumps in while Wilkinson looks on from above. What
a way to punch his ticket to finals, recording a fantastic knockout
and placing himself one win away from $1 million.

The Result

Robert Wilkinson def. Delan Monte R1 1:37 via KO (Punches and
Knee)

Round 1

Unlike the 205-pound tilt that preceded this contest, these two
lightweights are far more familiar with the judges, as they sport
identical 60% finish rates. Since departing from the UFC, “The
Canadian Gangster” Aubin-Mercier (15-5, 4-0 PFL) has done nothing
but win, while beating both former lightweight champs on his way
up. He will take on 2021 playoff participant Martinez (10-2, 1 NC;
3-2 PFL), who also won out this year as he worked his way through
the season. The first person to know the first lightweight finalist
will be referee Kevin MacDonald, and it will get settled right
after they touch gloves. As Aubin-Mercier plods forward to lead the
dance, Martinez stays on the outside and picks at him with a few
leg kicks. Martinez ducks a looping right hand so that he can stomp
a kick to the knee, and Aubin-Mercier crashes the pocket and
considers a body lock takedown. Martinez fights out of it with
everything he has, not interested in getting tied up by the
Canadian, and he gets off a pair of solid punches to back “OAM”
off. Aubin-Mercier drops to a knee to punch the body, and he rises
up with a right hand over the top to surprise his opponent.
Martinez shakes it off and returns fire with a high kick, and when
that gets blocked, he scores a right hand down the pipe.
Aubin-Mercier connects with a big pair of punches that stagger
Martinez for the briefest of moments, and Martinez shakes off the
cobwebs and continues moving forward with kicks high and low.
Aubin-Mercier slips a punch to fire off an overhand right, and
Martinez welcomes him with two swiping hooks to answer back. A kick
from Martinez slaps off the body just above the cup, and
Aubin-Mercier replies in kind. Martinez stays busy with low kicks,
and Aubin-Mercier bites down on his mouthpiece to throw hands. He
clips Martinez with a left as Martinez is off-balance, but the
Paraguayan fighter gathers his thoughts and whips a high kick that
misses the mark. When the subsequent punches from Martinez do not
connect, he steps in with a knee that glances off the body.
Aubin-Mercier slides back and lines up a pair of punches, and he
hops away from two side-high kicks. Aubin-Mercier comes forward and
gets an uppercut in the mouth for his efforts, but he still manages
to grip his opponent and turn him around to the fencing. Martinez
sneaks in a few short knees and punches while tied up, but
Aubin-Mercier spins him around and does the same. Martinez breaks
away and pushes off with two side kicks, and Aubin-Mercier holds
his guard up high. Martinez sprints forward, only to get popped
with a counter, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 2

They touch hands to start the second frame, and the gameplan of
Martinez resumes again with a few kicks to the lead leg.
Aubin-Mercier starts gunslinging, throwing huge punches that shock
Martinez early. A monster left hand from the Canadian sets Martinez
down on his seat, and Aubin-Mercier gives chase and looks to do
some damage. Martinez threatens with an armbar off his back, but
“OAM” slides his arm out and circles around to take Martinez’ back
in a quick maneuver. Aubin-Mercier secures the body triangle first
before fishing for chokes, and he stretches Martinez’ body out with
the body lock. Martinez fights the hands to not let a choke come
together, but the body lock is crushing on his midsection under his
ribcage. Martinez gets away with fence grabs to improve his
position slightly, shifting himself to keep his side to the wall so
that the leverage of a choke cannot get set up. Martinez sits up,
forcing Aubin-Mercier to put his back to the wall, and
Aubin-Mercier latches on to a modified rear-naked choke to make
Martinez briefly struggle. The choke attempts are never fully
locked in but constantly being fished for, and Martinez looks to
break the leg grip when not concerned about chokes. Happy to
continue playing the role of the dangerous backpack, Aubin-Mercier
clings to his man and frustrates Martinez with back control. The
round ends in this position.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier

Round 3

Martinez has no interest in a glove touch in the last round,
pushing his left hand out to establish his range instead.
Aubin-Mercier meets him with a few short punches, and he looses a
head kick that wobbles the Paraguay native. “The Canadian Gangster”
slips a punch to smash Martinez in the face with a left hand, and
Martinez collapses. Aubin-Mercier darts forward to initiate a
controlling posture, and he assumes it by claiming Martinez’ back
in a hurry and locking down the body triangle again. Martinez is
solely focused on fighting the hands to break up chokes, as he
slowly gets his wits about him again. As Martinez moves to one side
in hopes of breaking the body lock, Aubin-Mercier hooks it up on
the other side. Martinez bucks and turns, but the legs around his
waist are going nowhere. Aubin-Mercier starts softening his man up
with punches, and they continue to hand-fight. Aubin-Mercier moves
his body lock from side to side when Martinez turns to the proper
side to disengage it, frustrating his foe and not giving him one
moment to breathe. Martinez twists and punches behind his own head
to little effect, but he is able to stop the rear-naked choke
setups from the Canadian. Martinez turns to his own knees, even
with Aubin-Mercier on his back, but nothing comes of it as he falls
back over. This dominant back control from Aubin-Mercier puts a
close to the fight, and they congratulate one another on their
knees after 15 minutes of combat. Barring something unconscionable,
“OAM” is the first lightweight finalist and probably the man to
beat at 155 pounds in the championship show.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier (30-25
Aubin-Mercier)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier (30-25
Aubin-Mercier)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-8 Aubin-Mercier (30-25
Aubin-Mercier)

The Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Alex Martinez via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

Light Heavyweight PFL Semifinal Playoffs:
Omari
Akhmedov (204.6) vs. Joshua
Silveira (206)

Round 1

Stablemates toe the line in this last light heavyweight semifinal,
and it will be a rare situation for Akhmedov (23-7-1, 2-1 PFL)
without “Conan” Silveira in his corner. The renowned coach will
instead be fittingly working his son’s corner, Silveira (9-0, 2-0
PFL), who is looking to make good after a single shot in the 2022
season after his victory on the Challenger Series. Violence is on
the menu, and referee Kerry Hatley will be the maître d’ for these
two hard-swinging diners. Blood may be the featured condiment of
their 205-pound meal, and the winner will be one fight away from
easily picking up the check with a million-dollar purse on the
line. Their utensils fists and feet; the former are touched before
the teammates begin their dining experience. Silveira throw first
with a kick to the body, and Akhmedov responds with a thudding one
in the inside of his foe’s leg. Silveira paws out his right hand
and wipes his heels on the floor to get a better grip. Akhmedov
spins with a back kick, only to fall over when it misses, and
Silveira lets him right back up. Akhmedov thanks him with an
emphatic body kick, and Silveira replies in kind. Akhmedov goes
wide with two punches, and he has his ribs slapped with the shin of
his opponent. Chants for “U.S.A.” rain down for Silveira, but the
careful pace does not speed up. Akhmedov marks the body with a
straight right hand, and Silveira flails with two straight-ish
punches up top. The one-two from Silveira is frantic and not
landing effectively, and Akhmedov pounds the ribs with two loud
kicks. Akhmedov clips his man with a straight left hand as Silveira
was changing levels, and he follows it with an overhand right that
Silveira just blocks in time. They reset in the center of the cage,
and Silveira paws out with a front kick with his toes extended. The
Russian replies with a slamming body kick, and he takes one on the
chin to wing a right hand that smashes into Silveira’s undefended
jaw. Silveira takes it flush and his hair blows back, but he steels
himself and pushes out a left hand right on the beard of his
training partner. Akhmedov marches in to throw a big right hand,
and as he does, Silveira ducks it and shoots to hit a double. The
Russian hits his back for a second, before scrambling right back to
his feet and away from the cage. Akhmedov bears down on his
opponent with punches, and Silveira again changes levels to duck
the oncoming blows. Akhmedov settles to push Silveira up against
the wall, and he lifts up a couple short knees. Silveira does the
same, and the round ends while they are tied up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov

Round 2

The second round kicks off with a proper touch of gloves, and
Akhmedov stalks his prey early with a trio of winging punches.
Silveira comes back firing with a short salvo of punches, more
content to touch while Akhmedov is swinging for the fences.
Akhmedov fakes for a telegraphed punch, and he draws a takedown
shot out of the younger Silveira. Akhmedov cannot defend against it
and gets set down, but he does work his way back up quickly. As
Akhmedov throws a haymaker, Silveira once more counters it with a
takedown entry, and this time he hits a Russian brick wall and
cannot put him down. Akhmedov calmly kicks the body and punches to
the midsection as well, and Silveira just darts out of the way when
a right hand zoomed at his torso. Akhmedov keeps chambering and
firing overhand rights, and they are coming slower and Silveira
appears to be picking up on them as he does not take them on the
chin. They trade low kicks, and Akhmedov catches Silveira with a
left when the unbeaten fighter attempted to throw a body kick.
Another Silveira kick to the side misses the mark by inches, so he
makes sure to make the second one count to the breadbasket. With
Akhmedov’s offense dropping down to very little, Silveira is
comfortable to pepper him with kicks to the body and one up top.
Akhmedov appears irritated by this, and he slugs Silveira in the
face with a right hook. The Russian pulls back but does not fire a
right, instead stopping a takedown and putting Silveira on his
knees – although he does grab the fence to help him keep his
balance. Akhmedov winds up with a huge leg kick that buckles
Silveira’s knee, and Silveira winces and switches stances. A brief
staring contest concludes the frame.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov

Round 3

There is a high-five to start off the last round, Akhmedov plods
forward and kicks the side. Akhmedov targets the body with
impunity, punching and kicking it as Silveira bounces off the wall.
Silveira’s pace slows as Akhmedov continues to kick and punch the
body, and a few strikes from the Russian prompt Silveira into
action. Silveira scores a right hand over the top and a head kick
that slams into the guard, and Akhmedov walks through it to keep
Silveira on his back foot. A body shot from Akhmedov bends his man
over briefly, and he pounds the inside of Silveira’s leg to follow.
Akhmedov wings a right hand that glances off the cheek, and he gets
tagged with a quick one-two. Silveira reaches the target with a
left hand, only to have his body kicked and spin around from a
punch that soars at his dome. Akhmedov ducks down and jabs the body
with a left, and Silveira again physically reacts to absorbing the
blow. Akhmedov slowly comes at the undefeated fighter, tossing out
the occasional overhand right that does not have the same zip on
it, and unconcerned about anything that comes back at him. They
clack shins when kicking at the same time, and Silveira winces and
backs off. Akhmedov stays busy with punches up top, and Silveira
gets intercepted when firing back. Akhmedov nearly has his leg
kicked out from a quick strike from his foe, and Silveira charges
in for a double. When that fails, Silveira changes to a double, and
the Russian stuffs this as well. Silveira decides to put all of his
energy into one last maneuver, and he scoops “Wolverine” up and
slams him to the mat. The bell sounds shortly after they hit the
ground, and when the fight concludes, Akhmedov raises his arms in
the air to celebrate his likely victory to place him in the finals
against Rob Wilkinson. That battle of UFC vets should be a fun one
for the championship.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov (30-27 Akhmedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Silveira (29-28 Akhmedov)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov (30-27 Akhmedov)

The Result

Omari Akhmedov def. Josh Silveira via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Lightweight PFL Semifinal Playoffs:
Anthony
Pettis (155.6) vs. Steven Ray
(155.8)

Round 1

Exactly six weeks ago, Pettis (25-13, 1-3 PFL) and Ray (24-10, 1-1
PFL) met in the co-main event of PFL 5, and Ray pulled off a
modified twister with his body triangle crushing Pettis’ ribs to
force a tap. The rematch, thanks to playoff seeding, is coming far
sooner than expected, and it remains to be seen if either man has
developed anything new since they last collided. Normally, this
main event would be the final fight of the night, but several more
bouts loom on the horizon tonight even after the marquee attraction
is in the books. Referee Bryan Miner is on the call for this last
matchup on the main card. Gloves are tensely touched ahead of the
action, and Ray calmly scoops out a low kick. This prompts a snappy
right hand down the pipe from Pettis, who follows it with a high
kick that pegs the guard of his foe. Ray chips at Pettis’ lead leg
a few more times, and he sneaks in a left hand when Pettis is
distracted by them. Pettis stops an awkward takedown attempt from
his foe and turns Ray right into the wall, and they stall out in
this position. Pettis pulls his arms out of the tie-up to break
away, and they reset in the middle of the cage. “Showtime” rips the
body with a kick, and Ray is right there to respond with a leg
kick. Ray wings a left hand that bounces off the guard, and one
that follows dings Pettis. Pettis slings back with a straight
right, and he hops away as Ray counters. Ray’s leg kicks continue
to find their home, and he keeps his guard high enough to block
other kicks from his foe. Pettis slips one kick beneath the guard
to the ribs, and it slaps hard as fans groan in the building from
the impact. Pettis snipes with a left hand, forcing a level change
from “Braveheart.” Ray clasps his hands together, elevates Pettis
and slams him down to the ground. Pettis lands, pinned with his
back against the fencing and disallowing his offensive guard from
getting started. Ray slithers over to side control, free from a
triangle or anything else nasty Pettis could set up, and he starts
grinding while wishing he could drop down elbows. Pettis gets
popped with a hammerfist as Ray looks to pass to mount, and Pettis
pulls him back to side control. Ray shifts over to lock down an
arm-triangle choke from the side, and he transitions to north-south
position and moves to lock in the north-south choke as well. Pettis
punches the side of the head as Ray keeps heavy shoulder pressure
with the choke fairly tight, but Pettis keeps his face on the
armpit so the choke is not going to put him away. Pettis explodes
back to his feet with seconds to spare, and he wings a high kick
right before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Ray

