2023 PFL 5 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

The 2023
Professional Fighters League Regular Season marches on with

2023 PFL 5 at 6:30 p.m. ET. The action airs live on ESPN+ and
then continues on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.

Round 1

The PFL continues its second stage of the regular season in
Atlanta, this week with the heavyweight and women’s featherweight
divisions on full display – plus one amateur fight tossed in. The
action for the day begins in a non-tournament matchup between two
younger heavyweights, relatively speaking. At 28, the South
Carolina native Pinson (2-0, 1-0 PFL) will look to claim his third
pro win, while local Georgia fighter Freeman (4-0, 1-0 PFL) wants
to secure his fourth knockout in what would be his fifth victory.
When the dust settles, one man will lose their shiny 0, and referee
Blake Grice will be among the first to know. The big men, who
combine for a bit over 510 pounds, come together and tap their
fingers to start off the night. Freeman is immediately ready to
begin slugging, and he gets in Pinson’s face and starts throwing
right hands. Pinson backs him off with a combination, and the two
slow things down a bit. Pinson slowly walks Freeman down, aiming
occasional body shots. Freeman counters with a left up high that
whizzes past his opponent, and he aims another as Pinson comes at
him. Pinson sticks his man with a right hand and barely blocks a
head kick in time. Pinson kicks the body, and his balance betrays
him and he somersaults backwards to get back to his feet. Freeman
calmly greets him with a high kick, but it bounces off the guard
without concern. The two chop their legs together at the same time,
and Pinson places a front kick to the chest. Pinson walks forward
with a pair of right hands, and Freeman ducks down and turns the
corner to get his back away from the fencing. Freeman considers a
level change, but Pinson meets him on the way in and the result is
a clash of chests slapping together. They break away without
landing, and Pinson is the aggressor when they back off, landing a
right hand and a big kick to send Freeman reeling. Freeman pursues
a takedown, and Pinson blatantly tugs on the fence to keep himself
upright. Grice shouts at him to release the cage, but the damage is
done and the takedown is thwarted. Pinson then breaks out of the
clinch, and he keeps his forward motion going as he wades forward.
Freeman tries to back him off with a head kick, but Pinson slugs
him in the face several times to put him on ice skates. Freeman
slips – whether from damage or a slippery surface – and gathers
himself as Pinson gives chase to keep hitting him. Pinson lays into
his man, and Freeman backpedals and points at the ground while
closing one eye. Grice does not acknowledge this, so Pinson tries
to seek out the finish and keeps slugging to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The heavyweights touch ‘em up to start off the second frame, and it
is once more Pinson who wants to press the action. Pinson nods at
Freeman instead of engaging, and Pinson flicks out a couple jabs to
the swelling eye of his opponent. Freeman wipes at his eye, and
Grice declares it was a punch and not a poke. Freeman lets go with
a head kick, and Pinson shrugs it off and keeps striking. Pinson
dogs a few punches to the body, and Freeman is right there in front
of him to tag him with a short but powerful right hand. Pinson
walks through it as best he can and starts to hand-fight as he
closes in, leading Grice to warn them both about outstretched
fingers pointing towards the eyes. They close their fists for a
moment, and Pinson tosses out a low kick. When he fires off one on
the inside, it slides up and slams into Freeman’s cup. Grice
notices this and pauses the action, and Freeman takes less than 30
seconds before he is good to go again. They resume, and Freeman
starts off with a head kick from the other leg. Pinson chops at it
when Freeman plants that lead leg, and they proceed to get into a
slow but dangerous slugfest. Pinson scores a few punches, and
Freeman slips again as he escapes. Freeman circles away and rips a
kick to the liver, and he chases after it with a perfectly timed
double-leg takedown. Pinson hits his back, and he manages to
quickly turn to his knees and stand. Freeman sits down for a second
or two, and Grice tells him he needs to stand up, and Freeman does
this slowly. Freeman, who is backing off from the advancing Pinson,
whiffs on a pair of punches while his foe bears down on him.
Freeman connects with another body kick into a double, and the trip
he hits on the way through it takes Pinson to the mat. Pinson gets
to one knee and hand-fights to break the grip and look to stand.
Freeman holds on from behind, keeping him down and nearly putting
Pinson on his back one last time before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The last round kicks off as the two touch gloves one more time, and
Pinson walks straight into a head kick. Pinson smiles, spins around
and wobbles for a second, with the kick clearly catching him flush.
Pinson shakes it off quickly enough, and he goes back to pressing
the pace. Freeman pushes off a jab and a shin to the chin, and
Pinson takes it flush and tries to pin Freeman to the wall to beat
on him. Pinson lands a few punches before Freeman moves just enough
to loose another head kick, and Pinson once more absorbs it
cleanly. Freeman stays on his bike, touching Pinson while Pinson is
looking to swing for the fences. Pinson succeeds in backing Freeman
up and cornering him for a moment to blast him in the face with a
straight right hand, but Freeman is able to dodge the subsequent
blows and get away. Freeman keeps working the jab until he opens up
Pinson’s nose, and Pinson does not recognize he is bleeding as he
is intent on stalking and swinging at Freeman. Freeman slips and
ducks into an uppercut among a series of punches, and Pinson stands
in front of his foe and rolls until Freeman times a solid right
hand. Freeman stays busy with a jab, and as Pinson walks after him,
he kicks Pinson in the raised guard. Freeman eats a big left hand
that opens a cut on the corner of his eye, and it helps reduce the
swelling like Rocky saying “cut me, Mick” to bring his mouse down.
Freeman engages with another head kick, and Pinson smiles at him as
he plods forward. Freeman swats at him, and he leans back as Pinson
throws caution to the wind. Freeman loads up on a head kick, and
Pinson blocks it and stuffs the takedown he knows will follow.
Pinson absorbs one more high kick, and he gives chase right to the
final bell. It could be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Isaiah Pinson def. Denzel Freeman via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

