Phil Davis returned to the successful column at PFL 4 on Thursday night time, and this time with a knockout.
The previous Bellator champion scored his first end since October 2019 by beating Rob Wilkinson within the first spherical of the promotion’s 205-pound match.
Davis opened issues up with a one-two combo adopted by a physique kick, threatening with a takedown as quickly as Wilkinson rushed ahead. Wilkinson shocked Davis late in spherical one with a proper hand, however Davis went again for the second spherical trying to make him pay for it.
“Mr. Fantastic” related a proper hand that had Wilkinson again up momentarily, and Davis doubled it up with one other hand that dropped the previous PFL champion. Davis stored raining down punches till the referee had seen sufficient, ending the combat a minute into the second spherical for Davis’ first knockout since stopping Karl Albrektsson at Bellator 231 on Oct. 25, 2019.
Davis will face Sullivan Cauley within the semifinal match subsequent, after “Sully” completed last-minute substitute Alex Polizzi. Polizzi, who changed Marcelo Nunes on the day of the combat, instantly shot for a takedown. Polizzi insisted on the place in opposition to the cage for thus lengthy it opened a window for Cauley to drop vicious elbows to the aspect of the top for the TKO stoppage in simply 96 seconds.
On the opposite aspect of the sunshine heavyweight bracket, one-time PFL season champion Antonio Carlos Junior superior to tackle Simeon Powell within the second semifinal contest.
“Shoeface” wasted no time getting Karl Moore on the bottom with a single leg and labored from half guard earlier than permitting Moore to get again up. Earlier than he did so, nevertheless, the Brazilian landed an unlawful knee to the top when Moore nonetheless had a knee on the bottom. After watching the replay, the referee determined for a “onerous warning” as an alternative of some extent deduction.
The replay was additionally wanted in spherical two, after Junior complained of a low blow. The video confirmed the knee was authorized, and motion resumed. Junior related proper hand earlier than securing one other single leg takedown, engaged on half guard for the remaining of the spherical. Moore wanted the end within the third, and had some success in opposition to an exhausted Junior, however wasn’t in a position to cease the Brazilian. Ultimately, Junior superior through cut up choice.
Powell earned his semifinal place by dismantling Karl Albrektsson within the second spherical of their bout. Albrektsson had a greater begin within the match, connecting the higher photographs, however Powell had his consideration within the ultimate seconds with good elbows from the clinch. Spherical two began and Powell went again to the elbows within the clinch, destroying Albrektsson for a knockout win.
Heavyweight semifinals set with Valentin Moldavsky, Alexandr Romanov
The co-main occasion of PFL 4 featured a heavyweight quarterfinal conflict between former interim Bellator champion Valentin Moldavsky and fellow Russian Sergey Bilostenniy. Apart from a fast pause within the opening spherical when the lights went out mid-fight, Moldavsky and Bilostenniy placed on a loopy tempo for heavyweights.
Moldavsky had Bilostenniy briefly damage on the toes and rushed for the end, getting tagged nearly instantly. Moldavsky was damage, and Bilostenniy fired a sequence of punches that couldn’t get the job completed. The stand-up battle continued in spherical two, however Moldavsky modified the gameplan for the ultimate 5 minutes, selecting to clinch however not land highly effective strikes nor pursue a takedown. They went the gap, and all three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Moldavsky.
Moldavsky will now tackle Alexandr Romanov within the semifinal after the Moldova native beat Tim Johnson rapidly in a battle of UFC veterans. The heavyweight duo was exchanging on the toes when Johnson was trapped with a standing guillotine choke. Romanov held the place, and put Johnson in opposition to the cage, actually lifting him off the bottom for a fast faucet, his eleventh submission victory as an expert.
On the alternative aspect of the heavyweight match fiels, fellow UFC veteran Rodrigo Nascimento dug deep in his PFL debut to advance to the semifinals, the place he now faces Oleg Popov.
Abraham Bably dominated the opening spherical in opposition to Nascimento with heavy punches that caught the Brazilian’s consideration, attacking the physique within the clinch. Bably slowed down the tempo within the second and third however nonetheless had blood pouring from Nascimento’s nostril. Nascimento, nevertheless, related more practical punches to get the nod in two of the three scorecards.
Popov wrestled his option to the semifinals in opposition to Karl Williams, spending the primary spherical engaged on takedowns makes an attempt however solely managing to place Williams down within the ultimate seconds. Williams had extra success defending the photographs within the subsequent spherical, however struggled staying free from the threats within the ultimate 10 minutes. Williams related the higher strikes, however the judges declared Popov the winner through cut up choice to go 20-2 as an expert.
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