2023 PFL 5 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Isaiah Pinson (247.8) vs. Denzel Freeman (261.8)

Round 1

The PFL continues its second stage of the regular season in Atlanta, this week with the heavyweight and women’s featherweight divisions on full display – plus one amateur fight tossed in. The action for the day begins in a non-tournament matchup between two younger heavyweights, relatively speaking. At 28, the South Carolina native Pinson (2-0, 1-0 PFL) will look to claim his third pro win, while local Georgia fighter Freeman (4-0, 1-0 PFL) wants to secure his fourth knockout in what would be his fifth victory. When the dust settles, one man will lose their shiny 0, and referee Blake Grice will be among the first to know. The big men, who combine for a bit over 510 pounds, come together and tap their fingers to start off the night. Freeman is immediately ready to begin slugging, and he gets in Pinson’s face and starts throwing right hands. Pinson backs him off with a combination, and the two slow things down a bit. Pinson slowly walks Freeman down, aiming occasional body shots. Freeman counters with a left up high that whizzes past his opponent, and he aims another as Pinson comes at him. Pinson sticks his man with a right hand and barely blocks a head kick in time. Pinson kicks the body, and his balance betrays him and he somersaults backwards to get back to his feet. Freeman calmly greets him with a high kick, but it bounces off the guard without concern. The two chop their legs together at the same time, and Pinson places a front kick to the chest. Pinson walks forward with a pair of right hands, and Freeman ducks down and turns the corner to get his back away from the fencing. Freeman considers a level change, but Pinson meets him on the way in and the result is a clash of chests slapping together. They break away without landing, and Pinson is the aggressor when they back off, landing a right hand and a big kick to send Freeman reeling. Freeman pursues a takedown, and Pinson blatantly tugs on the fence to keep himself upright. Grice shouts at him to release the cage, but the damage is done and the takedown is thwarted. Pinson then breaks out of the clinch, and he keeps his forward motion going as he wades forward. Freeman tries to back him off with a head kick, but Pinson slugs him in the face several times to put him on ice skates. Freeman slips – whether from damage or a slippery surface – and gathers himself as Pinson gives chase to keep hitting him. Pinson lays into his man, and Freeman backpedals and points at the ground while closing one eye. Grice does not acknowledge this, so Pinson tries to seek out the finish and keeps slugging to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pinson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pinson
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pinson

Round 2

The heavyweights touch ‘em up to start off the second frame, and it is once more Pinson who wants to press the action. Pinson nods at Freeman instead of engaging, and Pinson flicks out a couple jabs to the swelling eye of his opponent. Freeman wipes at his eye, and Grice declares it was a punch and not a poke. Freeman lets go with a head kick, and Pinson shrugs it off and keeps striking. Pinson dogs a few punches to the body, and Freeman is right there in front of him to tag him with a short but powerful right hand. Pinson walks through it as best he can and starts to hand-fight as he closes in, leading Grice to warn them both about outstretched fingers pointing towards the eyes. They close their fists for a moment, and Pinson tosses out a low kick. When he fires off one on the inside, it slides up and slams into Freeman’s cup. Grice notices this and pauses the action, and Freeman takes less than 30 seconds before he is good to go again. They resume, and Freeman starts off with a head kick from the other leg. Pinson chops at it when Freeman plants that lead leg, and they proceed to get into a slow but dangerous slugfest. Pinson scores a few punches, and Freeman slips again as he escapes. Freeman circles away and rips a kick to the liver, and he chases after it with a perfectly timed double-leg takedown. Pinson hits his back, and he manages to quickly turn to his knees and stand. Freeman sits down for a second or two, and Grice tells him he needs to stand up, and Freeman does this slowly. Freeman, who is backing off from the advancing Pinson, whiffs on a pair of punches while his foe bears down on him. Freeman connects with another body kick into a double, and the trip he hits on the way through it takes Pinson to the mat. Pinson gets to one knee and hand-fights to break the grip and look to stand. Freeman holds on from behind, keeping him down and nearly putting Pinson on his back one last time before the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Freeman
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Freeman
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Freeman

