PFL 6 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Round 1

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. We’re so
glad you could attend PFL 6: 2022 Regular Season, come inside, come
inside. There inside a cage stands a real women’s lightweight
contest between Kolesnyk (6-4, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) and Melo (11-9, 0-1
PFL), be careful as you pass, move along, move along. Come inside,
the show’s about to start, guaranteed to blow referee Jimmy Neely’s
head apart. Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth, the
greatest show in heaven, heck or Atlanta. You’ve got to see the
show, it’s starting with a glove touch between the two ladies. The
Ukrainian immediately opens up with a front kick and several jabs,
and when the punches do not land, she goes for another leg kick.
The UFC vet Melo cannot find her range, as she walks into repeated
slapping inside low kicks. Kolesnyk rings off a one-two, and she
takes a step back to avoid a counter and goes back to a heavy kick
to the knee. Kolesnyk pushes out several jabs, and she follows one
with an ill-advised head kick. The Brazilian snags it right out of
the air after it bumps into her shoulder, and she dumps Kolesnyk
right down to the mat. The woman known as “Miss Congeniality” is
quick to circle around and take Kolesnyk’s back, but she cannot get
a hook in. Kolesnyk powers back to her feet off the fence, and she
gains some space to get back to her preferred striking range. The
action falters as Kolesnyk measures her opponent from the outside,
and Melo does little more than absorb the occasional leg kick and
paw out with punches that are well short of the mark. They trade
low kicks, as Melo tries to pay her opponent back for them, and
Kolesnyk pierces the guard with a few more jabs. As Kolesnyk flicks
out unanswered jabs, Melo suddenly darts forward for a double-leg
takedown to attempt to drag the fight to the mat. Getting shoved
into the wall, Kolesnyk is able to trip Melo’s legs out beneath her
and use the takedown try against her, where she lands in side
control with 30 seconds left. Kolesnyk clings to a possible scarf
hold from on top, using her shoulder pressure to hold on tightly,
until the bell sounds. 10-9 Kolesnyk.

Round 2

The second round kicks off with a glove touch, and Melo is a bit
more aggressive as she swipes out with a few right hooks to make
Kolesnyk get on her bike. When Melo comes forward with a few more
fists flying, Kolesnyk intercepts her with a sharp jab. Kolesnyk
circles on the outside, avoiding or rolling with the strikes that
reach her from Melo, and staying safe with her jab outstretched
frequently. Kolesnyk pops Melo with a short right hook to little
effect, as Melo walks her down but cannot trap or corner her.
Kolesnyk swings a right hand to get Melo to back off, but Melo is
constantly plodding forward towards her. While Melo continues to
walk Kolesnyk down, she cannot cut her off, and still absorbs the
occasional leg kick or jab. Kolesnyk goes to the body with a kick,
and Melo times an overhand right in a response. Melo whiffs on a
punch and a kick, and Kolesnyk is able to easily time a right hand
and a chopping low kick in a stern reply. They both land single
hooks on one another, and Kolesnyk keeps on moving. Melo recklessly
comes at her with a charge, but Kolesnyk cleanly connects with a
left hand as she does. A switch kick to the body does succeed for
the Ukrainian, but it is one-and-done. Melo swings and misses with
a looping strike, and she leans back as a head kick zooms past her.
The tepid round comes to an end. 10-9 Kolesnyk.

