PFL 4 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

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The 2022
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Round 1

The PFL is back for three weeks in a row in Hotlanta to wrap up its
regular season, and the first of three comes with a card for
lightweight and light heavyweights. Only two 155ers thus far
celebrate more than three points, so it’s still anyone’s game in
the lightweight range. Meanwhile, four of the five 205-pound
victors thus far pocketed at least five points, and every single
light heavyweight winner from a few weeks ago takes on someone else
with zero points. There are, however, no tournament implications
for this first fight, as it is instead a “showcase” match between
two PFL debutants and LFA vets Childers (9-2, 0-0 PFL) and
Jennerman (15-5, 0-0 PFL) to start the show. Both looking to punch
their ticket either to next year’s tourney or to this year as a
potential alternate, they are amped up and ready to go. Referee
Blake Grice will watch on in the first fight of the night. There is
no touch of gloves, as Jennerman instead wants to his kick man in
the chest. He strides forward after the kick to back Childers up
with a few punches down the middle, and Childers swats them away.
Childers looks to push out a few jabs, and Jennerman ignores them
to push straight right hands down the pipe to get Childers’
attention early. Jennerman crashes forward to attack, and as he
unloads on Childers, he wings an elbow. Grice calls an immediate
pause, because these strikes are illegal in PFL, and Jennerman
apologizes and they reset. When they get back after it, Jennerman
feels he still has Childers on the ropes, and he backs Childers up
and starts ripping the body with several ferocious right hands.
Childers shells up as Jennerman lays into him, and Jennerman mixes
in knees and punches on the inside. The offense does not slow from
“Nasty Nate,” who continues to work Childers over early and often.
Childers hopes to gain some space and back off, and he does sneak a
left hand through, but Jennerman meets him with three or four of
his own in response. Ever playing the bully, Jennerman gives chase
whenever Childers retreats, battering him with strikes but not
ultimately hurting him. Childers tries to frame off with knees when
Jennerman backs him off and strikes, but he cannot keep the
constant aggressor at bay. Jennerman shows off with a spinning
strike as he wades forward fearlessly, and he punches his way into
clinches repeatedly. When Childers answers, Jennerman responds with
far more volume, and the round ends with a fierce exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman

Round 2

The two lightweights meet in the middle, and it takes Jennerman
very little time to pick up where he left off. Jennerman blitzes
forward to engage in a clinch after landing a few strikes, and he
thinks to set up a standing guillotine choke. When Childers
defends, Jennerman swirls around to take his back standing up. The
left arm snakes beneath Childers’ neck, and it becomes a modified
version of a rear-naked choke that Childers shakes off. Childers
manages to free his neck, and just when he thinks he is safe,
Jennerman trips his legs out and wrenches him down to the mat.

With both hooks in and transitioning into a body triangle,
Jennerman secures a tight rear-naked choke, and Childers is
suddenly in big trouble. Out of options and in danger of going out,
Childers elects to tap out, prompting Grice’s
intervention.
This showcase could not have gone much
better for “Nasty Nate,” who announces that he is a ready and
willing contender should anything arise this season at 155
pounds.

The Official Result

Nate Jennerman def. Jake Childers R2 2:00 via Submission
(Rear-Naked Choke)

Round 1

The first points-relevant matchup begins now, as light heavyweights
Hamlet (9-3, 3-2 PFL) and Challenger Series pickup Silveira (8-0,
1-0 PFL) tangle in search of a spot in the top four. The winner may
need a finish to qualify for the playoffs, depending on the
participant. Referee Nate Mann will oversee this first tournament
bout to officially kick off the second round of the regular season,
and a touch of gloves seals the cage around the fighters. Hamlet
takes the center of the cage only to absorb a low kick, and he
responds with a head kick. After blocking it, Silveira throws a
similar kick back up high. They trade single strikes, and Silveira
feints for a level change to draw a reaction out of his Norwegian
adversary. Hamlet sits down on a right hand after a jab, and it
appears to sting the American and stop him in his tracks for a
moment. Hamlet bears down on him with a few punches, and he shoves
the unbeaten fighter into the wall to make him bear his weight as
well. Silveira defends with a high guillotine choke, but Hamlet
slides his head out and lets go. Hamlet unleashes a spinning back
fist in the vein of Zangief from Street Fighter, with momentum
taking him all the way around and back again. Silveira easily
dodges the blow, but he is forced to block a high kick to follow.
Silveira crashes forward for a takedown effort, and Hamlet stops it
and muscles Silveira back against the wire. Silveira breaks it up
and backs Hamlet off with a solid front kick to the torso, and
Silveira does a number on him with several in rapid succession.
Silveira mixes things up with a speedy head kick, and Hamlet
suddenly finds himself on roller skates. Silveira tries to finish
the job, and Hamlet falls to the ground in big trouble. Silveira
thinks to take Hamlet’s back and search for some sort of choke, but
decides to land punches in bunches in hopes of a finish. As
Silveira pounds on Hamlet with any strike he can muster, Hamlet
steels himself, stands up, pushes off and wings another inaccurate
spinning back fist. Mann is taking a close eye on the action with
Hamlet getting knocked into the cage due to vicious strikes, and
Hamlet tries again with a spinning strike that bounces off of his
opponent.
Silveira frames up his foe, and he lets loose with a knee that
disables Hamlet entirely, with the Norwegian collapsing to his
knees in dire shape. A few follow-up punches upside the head are
all Mann needs to see to step in, and Silveira has now earned a
clean six points with a first-round finish.
His place
in the playoffs is not guaranteed, but he does eject Hamlet from
contention in dynamite fashion.