Round 3

The last round kicks off as the two touch gloves one more time, and Pinson walks straight into a head kick. Pinson smiles, spins around and wobbles for a second, with the kick clearly catching him flush. Pinson shakes it off quickly enough, and he goes back to pressing the pace. Freeman pushes off a jab and a shin to the chin, and Pinson takes it flush and tries to pin Freeman to the wall to beat on him. Pinson lands a few punches before Freeman moves just enough to loose another head kick, and Pinson once more absorbs it cleanly. Freeman stays on his bike, touching Pinson while Pinson is looking to swing for the fences. Pinson succeeds in backing Freeman up and cornering him for a moment to blast him in the face with a straight right hand, but Freeman is able to dodge the subsequent blows and get away. Freeman keeps working the jab until he opens up Pinson’s nose, and Pinson does not recognize he is bleeding as he is intent on stalking and swinging at Freeman. Freeman slips and ducks into an uppercut among a series of punches, and Pinson stands in front of his foe and rolls until Freeman times a solid right hand. Freeman stays busy with a jab, and as Pinson walks after him, he kicks Pinson in the raised guard. Freeman eats a big left hand that opens a cut on the corner of his eye, and it helps reduce the swelling like Rocky saying “cut me, Mick” to bring his mouse down. Freeman engages with another head kick, and Pinson smiles at him as he plods forward. Freeman swats at him, and he leans back as Pinson throws caution to the wind. Freeman loads up on a head kick, and Pinson blocks it and stuffs the takedown he knows will follow. Pinson absorbs one more high kick, and he gives chase right to the final bell. It could be a close one.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Freeman (29-28 Freeman)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pinson (29-28 Pinson)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pinson (29-28 Pinson)

The Official Result

Isaiah Pinson def. Denzel Freeman via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Patrick Brady (256.8) vs. Jordan Heiderman (247.8)

Round 1

Moving right along to the heavyweight fights with playoff relevance, two newcomers to the league will get one shot at qualifying should they pull off a big win. The wait will be agonizing, as the victor here will be watching intently to see if he ends up in the million-dollar bracket. Neither heavyweight is a knockout artist here, but the poundage is high so anything can happen between “The Brick” Brady (5-0, 0-0 PFL) and LFA expat Heiderman (6-0, 0-0 PFL). The two do not touch gloves in front of referee Rob Hinds, and instead Brady starts off with a low kick. Brady swings hard, and Heiderman crashes forward with a takedown try. Brady wags his finger at Heiderman after shutting it down, and he goes low with another kick. Heiderman bears down on him and gets caught with a left hand, and he absorbs a heavy leg kick. Brady steps in with left hand, driving Heiderman back, and he comes up short on the second throw. The kicks from Brady continue to find the calf, and Heiderman is doing little but walking through them. When Heiderman plants a one-two on the chin, Brady returns fire with a thudding low kick. They start throwing hands, and Brady kicks hard enough to draw a funny reaction out of Heiderman. Heiderman crashes forward, and Brady turns him around quickly and knees him in the gut before splitting. The two clash their shins together with simultaneous kicks, and Brady is the one swing after that exchange with a left hook. Heiderman bites down on his mouthpiece and charges with a three-punch combo, and Brady escapes to the side and beats on that calf again. Heiderman responds with a big leg kick of his own, and Brady hops back, posts off his other knee, and that rear knee of “The Brick” blows out. Brady falls with his back to the cage and slumps down, and he immediately signals his physical surrender to both Hinds and Heiderman. Heiderman walks him down and is about to blast him in the face, and Brady yells at him to stop because he is done. With Brady on his seat, Hinds rushes in to get between them, and Heiderman does not strike. The ending is an unfortunate injury to Brady, but it is also fortuitous to Heiderman, who claims six points and puts himself on the leaderboard in the heavyweight division.

The Official Result

Jordan Heiderman def. Patrick Brady R1 2:26 via TKO (Knee Injury)

Olena Kolesnyk (145) vs. Yoko Higashi (144.2)