Round 3

Melo does not play with a glove touch to start off the final frame,
instead rushing out to throw hands. Kolesnyk blocks the oncoming
fire and lets go with a high kick and then one to the legs. Melo
swings back, hitting nothing but air, and Kolesnyk returns to her
more comfortable range pot shotting from a safe distance. Melo
looks to line up an overhand right when Kolesnyk kicks low, and she
cannot quite get it off after attempting this twice. The Brazilian
pushes forward with her hands down, allowing Kolesnyk to punch her
in the face and very nearly kick her. Melo swarms forward with a
winging strike, and Kolesnyk dances out of the way and marks her
face up with a one-two. Melo does serious damage to the air with a
combination of punches, but not a single one connects on Kolesnyk
as the Ukrainian is able to avoid every single one. Melo ducks a
right hook to crash forward for a body lock, and she jams Kolesnyk
up against the wire. Kolesnyk explodes out of the position and
knees Melo in the sternum on the way out, and when she backs off,
she delivers a jumping switch kick to the chest. Kolesnyk strings
together a few punches before ending a combination with a head
kick, and finding her target, she does this exact same series of
punches with a high kick two more times. Melo blocks them as best
as she can, only to find herself absorbing a straight left hand
when Kolesnyk mixes up her combos. Kolesnyk picks and pokes with
jabs and straight punches, and Melo cannot get anything going on
her end as Kolesnyk is evasive. Kolesnyk flirts with a spinning
back fist, only for it to easily bounce off Melo’s high guard. Melo
lunges out with a jab, but she does not follow it and instead
absorbs a low kick. Kolesnyk pushes out with a front kick and a
jab, and she sneaks in a left hook to follow it. Two punches lead
to three kicks for Kolesnyk, who decides to follow these with a
takedown try to seal the fight. The 15-minute affair comes to a
close, and Melo’s nose starts leaking as a result of the final
salvo of absorbed strikes. This should be a clear-cut win for
“Cannon” Kolesnyk, who will find herself with six points and hope
that is enough to move on to the playoffs. 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27
Kolesnyk).

The Official Result

Helena Kolesnyk def. Vanessa Melo via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

Round 1

The women’s lightweight division is still wide open for qualifiers,
as Jindrova (5-2, 2-0 PFL) comes into this fight with three points
while her opponent Fayzallanova (7-2, 0-1 PFL) has not earned any
yet. A finish could put either 155er in the playoffs, although they
do combine for six decisions across their 12 total wins. Referee
Blake Grice will be there the whole time, whether it lasts for 15
seconds or 15 minutes, and the competitors touch gloves before
getting to it. Jindrova engages after a 20-second lull with a leg
kick that lands with a slap. She goes for another, and she follows
it with a right hook that Fayzallanova dodges. Jindrova steps
forward with a right hand down the pipe, and she gets jabbed to the
body in response. Jindrova scores a body kick and comes up short
with follow-up punches. The Czech fighter introduces her shin to
Fayzallanova’s chin, and “Bopay” is stunned and standing straight
up. Jindrova loads up on a few right hands, sensing her opponent is
hurt, and she forces Fayzallanova to shoot in for a takedown on
her. Jindrova stuffs it with ease and tags her with an overhand
right, and she chains a head kick into the flurry. Jindrova walks
Fayzallanova down with a strong of punches, rocking Fayzallanova
and dropping her down to a knee. Jindrova unleashes a fury with
punches and knees and she comes into the clinch, and one knee
strikes Fayzallanova in the groin. Jindrova walks off as Grice
intervenes, thinking she has won, but she has to pull it back when
realizing it was a foul. Fayzallanova recovers and is ready to come
back out fighting, and Jindrova tags her with several punches.
Fayzallanova shoots for another takedown, and she takes a strike to
the gut that bends her over. Fayzallanova tries to keep a stiff
upper lip, and she drops down for a takedown, but Jindrova is
easily able to stop her. Fayzallanova grabs the glove of her
opponent and is called on it, and Jindrova rips her hand back and
rails into Fayzallanova with punches in bunches. Grice tells
Fayzallanova to fight back, so Fayzallanova wings a right hand to
stave him off.
A few more punches from Jindrova forces Fayzallanova to slide to
her back on the mat, in hopes of reversing position or going after
a takedown, but it just makes Fayzallanova fall back into the wall
behind her. Jindrova lords over her with standing-to-ground
punches, and as she continues to hammer Fayzallanova, Grice decides
that Fayzallanova is no longer intelligently defending herself and
stops the fight. This six-point stoppage for Jindrova
clinches her a spot in the playoffs, putting away her opponent
without breaking a sweat.