Round 2

The lightweight rivals bump fists to begin the second round, and
Pettis leans back when a head kick comes at him early on. Pettis
dips down to throw a right to the body, and he sneaks his own high
kick over the top that bangs into the Scot’s head. Ray wobbles and
pursues a clinch to get his bearings, but Pettis frees himself
before long. Pettis again pays no mind to a head kick that comes
his direction, and he pierces the guard with a left hand. Ray
responds with his own straight left before powering into a clinch,
and he hunts for a hip toss that Pettis thwarts by posting off his
right arm. “Showtime” escapes out the backdoor and kicks Ray in the
ribs, but Ray bullies his way through it to drag Pettis to the mat.
Pettis stands, but as he does, Ray secures his back and sets up a
body lock. Memories of their last fight flood through their heads,
and Ray turns to set up the exact same maneuver as he tightens the
body triangle and turn to one side. Pettis fights the hands and
pushes on Ray’s left leg to stop the maneuver, and he uses his feet
to kick off and not let Ray lock him up. “Braveheart” continues to
threaten with the modified twister setup, hoping that Pettis will
turn one specific direction so that he can hook the legs and crank
the spine. Pettis punches behind his head, and Ray softens him up
as well, as they trade shots. Pettis avoids a rear-naked choke try
and turns to one side to get out of the body lock, and he succeeds
in breaking the grip around his waist. The American pushes off one
second before the bell, as Ray let him go knowing the round was
about over and that he did not want to burn himself up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Ray

Round 3

There is a final glove touch between the main event fighters, and
Pettis marches forward and slugs Ray in the face with several fast
fists. Pettis whiffs on a head kick, and Ray settles for a low
kick. Pettis intercepts a punch to plant the ball of his foot on
Ray’s face, and Ray reels and tries to grab onto Pettis but cannot
reach him. Pettis resets, and the strikes have gotten Ray to start
touching his nose to assess the damage. This lets Pettis slam him
in the ribs with his shin, and Ray’s low kicks still come but have
far less impact on them. Pettis fakes a Superman punch, jumping
forward with a right and a head kick on the opposite side. Ray
punches his way into a takedown effort, and the crowd lets Ray have
it for his approach. Pettis stabs his toes to the liver and misses
by a matter of centimeters, and he springs back from a low kick
only to get countered with a left on the outside. Ray leaps forward
to engage, and Pettis snipes him with a body kick and a left hand
as he circles out. Pettis lets rip a right hand that splits the
guard, and he ignores a few punches from Ray so that he can line up
counters and push kicks to the body. They both trade hands briefly,
and Pettis slips a punch and marks Ray up. Ray ducks in for a
single, and Pettis staves this off but gets mashed up against the
wall, losing precious seconds of the clock. Ray gets his grip
around the waist, and he tries to lift Pettis up in the air but
does not have the juice. Ray hangs on with his leg tied up with
Pettis’ to slow “Showtime” down and keep himself from being on the
gunnery range. Ray moves to the back before going after a double,
and when that fails, Pettis separates and lets fly a front kick.
Pettis kicks low and knocks Ray down, and when Ray rolls backwards
and stands up, Pettis leaps after him with a flying knee. Pettis
does not give chase, instead allowing Ray to poke him with a few
kicks. The bell sounds, and Ray raises his arms in the air,
confident that he has beaten former UFC champ twice in the span of
two months. Just like the light heavyweights, the lightweight final
will be a matchup of former UFC fighters – although it would have
been that regardless of the victor here – and Ray vs. Aubin-Mercier
could be an intriguing strategic matchup that happens to have one
million dollars on the line. This would normally be where we would
sign off, but there are still five postlims to go. We will be here
for them.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pettis (29-28 Ray)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pettis (29-28 Ray)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pettis (29-28 Ray)

