PFL 6 2021 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

Starting the night’s action, we have recent UFC veteran Klidson
Abreu (15-4) taking on Jamelle Jones (10-6), perhaps best known for
losing via flying knee to Mike Rodriguez on the Contenders Series.
Officiating will be referee Gary Copeland. Abreu and Jones come out
cautiously to start matters off. Abreu fires off several wild
kicks, and his second one, to the legs, is caught by Jones, who
scores a single-leg. Jones is in half-guard, but Abreu immediately
works to sweep. Jones blocks it and the pace slows a little. Abreu
eventually regains full guard, causing Jones to back off. He then
re-engages, but it’s not long before Abreu postures up and looks to
get up. However, Jones is persistent, and pushes him back down,
punishing him with hammerfists in the process. Abreu is doing
little to defend himself against the blows, and they are clearly
bothering him. Suddenly, Jones throw Abreu’s legs off, moves to
side control and rains down hammerfist after hammerfist, badly
hurting Abreu, who is doing nothing to defend himself. Gary
Copeland has no choice but to step in and half the contest. A
surprising, sudden result!

The Official Result

Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (Punches) at 1:43 of Round
1

Round 1

In the second bout of the evening, Kaitlin Young (12-10), having
won five of her last six fights, faces Mariana Morais (16-11),
whose 3 fight winning streak was snapped last month by Kayla
Harrison. Referee Gasper Oliver presides. Morais starts out with a
leg kick which Young moves out of range of. Young scores a jab
counter to Morais’ next attempt. Not liking the striking, Morais
clinches, with a 50/50 position. Not long afterwards, Young shucks
her off. Morais keeps trying leg kicks, and Young keeps countering
her with jabs. Morais tries a few punches, but they miss, and they
clinch, where Young scores a few knees. Morais finally lands a jab
of her own. Young returns the favor with one of her own. Morais
throws more punches, but they either miss or are blocked. Morais
once again tries the clinch, but they disengage soon. Another
clinch soon after only results with Young landing an uppercut.
Young then adds a few jabs for good measure at range. Clinching yet
again, she adds a few knees. Morais is utterly at a loss at what to
do! She throws a straight-armed overhand right that misses by a
foot, and Young is firmly in control. Morais tries to mix it up and
does touch Young with a left hook, although it does little damage.
Young is a little tentative suddenly, although she does land a few
jabs and then a leg kick. As Morais misses again with a 1-2 coming
forward, Young finally counters her with a right cross rather than
a jab. As Morais is moving back, Young catches her with a kick to
the head that stuns Morais, who is wobbly, and receives several
follow-up shots. Young partially connects on another head connect,
but gets too aggressive coming forward, with Morais taking her down
with a neat hip toss. However, her joy is short-lived, since Young
hits a beautiful sweep to mount, and then pounds away at her as the
last few seconds tick away. 10-9 Young.

Round 2

After some small strikes from both fighters, Morais clinches again,
and yet again, Young disengages. Morais is throwing some punches,
but they have little power or technique and fall on Young’s gloves.
Young touches her with a 1-2. Morais throws a jab that is blocked,
and then another straight-armed overhand right hits nothing but
air. Young is being economical with her strikes, looking to
counter, partially connecting on a right cross when Morais misses.
After Morais misses a jab, Young tries another head kick, but this
one misses and almost causes her to lose her balance. She then
lands a couple of jabs at range while avoiding Morais’ blows. Young
is fixated on the jab, as it’s almost the only shot she is throwing
now, lightly catching Morais but doing little damage. Young tries
another head kick but Morais comes forward, crowding her, and
clinches. This time, she hits the same hip toss she did in round 1,
although there are only 80 seconds remaining. She has side control,
but Young does a good job scrambling up, and with 50 seconds left,
they are back at range on their feet. Morais tries a right cross
that only hits Young’s shoulder. A 1-2 partially touches Young now,
who looks slower. They clinch and then Young touches Morais with a
kick on the break. Much closer round. 10-9 Young.