Round 1

The first of five featherweight bouts among the female competitors take center stage, and the winner may need to seek a finish in order to punch her ticket to the next phase of the tourney. After missing weight in her first time out, Kolesnyk (8-5, 1 NC; 3-3 PFL) possesses just two points, and is on the outside looking in. The same could be said for Japan’s Higashi (8-3, 0-1 PFL), who would like nothing more than to pull off her first win in the PFL while securing a seeded position. The cage commander for this 145-pound affair will be referee Gary Copeland, and the match begins with no plans of a glove touch. Kolesnyk moves right to the center of the cage, and she holds it firm while Higashi strafes on the outside pawing with punches that are inches or feet away from where she aims them. When Higashi advances, Kolesnyk swats her away with a few punches. Higashi steps in with a right hand, and Kolesnyk counters with a left. Kolesnyk aims a front kick to the chest, and Higashi is still on the outside out of range. Higashi crashes the pocket, and her forehead bounces off Kolesnyk’s shoulder as she realizes that the blonde Ukrainian woman is not going for a ride. Higashi breaks free, and resets to step in with a right hand. This lights a brief fire in Kolesnyk, who swarms her for with a series of punches and a high kick mixed in for good measure. Higashi wears it well and steadily moves on the outer edge of the cage. Higashi meets an oncoming Kolesnyk to clinch her up and get both underhooks to turn her to the fence. Higashi hangs on from up close, offering a knee or two on the inside before Kolesnyk explodes out and just misses with a big knee of her own. Kolesnyk starts to follow Higashi, and she loads up on punches that Higashi largely ducks before tying her up again. Kolesnyk lowers herself for a potential single, but Higashi holds onto her to prevent the woman from Ukraine from getting any leverage. The two spin around, and Kolesnyk rips a pair of knees to the body on the way out. Kolesnyk gives chase, and she throws hands until running into Higashi and clinching once more. Higashi knees her a few times, and she goes after a throw that fails. Kolesnyk knees her in the chest on the way out, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk

Round 2

The two women consider touching gloves, but decide against it to start off the second round. Kolesnyk walks forward to throw hands, and Higashi stays in kickboxing range and rifles her shin to the midsection. Higashi ducks down to throw two punches, and Kolesnyk is well out of the way and intercepts her with a knee. The Japanese fighter stays distant and continues moving laterally, but her offense is fairly inaccurate and mostly out of range. When Higashi does come in, Kolesnyk belts her with a body kick and an uppercut. Higashi backpedals, possibly in trouble, and Kolesnyk lays into her with a long series of knees to the midsection. Higashi escapes from harm and signals to Copeland her finger came out of the glove, and she resets it before Kolesnyk re-engages with her. When it is set, Kolesnyk reaches her target with a push kick that sends Higashi flying. Higashi ricochets off the cage wall and back to action, where Kolesnyk meets her with a pair of punches and a front kick. “Cannon” blasts with another powerful front kick, and she meets a stunned Higashi with a one-two. Higashi responds with a kick, and the crowd chants “Yoko” in support of her briefly. When Higashi does nothing but keep moving, the voices stop calling her name. Kolesnyk keeps walking her foe down, timing her with a single punch or kick, but she cannot pin Higashi down for long. Kolesnyk jabs the body with a pair of kicks, and Higashi responds with two right back. Kolesnyk just misses with a home run punch, as it blows past Higashi’s hair and does not knock her block off. Kolesnyk is not done throwing power punches, as she catches Higashi with a left and a right. The second draws a takedown out of her opponent, but Kolesnyk shuts this down and proceeds to bend Higashi over and beam her with knee after unanswered knee to the face. Copeland watches on closely, but Higashi survives to the next round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk

Round 3

The last round begins with an aggressive Kolesnyk, who backs Higashi off quickly and starts throwing hands. The two tie up after Kolesnyk swings into close range, and a stalemate ensues. Kolesnyk controls but does not use much offense in this position, and after some time, Copeland splits them up. Kolesnyk is quick to re-engage, throwing hands and battering the Japanese woman. “Cannon” blasts Higashi in the face with a pair of punches and a high kick, and Higashi just manages to escape the brunt of the last one to keep on her feet. Kolesnyk strides forward, confidence at its zenith, and she drives several knees into Higashi’s torso. The close proximity results in a brief stall, but Kolesnyk is able to push her back and offer one more knee. Higashi desperately pursues a double, and Kolesnyk easily shuts it down and aims a high kick that misses the mark by centimeters. Higashi is on her bike, backing away and not engaging, while Kolesnyk follows after her. Higashi dives in for a single-leg takedown, and she stands Kolesnyk up and pushes her against the wall. Kolesnyk shuts it down with a knee to the breadbasket, and they split up. Kolesnyk plods forward, ignores a body kick, and forces Higashi to spin around with a pair of punches up top. When Kolesnyk fires off three punches, it is the third, a right hand, that smacks Higashi in the left eye and makes her grimace. Kolesnyk presses her against the cage wall, and she times two knees when Higashi looks to turn out to find another angle. With a final takedown effort from Higashi, Kolesnyk bowls her over and slams her fist into the Japanese woman’s face. Kolesnyk keep slugging away, and Higashi scrambles to stand up, and the one-sided fight ends. This additional three points for Kolesnyk will put her in an awkward spot, as she has not clinched a playoff spot but does sit in the no. 3 spot for the time being.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Kolesnyk (30-27 Kolesnyk)