The Official Result

Martina Jindrova def. Zamzagul Fayzallanova R1 4:04 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

This classic battle between Russia and Mexico will conclude the
preliminary portion of this event, with Mokhnatkina (6-3, 1-1 PFL)
and Montes (3-1, 1-1 PFL) each vying to get on the board at 155
pounds. With both women coming off decision losses, something’s got
to give here. A respectful glove touch while referee Rob Hinds
watches on seals the cage around them, and Mokhnatkina is the
immediate aggressor, walking Montes down and throwing hands. Montes
tries to keep her at bay with jabs, but Mokhnatkina strings
together multiple one-twos to drive Montes back. The Mexican
fighter sits down on a low kick, and Mokhnatkina tries to snatch it
up and do something with it, but she cannot get it in time. Montes
counters an advancing Mokhnatkina with a few heavy blows, but the
Russian responds in kind and drills her with a right hand.
Mokhnatkina pushes forward to take the fight to the ground, and she
drops Montes to a knee briefly but cannot keep her there. Montes
spins off the cage and lines up a one-two down the middle.
Mokhnatkina snaps the head back with her own powerful punch, and
these two lightweights are cracking one another. One lands, the
other responds, and then they land at the exact same time with
right hands. Montes gathers herself faster and kicks low, and
Mokhnatkina tries to do the same only to get popped with a right
hand down the pipe. Not to be outdone, Mokhnatkina gets off a clean
right hand, and one more right after it. She chains together
several quick punches, leading Montes to back off and kick her lead
leg. Mokhnatkina ignores it and crashes towards her, flailing her
fists, and she jams Montes back to the cage wall. They jockey for
position without much else coming, and Montes breaks and scores a
right. Montes swings a left hand after sliding away from an
oncoming strike, and they simultaneously connect with punches.
Mokhnatkina gets caught with a right hand when winging punches, and
she plants the all of her foot on Montes’ torso when Montes comes
at her. They brawl it out, and Mokhnatkina grabs her in the middle
of the cage for a clinch, only to get pushed back with a knee.
Mokhnatkina blasts Montes with a huge right hand, and Montes does
not flinch. The horn sounds, and because of the first round ending,
Kolesnyk from the first fight tonight has now clinched her spot in
the playoffs due to the fact that neither woman in this fight can
earn six points and catch her. 10-9 Mokhnatkina.

Round 2

Mokhnatkina comes out ready to strike again, and she does exactly
that, with jabs and solid right hands to follow. Montes rolls with
them and tries to fire back, but Mokhnatkina is able to get out of
the way in time. Mokhnatkina catches a body kick and attempts to
turn it into a single-leg takedown, but Montes recoils her leg in
time. The Russian rushes forward, using her momentum to mash Montes
into the fencing, but she cannot keep her there. Montes turns her
out and knees her in the belly, and they split up. Montes tries to
use kicks to find her range, but they all miss the mark as
Mokhnatkina dips back and darts in to smack her with a right hand.
Montes responds with a similar strike, and she gets on her bike and
looks to set up a jab. Mokhnatkina does not bite on any of these,
instead winding up with several massive right hands that stun
Montes. The fighter from Mexico instinctively tosses out a kick,
and Mokhnatkina catches it and uses it to push Montes back to the
wall. Montes twists out of it, and she manages to get off a
three-punch salvo to drive Mokhnatkina back a step. Montes looses
several punches to get Mokhnatkina’s attention, and her strikes are
getting the Russian to attempt a takedown. Montes lays into her
with a flush knee to the chest, and she appears to have more gas in
the tank than her opponent as Mokhnatkina may be fatiguing.
Mokhnatkina’s punches come more labored, and Montes’ are straighter
or faster. Mokhnatkina sticks out a jab straight down the middle to
break up a Montes spinning strike, and she pursues a takedown when
Montes is getting the upper hand. The Russian goes for a single,
and she trips Montes down to set her on the ground. Montes
scrambles to get to the wall, and as she does, Mokhnatkina takes
her back. Mokhnatkina latches a rear-naked choke that is not under
the jaw, and she crushes on it with what appears to be more of a
neck crank as she cannot find the leverage. Mokhnatkina squeezes
with all her might, but the mighty Montes will not surrender. The
bell sounds before a finish can materialize. 10-9 Mokhnatkina.