Round 3

Morais starts round 3 with a body kick that barely grazes Young.
She then lands a leg kick that Young doesn’t even try to counter
now. Young keeps looking for the head kick, but it’s mostly blocked
when she throws it. Young throws a tentative jab that Morais has
little trouble avoiding. Morais is starting to have a little
success with her punches now, not inflicting much damage, but at
least touching Young. Morais ducks under a few Young punches, which
she was unable to do in Round 1. Morais is now dancing around
Young, while Young is badly slowed. Young tries a kick of her own,
but Morais catches it and touches her with a few jabs off of it.
Morais switches to southpaw and hits Young with a few rights. Young
lands a weak leg kick but her follow-up jab misses. Morais lands a
right hook to the body, although it’s not hard. Young finally lands
a right cross, her best connect of the round. Morais comes forward
with punches, misses, but Young’s right cross counter misses a
ducking Morais, too. Both women are throwing now, especially 1-2s,
but very little is landing for either. Suddenly, Young is the one
to clinch but her attempt to land knees from it is unsuccessful. A
few more 1-2s from both women miss. Morias finally ends the drought
with a jab that connects, and then lands a few right hooks against
a Young throwing a kick. With 30 seconds left, Young shoots a very
slow double-leg that is stuffed with ease. Morais gets a wrestling
ride and punishes her with punches, the best, hardest strikes of
the round. Young pushes her off with her legs, but Morais charges
back, looking for hammerfists. The round ends, this one clearly for
the Brazilian. A very close fight, which it certainly didn’t seem
like it would be after the first stanza. 10-9 Morais (29-28
Young)

The Official Result

Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via Split Decision (30-27, 28-29,
29-28)

Round 1

Coming up next, Laura Sanchez (1-1) faces Taylor Guardado (1-1).
Despite the similar pro records, Guardado has a long 9-1 amateur
record including victories over Raquel Pennington and Ashlee
Evans-Smith, with her lone loss coming to a certain Ronda Rousey.
Referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro looks on. Sanchez tentatively fires
a jab at range, none of which land. Guardado scores a solid 1-2,
and after Sanchez awkwardly backs up, shoots a single-leg into
outside trip that easily puts Sanchez on her back. Guardado
immediately has half-guard and is looking to move her way up. The
pace slows, as Sanchez has Guardado in a head-lock and then regains
full-guard, using a triangle guard. Guardado isn’t doing much from
the top, with the occasional half-hearted punch, mostly to the
body. Still, the old-school MMA legend Vitor Ribeiro is letting her
work; there were few stands-ups in the early days of MMA! Guardado
eventually pushes Sanchez up against the fence, but does little
from there. Sanchez gets her legs up very high on Guardado’s back,
but is unable to turn it into a submission attempt or sweep.
Guardado finally lands a few punches to Sanchez’s face, which is
completely stationary against the fence. With about 90 seconds
left, Sanchez slowly, deliberately wall-walks back up with the help
fo the cage. Guardado lands a few knees to the body in the clinch
and retains her body lock. Sanchez eventually lands a knee to the
body of her own, as Guardado continues trying to take her down.
Guardado lands a knee to the body and it’s Sanchez trying to take
her down with an outside trip, but with no success. The round ends.
10-9 Guardado.

Round 2

Sanchez starts the stanza agressively, firing jabs. Guardado goes
in for a telegraphed, awkward takedown attempt, and this time
Sanchez moves her hips well to end up on top herself. She is in
half-guard, but both fighters are doing little. Eventually, Sanchez
tries to pass but is blocked in her efforts. She then gets too high
and Guardado hits her with a sweep, ending up on top herself. She
throws a few punches to the head and once again pushes Sanchez’s
head against the fence. Sanchez is looking for an armbar or
triangle, but Guardado is wise to it and changes position
accordingly. Afterwards, she lands a little more ground-and-pound.
Sanchez is looking to possibly wall-walk, but Guardado is
controlling her wrists this time, and after a while, she accepts
bottom position. She does try to angle with her legs and actually
gets a rubber guard, but only briefly. Sanchez briefly gets up
thanks to the cage, but Guardado drags her back down soon after.
They are now more in the middle of the cage and Sanchez is trying
to push Guardado off, but to little avail. She briefly gets a loose
triangle on, but Guardado simply pulls back out and re-establishes
top control. Guardado is doing little from the top, just the
occasional punch, mostly to the body, but it’s more than Sanchez
has done. Sanchez is trying from her back, but none of it is
effective enough against a solid grappler like Guardado. The round
ends with Guardado on top, landing a few punches to the body. 10-9
Guardado.

