Clay
Collard decided to fight fire with fire and emerged no worse
for wear.
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Accuracy and activity carried “Cassius Clay” to a unanimous
decision over Jeremy
Stephens in an unforgettable
PFL 1 headliner, as the
Professional Fighters League kicked off its 2022 campaign on
Wednesday at Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas. All
three cageside judges scored it 30-27, though most other observers
thought it to be far more competitive than the verdict
indicated.
Stephens (28-20, 0-1 PFL) threw heat for the duration and rang his
counterpart’s bell more than once with powerful right hands.
Collard (21-9, 3-1 PFL) was undeterred. He stepped into high-volume
punching combinations to the head and body, incorporated kicks when
needed and even mixed in a few takedowns. His seemingly limitless
gas tank and Kevlar beard allowed him to stay ahead of Stephens,
who fought through fatigue and perhaps did his best work in the
third round. His stock likely rose in defeat.
Collard has won five of his past six bouts.
Meanwhile,
American Top Team export Raush
Manfio rallied to wipe out Don Madge with
punches in the third round of their lightweight co-main event.
Manfio, the returning league champion at 155 pounds, drew the
curtain 2:42 into Round 3 and did so in breathtaking fashion.
Madge (10-4-1, 1-1 PFL) kept the Brazilian at bay with a disruptive
jab, remarkable distance control and a dedicated kicking game for
the better part of two rounds. The South African hammered the body,
legs and head with his kicks, mixed in the occasional surgical left
hand and attacked in bursts. In a two-rounds-to-none hole, Manfio
continued to probe for openings. He blindsided and decked Manfio with a right cross,
followed him to the canvas and cut loose with punches until the job
was done.
The loss was Madge’s first since Feb. 21, 2015.
Elsewhere, Antonio
Carlos Jr. needed less than a minute to submit promotional
newcomer Delan Monte
in the first round of their light heavyweight feature. Carlos Jr.
(14-5, 4-0 PFL), the defending league champion at 205 pounds,
brought it to a decisive close 29 seconds into Round 1.
Monte (8-2, 0-1 PFL) never factored into the equation. Carlos Jr.
stunned him with a clubbing right hand, followed with an immediate
takedown and capitalized on the ensuing scramble. Monte left his neck exposed, wandered into the
choke and found himself ensnared with no possible escape. Soon
after, he capitulated.
Carlos Jr. has won three fights in a row, two of them by
submission.
Finally, “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” finalist Olivier
Aubin-Mercier leaned on heavy kicks, a potent jab and sharp
punching combinations in a contentious split decision over American
Top Team’s Natan
Schulte in a three-round lightweight showcase. All three
cageside judges struck 29-28 scorecards, two of them siding with
Aubin Mercier (14-5, 3-0 PFL).
Schulte (21-5-1, 10-2-1 PFL) stayed in the Canadian’s face from
start to finish, calling upon the merciless forward pressure for
which he has become known. Aubin-Mercier played the matador,
slipped out of danger and piled up points by pairing punches
upstairs with kicks and knees to the body. Fatigue, however, slowly
took hold. Schulte chewed up the Firas Zahabi protege’s lower lead
leg with kicks and appeared to be in better shape down the stretch.
Ultimately, his efforts fell short of the mark.
Aubin-Mercier, 33, has rattled off three consecutive victories.
In preliminary action, Cory
Hendricks (9-4, 2-1 PFL) dispatched Emiliano
Sordi (23-10-1, 7-3-1 PFL) with punches from full mount 2:13 into their light
heavyweight clash; Alex
Martinez (9-2, 2-2 PFL) took a unanimous verdict from Steven Ray
(23-10, 0-1 PFL) in a three-round lightweight affair; Marthin
Hamlet (9-3, 3-2 PFL) laid claim to a unanimous decision over
Teodoras
Aukstuolis (11-6, 0-1 PFL) in a lopsided three-round encounter
at 205 pounds; Omari
Akhmedov (22-7-1, 1-1 PFL) took care of Viktor
Pesta (18-7, 0-1 PFL) with punches 1:25 into the first round of their
light heavyweight tilt; Rob
Wilkinson (14-2, 1-0 PFL) put away Bruce Souto
(15-4, 1-1 PFL) with punches 46 seconds into the second round of
their confrontation at 205 pounds; and Simeon
Powell (6-0, 2-0 PFL) flattened Clinton
Williams (9-6, 0-1 PFL) with a knee strike 4:38 into the third round of
their light heavyweight pairing.