Moving right along to the heavyweight fights with playoff
relevance, two newcomers to the league will get one shot at
qualifying should they pull off a big win. The wait will be
agonizing, as the victor here will be watching intently to see if
he ends up in the million-dollar bracket. Neither heavyweight is a
knockout artist here, but the poundage is high so anything can
happen between “The Brick” Brady (5-0, 0-0 PFL) and LFA expat
Heiderman (6-0, 0-0 PFL). The two do not touch gloves in front of
referee Rob Hinds, and instead Brady starts off with a low kick.
Brady swings hard, and Heiderman crashes forward with a takedown
try. Brady wags his finger at Heiderman after shutting it down, and
he goes low with another kick. Heiderman bears down on him and gets
caught with a left hand, and he absorbs a heavy leg kick. Brady
steps in with left hand, driving Heiderman back, and he comes up
short on the second throw. The kicks from Brady continue to find
the calf, and Heiderman is doing little but walking through them.
When Heiderman plants a one-two on the chin, Brady returns fire
with a thudding low kick. They start throwing hands, and Brady
kicks hard enough to draw a funny reaction out of Heiderman.
Heiderman crashes forward, and Brady turns him around quickly and
knees him in the gut before splitting. The two clash their shins
together with simultaneous kicks, and Brady is the one swing after
that exchange with a left hook. Heiderman bites down on his
mouthpiece and charges with a three-punch combo, and Brady escapes
to the side and beats on that calf again.
Heiderman responds with a big leg kick of his own, and Brady hops
back, posts off his other knee, and that rear knee of “The Brick”
blows out. Brady falls with his back to the cage and slumps down,
and he immediately signals his physical surrender to both Hinds and
Heiderman. Heiderman walks him down and is about to
blast him in the face, and Brady yells at him to stop because he is
done. With Brady on his seat, Hinds rushes in to get between them,
and Heiderman does not strike. The ending is an unfortunate injury
to Brady, but it is also fortuitous to Heiderman, who claims six
points and puts himself on the leaderboard in the heavyweight
division.

The Official Result

Jordan Heiderman def. Patrick Brady R1 2:26 via TKO (Knee
Injury)