Round 3

As soon as the round starts, Guardado instantly lumbers forward for
the takedown, and in the clinch, she hits a double-leg to put
Sanchez on her back again. As with the last 10 minutes, she is
pushing Sanchez against the fence, but now Sanchez is on her butt
instead of her back, so she is able to get up far more quickly.
Guardado tries to take her back down, but both women end up on
their backs and Sanchez is able to get back to her feet, albeit
still in a clinch. Sanches is now the one pushing Guardado into the
fence, hitting a few knees to the body from time to time. With 3
minutes left, Guardado neatly turns her around against the fence.
Sanchez goes for what appears to be a ninja choke, but Guardado
simply scoops her up and slams her down in the process. She is now
in side control, as Sanchez desperately tries to push off the cage.
Guardado is heavy from the top, though, and those efforts are
futile. Guardado manages to attain full mount for the first time in
the fight, from where she is able to land some solid punches.
Despite being very, very high, Sanchez is struggling to shuck her
off. Finally, Sanchez turns her back and Guardado slips off, ending
on her own back. Sanchez, unfortunately, only has a minute left to
work with. She throws a few hammerfists while separated before
Guardado ties her up again. She throws a few more hammerfists,
mostly blocked, as the fight ends. 10-9 Guardado (30-27
Guardado)

The Official Result

Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

Renan Ferreira (6-2), whose initial knockout victory over Fabricio
Werdum last month was overturned, faces veteran Carl “Badwater”
Seumanutafa, whose nickname has always confused me. Referee Keith
Peterson will keep them honest. They begin cautiously, with neither
man making the first move. Ferreira firest first with a nice body
kick and then follows it up with a leg kick that stumbles
Seumanutafa. Seumanutafa comes forward with a wide overhand left
but Ferreira drops him with a nice uppercut. On his back, Ferreira
punishes Seumanutafa mercilessly with a series of brutal right
hands to the body. As Seumanutafa desperately defends, he then
nails him with a series of heavy right hammerfists. Seumanutafa
gains a respite when he ties him up, but every so often, Ferreira
breaks free, connecting on another powerful burst with his right
hand. Ferreira is comfortable in half-guard, alternately clubbing
Seumanutafa to the body and then battering him with right
hammerfists. Rinse and repeat. Seumanutafa tries to posture up, but
Ferreira easily pushes back him down and lands more
ground-and-pound in the bargain. With 75 seconds left, Seumanutafa
tries to hip-escape, but opens himself up to a barrage of heavy
punches in the process, forced to take refuge against the fence.
Ferreira then follows it up with more devastating body punches that
are painful to merely look at. Seumanutafa is in complete survival
mode as the round ends, and Ferreira continues punishing him with
punishes to the head and body. 10-8 Ferreira.

Round 2

Seumanutafa is cautious to begin the round, instantly retreating
when Ferreira fires a jab. He lands a leg kick of his own, possibly
his first connect of the round. Ferreira resets and lands several
kicks of his own, first a teep kick and then a very hard leg kick.
Once again, Seumanutafa wades forward and gets caught with a
counter, this time a right cross. He again falls and Ferreira
immediately batters him with vicious ground-and-pound as the
referee takes a closer look. Yet again, Seumanutafa shows his
toughness and ties up his opponent, although he gets hit with a
burst of punches from time to time. Ferreira is once again sitting
in half-guard, decimating his opponent at his leisure. Halfway
through the round, and Ferreira’s pace has slowed a little,
although Seumanutafa is flat on his back, not even trying to get
back up. Ferreira notices this and takes the opportunity to easily
advance to mount. He lands some short hammerfists from this
position. Seumanutafa is holding on to the Brazilian’s head for
dear life. Ferreira may be conserving energy for a final burst,
though, as he is taking his time. Eventually he separates and fires
several more brutal punches to the body. Then, he wisely locks in
an arm triangle and steps over Seumanutafa. Incredibly, Seumanutafa
keeps showing the thumbs up sign, despite doing little to defend.
Eventually, with 15 seconds left, Ferreira gives up the attempt to
return to mount and batter Seumanutafa some more with
ground-and-pound. This is as dominant a fight as one could imagine.
10-8 Ferreira.

