Issues received spicy within the PFL’s sophomore effort this season.
On Friday night time at Common Studios Florida in Orlando, PFL 2 featured the primary rounds of the PFL bantamweight and girls’s flyweight tournaments, and a few event favorites have already been bumped from the competitors.
In the primary occasion, late-notice alternative Marcirley Alves pulled off an enormous upset, successful a cut up determination over former Bellator title challenger Leandro Higo. Alves was really the second alternative opponent for Higo — who was initially imagined to face Magomed Magomedov after which Josh Rettinghouse — and was imagined to battle in an alternate bout on the cardboard earlier than Rettinghouse was dominated ineligible on Thursday. Alves made essentially the most of his alternative, showcasing nice takedown protection and fast, highly effective placing that had Higo all out of types.
Alves will face prelim winner Jake Hadley within the subsequent spherical of the event, and whereas Alves could have gained the headliner, “White Kong” stole the present. The previous Cage Warriors flyweight champion locked up a Scottish Tornado within the third spherical of his battle with Mattheus Mattos. Hadley had a tricky run within the UFC however appears to have righted the ship in his PFL debut, turning into simply the second particular person to land the distinctive submission in PFL after the submission’s most well-known person, Stevie Ray.
Within the co-main occasion, Liz Carmouche made fast work of Ilara Joanne to advance to the semifinals of the ladies’s flyweight event. Earlier than the battle, Carmouche instructed media getting a physique shot end was on her MMA bucket listing, and he or she did simply that, flooring Joanne with a knee to the physique after which punishing her with extra photographs to the physique to earn the first-round stoppage.
Carmouche faces Elora Dana — who submitted Diana Avsaragova with a neck crank within the opening bout of the night — within the subsequent spherical.
Additionally on the primary card, Mando Gutierrez and Justin Wetzell gained their opening matches in opposition to Francesco Nuzzi and Kasum Kasumov, respectively. Gutierrez submitted Nuzzi with a rear-naked choke within the first spherical, whereas Wetzell managed Kasumov for a unanimous determination win. Gutierrez and Wetzell will battle one another within the semifinals in June.
Within the featured prelim battle of the night, former Bellator girls’s flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez was upset by Ekaterina Shakalova in dominant style, tapping to a rear-naked choke simply over two minutes into the bout.
Shakalova faces Jena Bishop — who gained a scrappy determination over Kana Watanabe earlier within the night — within the second spherical of the ladies’s flyweight event.
Try the complete PFL 2 outcomes under.
Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo by way of cut up determination (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Liz Carmouche def. Ilara Joanne by way of TKO (knee and punches to the physique) — Spherical 1, 1:25
Mando Gutierrez def. Francesco Nuzzi by way of submission (rear-naked choke) — Spherical 1, 4:13
Justin Wetzell def. Kasum Kasumov by way of unanimous determination (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Ekaterina Shakalova def. Julianna Velasquez by way of sub (rear-naked choke) — Spherical 1, 2:05
Jake Hadley def. Matheus Mattos by way of submission (Scottish tornado) — Spherical 3, 2:16
Jena Bishop def. Kana Watanabe by way of unanimous determination (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elora Dana def. Diana Avsaragova by way of submission (neck crank) — Spherical 1, 4:48