Round 3

The lightweights meet in the middle to throw down to start off the
final round, and they both land flush early and often. Montes
rushes out with jabs and a right hand, and the latter does not
connect while the jabs do. Montes uses the jab to keep her
distance, and Mokhnatkina steps in with a right hook and tries to
clinch up. Montes fights off the takedown entry and lines up a few
punches, but Mokhnatkina is there to answer her with a heavier
blow. Mokhnatkina strings together two punches, and Montes replies
with identical strikes. After an exchange, Mokhnatkina darts in for
a takedown, and she gets stood up and pushed back. The ladies trade
body kicks, and Mokhnatkina tries to catch the one that strikes her
but cannot grasp it. Montes backs away before a takedown can come,
but her guard is down, allowing Mokhnatkina to drill her with heavy
punches. Mokhnatkina lets loose with a spinning back fist, and
Montes ducks in the nick of time. They go one after the other with
punches until Mokhnatkina charges for a body lock takedown. The
woman from Mexico stuffs her and knees her up the middle, and she
breaks away. Mokhnatkina pushes out a front kick and leans back
from a looping punch, and Montes swings wildly and finds herself
fighting off another takedown. Montes succeeds in stuffing it, and
she cracks Mokhnatkina with a right hand. Montes sprawls and stops
another takedown, and she makes Mokhnatkina pay with several
punches and a thudding kick to the body. Mokhnatkina releases a
right hand to get respect back, but Montes is coming at her guns
blazing. Montes ignores the overhand rights that land flush on her
chin so that she can fire back, and she is a woman on a mission
throwing everything she has left into her strikes. Montes wings
punches and the occasional body kick, and she nails Mokhnatkina
with a big right hand. They throw hands right to the bell, putting
an end to an exciting and close contest. The three points to the
victor will not likely be enough to move on to the playoffs, but it
may at least get them a call in 2023 for another opportunity if the
division lives on next year. 10-9 Montes (29-28 Mokhnatkina).

The Official Result

Marina Mokhnatkina def. Abigail Montes via Split Decision (30-27,
27-30, 30-27)

Round 1

The match was canceled after weigh-ins on Friday, when Aleksakhin
withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Leal has been awarded three
walkover points, ending his season at 170 pounds with six total
points.

Round 1

The main card of the last 2022 regular season PFL card will
commence in the welterweight division. Jordan’s own Al-Silawi
(18-3, 2-0 PFL) will get a chance to pad his total of three points
currently, but he will have to do so against undefeated Russian
finisher Umalatov (11-0, 2-0 PFL). The latter came into PFL as a
“showcase” fighter in 2021, and he went the distance for the first
time in his career in his last outing. Referee Jimmy Neely will
watch over this 170-pound affair, and the gentlemen touch gloves
before coming out fighting. Neither man lands a single strike in
the first 60 seconds of the fight, and the undefeated fighter
suddenly ends the lull in the action to blitz forward and push
Al-Silawi into the wall. Al-Silawi breaks the grip and circles
away, and he scores a low kick. Umalatov replies in kind. Another
lengthy period of inactivity resumes for the welterweights, and
Neely asks them to actually fight. The boos rain loud in the
building as they stare at one another from a safe distance, and
Umalatov pokes with a low kick. Al-Silawi considers clinching up to
generate some offense, and Umalatov meets him with a few knees to
the body before separating. Umalatov punches his way forward, and
he grazes his opponent with one punch but cannot find the rest. As
Al-Silawi retreats before being clinched up, Umalatov reaches out
with a standing back fist that rattles Al-Silawi unexpectedly and
drops him to a knee. “The Jordanian Lion” finds himself on sudden
wobbly legs, and he backpedals to get his bearings. The Russian
will not let him off the hook, charging forward with a left hand
that glances off the chin.
Umalatov avoids half-hearted punch from his opponent, and he slings
a bomb of a right hand that explodes on the chin of Al-Silawi.
Al-Silawi crashes to the ground, already out cold, and Umalatov
shouts out in victory, knowing his work here is done.
From zero to 60 the Russian went, giving him his 11th finish across
12 wins with zero defeats, and arguably none more important than
this one. Umalatov is instantly on the board with six points, but a
playoff spot is not necessarily guaranteed. Nevertheless, the
Russian did exactly what he needed to do, making his one appearance
this year count in a big way.