Round 3

Ferreira looks a little slower to begin the final stanza, but he
still manages to fire a fancy switch kick to the head that barely
misses. Seumanutafa decides to clinch and drives the Brazilian to
the fence. There, he picks up Ferreira and slams him to the canvas;
where was this during the first two rounds? Ferreira isn’t content
with being on his back, however, and shrimps to the cage, managing
to sit up as Seumanutafa desperately hangs on. Seumanutafa isn’t
throwing punches from the top, and it’s actually Ferreira that is
throwing the occasional short punch. However, Ferreira isn’t using
the cage to get back up, either, content to sit on his butt.
Seumanutafa drags him all the way back down but Ferreira instantly
gets back on his butt. Seumanutafa decides to posture up, standing
all the way up, but does little from there. Despite spending almost
3 minutes on top so far, it’s questionable if Seumanutafa has
landed a single blow! Meanwhile, Ferreira continues landing short,
annoying punches. Seumanutafa isn’t complaining, however, as he
simply stays on top and holds on to his opponent. With 30 seconds
left, the pace has slowed tremendously, as both combatants are
doing very little except waiting for the bell to ring. After a few
half-hearted punches by Ferreira from a seated position,
Seumanutafa finally opens up with punches from the top, although
most miss. Ferreira uses the opportunity to finally get back up and
nails his opponent with a knee to the head as time expires. 10-9
Ferreira (30-25 Ferreira)

The Official Result

Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via Unanimous Decision (30-26,
30-26, 30-26)

Round 1

Moving up the card, Genah Fabian (3-1) meets Julija Pajic (3-1).
Despite the similar records, Fabian is coming off a victory in her
first PFL appearance this year while Pajic was knocked out by
Larissa Pacheco in under a minute. Looking on will be referee Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, an early MMA pioneer and legend. Pajic begins
the round circling away from Fabian. Fabian comes forward, pawing
cautiously. Fabian strikes first, with a leg kick. Pajic throws a
very slow, telegraphed head kick that misses by a foot. Fabian then
throws a 1-2, but it’s blocked. Pajic tries another kick, this time
to the legs, but it’s again easily avoided. Fabian, meanwhile,
touches Pajic with kicks to the legs and body. Pajic isn’t
dissuaded, however, and throws another head kick that misses by a
lot. Fabian is throwing punches, but isn’t really committing to
them, perhaps fearing a counter. Fabian throws a 1-2 and this time
the 2 lands, snapping Pajic’s head back. Not long after, she lands
another left cross, again bothering Pajic. Pajic then finally lands
a leg kick. Fabian then comes forward and nails her with a short
right that causes Pajic to cover up. They clinch and Fabian
punishes her opponent with knees to the body. As they disengage,
Fabian lands another solid punch for good measure. Pajic is now in
defense mood as she eats another leg kick. Fabian comes forward
again, landing an overhand right and clinching, the same strategy
she had used to defeated Laura Sanchez last month. They disengage
and a slow punch from Pajic misses. Fabian throws a pawing jab that
either misses or is blocked. She then goes back to the 1-2, which
partially lands. Pajic’s only offense is the occasional leg kick
she is landing, and it’s not very hard. As the round comes to a
close. Fabian continues clipping Pajic with left crosses. She is
completely in control. 10-9 Fabian.

Round 2

Pajic is a little more aggressive to begin the round, and even
connects on a body kick, though it’s not very hard. She then
touches Fabian a few more times with leg kicks. Fabian lands a leg
kick of her own, and it’s at least a little harder. Still, Pajic is
moving well, going back to her circling, and Fabian’s few punches
miss as a result. Fabian eventually grazees her with a left cross
to the body, and Pajic’s misses her own punches in retaliation.
Fabian comes forward, but misses badly on a 1-2, with a wild,
straight-armed left hook from Pajic missing the mark even more.
Fabian lands a leg kick, but on the way out, Pajic lands a body
kick. They are going strike for strike now, and Fabian is being
oddly tentative, given her success in the opening stanza. Fabian
lands a leg kick again. They then exchance crosses at the same
time, and Fabian’s is much harder, knocking out Pajic’s mouthpiece.
After a reset to pick up, Fabian is being a little more aggressive,
coming forward with jabs and the occasional cross. Pajic is purely
defending, and Fabian lands a leg kick. Then, with Pajic instinctively looking to defend
against another Fabian kick, Fabian instead goes upstairs to the
head with it, dropping Pajic. From there, she unleashes a barrage
of punches, mostly a series of short left hands, that forces
referee Ribeiro to step in, halting the contest. An impressive
showing by the fighter from New Zealand, who continues to improve
and has won both her fights during the PFL regular season.

