Philadelphia-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Amanda Leve
nailed down a
Professional Fighters League contract on
Week 2 of the PFL Challenger Series, as she outstruck onetime
Olympian Naranjargal
Tsendayush to a unanimous decision on Friday at Universal
Studios in Orlando, Florida. All three members of the cageside
judiciary scored it the same: 29-28 for Leve (2-0, 2-0 PFL).
Tsendayush (2-1, 0-1 PFL), an accomplished judoka who represented
Mongolia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, delivered a
head-and-arm throw in the first round but failed to consolidate
those efforts with meaningful damage or control. Leve snuck around
to the back, secured her position with a body triangle and went
about altering the narrative. For the next 10 minutes, she let fly
with punches, countered effectively and connected with the
occasional head kick. Tsendayush backed up a hearty chin and
unfettered aggression with clubbing hooks from both hands, only to
fall short on the scorecards.
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Meanwhile,
American Top Team’s Michelle
Montague disposed of the debuting Shaquita
Woods with
a palm-to-palm rear-naked choke in the second round of their
women’s featherweight pairing. Woods (0-1, 0-1 PFL)
conceded defeat 4:45 into Round 2.
Montague (3-0, 2-0 PFL) established her superiority throughout the
first five minutes. The 29-year-old New Zealand native executed a
high-amplitude takedown, settled in side control and eventually
progressed to full mount before transitioning to the back and
applying her ground-and-pound. Woods answered at the start of the
second round, as she countered an attempted takedown with a brabo
choke. Montague weathered her brush with adversity, scrambled into
top position and once again forced the Team Bodyshop rep to
surrender her back. She then went to work on the choke, readjusted
her grip and flattened out Woods, prompting the tapout.
Elsewhere, Jackie
Cataline put away Dutch judoka Senna
van de Veerdonk with
punches in the first round of their women’s featherweight
confrontation. The 22-year-old Van de Veerdonk (3-2,
0-1 PFL) succumbed to blows 4:09 into Round 1.
Cataline (3-1, 2-1 PFL) wore down her counterpart in the clinch,
where she cut loose with dirty-boxing uppercuts and other
short-range punches, along with knees to the body. Van de Veerdonk
ultimately turned away from contact after being staggered by a
stiff jab. Cataline, 34, had her ducking for cover with a left
hook, swarmed with punches, forced her into a defensive shell with
a knee to the body and sealed the deal with a burst of
ground-and-pound along the fence.
Finally, American Top Team prospect Evelyn
Martins took care of Jeslen
Mishelle with
a rear-naked choke in the first round of their women’s
featherweight tilt. Martins (3-0, 1-0 PFL), who missed
weight for the match by 0.8 pounds, brought it to a close 1:38 into
Round 2.
Mishelle (2-1, 2-1 PFL) pressed her luck from the start, as she
pushed a frenetic pace, backed up the Brazilian with right hands
and kept moving forward. Martins stayed composed, leaned into her
cardio and seized control by the end of a wild, back-and-forth
first round. She tripped Mishelle to the floor in the middle stanza
and settled in side control before scrambling onto the
Syndicate MMA export’s back. From there, Martins snaked her
arms in place and tightened her squeeze for the finish.