The Official Result

Magomed Umalatov def. Jarrah Al-Silawi R1 3:33 via KO (Punch)

Round 1

Before the big UFC 276 card on Saturday that features three City
Kickboxing standouts, Fabian (5-2, 4-2 PFL) will represent the
popular gym on a major stage. With negative 1 point thanks to a
weight miss, she will have to finish the fight to even hope to
reach the playoffs. Against her stands Pacheco (16-4, 5-2 PFL), the
only woman to face Kayla Harrison twice and never get finished. The
action is sure to come hard and fast between these two
lightweights, and referee Blake Grice will need to be on his A game
here. There is a touch of gloves, and Pacheco rushes out to punch
Fabian square in the face. She does just that, and she bullies
Fabian back to the wall. Fabian circles out, taking punishment, and
gets cracked with a fast right hand that shakes her up badly. The
Kiwi shoots for a desperation takedown, and Pacheco easily stuffs
it and walks around to take her back. Fabian stands all the way up
and walks to the wall, only for Pacheco to rip her legs out from
behind and drop her right on her face. Pacheco lands in full mount,
and she drops down a punch or two before opting to set up an
arm-triangle choke. Pacheco locks down and crushes with her
shoulder, and Fabian answers the telephone in defense while Pacheco
remains in mount with a grueling squeeze. Pacheco resets her grip
and steps to one side in hopes of securing the choke, and she opts
to take a three-quarter mount to lock it in again. Fabian remains
composed and tries to grit it out, so Pacheco steps back into full
mount. The Brazilian releases the grip and starts slugging away,
belting Fabian with a plethora of unanswered right hands.

“Fabioso” turns to her side, so Pacheco blasts her with her left
instead, until she presses Fabian flat on her back. Knowing the
finish is around the corner and Grice is paying close attention,
Pacheco batters her opponent with furious fists until Grice has to
rescue her from any further damage. The 2019 runner-up
easily claims the no. 1 seed in her division by destroying both of
her foes in this regular season, and she is the only fighter this
year so far to earn the maximum of 12 points. Kayla Harrison looks
on from her dressing room with disinterest, but who knows if this
version of Pacheco could give her a run for her money.

The Official Result

Larissa Pacheco def. Genah Fabian R1 2:39 via TKO (Punches)