The Official Result

Joshua Silveira def. Marthin Hamlet R1 3:27 via TKO (Knee and
Punches)

Round 1

Two competitors ejected from the UFC a few years ago will come to
blows next, although Wilkinson (14-2, 1-0 PFL) fought at 185 pounds
while Pesta (18-7, 0-1 PFL) remained in the heavyweight division.
They will meet in the middle at light heavyweight, with high finish
rates for each man and something to prove. The glove touch comes
before referee Kevin MacDonald, and Pesta opens up with a right
hand that brushes past the hair of his foe. Wilkinson steps in with
a left hook, and he finds his mark and then follows it with a clean
jab. Pesta again looks for his overhand right, and it too falls
short of the intended target. The jabs get traded, and Pesta times
a responsive jab to shoot in for a takedown. The Aussie does not
let himself stay down for more than a second before rebounding back
to his feet, but he does get shoved into the wall. Pesta looks for
a mat return, and he trips Wilkinson back down. Wilkinson once more
springs right back up, and he turns Pesta around against the wire.
Wilkinson drops down for his own takedown effort, but he decides to
let it go so that he can slug Pesta in the chops with a clean left.
Pesta eats it like rizek and backs off to get his bearings, and
Wilkinson does not decide to chase him down to force a finish.
Instead, he gives chase calmly, and he slips a few punches to
counter with a barrage of his own.
A three-punch salvo knocks Pesta to the mat, and Pesta jumps back
to his feet but does not have his legs about him. Wilkinson loads
up on a few more, dropping Pesta once more, and MacDonald is paying
very close attention. Wilkinson lets loose with a final salvo of
clubbing punches with Pesta on his knees, and Pesta is not getting
up this time.
MacDonald steps in so that Pesta does
not get mashed into pesto, and Wilkinson is now the proud owner of
the top seed at 205 pounds with 11 points.

The Official Result

Rob Wilkinson def. Viktor Pesta R1 3:03 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

When referee Blake Grice intervenes – as this light heavyweight
clash will almost certainly end inside the distance – either
Argentina’s Sordi (23-10-1, 7-3-1 PFL) or Brazilian Monte (8-2, 0-1
PFL) will get on the scoreboard in hopes of playoff contention.
With the bar set at six points already, one of these two will need
to register a first-round stoppage quicker than 3:27 in order to
have a chance to get into the playoffs. A whopping 17 finishes in
Round 1 reside on Sordi’s ledger, while Monte’s own stoppage rate
sits at 100% with seven of eight coming in the opening round. They
touch gloves, and both flash out jabs. Monte leans forward with a
left hook, and Sordi dances out of the way. Monto struggles to find
the range, with Sordi’s movement flustering him. Sordi sits down on
a pair of leg kicks, and Monte aims a left hand on the chin but can
only land with the end of it. Monte winds up on a huge right, and
Sordi slides out of the way and cracks him with a short left hook.
Monte charges forward, and they both start brawling recklessly and
wildly. Sordi backs off and circles away, with him getting the
worst of the exchange, and Monte starts pouring it on. Sordi might
actually be hurt from the initial right hand to start off a
barrage, and he shells up against the cage wall while possibly
playing possum. Sordi then bursts with one big left hook, but Monte
shrugs it off and keeps on bombing.
As the punches get past the guard or at least impact on the hands,
Sordi struggles and misses with another single strike to respond.
The Brazilian continues his bombardment until Sordi drops to a
knee, and Monte swarms him with a long series of unanswered punches
until Grice has no choice but to step in.
That finish
clocked in under the mark mentioned above, giving him six points
and the tiebreaker to currently seat Monte in the four spot at
light heavyweight. He is not in yet, as there are still two more
205-pound tilts left tonight. However, things are looking bright
for the Brazilian that just sprang a massive upset, doing so by
laying waste to the 2021 champ.

The Official Result

Delan Monte def. Emiliano Sordi R1 1:32 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