The Result

Steven Ray def. Anthony Pettis via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

You thought the night was over? Au contraire, mes amis. Four more
postlims are left on the docket, with a few other roster spots and
additional Challenger Series slots up for grabs. The first for the
2023 CS comes for a fighter in Zurcher (3-0, 1-0 PFL) that pulled
off a win on the fourth episode of CS this season and did not get
picked up, giving him a second chance to make a first impression.
He draws Jimenez (0-1-1, 0-0 PFL), a New Yorker looking for his
first victory in his third pro bout. The featherweights opt to
touch gloves as referee Kevin MacDonald watches on, and they decide
to kick at the same time down low. Zurcher staggers off, and he
gathers himself to come back with a sweeping kick up the middle.
Jimenez stands first when getting punched to throw back recklessly,
and he presses forward to jam Zurcher up in the clinch. Zurcher
fights off the grip to return to the center of the cage, and he
scores two leg kicks mixed in with a solid overhand right. Zurcher
comes forward and nearly clacks heads with his opponents, and
Jimenez counters him with a quick hip toss. Zurcher keeps right on
moving as they hit the ground, squirming around to take top
position and ending up in the high guard of his opponent. The
unbeaten fighter sits up and drops down to break up a possible
rubber guard setup of some sort, and he lands a few punches before
pressing down hard with his shoulder. Zurcher frantically jumps to
half guard, but this allows Jimenez to spring back up during the
transition. They both try to take the other down when back in the
clinch, and Zurcher absorbs a few knees to the ribs and thigh as he
gloms on to Jimenez. The fighters trip down to the ground in an odd
sequence, and Zurcher tries to tie Jimenez’ right leg up to
partially take the back. Jimenez sits straight up to spin around,
and this lets him power his way back up and fight off any back
control. Jimenez trips Zurcher out and puts him to his knees, and
Zurcher gets back up only to have to fight off a double-leg
takedown. Jimenez chains it into a single, and Zurcher pushes him
off and clubs him with a right hand. Jimenez swings back with
reckless abandon, and they smack each other with their fists until
the close round ends and MacDonald pulls them apart.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jimenez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jimenez
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Jimenez

Round 2

The second round opens with a head kick from Zurcher, and they
ample towards one another ready to throw harder. Jimenez times a
punch to drop down for a takedown, but he settles for a head lock
and throw to put Zurcher down. Zurcher remains pinned on his back
for a few seconds before powering back up, and he turns the tables
on the fighter looking for his first win and takes Jimenez down to
his back. Jimenez turns to his side in an effort to stand, but
Zurcher is tightly pressed up against him and sits down to half
guard. As he does this, he starts slugging Jimenez in the face with
left hands, and he traps the promotional newcomer to his knees
while landing effective but not necessarily individually damaging
blows. Jimenez fights to his feet, and Zurcher sucks his legs out
and drags him back down. Jimenez appears to be fading as Zurcher
keeps working on him, but he is not out of the fight as he turns to
a knee and sits up. Zurcher practically tackles him over, where he
holds on with a half guard before Jimenez gets his butterfly guard
operating. When Jimenez kicks Zurcher off, Jimenez spins around,
and this gives Zurcher the opportunity to take his back in a flash.
Jimenez fights the hands to protect against an immediate rear-naked
choke, and Zurcher tightens up a body triangle while hunting for a
rear-naked choke again. Jimenez signals that he is still ok while
getting choked, and even though he looks to be in a tough spot, he
is still surviving. Jimenez turns to try to power around and
through the body triangle, but the bell sounds before he can flip
over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher

Round 3

The featherweights bump fists to start off the last round, and
Zurcher winds up and blasts Jimenez’ inside leg with a series of
kicks. Each one that lands, Jimenez takes a more dramatic reaction
from the blows connecting in rapid succession, and he gets knocked
back with an overhand right to the fence. Zurcher powers towards
him, tripping Jimenez’ legs out and dropping him down to the mat
with an oomph. Zurcher moves to side control before briefly
claiming north-south, and he comfortably hangs on in this position
without any concern about Jimenez getting out. When Zurcher looks
for a north-south choke setup, Jimenez turns all the way around and
moves to his knees. Zurcher pounds on Jimenez from behind with a
plethora of punches, and Jimenez suddenly grips a two-on-one to the
wrist and rolls Zurcher over. Jimenez does not have the energy to
stand back up after hitting this sweep, so Zurcher climbs back on
top of him into half guard. Zurcher smacks his foe upside the head
with sporadic punches, and Jimenez turns to his right side and
briefly threatens with another sweep that does not come together.
The unbeaten fighter slugs away while Jimenez is still grounded,
and Jimenez gives up his back and is instantly in choke danger.
Zurcher sets up the body lock and slides his arm beneath the chin,
but Jimenez is tough and does not give up. Zurcher keeps punching
until the bell stops the fight, and this grind of a matchup has
reached its conclusion.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher (29-28 Zurcher)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher (29-28 Zurcher)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Zurcher (29-28 Zurcher)

The Result

Brahyan Zurcher def. Ricardo Jimenez via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-26)

Round 1

Keeping things pushing here, lightweights take center stage on this
postliminary endeavor. With an unbeaten record and a past PFL
victory under his belt, Espinoza (6-0, 1-0 PFL) will try to make
good on his sophomore outing with the company against Jackson (5-1,
0-0 PFL). The latter has never before seen any of his pro fights
end inside the distance, with all five wins by decision and his
lone loss also on the scorecards. On the other hand, Espinoza’s six
career wins all resulted in stoppages, so something’s gotta give
here. Referee Kerry Hatley is on the call for whatever happens
next, following the touch of gloves. Jackson fires off a low kick,
and he connects with a follow-up right hand that rings Espinoza’s
bell. The unbeaten fighter crashes forward, not entirely with it,
to clinch up “Maximus” and get his wherewithal. Espinoza tries to
muscle his man down to the ground without much leverage to it, and
he decides to move to something more technical in the form of a
single. Espinoza ties up the right leg of his opponent in order to
pull Jackson down, but the balance of Jackson keeps him upright.
Espinoza lifts him off the ground, and Jackson keeps his footing
and gets pushed back to the wall again. This stalemate, one with
very few strikes and a lot of posturing, remains even when Jackson
briefly pushes him off. Jackson finally manages to turn his man
around after a lull in any action, and he gets turned back
promptly. Jackson scores a knee to the body when he spins Espinoza
back to the wall, and looks for a left hand when forcing a break.
No break comes, so his punch misses the mark. Espinoza sets up a
Thai plum, and he lands a few knees until powering back in. The
ghastly round ends with the two tied up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza

Round 2

The lightweights meet in the middle, and Jackson fires off an early
low kick. Espinoza comes up high with a kick of his own, and they
trade single strikes one after the other to match. Jackson paws out
a straight left to keep an advancing Espinoza at bay, and he wings
a right hand that brushes past the cheek. A counter from “Maximus”
collides with the jaw, and Espinoza tries to fire back and gets
blocked with Jackson’s high guard. They jump at one another, not
with strikes, but with failed strike attempts. Espinoza walks his
man down and paws out a jab, and he just slides back when Jackson
releases a huge left hand at him. Jackson absorbs a few jabs and
starts hand-fighting with his opponent, which opens up a body kick
from Espinoza. “The Prodigy” catches the kick at the end of it, and
he uses this to put Jackson down for a second. Jackson powers back
upright, but he gets stuck against the fence. Espinoza is happy to
stall in this position until Jackson finally breaks away, and he
springs forward with three punches that all come up short. Jackson
splits the guard with a pair of straight strikes, and he is the one
pushing the pace as Espinoza seems to only want to set strikes up
so that he can grapple. As Jackson comes at him, Espinoza has a
head kick bounce off the shoulder. Jackson responds with a kick
that hits the pectoral muscle, and he tags Espinoza with a right
hand to snap the head back. Espinoza cannot block a body kick, and
Jackson keeps him guessing with oddly timed blitzes. Espinoza
charges recklessly to start throwing bombs, and Jackson greets him
and welcomes the furious exchange. Espinoza jumps with a knee, and
Jackson pushes him and busts him in the face. The brief but
exciting firefight continues right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza

Round 3

The two men come out of their corners knowing the scores could be
all over, and they start off a little reckless. Jackson lets his
hands go and cracks Espinoza, and suddenly changes levels for a
double of his own. Espinoza attacks a standing guillotine choke to
stop it, and he does manage to make Jackson think twice about it.
Jackson retreats, and he rolls through a high kick to push a right
hand out to the body. Espinoza crashes the pocket with a trio of
punches before ducking into a double, and Jackson’s takedown
defense holds up as he gets mushed up against the fence. Jackson
turns the tables on him and looks to trip him down, and as soon as
he does, once more Espinoza fishes for a high guillotine. Jackson
wriggles his neck out and fights out of the clinch. They trade
punches one after the other, and Espinoza gets the worse of the
exchange and pursues a takedown. “The Prodigy” gets Jackson to one
knee but cannot put him down, and he pushes on Jackson like Jackson
were the last bit of the toothpaste tube. Espinoza looks for
occasional trips with his legs but largely hangs on with position
time until Jackson explodes to turn him around and go for his own
takedown. Jackson gets turned around, and he cracks Espinoza with a
right hand. Espinoza sells out for a takedown, and there is nothing
to it. Espinoza attempts a risky trip, and Jackson pushes him over
to nearly claim top position. They both scamper back to their feet,
and Espinoza is hanging on for dear life with practically nothing
else to offer. Espinoza gets his hands clasped and manages to
secure a takedown with 15 seconds to spare, and he keeps it for a
handful before Jackson stands up. They break apart, and throw hands
momentarily to end this dreadful bout.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza (29-28 Espinoza)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza (30-27 Espinoza)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Espinoza (30-27 Espinoza)

The Result

Elvin Espinoza def. Corey Jackson via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

In the final official Challenger Series qualifier match on this
card, CS 7 signee Pergande (1-0, 1-0 PFL) will have a chance at
competing in next year’s CS despite having won and earning the
contract in April. The unbeaten Puerto Rican nicknamed “Cutthroat”
Lebron Quiles (0-0, 0-0 PFL) will serve as Pergande’s in-cage
adversary, and referee Kevin MacDonald will be their in-cage
official. There is plenty of respect offered in the form of a glove
touch, and Lebron Quiles comes out swinging wildly. This is all a
ruse, so that he can shoot in for a takedown. That does not
succeed, so he squeezes Pergande up to the wall and starts punching
him with his free right hand. The two lightweights turn one another
around, and Pergande hunts for a body lock trip that does not come
together. A knee from Lebron Quiles and a few punches on the break
allow him to separate, and he backs away when Pergande throws hands
at him. Pergande walks through to snag a body lock, and he trips
Lebron Quiles over to deposit him to the canvas. Lebron Quiles
scoots his way back to the wall, and as he does, Pergande threatens
with a guillotine draped over his neck. Lebron Quiles does not
appear flustered by it, and he fights his way back to his feet and
takes a flush knee to the body. When Lebron Quiles backs away,
Pergande gives chase and hits another trip. Lebron Quiles falls to
the ground, and “Russian DNA” takes his back in an instant.
Pergande starts fighting for a rear-naked choke shortly after
securing his body triangle, and Lebron Quiles grimaces from the
controlling position but fights off the hands. Lebron Quiles turns
all the way through in order to reverse the position, and Pergande
sets up a guillotine choke and transitions it into a brabo choke.
Lebron Quiles slides his neck out of both bad spots to stand up,
and he rings Pergande’s bell with a right hand on the break. Lebron
Quiles ducks a one-two to swing a right hand, and Pergande changes
levels to plant Lebron Quiles on his back. Lebron Quiles grips a
guillotine choke when falling to his back, but this is more of a
stay-busy measure than a true attack, as he bails on it when put
flat on his back. Pergande pulls out of the guard to stand up, and
he charges back down to land and take Lebron Quiles’ back. He holds
this position to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 2

Lebron Quiles attacks first to start off the round, with a one-two
over the top. Pergande keeps his distance, swiping out with a left
hand, and Lebron Quiles is busy in his face with kicks to all
targets. Pergande ducks a strike to go for a takedown, and
“Cutthroat” stops this in its tracks and pushes Pergande to the
wire. Pergande sucks the hips out and puts Lebron Quiles down, and
he lands in full guard that Lebron Quiles closes around him.
Pergande postures up to slam down punches, and he opens the guard
up briefly due to his strikes. Lebron Quiles scoots to the wall and
to a knee, and he fights upright even while Pergande is pinned to
him like a bulletin board. Lebron Quiles pushes off to get a little
space, and he draws Pergande into a furious brawl. They both drill
one another with powerful strikes, and Pergande changes his mind on
this unwise behavior and shoots for a takedown that pushes Lebron
Quiles all the way across the cage but does not get him down.
Lebron Quiles wriggles his arms to get out of the grip of Pergande,
and he turns Pergande around to hunt for a single. Lebron Quiles
wrenches Pergande to a knee, and he slams a knee to the body in the
position. Pergande stands up and powers forward to go after a
high-amplitude takedown, and Lebron Quiles snatches up a guillotine
choke before his back hits the ground. Lebron Quiles bails on it
when he finds there is no choke to secure, and he angrily chews on
his mouthpiece as Pergande controls him. Pergande lands one punch
from above before the horn splits them up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 3