The Official Result

Olena Kolesnyk def. Yoko Higashi via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Julia Budd (145.6) vs. Martina Jindrova (146)

Round 1

Keeping with the women’s division, two women with no points collide in hopes of procuring an early stoppage to pick up the points needed to advance. With stoppage rates of 44% for former Bellator queen Budd (16-6, 1-3 PFL) and 50% for Czech up-and-comer Jindrova (6-4, 3-2 PFL), it is still within the bounds of possibility – although “The Jewel” has gone to the scorecards in six straight appearances. Whether that becomes seven, or referee Blake Grice is needed early, the two will have 15 minutes to decide. They open with a failed glove touch, and chants of “Martina” and “Budd” alternate in competition. Jindrova strikes first with a step-in right hand, and she is met with a thudding low kick. Budd attempts another low kick as Jindrova attacks, and this slows the offense of the Czech fighter in a hurry. Jindrova tosses out a high kick that gets blocked, and Budd surges ahead with four flailing punches that do little to irritate her opponent. Jindrova times a leg kick with an overhand right, and Budd takes a step back and gathers her thoughts. Budd walks into a punch combination and throws right back, and she gets caught with a clean right hand. The ex-Bellator champ is staggered and backs off, and Jindrova notices this too late to do much with it. Budd grabs hold of her opponent when her bell is rung, allowing her to gain control of her senses. Jindrova pushes off and times a right hand on the forehead for good measure. Jindrova sticks her foe with a jab, and she has her mouthguard dislodged with a right hand counter. The Czech woman resets it and wings a right hand around the guard. Budd shakes it off and plods forward, considering a leg kick and abandoning it halfway through to spin around. Jindrova times an uppercut while Budd ducks down, and Budd responds with a solid right hand up high. Budd cannot reach her opponent with much, as Jindrova jumps in and out in bursts. One such burst comes when Budd aims a leg kick, and she gets tagged with a right hand. Budd loads up on a heavy right, and Jindrova sways enough to take the brunt out of it and drive Budd back with heir own right. Budd whiffs on a high kick, and the round comes to a close.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jindrova
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jindrova
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Jindrova

Round 2

Budd comes out of her corner to take to the center of the cage, but it is Jindrova who paws at her with jabs that are more to find range. Budd slaps the lead leg with a kick, and Jindrova times a right hand when the kick comes a second time. Budd reaches a right hand around the guard, but it is one-and-done as Jindrova is able to fire back with volume. Budd cracks Jindrova with a right hand that reddens her nose, and she races forward to go after a body lock takedown. Budd hooks the leg and fails to go anywhere with it, so she settles for “old school” foot stomps and knees to the midsection. Budd stays tightly pressed to her foe in the clinch, keeping busy with knees and more foot stomps, as Grice watches on without considering intervening. Budd keeps working Jindrova with knees as the action slows down, and Budd suddenly surges into action with a trip takedown consideration. With Budd clinging to Jindrova, Grice suggests they need more action, and they split up and decide to start trading briefly. This initial blitz from both women ends with Budd pressing the pace with a right hand. Jindrova responds with a right hook to back Budd off of her, looking away to fake her out before swinging it. Budd stays in front of Jindrova without letting her hands or feet go, and it is just a single leg kick that comes. Budd decides to throw with a big right hand, and Jindrova circles away and looks for an uppercut that Budd dodges. Budd swings hard enough to turn herself around, and Jindrova catches her on the way out. Budd keeps forging ahead, fists flailing with some arc on them, and she ignores a one-two on the brow that comes back her way. The second round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Budd
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Budd
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Budd