A rematch almost 14 months in the making will come to fruition now
in the lightweight division. With both men losing in their last
respective bouts against Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Schulte (21-5-1,
10-3-1 PFL) and Held (27-8, 1-1 PFL) will hope to settle their
business while getting on the leaderboard with a much-needed win.
Back in April 2021, Held took a decision to spoil the playoff hopes
of Schulte, and also snapped a 10-fight unbeaten streak for the
Brazilian. Referee Nate Mann will make preside to keep things on
the up-and-up, although they display respect with a glove touch.
Schulte immediately goes on the offensive, with low kicks and jabs
coming out in a hurry. Held responds with a few jabs, and a wide
right hand allows Schulte to push forward and tie him up. Held
manages to break free, and Schulte walks him down, scoring a right
down the middle and then arcing one around the guard. Schulte marks
up the lead calf with another thudding kick, and Held drops down
for a rolling heel hook. Schulte sees it coming and stands back,
where he tells Held to get back up. Held obliges, and they both
throw haymakers at one another that miss the respective marks.
Schulte scores a few right hands over the top, as he approaches
fearlessly and absorbs anything the Polish fighter throws at him.
Schulte eats a right hand like a pierogi and plods forward, and
even though his nose appears to redden up a little, he is
constantly forcing Held to fight off the back foot. Held looks to
change levels, but when that does not succeed, he spins with a back
fist that bounces off Schulte’s high guard. Held hops back with
several jabs, and Schulte is throwing much heavier and mixing up
his strikes to the body to decent effect. Held has his lead leg
chopped at a few times, and Schulte rips a left hand that just
misses the mark. The Brazilian trades leg kicks with his foe, and
he steps out of the way of a telegraphed spinning kick. Held rolls
again for a leglock, and Schulte is wise to it and stacks Held up,
before standing up and imploring Held to stand up again. When
Schulte walks Held down, he leans into a left hand that dislodges
Held’s mouthpiece for a moment and stuns him. Held keeps his wits
about him and spins with a back fist, but his strikes do little
with Schulte maintaining an effective guard and giving Held back
more than comes at him. Held has a few punches collide with the
guard, and Schulte nails his lead leg with a kick that forces Held
to pick it up. One last nasty kick from the Brazilian ends the
round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Held
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Held

Round 2

Gloves get touched to start off the second round, and Schulte
marches Held down and pops him in the face with the ball of his
foot. Held absorbs another chopping kick, and he takes a left hand
around the side. Schulte slips a punch and tags Held with a right,
and Held backs off with jabs. Schulte keeps a safe range to pick
and potshot his opponent from afar, and Held shoots in for a
takedown only to get brought right back to his feet. Schulte stings
his man with a right hand, and he scores a few more on the inside
until Held is forced to backpedal. Schulte winds up on power
punches, and Held is forced to retreat and throw a few low kicks of
his own. Held ricochets off the guard with a spinning back fist,
and he gets his lead leg kicked when coming back around. Held sits
down on a left hand, and Schulte completely ignores it and a right
that follows. Schulte kicks the ribs and wings a left hand, and a
right over the top rocks Held. Held gathers his thoughts and
absorbs a low kick and another right hand, and he manages to keep
his bearings and fire back. Held shoots in low for a takedown, and
Schulte stuffs him and stands back. Schulte lands a body kick when
Held jabs at him, and he swings a right hand over the guard that
clangs into Held’s dome. Held absorbs a few more kicks as he tries
to find offense of his own, and he manages to sting the Brazilian
with a quick right hand. Schulte no-sells the strike and continues
to plod forward, and a high kick just misses. Held scores to the
leg, and he gets popped with an uppercut. Schulte comes up hitting
air with a huge right hand, and Held replies with a straight jab.
The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte

Round 3

The lightweights meet in the middle to tap hands, and it’s right
back to the salt mines for Schulte, by swing power punches. Held
absorbs a few and leans back, and although he lands back, the power
is in the favor of the Brazilian. Held has several punches bounce
into the guard, and a low kick is checked. Schulte wings punches
recklessly, and Held circles out before anything lands of note.
Held sticks him with a jab, and he finds himself in a brief but
thrilling slugfest where he lands as much as Schulte does. Schulte
peppers the lead calf with kicks, but they have far less on them
than the previous rounds. Schulte reaches out with a left hook as
Held strings three punches together on his way out. They trade
punches, and Held sticks and moves, evading several head kicks but
constantly backpedaling. Schulte plods forward without missing a
beat, and he connects with a clean leg kick that irritates Held.
They trade left hands at the same time, and Held keeps head
movement going while Schulte is consistently moving towards him.
Held fails on a takedown effort, and he gathers himself to swing a
spinning wheel kick. When the foot hits the block, Held falls over,
and Schulte does not want to play the ground game with him so Held
stands up. Held swipes out with a right hand, and he protects his
mug from a high kick. Held’s jab keeps Schulte at bay well enough
to not get tagged by something flush, and he spins as Schulte moves
towards him. Held stays on his bike with ample jabs, and he keeps
up with Schulte in multiple exchanges. Schulte clips him with a
left in the midst of a combination, and Held does a quick count of
his teeth and shoots for a takedown. Schulte shows no signs of
concern as he steps out of harm’s way, and they trade heavy
leather. Held blocks a few high kicks, and Schulte connects with a
blistering combination of heavy punches. The Brazilian knocks the
head back with punches in bunches, and Held is rocked but still
with it. Schulte lays into him with one last try to get the finish,
but time expires before he can elicit a stoppage. That should be
three points with the decision win for Schulte, which may not be
enough to make the playoffs this year. He does, however, avenge the
loss to Held suffered last year.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (30-27 Schulte)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)

The Official Result

Natan Schulte def. Marcin Held via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