Round 1

cage, and he will do so attempting to bounce back from his first
defeat under the company’s banner. He takes on late replacement
“The Postman” Taylor (9-1, 2-0 PFL), and he will try to deliver
himself a spot in the playoffs and will likely need to stop the
fight to get there. The cage commander for this welterweight
matchup is referee Rob Hinds, who will stoically police the cage
after the two men touch gloves. The two trade leg kicks to start
things off, and Magomedkerimov goes after another as Taylor recoils
his leg quickly. Magomedkerimov steps forward to fire off a big
left hand, and Taylor takes it flush and does a quick count of his
teeth. Magomedkerimov slaps home a kick to the body, and he is well
out of the way when Taylor tries to come at him with a few punches.
Magomedkerimov throws a right hand so hard, Taylor sees it coming
and attempts to duck under and take him down, but he cannot land
the takedown. Magomedkerimov aims his punches but cannot find his
intended target, as Taylor is light on his feet and flicking out a
jab or two. “The Postman” jabs the body a few times, and he leans
back just as a head kick whizzes past his head. The welterweights
clinch up, and Taylor scoots out of the way before Magomedkerimov
can catch him with an overhand right. Magomedkerimov further swings
two looping strikes, but the evasiveness for Taylor is giving the
Russian fits. Magomedkerimov jumps forward with a flying knee, and
the foot slams into the cup. Taylor takes a funny step as Hinds
asks him if he is alright, and Taylor tells him he can continue.
Magomedkerimov marches his man down, changes levels and throws
Taylor down emphatically. Taylor closes his guard tightly around
the waist, but as Magomedkerimov is not Anthony Pettis, the body
triangle does not concern Magomedkerimov. Taylor manages to buck
and kick Magomedkerimov off of him, and he snags the fence and gets
drilled with a standing-to-ground punch. Taylor explodes back to
his feet, and Magomedkerimov follows him and dramatically whips him
back down to the mat. The round ends shortly after Taylor hits the
canvas. 10-9 Magomedkerimov.

Round 2

The welterweights touch ‘em up to start off the round, and
Magomedkerimov begins with a quick low kick. Taylor replies with
one of his own, and he walks face-first into a jab. Magomedkerimov
stomps with a kick to the knee after Taylor swipes at his body, and
he uses this kick to great effect once more as Taylor comes in.
Taylor releases a naked leg kick, and Magomedkerimov winds up with
a booming right hand that crashes right into Taylor’s jaw. The
Florida native eats it like a Cuban sandwich and continues marching
forward, much to the surprise of Magomedkerimov. The Russian aims
another such right hand when seeing that Taylor tosses out the same
kick without any setup. This time, Taylor blocks the blow and
swings a left hook that misses the mark by an inch. Taylor begins
to soften up the lead leg of his opponent with strikes on the
inside, and Magomedkerimov times his massive right hand to rock
“The Postman.” Taylor wobbles but gets cracked once more as
Magomedkerimov is swinging for the fences, and he gathers himself
and circles away. Magomedkerimov goes for a spinning wheel kick,
but that collides with the shoulder.
Magomedkerimov clobbers Taylor with a brutal right hand, and he
chains it into a flying knee that somehow reaches the chin. Knowing
Taylor is in a bad way, “MMK” releases a final barrage of punches,
knocking Taylor back into the fence and ricocheting off of it into
more strikes. Magomedkerimov pours it on while Taylor is barely
conscious and still on his feet, and Hinds steps in to award the
standing knockout for the Russian. Magomedkerimov
earns five points for his victory, and he puts rival Ray Cooper III
in a tough spot to qualify for the playoffs – the latter will need
a first-round finish in the next bout to tie Magomedkerimov with
five points.

The Official Result

Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Dilano Taylor R2 3:26 via TKO
(Punches)

Round 1

Returning champ Cooper III (24-8-1, 11-3-1 PFL) – who will be
henceforth listed below simply as his first name of
Ray due to the shared nature of their surnames –
will need to come out of the basement if he hopes to attain another
$1 million check. Luckily for him, he will take on Cooper (28-16,
1-1 PFL), who is also coming off of a deflating loss. Both
welterweights celebrate high finish rates, so referee Jimmy Neely
may not be needed for the whole stretch of the match. Whether they
do or not, it’s on without a glove touch. Ray is enraged from the
recent news that he will not make the playoffs, due to rule changes
and oddities from PFL. He charges out and starts blasting Cooper
with ferocious punches, backing “Fudoshin” up against the wall
fast. Ray rips the body and goes over the top several times, and a
left hand from Ray rocks his opponent.
Ray continues to beat down Cooper with punches interspersed by
brutal knees, until Cooper shells up against the wall. Ray targets
the liver with several vicious punches, and Cooper drops to a knee
in rough shape. “Bradda Boy” unleashes everything he has in a brief
onslaught of hellacious punches, and Neely dives in to save the
doomed Cooper. Ray walks off, still upset about not
being able to move on in the playoffs, but he could serve as an
alternate if need be. Anything can happen in MMA, and it often
does.

