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

The 2023
Professional Fighters League Playoffs wrap up on Friday in
Washington D.C. at the
2023 PFL Championships. The undercard airs live on ESPN+ at
5:30 p.m. ET, with the main card starting on ESPN Pay-per-View at 8
p.m ET.

Round 1

A featherweight tilt pitting Blyden (9-2, 0-0 PFL) against Stirn
(15-6, 0-2 PFL) kicks off festivities for the 2023 PFL
Championships. Blyden, who missed weight by 0.8 pounds, enters his
promotional debut on the strength of a three-fight winning streak.
Stirn, 31, has won four in a row. Jerin Valel serves as the third
man in the cage. They touch gloves, and we are underway. Blyden
presses forward behind jabs and leg kicks, shoots in for takedown
and sneaks behind his counterpart. He drags Stirn down to the mat
and climbs to the back. Stirn stands and breaks away from danger,
only to concede a pair of mat returns. Blyden feeds knees to the
back of the legs with the two men once again upright. He continues
to win the hand battle and maintains an advantageous position.
Stirn finally turns chest-to-chest and scores with knees to the
body. They jockey for position at close range before breaking into
open space. Blyden gets his hands in gear and forces Stirn to
clinch. He connects upstairs and scores a pair of takedowns of his
own. Blyden scrambles into top position with roughly a minute to go
in the round. Stirn uses his butterfly guard to free himself.
Blyden’s punches and kicks look more labored now. Stirn circles
away and lands a few knees in tight before closing the round with a
right hand over the top.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stirn
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Stirn
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stirn

Round 2

Back to work they go. Stirn circles on the outside but fails to
keep his feet in motion. Blyden shoots on the hips and works on a
head-outside single-leg. Stirn shoots a few knees to the body, then
connects upstairs. He fires punches in bunches in a bid to finish
and continues to sneak in a few knees to the body. Blyden pushes
his adversary backward with jabs, as they fire away at one another
in the center of the cage. Blyden once again wheels behind Stirn
but fails to secure his position. Now, Stirn ducks under to the
back with the two men standing against the fence. With two minutes
left in the round, Stirn sweeps the leg and completes a takedown.
Blyden forces his way back to his feet under threat of a leg lock.
Stirn definitely looks like the fresher of the two. He throws in
combination and barely misses a flying knee. Stirn firmly in
control now with his opponent fading. He drives into the clinch and
mixed knees with short punches, then sneaks a right hook around the
guard. Blyden eats another right hand, and the round closes.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stirn
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Stirn
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stirn

Round 3

The lights briefly darken before they start Round 3, resulting in a
few-second delay. Blyden will take all the help he can get. He
fires a jab behind a low kick, then aims upstairs. Stirn operates
on the outside and connects with a nice right cross. Blyden answers
with a two-punch volley punctuated by a left hook. Stirn steps to
the center of the cage, hammers the body with a kick and then bobs
and weaves to avoid return fire. They trade leg kicks. Neither man
doing much to seize the reins midway through the period. Blyden
answers a few leg kicks with a sharp left hook, followed by a right
hand. Stirn shoots a front kick up the middle and scores to the
head, then follows it into the clinch. Blyden circles off but
cannot secure his position, and the two combatants float back into
open space. A little more than a minute to go. This is Blyden’s
best round thus far, but it might not be enough. Stirn wheels
behind Blyden against the fence but chooses to disengage with 30
seconds left. Stirn lands a kick to the leg and another to the
body, then secures a takedown in the final second.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Blyden (29-28 Stirn)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Stirn (30-27 Stirn)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Blyden (29-28 Stirn)

The Official Result

Jesse Stirn def. Josh Blyden—Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27,
30-27)

Round 1

Bantamweights move the line forward, as Caracappa (10-3, 0-0 PFL)
confronts Wu (7-4, 0-0 PFL) at 135 pounds. Kevin Mulhall answers
the call to referee. The glove touch gets us started. Caracappa
probes with his jab and fires an errant leg kick behind it. Wu
circles on the outside. Caracappa moves in with a multi-punch
burst, though his shots miss their intended target. Wu connects
with a thudding right hook, only two eat three punches in return.
Wu sets his opponent on unsteady legs with a clean left hook but
allows Caracappa to close the distance. Wu sprawls on a takedown.
Caracappa eats another sweeping right hook on his way into the
clinch. Wu cuts off his advances with his back to the fence.
Caracappa feeds his opponent a few shoulder strikes and knees. He
trips Wu to the floor and sets up shop in half guard. Mild
ground-and-pound follows. Caracappa increases the intensity of his
punches while maintaining a dominant position. With 30 seconds
left, Caracappa appears to have found Wu’s kryptonite. He continues
to scores with punches to the body and head as the round
concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa

Round 2

Caracappa takes the center of the cage and scores with a few low
kicks. Wu answers but generally throws on strike at a time.
Caracappa fires a front kick to the chest to keep his opponent
honest, then punches into the clinch and delivers a double-leg
slam. He works to half guard. Wu reclaims full guard and largely
neutralizes Caracappa’s efforts. Caracappa postures and cuts loose
with a few left hands. A lack of action results in a restart. Wu
moves to the center of the cage but fails to let his hands go.
Caracappa unleashes jabs, dodges return fire and looks to counter.
Wu connects with a leg kick but does not follow it with anything of
substance. Caracappa pushes him toward the fence, cracks away with
right hooks and secures another takedown with 45 seconds to go on
the clock. Caracappa ends the round in half guard.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa

Round 3

An eye poke leads to a brief pause 30 seconds into the third round.
Wu hunts for openings as Caracappa switches stances. Caracappa
punches into the clinch, shoots on the hips and works for a
takedown. A stalemate ensues. Caracappa knees the legs, then
surprises Wu with a takedown. Caracappa bleeding heavily from a cut
near one of his eyes but maintains half guard and stays busy with
punches. He eats an upkick while attempting to pass, then settles
back in half guard. Caracappa jams punches into the ribs and
briefly works to full mount. Back in half guard, he cuts loose with
punches. This looks to be his fight to lose with a minute left in
the period. Forearm strikes and punches build the lead further. Wu
tries and ultimately fails to get back to his feet, perhaps
resigned to his fate. Caracappa punches away in full guard, staying
busy enough to avoid a restart.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa (30-27 Caracappa)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa (30-27 Caracappa)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Caracappa (30-27 Caracappa)

The Official Result

Phil Caracappa def. Khai Wu—Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28,
29-28)

Round 1

Walsh, the grandson of the late great Muhammad Ali, looks to take
the next step in his development in an amateur lightweight affair
opposite Lopez at 155 pounds. Michael Walter draws the officiating
assignment. A customary glove tap gets the action started. Lopez
connects with an inside leg kick. Walsh responds with a kick to the
outside of the lead leg. Walsh swarms with rapid-fire power
punches, mixes in a front kick and cuts loose with more punches to
the body and head. Lopez sneaks in a right hook, but the difference
in hand speed is significant. Walsh lands kicks to the body and
leg, shucks off a takedown, paws with his jab and lets fly with
hooks from both hands. Lopez scores with a few jabs, then a clean
one-two. Walsh marches him backward, paws with his jab and steps
into a lightning-quick right hand.

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Walsh
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Walsh
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Walsh