Round 3

The women clap their hands together when entering the final frame, and Budd moves to the center of the cage and evades a few jabs. Jindrova loads up on a right hand, and Budd tags her with one right back that makes Jindrova bounce off the cage wall. Budd shoots in for a double, and she tries to lift the Czech woman up but cannot land the takedown she seeks. Budd settles for several more knees to the midsection and racks up control time. The activity is just enough for Budd to keep grinding and working with occasional knees and stomps to the instep, and Jindrova is stuck in this position absorbing these blows. Budd knees several times even as Grice asks for them to do more, and he claps for them to fight more. Budd changes gears in pursuit of a single, and she comes up short on the leg sweep as Jindrova shoves her away. Budd gets popped with a right hand as she aims a naked leg kick to the calf, and she decides to throw it again a few times. Jindrova aims several jabs at her opponent, and she ducks a big hook that whizzes past her hair. Budd misses the mark with a head kick, and Jindrova is inaccurate with her own two-punch salvo. Budd connects with a clean overhand right, and she sneaks up a knee when Jindrova bends over to catch her on the nose. With 10 seconds to go, the two throw hands, and Jindrova lands a left hook at the end of a combination to wrap the fight. This one could go either way, but it was not a particularly spectacular showing or one that will place the victor in playoff contention.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Budd (29-28 Budd)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Budd (29-28 Budd)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Budd (29-28 Budd)

The Official Result

Julia Budd def. Martina Jindrova via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Danilo Marques (250.6) vs. Marcelo Nunes (248.4)

Round 1

Two big men with far more submissions than knockouts on their respective resumes will run together with playoff aspirations still in the air. Coming into this event, Marques (14-4, 2-0 PFL) was one of three fighters to hold points – while Rizvan Kuniev failed his post-fight drug test, his previous win has not yet been overturned – and Nunes (9-2, 2-1 PFL) got stung by event headliner Maurice Greene in his last time out. The way heavyweights fight, a stoppage is always around the corner, and referee Rob Hinds is ready in case one does come. The big men elect to touch ‘em up before engaging, and they back off. Nunes strikes with a kick from either leg to Marques’ calf, and Marques is already slightly compromised from those kicks. Nunes lands one more, and he looks to catch a body kick and pursue Marques to the wall but cannot hold onto it. Nunes spins with a wheel kick, and Marques moves out of the way to set up a leg kick of his own. Nunes kicks low and rushes forward to tie his man up, and the two stall out. After a long bout of inactivity, the two are broken apart from Hinds. They proceed to get to business finally, trading hands and alternating with kicks. Marques stays on his heels, circling away and timing a counter when Nunes comes at him. He strings together a one-two that surprises Nunes, but Nunes gathers his thoughts and wings a couple of haymakers. Nunes slams a kick on the calf, and Marques hobbles back and gets caught cleanly with a follow-up right hook. Nunes does not give Marques any space to breathe, as he chops at the lead leg and beats down on him with a couple of heavy punches. Marques suddenly finds himself in dire straits, as Nunes is a man possessed and trying to knock him down like he wants to demolish a building with his wrecking ball fists. Marques, trapped with his back to the wall, has nowhere to escape to when Nunes pursues him. Nunes unloads with a nasty combination, blasting Marques on the chin and rattling him to his core. As Marques’ knees betray him from the oncoming salvo of strikes, Nunes continues to hammer him, and one finalizing right hand sends Marques collapsing all the way down to the floor. Before a sprinting Hinds can get to them to wave the fight off, Nunes slams down one last statement-making hammerfist, and Marques goes out. Hinds gets between them to call a halt to the contest, and Nunes announces himself to the rest of the weight class with a howl and a six-point knockout. Nunes is now on the leaderboard, claiming the second spot on the heavyweight standings for now, while knocking Marques out of the tournament.

The Official Result

Marcelo Nunes def. Danilo Marques R1 3:40 via KO (Punches)

Marina Mokhnatkina (145.4) vs. Evelyn Martins (147: Missed Weight)