The Official Result

Ray Cooper III def. Brett Cooper R1 0:24 via TKO (Knees and
Punches)

Round 1

The co-main event sees the final welterweight match of the season,
where former Bellator champ MacDonald (23-8-1, 2-2 PFL) looks to
secure another finish to take the top seed. His opponent Sy
(10-6-2, 1 NC; 4-4-2, 1 NC PFL) will be attempting to lift his
company record above .500 in response – the same can be said for
MacDonald – with a much longer history as this is his fourth PFL
tourney. The in-cage official is Blake Grice, and the gloves barely
get touched before the fighters add violence to the cage. MacDonald
is advancing fast, and he shoots for a single in about five
seconds. The Canadian redoubles his effort to hit the takedown,
changing it to a double, but Sy is able to hop around to get his
balance and then put his back to the cage. Sy bounces off the wall
and gets free, where he wings a high kick that surprises “Red King”
and cuts his cheek open. MacDonald pushes forward for another
takedown, and he changes levels quickly for a single but cannot
take the Swedish fighter down. MacDonald tries with all his might
to get the fight down, even pulling guard for a moment in hopes of
a reversal, but Sy muscles him down. MacDonald springs back up and
jams Sy into the wall, and he rips a knee up high. The knee does
not reach the midsection, and instead pounds into the cup, causing
Grice to pause the match and allow Sy to recover. The fight resumes
after about a minute break, and Sy at range paws out a few jabs and
swats away a front kick. Sy splits the guard with a left, and
MacDonald attempts to pursue another takedown. When Sy stuffs him
easily, he pierces the guard with several more jabs and gives
MacDonald pause to come in. The Canadian wings a high kick, but it
only lands beneath the armpit. MacDonald punches his way into a
clinch attempt, and Sy counters him but ends up getting shoved
back. Sy takes a few flush shoulder strikes, and he leans back to
evade a head kick. With seconds left in the round, Sy walks away
and raises his hand in the air, and MacDonald is confused until the
bell actually sounds. 10-9 Sy.

Round 2

MacDonald starts the round off not with a takedown try but a front
kick, and Sy replies in kind. Sy looks to get his jab off, and he
reaches out with a kick, only for MacDonald to crash forward to
take him down. Grice pauses them when they clinch to tell them
something, possibly to watch out for clashing heads, and he resumes
them in that position. MacDonald goes after a Thai clinch and tries
to spam knees, but Sy absorbs just one before turning MacDonald
back to the wall. They jockey for position, spinning the other
around in a big of a dance together. MacDonald mashes Sy into the
wall while doing little else in the way of offense, holding him
against the wire and putting his weight on his foe. This grueling
position continues as fans begin to rain down boos and Grice asks
them to work, leading Sy to try to explode his way out and throw a
knee up the middle. MacDonald will not let him go, but Sy wriggles
and slithers his arms free eventually so that he can fire off a
high kick. Sy keeps a wide berth and he jabs out, potshotting
MacDonald with single strikes while MacDonald walks him down.
MacDonald connects with a single right hand, and Sy ducks out of
the way when MacDonald comes at him with another. As he does,
MacDonald dives after him to snatch up his leg and go after a
single, but that too fails, so MacDonald gloms on to Sy on the
fence once more. MacDonald clings to Sy like Saran wrap until the
horn blares to end this tiring round. 10-9 Sy.