The Official Result

Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) at
4:16 of Round 2

Round 1

Ante “Walking Trouble” Delija (17-4), having suffered a brutal
knockout only 7 weeks prior, will seek to right the ship against
PFL newcomer Chandler Cole (8-2). Watching the two big men will be
referee Keith Peterson. Cole immediately opens up with a big
overhand right that is nevertheless easily avoided by Delija. Once
at range, Cole wastes little time in shooting in, which Delija
defends, although Cole pushes him against the fence. Delija lands a
short knee to the body. They trade knees as they jockey for
position. Cole goes for a sacrifice throw, but it doesn’t end up
well for him, as Delija gets a wrestling ride and nails Cole with
hard, flush punches to the head. Cole makes his way to the fence on
hands and feet, but Delija is still in control, continuing to pelt
him with punches from time to time. Delija then switches to a front
headlock, likely a mistake, but Cole is making little attempt to
get back up. Delija is able to transition back to a wrestling ride
and from there even takes Cole’s back with both hooks in. Cole is
showing very little resistance. Then, Delija gets unstable and Cole
turns into him, ending up with him back on his feet, pushing the
Croatian fighter into the fence. Cole is working on a single-leg
and to his credit, he manages to muscle it through, picking up
Delija and slamming him down. However, Delija instantly gets up,
and Cole is unable to secure the takedown. From there, Delija
neatly slips to Cole’s back and once again brings him to his knees,
with the same wrestling ride. This time, he is even more
aggressive, with punches, landing many hard shots to the head.
Eventually, he again overextends and it’s Cole with the wrestling
ride. Unlike Cole, however, Delija instantly gets back up and they
grapple against the fence. Cole then desperately goes for a
takedown, but ends up pushed on his back for his efforts. From here, Delija is absolutely merciless with
ground-and-pound, ripping Cole apart with one brutal punches after
another, as Cole is stunned and can only cover up. Keith Peterson
has no choice but to stop the contest, with only about 20 seconds
left in the round. A very nice comeback win by Delija after
being brutally knocked out less than 2 months ago.

The Official Result

Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (Punches) at 4:39 of Round
1

Round 1

2019 PFL Women’s Lightweight runner-up Larissa Pacheco (14-4), who
has only been decisioned twice by Kayla Harrison, faces Helena
Kolesnyk (5-3), who lost to Taylor Guardado last month and missed
weight for this contest. Unsurprisingly, Pacheco is a monster
favorite, up to -1000 on some places. Referee Gasper Oliver gets
this assignment. Kolesnyk begins with a left cross and pretty soon,
both women are swinging like crazy! Most blows miss, and after a
brief respite, they go back to exchanging strikes with reckless
abandon. Kolesnyk appears to catch Pacheco, who goes stumbling
back, but she isn’t badly hurt. Pacheco then decides to clinch, and
while she gets a good position, isn’t quite able to take Kolesnyk
down. Against the fence, Pacheco fires a few knees to the head, but
Kolesnyk catches her knees and pushes her off, gaining separation.
They are now more cautious at range. Kolesynk comes forward with
punches and several land. After Pacheco touches her with a leg
kick, Kolesnyk again comes forward witha series of punches, again
bothering Pacheco. Another such aggressive charge ends with Pacheco
retreating straight into the fence, as Kolesnyk partially catches
her on the chin with a wild series of blows. Pacheco again clinches
and turns Kolesnyk against the fence, working for a takedown. Only
about half the round has gone by in this energetic contest! The
pace slows, as Pacheco slowly looks to improve her position but is
unable to get the fighter from Ukraine down. They eventually
disengage. Pacheco fires a few leg kicks, with one landing, and she
comes foward with punches, this time avoiding the receipts. Yet
again, both fighters throw caution to the wind, unleashing a wild
series of punches. While Kolesnyk is the one going forward, and
Pacheco is retreating, Kolesnyk is completely wide open, and Pacheco
catches her with a straight left and then a hard right cross that
utterly crumples the Ukrainian. Gasper Oliver immediately jumps in
to stop the fight. An exciting contest for as long as it
lasted!

The Official Result

Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via KO (Punches) at 4:48 of
Round 1