Round 1

The first of five featherweight bouts among the female competitors
take center stage, and the winner may need to seek a finish in
order to punch her ticket to the next phase of the tourney. After
missing weight in her first time out, Kolesnyk (8-5, 1 NC; 3-3 PFL)
possesses just two points, and is on the outside looking in. The
same could be said for Japan’s Higashi (8-3, 0-1 PFL), who would
like nothing more than to pull off her first win in the PFL while
securing a seeded position. The cage commander for this 145-pound
affair will be referee Gary Copeland, and the match begins with no
plans of a glove touch. Kolesnyk moves right to the center of the
cage, and she holds it firm while Higashi strafes on the outside
pawing with punches that are inches or feet away from where she
aims them. When Higashi advances, Kolesnyk swats her away with a
few punches. Higashi steps in with a right hand, and Kolesnyk
counters with a left. Kolesnyk aims a front kick to the chest, and
Higashi is still on the outside out of range. Higashi crashes the
pocket, and her forehead bounces off Kolesnyk’s shoulder as she
realizes that the blonde Ukrainian woman is not going for a ride.
Higashi breaks free, and resets to step in with a right hand. This
lights a brief fire in Kolesnyk, who swarms her for with a series
of punches and a high kick mixed in for good measure. Higashi wears
it well and steadily moves on the outer edge of the cage. Higashi
meets an oncoming Kolesnyk to clinch her up and get both underhooks
to turn her to the fence. Higashi hangs on from up close, offering
a knee or two on the inside before Kolesnyk explodes out and just
misses with a big knee of her own. Kolesnyk starts to follow
Higashi, and she loads up on punches that Higashi largely ducks
before tying her up again. Kolesnyk lowers herself for a potential
single, but Higashi holds onto her to prevent the woman from
Ukraine from getting any leverage. The two spin around, and
Kolesnyk rips a pair of knees to the body on the way out. Kolesnyk
gives chase, and she throws hands until running into Higashi and
clinching once more. Higashi knees her a few times, and she goes
after a throw that fails. Kolesnyk knees her in the chest on the
way out, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

The two women consider touching gloves, but decide against it to
start off the second round. Kolesnyk walks forward to throw hands,
and Higashi stays in kickboxing range and rifles her shin to the
midsection. Higashi ducks down to throw two punches, and Kolesnyk
is well out of the way and intercepts her with a knee. The Japanese
fighter stays distant and continues moving laterally, but her
offense is fairly inaccurate and mostly out of range. When Higashi
does come in, Kolesnyk belts her with a body kick and an uppercut.
Higashi backpedals, possibly in trouble, and Kolesnyk lays into her
with a long series of knees to the midsection. Higashi escapes from
harm and signals to Copeland her finger came out of the glove, and
she resets it before Kolesnyk re-engages with her. When it is set,
Kolesnyk reaches her target with a push kick that sends Higashi
flying. Higashi ricochets off the cage wall and back to action,
where Kolesnyk meets her with a pair of punches and a front kick.
“Cannon” blasts with another powerful front kick, and she meets a
stunned Higashi with a one-two. Higashi responds with a kick, and
the crowd chants “Yoko” in support of her briefly. When Higashi
does nothing but keep moving, the voices stop calling her name.
Kolesnyk keeps walking her foe down, timing her with a single punch
or kick, but she cannot pin Higashi down for long. Kolesnyk jabs
the body with a pair of kicks, and Higashi responds with two right
back. Kolesnyk just misses with a home run punch, as it blows past
Higashi’s hair and does not knock her block off. Kolesnyk is not
done throwing power punches, as she catches Higashi with a left and
a right. The second draws a takedown out of her opponent, but
Kolesnyk shuts this down and proceeds to bend Higashi over and beam
her with knee after unanswered knee to the face. Copeland watches
on closely, but Higashi survives to the next round.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The last round begins with an aggressive Kolesnyk, who backs
Higashi off quickly and starts throwing hands. The two tie up after
Kolesnyk swings into close range, and a stalemate ensues. Kolesnyk
controls but does not use much offense in this position, and after
some time, Copeland splits them up. Kolesnyk is quick to re-engage,
throwing hands and battering the Japanese woman. “Cannon” blasts
Higashi in the face with a pair of punches and a high kick, and
Higashi just manages to escape the brunt of the last one to keep on
her feet. Kolesnyk strides forward, confidence at its zenith, and
she drives several knees into Higashi’s torso. The close proximity
results in a brief stall, but Kolesnyk is able to push her back and
offer one more knee. Higashi desperately pursues a double, and
Kolesnyk easily shuts it down and aims a high kick that misses the
mark by centimeters. Higashi is on her bike, backing away and not
engaging, while Kolesnyk follows after her. Higashi dives in for a
single-leg takedown, and she stands Kolesnyk up and pushes her
against the wall. Kolesnyk shuts it down with a knee to the
breadbasket, and they split up. Kolesnyk plods forward, ignores a
body kick, and forces Higashi to spin around with a pair of punches
up top. When Kolesnyk fires off three punches, it is the third, a
right hand, that smacks Higashi in the left eye and makes her
grimace. Kolesnyk presses her against the cage wall, and she times
two knees when Higashi looks to turn out to find another angle.
With a final takedown effort from Higashi, Kolesnyk bowls her over
and slams her fist into the Japanese woman’s face. Kolesnyk keep
slugging away, and Higashi scrambles to stand up, and the one-sided
fight ends. This additional three points for Kolesnyk will put her
in an awkward spot, as she has not clinched a playoff spot but does
sit in the no. 3 spot for the time being.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)