Fresh off his 85-second knockout of Viktor Pesta, Akhmedov (22-7-1,
1-1 PFL) by that win alone might have already done enough to reach
the playoffs, other results pending. In this second 205-pound tilt
for the Russian, he takes on Aukstuolis (11-6, 0-1 PFL), a Rizin FF
vet that lost in his PFL debut. While Akhmedov hopes to improve on
his six-point spot, Aukstuolis aims to get on the board, and
referee Kevin MacDonald will be the first to know who does just
that. There is no glove touch ahead of the preliminary headliner,
as Aukstuolis claims the middle of the cage and gets jabbed in the
face to make his hair fly back. Aukstuolis ducks a high kick, and
he pushes out with a jab that is about two feet away from where he
wanted to strike. Akhmedov kicks the ribcage, and Aukstuolis swarms
him with a left hook. When Aukstuolis goes after another looping
punch, Akhmedov hits an easy single-leg takedown to ground the
Lithuanian. Akhmedov slices over to half guard within seconds of
landing it, and he starts fishing for an arm-triangle setup.
Aukstuolis scoots his way back to the fence, and the position he
keeps allows him stay out of submission danger. Akhmedov drags him
back out, and he looks to pass to mount. The Russian stays heavily
pressed to his opponent, not giving Aukstuolis a moment to breathe,
and he hunts for an arm-triangle again. As Akhmedov jumps over to
snag mount, Aukstuolis reverses the position and flips Akhmedov to
his back. Aukstuolis sits in Akhmedov’s guard, trying to get off a
few punches, and Akhmedov replies by bucking and nearly kicking the
Lithuanian off of him. Akhmedov powers his way back up, threatens
with his own takedown on his way standing, and gets up. A brawl
ensues, and Akhmedov lands the far heavier of the blows as
Aukstuolis is stunned and wobbles back to the fence. Aukstuolis
replies with a powerful couple punches, but a one-two from Akhmedov
rocks Aukstuolis again. Akhmedov steps in with a right hand,
measuring the strikes and not simply letting them all go and
gassing out. Aukstuolis gets his wits about him and starts throwing
haymakers, with an uppercut that grazes past Akhmedov’s chin.
Aukstuolis swings so hard he falls over, and Akhmedov jumps on top
to land blows, but the horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the center of the cage, and
Aukstuolis leaps forward with a pair of punches that pound into the
Russian’s guard. Akhmedov flashes out a jab, and he intercepts
Aukstuolis jumping towards him with reckless offense. Akhmedov
scores a thudding low kick, and he aims one to the same spot. When
Akhmedov winds up on a right hand, Aukstuolis takes it flush and
does not bat an eye. The Russian wings another right over the top,
and Aukstuolis absorbs it once more. A piston-like jab from
Aukstuolis snaps straight into the chin of Akhmedov, sending
Akhmedov crashing to the canvas suddenly. Akhmedov gathers himself,
looks to reverse the position and threatens with a single from his
knees. The takedown succeeds for the Russian, who quickly assumes
full mount while blood flows from a cut around the bridge of his
nose. Akhmedov scores a few short punches to the body, but he is
much more interested in locking down an arm-triangle choke from the
mount.
Akhmedov decides to step into side control, and the choke is even
tighter. The shoulder pressure is crushing, and Aukstuolis tries to
kick off the fence to gain some leverage, but there is none to be
found. Before he can surrender, Aukstuolis goes out on his shield.
The lights are on but no one’s home, as Aukstuolis gets rendered
unconscious with his eyes wide open, and MacDonald recognizes this
and steps in.
Five more points go to Akhmedov, who
finds himself in the second seed at 205 pounds with 11 total below
Wilkinson, as he officially punches his ticket to the playoffs with
an exclamation point.

The Official Result

Omari Akhmedov def. Teodoras Aukstuolis R2 2:50 via Technical
Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Round 1

Kicking off the main card is a clean-shaven Stephens (28-20, 1 NC;
0-1 PFL), who appears to have had a great deal of difficulty making
weight for his lightweight clash with Ireland’s own Price (11-8,
0-1 PFL). These two men will throw down with hopes of qualifying
for the lightweight playoffs with a dramatic win, and a decision
very well may not be enough. Referee Blake Grice is charged with
officiating this potential brawl, and Stephens wants nothing to do
with a glove touch and would rather introduce himself with his
fists. Stephens marches forward, and he scores a big leg kick when
Price tries to back him off. The Irish fighter dives forward into a
takedown, and Stephens’ sprawl is so powerful that he pelvic
thrusts Price all the way over and to his back. “Lil Heathen” takes
top position, and Price looks to sit up and possibly sweep, while
Stephens decides to take a step and let Price up. Stephens comes
out swinging, and Price shells up to block the blows but cannot
defend against a slapping leg kick on his inner thigh. Price chops
at the lead leg of his foe, and Stephens ignores it entirely and
ducks a jab. Price has a spinning back fist go well wide of the
target, and Stephens answers him with a leg kick and a pair of
punches. Stephens loads up on three more, and Price checks a leg
kick and ties Stephens up and pulls him back to the wall. Stephens
wants to throw elbows, but they are illegal, so he holds back. When
Stephens gains a little space, he leans back to avoid a knee and
lets his hands go with a series of punches. Price absorbs or blocks
them well enough, and he tries to chip away with a kick. “Magic
Myles” attempts another takedown, and Stephens simply pushes him
back and slugs him in the face with an uppercut. Price dodges a
knee and fires back with his own uppercut. Stephens mashes Price
back to the fencing, and he breaks the grip so that he can throw
hands. Price kicks him in the ribs, and he flicks out a few jabs
and a front kick to the body. Stephens goes to the body with a few
punches, and he follows them with strikes over the top. Price tags
his man with a few sharp punches, and Stephens leans forward to tie
him up. Stephens keeps trying to push off, and Price grabs him and
pulls him back in. Price does let him go so that he can push out a
few jabs, and he blocks the oncoming fire until he can clinch
Stephens to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stephens
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stephens
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Stephens