Round 1

In another battle of heavyweights, fearsome striker Bruno Henrique
Cappelozza(11-5), all 11 of whose wins have come by knockout, meets
grappler Muhammed DeReese (8-3). Should be entertaining. Referee
Gary Copeland will have the best view in the house. Both fighters
come out moving around, and Cappelozza strikes first, with a hard
leg kick that bothers DeReese, and then follows it up with another
that spins him around. DeReese comes forward to clinch, but gets
caught, desperately holding onto a leg as he eats shots. Cappelozza
gains space and then picks up DeReese from behind and slams him
down. He lands another vicious leg kick that knocks DeReese off his
feet and then starts brutalizing him with punches from close range.
Furious action in the first minute! DeReese eventually separates
and resets, but Cappelozza lands another burtal leg kick that
almost knocks the grappler down again. DeReese lands a leg kick of
his own, but it’s much lighter. DeReese throws a few punches, but
none land. Then, Cappelozza and DeReese throw punches at the
same time, but Cappelozza’s left hook does far more damage than
DeReese’s jab, causing DeReese to stumble back. Cappelozza
instantly jumps all over him with a barrage of punches, a vicious
series of hooks and uppercuts, as DeReese is badly hurt and barely
defending. He finally fires back, to which Cappelozza throws a head
kick that drops him, which is right around when Gary Copeland stops
the contest. Another sensational knockout for Cappelozza after
his destruction of Delija last month!

The Official Result

Bruno Henrique Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via KO (Punches and
Head Kick) at 2:21 of Round 1

Round 1

Tough Russian veteran Denis Goltsov (26-6), sporting the excellent
nickname “The Russian Bogatyr”, will seek to continue his winning
ways against Brandon Sayles (6-1), a 40 year-old who shocked a lot
of people by choking out Mohammed Usman last month, younger brother
of UFC champion Kamaru. Keeping a close eye on them will be referee
Gary Copeland. Sayles begins the contest with a leg kick. Goltsov
tries to find the range with a jab, and chains a leg kick of his
own to one that lands well. Goltsov then lands a jab and then a
hard leg kick to follow up. Sayles attempts a few punches, but they
miss. Goltsov then lands another solid leg kick. Sayles is being
passive on the outside, as Goltsov fires jabs and leg kicks at
will. Sayles tries a left hook, but it misses, and he is countered
with a hard jab for his efforts. Goltsov then continues punishing
Sayles with leg kicks, all of which make a satisfying smack upon
impact. Sayles comes forward, but Goltsov circles well on the
outside to stay on the outside. Sayles lands a leg kick of his own.
Goltsov lands a jab and Sayles counters with a left hook, but
Goltsov ducks under it in time. Sayles comes forward and times a
kick as Goltsov bends down, partially connecting, but Goltsov then
circles out. Goltsov continues to work the jab, which is habitually
landing. Sayles lands a few leg kicks, but they’re nto nearly as
damaging as those of the Russian. After landing a leg kick, Goltsov
goes for a takedown which Sayles easily defends. Sayles decides to
clinch himself, as they reach a stalemate against the fence. The
pace slows as 20 seconds remain in the round. Suddenly, Goltsov
scores an outside trip, ending the round on top. 10-9 Goltsov.

Round 2

Sayles begins the round with a few light leg kicks. He then follows
it up with a few more, and Goltsov then lands a jab. Goltsov then
lands a neat combination, with a jab and then a head kick that
partially gets through. Sayles continues with his leg kicks and
Goltsov lands jabs. Goltsov then follows up with a solid straight
right that connects. The two fighters clinch, and Goltsov
immediately gets a trip. He slices through Sayles’ guard, easily
getting to mount, where he is looking for an Ezekiel choke. Sayles
manages to grit it out, as Goltsov lands a few short punches to the
head. Goltsov is being patient, solidifying his position in mount,
landing a few punches to the body now. Goltsov goes back to the
Ezekiel choke, squeezing hard. Yet again, Sayles just manages to
grit out the attempt and survive. Goltsov gains separation and
starts landing significant punches to a Sayles that is completely
flat on his back, merely looking to survive. Goltsov goes back to
the Ezekiel choke for a third time, but it’s not the charm. He
softens Sayles up with a few more punches, then goes back to it a
fourth time, but again without success. Interestingly, Goltsov then
moves to side control to land punches, and then to North-South. He
goes for an Anaconda choke, but Sayles defends and gets to top
position. The round ends with both fighters looking a little tired.
10-9 Goltsov.

Round 3

Goltsov begins the round with a very hard jab that stuns Sayles. He
then follows it up with a right cross that hurts him. He then lands
a leg kick and another hard jab for good measure against an
exhausted Sayles. Goltsov follows it up with a 1-2 and a head kick,
but then decides to clinch with Sayles. He trips him down again,
however, punching him repeatedly against the fence as Sayles
simply covers up. With Sayles showing no signs of intelligent
defense, the referee has no choice but to stop it. Another
impressive finish for the Russian veteran Denis Goltsov.