The Official Result

Olena Kolesnyk def. Yoko Higashi via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Keeping with the women’s division, two women with no points collide
in hopes of procuring an early stoppage to pick up the points
needed to advance. With stoppage rates of 44% for former Bellator
queen Budd (16-6, 1-3 PFL) and 50% for Czech up-and-comer Jindrova
(6-4, 3-2 PFL), it is still within the bounds of possibility –
although “The Jewel” has gone to the scorecards in six straight
appearances. Whether that becomes seven, or referee Blake Grice is
needed early, the two will have 15 minutes to decide. They open
with a failed glove touch, and chants of “Martina” and “Budd”
alternate in competition. Jindrova strikes first with a step-in
right hand, and she is met with a thudding low kick. Budd attempts
another low kick as Jindrova attacks, and this slows the offense of
the Czech fighter in a hurry. Jindrova tosses out a high kick that
gets blocked, and Budd surges ahead with four flailing punches that
do little to irritate her opponent. Jindrova times a leg kick with
an overhand right, and Budd takes a step back and gathers her
thoughts. Budd walks into a punch combination and throws right
back, and she gets caught with a clean right hand. The ex-Bellator
champ is staggered and backs off, and Jindrova notices this too
late to do much with it. Budd grabs hold of her opponent when her
bell is rung, allowing her to gain control of her senses. Jindrova
pushes off and times a right hand on the forehead for good measure.
Jindrova sticks her foe with a jab, and she has her mouthguard
dislodged with a right hand counter. The Czech woman resets it and
wings a right hand around the guard. Budd shakes it off and plods
forward, considering a leg kick and abandoning it halfway through
to spin around. Jindrova times an uppercut while Budd ducks down,
and Budd responds with a solid right hand up high. Budd cannot
reach her opponent with much, as Jindrova jumps in and out in
bursts. One such burst comes when Budd aims a leg kick, and she
gets tagged with a right hand. Budd loads up on a heavy right, and
Jindrova sways enough to take the brunt out of it and drive Budd
back with heir own right. Budd whiffs on a high kick, and the round
comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

Budd comes out of her corner to take to the center of the cage, but
it is Jindrova who paws at her with jabs that are more to find
range. Budd slaps the lead leg with a kick, and Jindrova times a
right hand when the kick comes a second time. Budd reaches a right
hand around the guard, but it is one-and-done as Jindrova is able
to fire back with volume. Budd cracks Jindrova with a right hand
that reddens her nose, and she races forward to go after a body
lock takedown. Budd hooks the leg and fails to go anywhere with it,
so she settles for “old school” foot stomps and knees to the
midsection. Budd stays tightly pressed to her foe in the clinch,
keeping busy with knees and more foot stomps, as Grice watches on
without considering intervening. Budd keeps working Jindrova with
knees as the action slows down, and Budd suddenly surges into
action with a trip takedown consideration. With Budd clinging to
Jindrova, Grice suggests they need more action, and they split up
and decide to start trading briefly. This initial blitz from both
women ends with Budd pressing the pace with a right hand. Jindrova
responds with a right hook to back Budd off of her, looking away to
fake her out before swinging it. Budd stays in front of Jindrova
without letting her hands or feet go, and it is just a single leg
kick that comes. Budd decides to throw with a big right hand, and
Jindrova circles away and looks for an uppercut that Budd dodges.
Budd swings hard enough to turn herself around, and Jindrova
catches her on the way out. Budd keeps forging ahead, fists
flailing with some arc on them, and she ignores a one-two on the
brow that comes back her way. The second round ends.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The women clap their hands together when entering the final frame,
and Budd moves to the center of the cage and evades a few jabs.
Jindrova loads up on a right hand, and Budd tags her with one right
back that makes Jindrova bounce off the cage wall. Budd shoots in
for a double, and she tries to lift the Czech woman up but cannot
land the takedown she seeks. Budd settles for several more knees to
the midsection and racks up control time. The activity is just
enough for Budd to keep grinding and working with occasional knees
and stomps to the instep, and Jindrova is stuck in this position
absorbing these blows. Budd knees several times even as Grice asks
for them to do more, and he claps for them to fight more. Budd
changes gears in pursuit of a single, and she comes up short on the
leg sweep as Jindrova shoves her away. Budd gets popped with a
right hand as she aims a naked leg kick to the calf, and she
decides to throw it again a few times. Jindrova aims several jabs
at her opponent, and she ducks a big hook that whizzes past her
hair. Budd misses the mark with a head kick, and Jindrova is
inaccurate with her own two-punch salvo. Budd connects with a clean
overhand right, and she sneaks up a knee when Jindrova bends over
to catch her on the nose. With 10 seconds to go, the two throw
hands, and Jindrova lands a left hook at the end of a combination
to wrap the fight. This one could go either way, but it was not a
particularly spectacular showing or one that will place the victor
in playoff contention.