Round 2

Price offers a glove touch to start off the round, and this time,
Stephens accepts. Price then lashes out with a kick low and one to
the body, and he charges forward with a line of punches that make
Stephens back off. Price catches him on the way in with a kick to
the cup, and Stephens waves off Grice instead of allowing him to
pause the action. Price uses several jabs to work his way in and
rip the body with a left hand, and he gets in a short knee to the
midsection before Stephens turns him around. Price pulls his leg
back when a low kick comes at it, and he uses that same foot to jab
into Stephens’ torso. Stephens winds up on a looping punch or two,
and Price sees them coming and takes a few more body shots. Price
spins with a back kick that pounds into the side of Stephens, and
he shoots in for a double that mashes Stephens into the wire.
Stephens turns him about as they jockey for position, and he
absorbs a knee to the liver when hanging on. When they break,
Stephens is a foot short of a looping left hook. Price stays
composed with jabs, and he follows one with a one-two. Price snaps
the head back with a combination, and this seems to activate “Lil
Heathen” who gets ready to start brawling. Price uses head movement
and footwork to his advantage, staying away on the outside before
crashing in for a single. Stephens remains on his feet as he gets
pushed to the fence, but he manages to break free and start
marching forward. Stephens scores a calf kick that gets Price’s
attention, and Stephens gloms onto Price instead of striking it
more. Stephens hangs on in the clinch with half-hearted body
punches, and Price ends the round with a few knees to the
chest.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Price
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Price

Round 3

Price is quick to start off the last round with a takedown, and the
defense of Stephens is strong enough to bowl the Irishman over and
put him on his backside. Price closes his guard, and he suddenly
whips his leg around to attack a leglock. Stephens sees this coming
and steps out, and both men get to their feet. Price kicks the
chest, and he slides out of the way when Stephens throws hammers at
him. “Magic Myles” digs a left to the body, and he attempts to
throw Stephens to the mat. Stephens keeps his balance on his knees
and stands up to jam Price into the fencing, and he muscles Price
to keep him in this position. Price turns the tables, finally hits
the takedown he is seeking, and puts Stephens on the mat. Stephens
looks to close his guard, but Price is quick in advancing to half
guard and he stays busy with left hands from on top. The pace slows
to a crawl with Price in this position from above, and Grice tells
them to keep working. The Irishman keeps just active enough with
strikes, and Stephens sits up against the fence in hopes of walking
up. Price smartly pulls Stephens back down, and he embraces the
grind all while Grice keeps telling them to fight. Price hangs on
with all his might, doing little else besides maintaining control,
and Stephens posts off his hands and tries to do anything to stand.
With less than 10 seconds to go, Stephens does, and he throws
caution to the wind. “Lil Heathen” blitzes his opponent with a few
haymakers, and Price blocks them and protects himself until the
final bell rings. This could be a close one, and the victor will
most likely not reach the playoffs due to how closely scored this
will be.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)

The Official Result

Jeremy Stephens def. Myles Price via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28)

Round 1

At the end of this lightweight pairing, one of these two surprising
successes with PFL will have to lose for the first time under its
banner. Whether it is 2021 champ Manfio (16-3, 5-0 PFL), or ex-UFC
talent Aubin-Mercier (14-5, 3-0 PFL), the betting lines on this
match are the closest of any fight on the whole card. Although “The
Canadian Gangster” will come in as a slight favorite, he pays it no
mind, and he pleasantly offers a glove touch to his opponent in
front of referee Nate Mann. Manfio leads off with a kick up the
middle, and he jumps forward with two punches. Aubin-Mercier bats
them away and tries to find his range, and the two hand-fight with
their arms outstretched. The Canadian tosses out a few kicks, but
neither have engaged with anything of note in the first minute.
This stalemate continues as they paw at one another with
half-hearted kicks, and Aubin-Mercier suddenly springs into action
with a left hand over the top that bounces off the shoulder. Manfio
reaches out with a few kicks to the body, and they have reddened up
Aubin-Mercier’s side already. Aubin-Mercier tosses up a high kick
that gets easily blocked, and he comes up just short with a looping
right hand. “The Canadian Gangster” fakes a takedown effort, and he
kicks the 2021 champ in the side. Aubin-Mercier times a body kick
with a right hand over the top, very possibly landing the first
clean punch after 3:30 of non-combat. Aubin-Mercier sits down on a
body kick that lands with an audible thud, and Manfio takes it
flush without missing a beat. Manfio tries to come over the top
with a looping left hand, and he push kicks the Canadian in the
chest. “OAM” replies with a kick to the body, and he blocks a head
kick just in time. Aubin-Mercier scores low kicks with both of his
own legs, and he takes one back from Manfio. Manfio pushes out a
front kick, and Aubin-Mercier counters him with a right over the
guard before the horn sounds to end this tepid round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 2

