Issues bought 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 substitute Marcirley Alves pulled off an enormous upset, successful a cut up choice over former Bellator title challenger Leandro Higo. Alves was really the second substitute opponent for Higo — who was initially speculated to face Magomed Magomedov after which Josh Rettinghouse — and was speculated to combat 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 putting that had Higo all out of kinds.
Alves will face prelim winner Jake Hadley within the subsequent spherical of the event, and whereas Alves might have received the headliner, “White Kong” stole the present. The previous Cage Warriors flyweight champion locked up a Scottish Tornado within the third spherical of his combat 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 combat, 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 received their opening matches towards 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 choice win. Gutierrez and Wetzell will combat one another within the semifinals in June.
Within the featured prelim combat of the night, former Bellator girls’s flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez was upset by Ekaterina Shakalova in dominant vogue, tapping to a rear-naked choke simply over two minutes into the bout.
Shakalova faces Jena Bishop — who received a scrappy choice over Kana Watanabe earlier within the night — within the second spherical of the ladies’s flyweight event.
Try the total PFL 2 outcomes beneath.
Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo through cut up choice (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Liz Carmouche def. Ilara Joanne through TKO (knee and punches to the physique) — Spherical 1, 1:25
Mando Gutierrez def. Francesco Nuzzi through submission (rear-naked choke) — Spherical 1, 4:13
Justin Wetzell def. Kasum Kasumov through unanimous choice (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Ekaterina Shakalova def. Julianna Velasquez through sub (rear-naked choke) — Spherical 1, 2:05
Jake Hadley def. Matheus Mattos through submission (Scottish tornado) — Spherical 3, 2:16
Jena Bishop def. Kana Watanabe through unanimous choice (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elora Dana def. Diana Avsaragova through submission (neck crank) — Spherical 1, 4:48