Sherdog Scores

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

The Official Result

Julia Budd def. Martina Jindrova via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Two big men with far more submissions than knockouts on their
respective resumes will run together with playoff aspirations still
in the air. Coming into this event, Marques (14-4, 2-0 PFL) was one
of three fighters to hold points – while Rizvan Kuniev failed his
post-fight drug test, his previous win has not yet been overturned
– and Nunes (9-2, 2-1 PFL) got stung by event headliner Maurice
Greene in his last time out. The way heavyweights fight, a stoppage
is always around the corner, and referee Rob Hinds is ready in case
one does come. The big men elect to touch ‘em up before engaging,
and they back off. Nunes strikes with a kick from either leg to
Marques’ calf, and Marques is already slightly compromised from
those kicks. Nunes lands one more, and he looks to catch a body
kick and pursue Marques to the wall but cannot hold onto it. Nunes
spins with a wheel kick, and Marques moves out of the way to set up
a leg kick of his own. Nunes kicks low and rushes forward to tie
his man up, and the two stall out. After a long bout of inactivity,
the two are broken apart from Hinds. They proceed to get to
business finally, trading hands and alternating with kicks. Marques
stays on his heels, circling away and timing a counter when Nunes
comes at him. He strings together a one-two that surprises Nunes,
but Nunes gathers his thoughts and wings a couple of haymakers.
Nunes slams a kick on the calf, and Marques hobbles back and gets
caught cleanly with a follow-up right hook. Nunes does not give
Marques any space to breathe, as he chops at the lead leg and beats
down on him with a couple of heavy punches.
Marques suddenly finds himself in dire straits, as Nunes is a man
possessed and trying to knock him down like he wants to demolish a
building with his wrecking ball fists. Marques, trapped with his
back to the wall, has nowhere to escape to when Nunes pursues him.
Nunes unloads with a nasty combination, blasting Marques on the
chin and rattling him to his core. As Marques’ knees betray him
from the oncoming salvo of strikes, Nunes continues to hammer him,
and one finalizing right hand sends Marques collapsing all the way
down to the floor. Before a sprinting Hinds can get to
them to wave the fight off, Nunes slams down one last
statement-making hammerfist, and Marques goes out. Hinds gets
between them to call a halt to the contest, and Nunes announces
himself to the rest of the weight class with a howl and a six-point
knockout. Nunes is now on the leaderboard, claiming the second spot
on the heavyweight standings for now, while knocking Marques out of
the tournament.

The Official Result

Marcelo Nunes def. Danilo Marques R1 3:40 via KO (Punches)

Round 1

In the lone catchweight contest tonight, these two ladies will hit
the cage in a fight set now at 147 pounds. For the second time this
year – she first did so on her appearance on Challenger Series 2 –
Martins (5-0, 3-0 PFL) has missed weight, but the penalty for this
is more pressing. While she currently possesses three points on the
leaderboard, she can only win a maximum of five if she notches a
first-round stoppage. Ahead of her already is Mokhnatkina (9-3, 3-1
PFL) with five currently, and the two will let the chips fall where
they may. Referee Gary Copeland will draw the charge for this
matchup, and he stands back as the two decide to touch gloves. The
two starting swinging right out of the gate, with Mokhnatkina
landing the better shots in the early going. Martins tosses out a
naked leg kick, and Mokhnatkina shoots with a double that puts the
Brazilian woman on her back in a hurry. Martins scoots her way to
the fence and sits up, and she closes her guard to slow things
down. Martins puts up a high guard, and she starts to threaten with
an armbar, but her foe does not seem remotely concerned by the
setup. Instead, she lands a few punches, and stacks her up and
stands up. Mokhnatkina races back down to keep Martins on her back,
and she jumps straight into a guillotine choke. Martins squeezes
tightly and locks her legs around the waist, but Mokhnatkina pops
her head out without much concern. Mokhnatkina stands up again to
land a few standing-to-ground strikes, and Martins backs her off
with upkicks. Mokhnatkina meets her with a knee on the way up, and
Martins backs off as the string of her shorts comes out. Copeland
demands she tuck it in, and she looks confused until fixing it.
They get back to it, and they both sling heavy punches at one
another, with Mokhnatkina’s left hand finding its mark multiple
times. Martins walks face-first into an overhand right when
throwing a kick, and she decides to throw another kick shortly
thereafter. Mokhnatkina sits down on a body kick and a right hand,
and Martins grunts and fires one back as swelling grows around her
eyes. Martins continues doing work with low kicks, and she backs
Mokhnatkina up to the wall but cannot keep her there. Martins chops
at the leg, and Mokhnatkina answers with one too but is struggling
with the low kicks. Martins wades into action with a punch, and
Mokhnatkina clips her with a few punches in response. Martins
continues attacking the lead calf, and she counters one such kick
coming back with an overhand right. The bell rings, and Mokhnatkina
exhales sharply.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 2