The lightweights touch gloves, and the two stand in front of one
another without throwing much of note after. Manfio goes after a
low kick, and he ducks a right hand counter that soars at his head.
A single low kick comes from Aubin-Mercier, and the hand fighting
continues as they possess alternate stances. They both throw big
punches, and both men miss the mark. Aubin-Mercier follows a failed
overhand left with a leg kick, and Manfio misses with a counter.
Aubin-Mercier scores a left and then pounds the liver with his
shin, and Manfio can only get one back with his own body kick.
Aubin-Mercier eventually goes to that same spot with another kick,
and Manfio backs up to the wall and has to protect himself from a
head kick. Manfio looks for short left check hooks, but
Aubin-Mercier is out of the way and able to stab his kick into
Manfio’s ribs. Aubin-Mercier absorbs a body kick and flirts with a
one-two, and Manfio knocks the air out when he is about a foot away
with a huge overhand right. Aubin-Mercier slides in with a step-in
right, and Manfio grabs his hands but cannot hold him. Instead, the
Brazilian chips with a low kick, and he gets jabbed in the face.
The strike totals are abysmal after nearly nine minutes of action,
but Aubin-Mercier holds the advantage as he blocks a body kick and
gives one back. They both punch one another in the midsection, and
Aubin-Mercier comes over the top with a left. The Canadian lets
loose with a heavy leg kick on the inside, and Manfio takes a funny
step to recover. The crowd begins to boo from the lack of action
throughout this match, and Aubin-Mercier spurs into action with a
couple jabs. Manfio reaches to the body, and Aubin-Mercier checks a
kick and pushes out his own right hand. The second round comes to a
close as boos rain down in the arena.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 3

The two greet in the middle with a glove touch, and they
immediately grab gloves with their arms outstretched to continue
hand fighting. Aubin-Mercier pulls his arm back and slugs Manfio in
the chops with a left hand, and Manfio takes it flush and tries to
kick low, only to get checked. Manfio nearly kicks his foe’s leg
out beneath him, but the strike is one-and-done as Aubin-Mercier
resets. Manfio kicks the same spot again, and he gets a little
frantic to push forward with punches, but Aubin-Mercier is there to
score with a right hand. Aubin-Mercier boots the body with his rear
leg again, and Manfio is walking his man down but not throwing.
Manfio tries to tie Aubin-Mercier up, and he lands a knee before
letting go. Manfio connects with a pair of low kicks, and
Aubin-Mercier wings a left that is well short of the mark. The
Canadian again slams his foot into the ribcage, and Manfio takes it
without budging and launches a right hand. Aubin-Mercier slips it
and circles away, and Manfio nearly catches him with a short left
hook. Aubin-Mercier gets pushed to the wall, and he turns Manfio
around and breaks away. Aubin-Mercier considers a takedown, and
Manfio stuffs him and gets off an uppercut. Manfio kicks and moves
forward, only to get bullied back with the power of “The Canadian
Gangster” in the clinch. When Manfio tries to let go with some
short clinch strikes, Aubin-Mercier pushes off and circles away.
Aubin-Mercier continues to move laterally, and he dodges a spinning
back kick from Manfio and slaps away a front kick. Aubin-Mercier
advances, rushing forward to jam Manfio into the wire, and he
considers a level change but cannot get there before Manfio pulls
him back upright. Manfio is trapped against the fence as
Aubin-Mercier lands a knee or two, and loud boos rain down. When
they break away, Manfio tries to charge, but he cannot catch his
foe before the horn blares. The fans are incensed, but the fight is
mercifully over. The Canadian successfully earned a place in the
playoffs with his lackluster decision win, doing so by improving
his point total to 6.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27
Aubin-Mercier)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27
Aubin-Mercier)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27
Aubin-Mercier)

The Official Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Raush Manfio via Unanimous Decision
(30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

It’s an all-Brazil battle in the co-main event, when 2021 light
heavyweight champ Carlos Jr. (14-5, 2 NC; 4-0, 1 NC PFL) takes on
the recently knocked out Souto (15-4, 1-1 PFL). Coming into this
card, Carlos Jr. held the pole position at 205 pounds with six
points and the tiebreaker of a 29-second victory under his belt,
and another quick win would recertify that spot for him as he vies
for a top seed again. Referee Kevin MacDonald will receive the
honor of presiding over this matchup, and the countrymen do touch
‘em up before coming out fighting. Souto throws out several low
kicks early, and he slides back from a jab. Carlos Jr. prods out
with multiple jabs, and he chases one with a right hand. Souto
continues to irritate the 2021 champ with low kicks, but he does
not throw any other strikes while working on that kick. Carlos Jr.
blocks a body kick, and he nearly gets countered over the top.
Souto walks through a jab and kicks Carlos Jr.’s leg hard, and
“Shoeface” comes forward with two punches to the body. As time
continues to elapse, Delan Monte from earlier tonight has
officially made the playoffs, thanks to the time in the first round
and the possibility of an early finish for Souto. This does not
appear to be in the cards for Souto, as Carlos Jr. closes in and
takes him down to the mat. “Soldado de Cristo” fights his way to a
salvageable position, and he wall-walks without giving up his back.
Carlos Jr. keeps pinned to his opponent, in search of some takedown
effort, and he settles for knees to the body. The knee strikes from
Carlos Jr. continue as stay-busy efforts to remain tied up against
the wall, and MacDonald shows no sign of stepping in to break them
up. Carlos Jr. keeps tightly pressed against his opponent until he
drops down for a single, and he whips Souto down to the mat for a
moment. Souto springs back up without much concern, at least from a
submission danger perspective, but he cannot get Carlos Jr. off of
him. Souto finally gets a break and pushes off with seconds to
spare in the round, and he absorbs a front kick and a jab as the
bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.