The Official Result

Denis Goltsov def. Brandon Sayles via TKO (Punches) at 1:24 of
Round 3

Round 1

After having his 11-fight winning streak snapped by Bubba Jenkins,
Lance Palmer (22-4) will seek to right the ship against undefeated
Movlid Khaybulaev (16-0-1), hardly an easy rebound fight. Referee
Gasper Oliver will be keeping them honest. Khaybulaev begins the
action with a spinning back roundhouse kick, which Palmer avoids.
After this, both men are cautious to begin the fight, trying to get
a feel for the distance. Khaybulaev lands a leg kick, the first
connect of the contest. He misses a jab, but scores on a solid
front kick to the body. Palmer finally throws a kick of his own, a
head kick that is solidly blocked. He then partially connects on a
leg kick. Khaybulaev retaliates with a body kick. After some more
movement by both men around the cage, Palmer scores on a more solid
leg kick. He lands another leg kick a short while later. Khaybulaev
comes forward to clinch but Palmer gets out of the way. Khaybulaev
then goes upstairs for a head kick that is blocked, and Palmer
scores on another leg kick. Halfway through the round, and the pace
is very cautious from both fighters. Khaybulaev bursts forward with
punches, suddenly, and Palmer catches him with a left cross that
stumbles the Russian. He then clinches, which both men soon
disengage from. Khaybulaev isn’t deterred, however, coming forward
and scoring on a solid right cross, his best connect of the night.
Khaybulaev is now coming forward more, although Palmer is able to
evade much of the time. Palmer then comes forward himself, barely
missing on his own punch. With 30 seconds left, Khaybulaev goes for
a switch kick, but it’s solid blocked. He does, however, partially
connect on a jumping left hook. As the last seconds of the round
tick away, Khaybulaev lands a leg kick. Incredibly close round that
could go either way, but Palmer did stun Khaybulaev with a punch
when the Russian was coming forward that was the most significant
of the stanza. 10-9 Palmer.

Round 2

Palmer comes forward to begin the round with punches, but misses.
Khaybulaev lands a leg kick, and not long after, comes forward,
taking down Palmer. As Palmer quickly wall-walks, the Russian
punishes him with knees and punches, causing Palmer to go back to
his knees. Khaybulaev is doing a fantastic job of controlling a
very good wrestler now, as Palmer can’t quite get away. As he
finally rises, Khaybulaev hits a beautiful mat return, all while
retaining a waistlock from behind. As Palmer turns around,
Khaybulaev takes him ack down yet again. Palmer again rises to his
feet, but Khaybulaev attacks his base, including some nice foot
sweeps. Palmer keeps getting up and moving, but he just can’t break
Khaybulaev’s iron grip. Khaybulaev lands some knees to the thighs
on occasion. Palmer goes for a kimura grip, but isn’t successful.
Finally, with 75 seconds left in the round, Palmer gains
separation. Suddenly, Palmer lands a nice left cross that connects
well. Khaybulaev is going for big kicks, but they’re all missing.
Palmer then scores on another left cross, and then a third one.
Khaybulaev then lands a right cross of his own with 30 seconds
remaining. Palmer comes forward with another left cross, this one
partially blocked. Khaybulaev dances around the cage to end the
round. 10-9 Khaybulaev.

Round 3

Palmer comes forward first, but Khaybulaev lands with a left hook.
Palmer tries a leg kick, but Khaybulaev moves out of the way this
time. Both men are cautious, although an attempt to come forward by
Palmer causes Khaybulaev to fire a 1-2 which just barely misses.
Khaybulaev throws a few lead left hooks, but he doesn’t set them up
with much, causing them to miss. He does, however, land a solid
body kick. Palmer comes forward this time, and is soundly punished
with a left hook followed by a right cross that causes him to
retreat. Khaybulaev lands several jabs on reaction to Palmer wading
forward. Palmer shoots a high kick, but Khaybulaev is a good foot
away. Khaybulaev comes forward to clinch, but Palmer defends and
spins away. With 80 seconds left, Khaybulaev lands a spinning back
kick to the stomach of Palmer. Khaybulaev looks energetic with a
minute left, but continues to be cautious. Palmer throws a wide
right hook that is easily avoided, and then a spinning back kick of
his own that Khaybulaev easily avoids. Then, out of nowhere, Palmer
lands a solid left cross, his best connect of the stanza.
Khaybulaev responds with a flying knee and left hook that douses
the fire of Palmer’s aggression. The round ends, a fairly bloodless
contest. 10-9 Khaybulaev (29-28 Khaybulaev)

The Official Result

Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lance Palmer via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