When the two clap hands together, Mokhnatkina immediately follows
with a front kick. Martins chases her down with a swatting arm, and
Mokhnatkina responds with a kick to the ribcage. Martins punches
her way into a takedown attempt, and Mokhnatkina shuts it down and
knees her foe in the body on the break. Mokhnatkina catches a leg
kick, and Martins hops back without getting tripped. Mokhnatkina
then swings a right hand over the top, and Martins shrugs it off
and aims a kick low. Mokhnatkina reaches Martins with a right hand,
and she chains a combination of punches after it. Martins gets off
a right hand to drive Mokhnatkina back, and she nails Mokhnatkina’s
calf two more times to draw a reaction out of her opponent.
Mokhnatkina continues to plant on her welted calf, and this opens
her up for a right hand down the pipe. Martins changes things up
with a kick to the body, and she goes back down to the lead wheel
with another hacking kick. Mokhnatkina times a leg kick to grab
hold of a takedown, and she fights off a guillotine setup. Martins
is aggressive off her back, throwing her legs up in search for an
armbar, then a triangle choke, and nothing comes of it. Mokhnatkina
lowers herself into the guard, and she manages to shift all the way
around the side before settling for top position. Martins quickly
bucks her off, and the two stand up while clinched together.
Mokhnatkina knees her foe several times, and Martins gets off a
cheeky elbow that Copeland does not see on the inside. Martins
breaks free, and she scores one more leg kick before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

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

Round 3

The final stanza kicks off with Martins working her way into
striking range, and she gets off a successful combination.
Mokhnatkina times a big right hand that shakes up the Brazilian,
and she swarms her with punches as Martins backs off against the
wall and gets tagged more. Mokhnatkina uses her momentum to push
Martins back and use Martins’ own leverage against her to dump
Martins on her back. Martins pushes her off with an upkick, and
Mokhnatkina steps over to nearly stomp Martins in the face
illegally. Copeland watches carefully and warns Mokhnatkina from
this near foul, and Martins attacks for a leglock off her back.
Mokhnatkina drops to her own back to go after a leglock of her own,
and she has the better angle but cannot complete it before Martins
kick off. The two stand back up, and Martins hammers the lead,
damaged leg with another powerful blow. Mokhnatkina grits her teeth
and slugs Martins in the chops with a right hand, and she follows
it with a double-leg shot from a wide berth. Martins sprawls
effectively and uses the opportunity to turn Mokhnatkina to her
back, but Mokhnatkina grabs hold of a heel hook to force them into
a 50/50 position. Mokhnatkina releases first, and she scrambles as
Martins winds up taking her back while Mokhnatkina is on her knees.
Mokhnatkina rolls once for a kneebar, and Martins is wise to it and
sits up to land some ground-and-pound. Mokhnatkina rolls again for
another kneebar, and Martins does not seem fazed as Mokhnatkina
goes for a third from another angle. Martins kicks off at the last
one to five them the space to stand, and when they are back to
their feet, Mokhnatkina is the cleaner striker with several right
hands on the bloodied corner of Martins’ eye. Mokhnatkina scores a
spinning back fist, has a body kick blocked, and time expires in
what could also be a close contest. Should the Russian get her hand
raised, she will clinch her spot in the playoffs. If Martins is the
one to get the nod, things will be much more interesting, as they
will both hold five points and the tiebreaker rules could come into
play.

Sherdog Scores

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