Round 2

The two touch gloves to start off the second frame, and Souto is
glad to be upright with some distance, and he celebrates this with
a few leg kicks. Souto skips back and forth, landing a kick or two
and hopping back when Carlos Jr. tries to counter him with punches.
Carlos Jr. reaches him with a right hand down the pipe, and Souto
keeps his leg kicks going without much concern. Souto turns into
several low kicks, and Carlos Jr. is showing some issues on his
wheel after absorbing these unanswered strikes. “Cara de Sapato”
fires off punches when Souto kicks him, but Souto is able to recoil
his leg fast enough and step back before getting punched. When
Souto kicks the body, Carlos Jr. jabs his way into a clinch, and he
hunts for a body lock takedown. When that fails, Carlos Jr. knees
him right square in the gut. Carlos Jr. rips his man off the cage
wall and tosses him down to the mat, and where Souto sits with his
back to the fencing. Souto springs back up and gives up his back in
the process, allowing Carlos Jr. to jump up on his back
momentarily. Souto fights off any hook and works his way up, but
Carlos Jr. has other intentions. Carlos Jr. continues to work for
any takedown he can muster, be it a body lock with a trip, or a
double that comes out of nowhere, but Souto’s defense largely holds
up with his back getting ground into the fence. Carlos Jr. pulls
him away and nearly grounds him, but he settles for shoving Souto
back to the wall. Souto is nullified in these positions, and while
he stays upright, he is not making Carlos Jr. pay for anything.
Carlos Jr. breaks free of his own accord, and he wings two punches
that blow past his opponent. Souto aims a head kick up high, but it
gets blocked at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.

Round 3

The Brazilians hug it out to begin the last round, and the Atlanta
crowd boos them for this. The fighters then step back and throw
kicks at the same time, and their shins clack together in ugly
fashion. Souto doubles up on leg kicks as Carlos Jr. is firing back
with little else besides jabs, and these kicks are again adding up.
Carlos Jr. takes a front kick, and when Souto advances, Carlos Jr.
snatches hold of him and clinches in pursuit of a takedown. The
body lock does not succeed for Carlos Jr., even when he lifts Souto
off the ground momentarily, as “Soldado de Cristo” remains
standing. Carlos Jr. looks for a single, but with Souto squeezed up
against the wall, Carlos Jr. cannot get a grip on it. Carlos Jr.
elects to simply press him to the wall, and he spins Souto around
and almost gets his back standing. They both continue twirling in
entertaining fashion while tied up, and Souto manages to get the
better of it and turns Carlos Jr. back to the wall. “Shoeface”
turns him back to the wire as the crowd begins to boo, as it is
beginning to tire of the wall-and-stall tactics of the 2021
champion. Carlos Jr. cannot get leverage for a takedown, with Souto
staying strong and keeping his underhooks skillfully. MacDonald has
seen enough after Carlos Jr. hangs on, and he splits them up. Souto
fires off a head kick that collides with the guard, and Carlos Jr.
crashes forward with a double-leg takedown that takes Souto off of
his feet. When Souto works his way back to the wall, Carlos Jr.
steps into mount, and he starts raining down left hands. Souto
ignores them and start to fight his up, but Carlos Jr. sucks his
hips out and drags him down again. A few more punches from Carlos
Jr. collide with the gloves of his opponent, and the final bell
rings. The two countrymen embrace and talk it out after 15 minutes
of combat. Barring something strange, Carlos Jr. has done enough to
pick up three more points, ending his season with nine and the
third seed in his division.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos Jr.)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos
Jr.)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos
Jr.)

The Official Result

Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Bruce Souto via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the headliner. The pairing, with
clear playoff stakes on the line for both men, comes in the
lightweight division. Fresh off a thrilling battle with fellow PFL
4 competitor Stephens, Collard (21-9, 1 NC; 3-1 PFL) is ready and
rearing to brawl it out with Peruvian up-and-comer Martinez (9-2, 1
NC; 2-2 PFL). The final assignment of the night goes to referee
Blake Grice, and the respect is enough for a glove touch to come
before the fists fly. Martinez is the initial aggressor, taking the
center of the cage and shrugging off a leg kick. Collard comes out
swinging, and Martinez leans back to avoid them. They both throw
leg kicks, and Collard again blitzes forward to no effect. Martinez
clips “Cassius Clay” coming forward, and Collard bites down on his
mouthpiece and pushes into a clinch. The Paraguay native breaks the
clinch up and works the low kick on the calf, but Collard replies
in kind. Collard sneaks in a right hand, and he absorbs a chopping
calf kick on the way out. Collard reaches out with a jab, and
Martinez is fast and able to slip and rip the body with a kick.
Collard again tries to tie his man up, working the body on the way
in, and Martinez dances out of the way before Collard can grab him.
Collard does succeed on a second attempt, and a body lock takedown
effort fails. When Martinez backs off, they trade punches to the
body, and Martinez appears compromised from low body shot. As they
continue to throw, Grice pauses them due to hanging tape from
Collard’s gloves. When it gets cut and they resume, Collard pursues
body shots. Martinez attempts to take him down to slow the body
work down, and Collard stops it and continues to pound on the ribs
of his man. Collard uses his momentum to bowl Martinez over, and he
tries to land some strikes to the sides when landing. Martinez
manages to kick him off, and Collard backs him away and tells him
to stand up. Martinez digs a low kick that buckles Collard’s knee,
and he flings a high kick that Collard catches. The American trips
Martinez down to the ground, and he leaps in the air in the vein of
Dan Henderson to smash down his forearm. Martinez sees it coming
and blocks it, and Collard looks to get off some ground-and-pound,
only for Martinez to explode back up. When Martinez works to his
feet, Collard suddenly attacks a rear-naked choke standing, and
Martinez is able to wriggle out and get back to kickboxing range.
Collard takes a few kicks to work his way forward with jabs and
body punches, and one left makes Martinez double over briefly. The
recklessness of Collard works against him, when Martinez scoops him
off his feet and dumps him to the mat. Martinez scores some
punches, and he topples over to his back thanks to a Collard trip
right at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Collard