Round 3

MacDonald rushes out of his corner to start off the last round, and
he plants the ball of his foot on Sy’s cheek to start things.
MacDonald gives chase, sniping Sy with a left hook and dropping
down for a single. He cannot land the takedown he so desperately
seeks, even when he acquires double underhooks, and he proceeds to
squeeze Sy against the wall. Sy powers out of the stalling position
and he releases a high kick, prompting MacDonald to come back to
initiate another clinch. This time, Sy is the one to push MacDonald
into the wall, but only for a moment, and they spin around
together. MacDonald clasps his hands around the waist and uses his
full body weight to try to drag Sy down, but the Swede stays
impressively balanced and remains upright. Sy leans over, and
MacDonald blasts his ribcage with a pair of powerful knees. Sy then
stands back up, not wanting to absorb any more of those resounding
blows, and he pushes MacDonald back to the middle of the cage.
MacDonald hangs on tight, and Sy uses his foe’s takedown
desperation against him to trip “The Red King” out and plant him on
his back on the floor. MacDonald escapes, and he gets back to the
clinch with his foe. MacDonald rings off another knee to the cup,
and Sy collapses to the ground in pain. Grice warns the Canadian
very sternly but does not consider deducting a point, and Sy
protests that Grice is not taking any further action. Sy recovers
and drills MacDonald in the body with a heavy kick, and MacDonald
tries to catch it and pursue a takedown. MacDonald cannot get it,
so he presses forward to clinch up. Sy does not let this succeed,
pushing away to get just enough space to boot MacDonald upside the
head. MacDonald shakes it off and presses back to the tie-up, but
Sy scoots away when MacDonald tries to keep him trapped. Sy
releases another high kick that gets blocked, and he backs off as
MacDonald is marching him down. MacDonald jumps with a front kick,
and Sy replies with three body kicks. Sy ducks a looping punch, and
this miserable welterweight clash comes to a close. The judges
could be all over the map for this one, and the winner will reach
or cement their place in the playoffs. 10-9 Sy (30-27 Sy).

The Official Result

Sadibou Sy def. Rory MacDonald via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 29-28)

Round 1

There remains a smidge of drama in the women’s lightweight bracket:
can Harrison (13-0, 12-0 PFL) make the playoffs? All she has to do
is defeat gargantuan +1750 underdog Young (12-12-1, 1-2 PFL), who
has lost as many fights as she has won. Young steps in on short
notice to replace Julia Budd, in her first appearance this year.
Referee Rob Hinds clocks them in as they touch gloves, with
Harrison showing plenty of respect for the WMMA pioneer. Harrison
bobs and ducks to throw Young off, but Young is wise to the
movement and does not bite on a feint or fake. Harrison scores a
kick to the body, and she comes up short with a winging left hand.
Another blow misses the mark from the multi-time champ, but she
does connect with a left on the way forward. Harrison positively
explodes forward in pursuit of a takedown, and she lifts Young
straight off the ground and slams her on her back. Harrison lands
in side control, where she grinds her elbow – but does not throw it
– on Young’s face to frustrate her. Harrison considers setup a
crucifix, and Young walks off the fencing to recover her position.
Young gets to her knees, and Harrison allows this so that she can
take her back. Young turns to her back, where Harrison climbs into
half guard.
Young turns, and Harrison starts hammering her foe with right
hands. Young twists and bucks, but Harrison is still on her with
unrelenting punches. Young keeps moving, and as she does, Hinds
steps in to stop the fight in what most would consider extremely
early. Young immediately protests, having taken
little-to-no damage from the blows, claiming that she was still
moving and looking to improve her position and get out of the bad
spot. The cries call on deaf ears, because the fight is over for
her and there is no recourse to change that. Harrison celebrates
her first-round finish with her team, one that earns her six points
to put her final total at nine this year. This qualifies her with
nine points and gives her a date with Martina Jindrova in August.
When the playoffs begin next month, starting with an event that
features lightweight and light heavyweights, we will be here for
them. We hope you are too.

The Official Result

Kayla Harrison def. Kaitlin Young R1 2:35 via TKO (Punches)