Issues bought spicy within the PFL’s sophomore effort this season.
On Friday evening at Common Studios Florida in Orlando, PFL 2 featured the primary rounds of the PFL bantamweight and ladies’s flyweight tournaments, and a few match favorites have already been bumped from the competitors.
In the primary occasion, late-notice alternative Marcirley Alves pulled off an enormous upset, profitable a cut up choice over former Bellator title challenger Leandro Higo. Alves was truly the second alternative opponent for Higo — who was initially purported to face Magomed Magomedov after which Josh Rettinghouse — and was purported to struggle 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 hanging that had Higo all out of kinds.
Alves will face prelim winner Jake Hadley within the subsequent spherical of the match, and whereas Alves might 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 struggle with Mattheus Mattos. Hadley had a troublesome 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 consumer, 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 match. Earlier than the struggle, Carmouche informed media getting a physique shot end was on her MMA bucket record, and she or he did simply that, flooring Joanne with a knee to the physique after which punishing her with extra pictures 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 choice win. Gutierrez and Wetzell will struggle one another within the semifinals in June.
Within the featured prelim struggle 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 gained a scrappy choice over Kana Watanabe earlier within the night — within the second spherical of the ladies’s flyweight match.
Try the complete PFL 2 outcomes under.
Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo by way of cut up choice (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 choice (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 choice (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elora Dana def. Diana Avsaragova by way of submission (neck crank) — Spherical 1, 4:48