Round 2

The gloves get touched to start off the second round, and Collard
is the one plodding forward this round. Collard just leans to the
side when a front kick comes at his face, and he lets go with a
lazy leg kick and gets cracked over the top with a right hand. The
Paraguay native sinks in another heavy leg kick, and he starts
using effective jabs to keep Collard at bay momentarily. A few of
these jabs have cut open the bridge of Collard’s nose, but he
completely ignores it so that he can charge in with a punch
combination that ends with a few to the body. Collard absorbs a
kick or two so that he can load up on power punches, and two left
hands from him connect flush. This leads Martinez into a takedown
effort, although he cannot fully ground Collard. The investment of
Martinez with his legs kicks appears to be slightly paying off, but
Collard is doing the same with his damaging body blows. A swarming
combination from “Cassius Clay” knocks Martinez clean off his feet,
and Collard leaps into the position to land standing-to-ground
punches. Martinez hunts for a submission off his back, and Collard
throws the legs to the side to get a better position. Martinez
powers through and finds himself in submission danger for an armbar
from Collard. Martinez slides his arm out, and he takes Collard
from behind. Collard somersaults to try to break the grip, and when
Martinez follows him, he does this again. Martinez will not let go
of him, and he suddenly finds himself taking Collard’s back.
Martinez locks up the body lock in an instant, and he follows this
with a rear-naked choke that surprises Collard completely. Collard
is now firmly entrenched in the danger zone, and he turns to both
sides in an effort to break the leg grip and the one around his
neck. With great effort, Collard grits it out and fights off the
grip around his throat. When he turns, Martinez hangs onto his back
standing. Collard cannot buck his foe off until the horn sounds.
That wild round could definitely go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Martinez

Round 3

A final glove touch checks in the last round of the evening, and
Martinez lashes out first with a heavy leg kick. Collard powers
through it to throw a left hand, but Martinez catches him on the
way forward. Collard wings a left to the body, and he ducks down to
throw bombs. Martinez replies with a stern combination of his own,
and he gets out a front kick to back Collard off for a moment.
Collard doubles down on body shots when Martinez attempts a
takedown, and Martinez manages to secure it with a single when he
runs the pipe and puts “Cassius Clay” on his back. Martinez looks
to set up a possible arm-triangle choke where he is, but he prefers
position of submission, as Collard is doing everything in his power
to stand up. Collard does this, working his way to his knees and
then up. Collard lifts Martinez’ left leg all the way in the air,
tripping Martinez out, but Martinez manages to get the upper hand
and grab Collard from the side. Collard turns his attack into a
single, and when Martinez falls to the mat, he does so when sinking
in a guillotine choke. Martinez tries to re-secure his hooks when
the first squeeze does not do anything, and Collard manages to
wrench his neck out of danger and stand back up. Collard thinks of
lording over his man with low kicks, but he backs off and they
reset in the center of the cage with two minutes left on the clock.
Martinez nails Collard with a low kick, and he has two punches that
land flush shortly after. When Martinez throws more kicks, Collard
bumps straight into his foe and bowls him over. Collard lets
Martinez stand back up so that he can drill him with a right hand,
and he batters the body with several punches. Collard kicks the
same spot, leading to a takedown effort from the Paraguay native.
When that fails, he flops to his back, and he is let back up.
Martinez ducks a punch to go after a takedown, and Collard looks
for a kimura to reverse him. Martinez manages to yank Collard down
to the floor, and he takes top position with 20 seconds left in the
frame. A few punches from Martinez lead to an arm-triangle try, but
he does end the fight on top when the choke is nowhere to be found.
Scores could be all over the map here, as both men believe they
have won this 15-minute battle. The winner of this fight will make
the playoffs, while the losing party goes home. With that, the
regular season for light heavyweights and most lightweights –
beyond Anthony Pettis vs. Steven Ray at 155 pounds in seven days –
is in the books. Next week, heavyweights, featherweights and
Pettis-Ray will be up. We will be here for it, and we hope you are
too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)

The Official Result

Alex Martinez def. Clay Collard via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,
29-28)

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