In the co-main event, former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony
Pettis (24-11) will look for his PFL victory against Raush Manfio
(12-3). Referee Keith Peterson gets this particular assignment.
Pettis begins the action with a leg kick. However, a second such
attempt is partially countered by a right cross from Manfio. Manfio
then comes forward with a head kick, but it’s now Pettis countering
him with a right cross. Pettis throws a spinning backfist and then
a spinning back roundhouse kick, but it all misses by a
considerable margin. However, a more modest punch combination tags
Manfio. Pettis continues spinning though, with another spinning
back roundhouse missing. Pettis lands a solid jab to the body.
Another jab, however, is countered by Manfio with a left hook,
causing Pettis to retreat. Pettis paws with a jab, and Manfio
throws a 1-2, which Pettis just barely avoids. Pettis goes for a
body kick that Manfio catches, but Pettis gets his foot out without
being taken down, a good sign for him. After the action slows,
Manfio lands a nice body kick. Pettis responds with one of his own,
but it’s not as hard. Pettis throws a 1-2, but Manfio blocks it
completely. Pettis is circling on the outside, and Manfio continues
to come forward. Manfio throws a head kick and is partially
countered by a right cross, exactly as it happened earlier this
round. Manfio lands a big body kick, and an attempt by Pettis to
counter with a cross isn’t quite successful. Manfio then lands a
leg kick. As the round ends, Pettis lands a leg kick. Very, very
close round. 10-9 Manfio.

Round 2

Manfio lands a body kick and then a push kick. Pettis lands a nice
right cross soon after, a better strike than anything he did in the
first round. Unfortunately, not long after, Manfio connects on a
front kick straight below Pettis’ belt, causing a break in the
action. Once they resume, Pettis continues to kick, with one to the
legs landing well. Manfio is being a little robotic. He throws a
1-2, but it’s avoided by the former UFC champion. Nevertheless,
Pettis’ own 1-2 combinations are being easily blocked by Manfio.
Manfio partially connects on a front kick, this time in a legal
region, the stomach. Pettis continues to fire 1-2s, and while
they’re technical, they are either blocked or avoided. A left hook
by Pettis just barely misses Manfio. A Manfio head kick is also
blocked. As Pettis comes forward, Manfio tags him with a right
cross, his best shot of the round. A short while later, he lands a
leg kick, too. Pettis responds with a leg kick of his own. Manfio
then scores with a front kick to the body. A short while later, he
lands another leg kick. Manfio is doing a good job trying to steal
the round down the stretch. Pettis throws a 1-2, and this one
partially connects. However, as Pettis comes forward, yet against
Manfio connects with a very hard front kick below the belt, as
Pettis yells in pain. Keith Peterson makes the decision not to take
a point away. Pettis tries an overhand right, but it’s blocked.
Manfio’s head kick is then barely avoided. Another very close
round, but this time I have it for Pettis. 10-9 Pettis.

Round 3

Pettis begins the round with a light leg kick. Then, a more
aggressive front kick to the face is blocked. Manfio goes for a big
overhand right, but it’s blocked. He scores on a leg kick, though.
However, Manfio scores with an overhand right and Pettis is hurt,
with Manfio landing several follow-up punches. Pettis falls to his
back and Manfio decides to reset. Again, Manfio comes forward with
an overhand right, stunning Pettis, and hitting him with several
more follow-up shots. Then Manfio goes to work with a series of
powerful knees, with a particularly hard one to Pettis’ chin
dropping him. Manfio senses the kill and starts pounding away with
punches, but Pettis manages to get back up and survive. Eventually,
after eating several more knees, Pettis manages to push Manfio off
and gain separation. The action slows, with both men trading leg
kicks. Pettis looks out of sorts throwing punches, with a very
clumsy attempt at an overhand right missing. With 100 seconds left,
Manfio lands a powerful kick to the body and follows it up with a
few punches that partially get through. Manfio connects on another
right hand when Pettis gets a little too close while dancing on the
outside. As the round winds down, Manfio lands a very big calf kick
that has Pettis limping. Pettis throws a 1-2, but it’s slow and
very easily avoided by the Brazilian. Pettis throws a switch kick
but it’s avoided easily, too. Both men throw punches as the round
ends, but they all miss. On my scorecard, Pettis should be 0-2 in
the PFL. 10-8 Manfio (29-27 Manfio).

The Official Result

Raush Manfio def. Anthony Pettis via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28)

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

The Official Result