The PFL season is back, and it returned last night with a bang and some controversy sprinkled in for good measure.
PFL’s season format lasts most of the year, with fighters competing in two ‘league’ fights before those with the most points progress into a knockout phase later in the year. During the two league fights, competitors are awarded three points for a victory, and bonus points are up for grabs depending on the method of said victory. A first-round stoppage results in three bonus points, a second-round stoppage gives two, a third-round is one, and none are given for a decision victory. Therefore, six points are the maximum a fighter can earn in each fight.
Co-Main Event – Brendan Loughnane vs. Jesus Pinedo
After a defeat to Jesus Pinedo last time out, Brendan Loughnane is back in the win column after an emphatic performance last night at PFL 3 in Chicago, Illinois.
A big right hand from Loughnane connected early on, and the subsequent sequence led to the referee calling a halt to the action just 86 seconds into the bout. It was controversial, as Loughnane, hailing from Manchester, England, struggled to connect cleanly on Pinedo while he was grounded. Pinedo then went to grab Loughnane’s leg, but the referee called a halt to the action, somewhat prematurely, handing Loughnane the victory. See the clip for yourself below.
Main Event – Andrey Koreshkov vs Magomed Umalatov
Umalatov ate two leg kicks early in the first round but after his opponent missed the target with a spinning back kick, Umalatov took the fight to the ground. Koreshkov attempted a submission but couldn’t secure it, and the rest of the first round was rather uneventful, making it a diffficult one to score.
The second round was dominant for Umalatov as he initially struggled to trip Koreshkov before eventually throwing him to the canvas. Not much happened on the ground, but Umalatov was in the dominant position, so it was a good look for the judges. As the pair are separated and return to their feet, Umalatov lands a nice flying knee. The third round was a similar theme, with much of the time spent on the ground without much damage being done by either man. It went to a decision with Magomed Umalaov winning unanimously and earning three points for the season (Scorecard – 30-27 x2, 29-28.)
Other Main Card Results
Shamil Musaev defeated Logan Storley via second-round knockout, earning five points
Gabriel Braga defeated Justin Gonzales via a knockout, with just one second remaining in round one, earning six points
Goiti Yamauchi defeated Neiman Gracie via unanimous decision, earning three points (29-28 x 3)
Kai Kamaka III defeated Bubba Jenkins via unanimous decision, earning three points (29-28 x 3)
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