The lightweights meet in the middle for one last round, and Lebron
Quiles sits down on his punches and looks for damaging blows.
Pergande senses this and quickly closes the distance, where he gets
underhooks and controls his opponent against the fence. Lebron
Quiles powers his way out and throws two powerful but inaccurate
punches, and he walks through a head kick to slug Pergande in the
face. The youngster known as “Russian DNA” wobbles and practically
falls into a takedown effort, where he succeeds in putting the
professional debutant on his back. Lebron Quiles throws his leg up
awkwardly, and it succeeds in hooking up an omoplata setup. Lebron
Quiles rolls through it to find himself in a good position, and he
chains this into a triangle choke that transitions into an armbar.
Pergande stays wise to each chained sub and fights his way out of
them intelligently without panicking, and the two work their way up
to their feet. As they do, Lebron Quiles loses his mouthpiece, and
he tells MacDonald of this. MacDonald picks it up but waits for a
lull to have them put it in, and he has Lebron Quiles replace it.
On the restart, Lebron Quiles wings a right hand that helps him
close the distance, where he is able to push Pergande up against
the fencing. Lebron Quiles appears the fresher fighter, absorbing a
knee to the chest and throwing back with big punches as Pergande
desperately looks for a takedown. Pergande settles for a clinch
after getting rocked, and he clings to an incensed Lebron Quiles
until the final horn ends this grueling, exhausting fight.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Lebron Quiles (29-28
Pergande)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Lebron Quiles (29-28
Pergande)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Lebron Quiles (29-28
Pergande)

The Result

Alexei Pergande def. Elvis Lebron Quiles via Split Decision (29-28,
28-29, 29-28)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Friday after Umarov came down with an
illness. Barbosa posted the news of the bout’s cancelation on his
Instagram.

Round 1

The final postlim tonight comes in the heavyweight division,
between two big men that want a spot among next year’s
million-dollar tourney. Victor of episode six of Challenger Series
Nunes (8-1, 1-0 PFL) will go hunting in hopes of keeping his 100%
finish rate intact, and he will do so at the expense of promotional
newcomer Potter (10-5, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL), who also sports a 100%
stoppage rate. Fists and feet are sure to fly, and referee Kerry
Hatley is up to the challenge of making things official and keeping
the fighters safe. Gloves are not touched as Potter bounds out of
his corner, but he hops back when Nunes tosses a low kick at him.
The Brazilian ties Potter up and dumps him to the mat with ease,
like a father tossing around his child, and he steps comfortably to
half guard without incident. Nunes smothers with chest pressure,
and he gets bucked back as Potter kicks off his back. Nunes smashes
him in the face to mark Potter’s face up, and he shifts promptly
shifts to an arm-triangle choke in this half guard position. Potter
signals that he is still good, but remains firmly in the danger
zone as
Nunes has the arm-triangle locked up tight as a drum. Nunes does
not even need to jump to the other side with the weight and grip he
possesses, fresh as a daisy still early on in the fight. Instead,
the Drysdale Jiu-Jitsu fighter crushes with this head-and-arm choke
until Potter is about to drift off to dreamland. Right before he
passes out, Potter gently taps out while Hatley paying close
attention, and it is all over. Nunes walks off with a
giant grin on his face, and PFL chief Ray Sefo greets him in the
cage to formally invite him to the 2023 season at heavyweight. He
might be a threat next year with his jiu-jitsu credentials, but the
2022 season is not yet complete. The heavyweights – along with
170-pounders – will battle next week in Wales for spots in the
finals, as two more playoffs shows remain scheduled across the
pond. We will be here for them, including the postlims, and we hope
you are too.

The Result

Marcelo Nunes def. Dylan Potter R1 1:47 via Submission
(Arm-Triangle Choke)