Round 1

In the lone catchweight contest tonight, these two ladies will hit the cage in a fight set now at 147 pounds. For the second time this year – she first did so on her appearance on Challenger Series 2 – Martins (5-0, 3-0 PFL) has missed weight, but the penalty for this is more pressing. While she currently possesses three points on the leaderboard, she can only win a maximum of five if she notches a first-round stoppage. Ahead of her already is Mokhnatkina (9-3, 3-1 PFL) with five currently, and the two will let the chips fall where they may. Referee Gary Copeland will draw the charge for this matchup, and he stands back as the two decide to touch gloves. The two starting swinging right out of the gate, with Mokhnatkina landing the better shots in the early going. Martins tosses out a naked leg kick, and Mokhnatkina shoots with a double that puts the Brazilian woman on her back in a hurry. Martins scoots her way to the fence and sits up, and she closes her guard to slow things down. Martins puts up a high guard, and she starts to threaten with an armbar, but her foe does not seem remotely concerned by the setup. Instead, she lands a few punches, and stacks her up and stands up. Mokhnatkina races back down to keep Martins on her back, and she jumps straight into a guillotine choke. Martins squeezes tightly and locks her legs around the waist, but Mokhnatkina pops her head out without much concern. Mokhnatkina stands up again to land a few standing-to-ground strikes, and Martins backs her off with upkicks. Mokhnatkina meets her with a knee on the way up, and Martins backs off as the string of her shorts comes out. Copeland demands she tuck it in, and she looks confused until fixing it. They get back to it, and they both sling heavy punches at one another, with Mokhnatkina’s left hand finding its mark multiple times. Martins walks face-first into an overhand right when throwing a kick, and she decides to throw another kick shortly thereafter. Mokhnatkina sits down on a body kick and a right hand, and Martins grunts and fires one back as swelling grows around her eyes. Martins continues doing work with low kicks, and she backs Mokhnatkina up to the wall but cannot keep her there. Martins chops at the leg, and Mokhnatkina answers with one too but is struggling with the low kicks. Martins wades into action with a punch, and Mokhnatkina clips her with a few punches in response. Martins continues attacking the lead calf, and she counters one such kick coming back with an overhand right. The bell rings, and Mokhnatkina exhales sharply.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina

Round 2

When the two clap hands together, Mokhnatkina immediately follows with a front kick. Martins chases her down with a swatting arm, and Mokhnatkina responds with a kick to the ribcage. Martins punches her way into a takedown attempt, and Mokhnatkina shuts it down and knees her foe in the body on the break. Mokhnatkina catches a leg kick, and Martins hops back without getting tripped. Mokhnatkina then swings a right hand over the top, and Martins shrugs it off and aims a kick low. Mokhnatkina reaches Martins with a right hand, and she chains a combination of punches after it. Martins gets off a right hand to drive Mokhnatkina back, and she nails Mokhnatkina’s calf two more times to draw a reaction out of her opponent. Mokhnatkina continues to plant on her welted calf, and this opens her up for a right hand down the pipe. Martins changes things up with a kick to the body, and she goes back down to the lead wheel with another hacking kick. Mokhnatkina times a leg kick to grab hold of a takedown, and she fights off a guillotine setup. Martins is aggressive off her back, throwing her legs up in search for an armbar, then a triangle choke, and nothing comes of it. Mokhnatkina lowers herself into the guard, and she manages to shift all the way around the side before settling for top position. Martins quickly bucks her off, and the two stand up while clinched together. Mokhnatkina knees her foe several times, and Martins gets off a cheeky elbow that Copeland does not see on the inside. Martins breaks free, and she scores one more leg kick before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martins
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Martins
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Martins

Round 3

The final stanza kicks off with Martins working her way into striking range, and she gets off a successful combination. Mokhnatkina times a big right hand that shakes up the Brazilian, and she swarms her with punches as Martins backs off against the wall and gets tagged more. Mokhnatkina uses her momentum to push Martins back and use Martins’ own leverage against her to dump Martins on her back. Martins pushes her off with an upkick, and Mokhnatkina steps over to nearly stomp Martins in the face illegally. Copeland watches carefully and warns Mokhnatkina from this near foul, and Martins attacks for a leglock off her back. Mokhnatkina drops to her own back to go after a leglock of her own, and she has the better angle but cannot complete it before Martins kick off. The two stand back up, and Martins hammers the lead, damaged leg with another powerful blow. Mokhnatkina grits her teeth and slugs Martins in the chops with a right hand, and she follows it with a double-leg shot from a wide berth. Martins sprawls effectively and uses the opportunity to turn Mokhnatkina to her back, but Mokhnatkina grabs hold of a heel hook to force them into a 50/50 position. Mokhnatkina releases first, and she scrambles as Martins winds up taking her back while Mokhnatkina is on her knees. Mokhnatkina rolls once for a kneebar, and Martins is wise to it and sits up to land some ground-and-pound. Mokhnatkina rolls again for another kneebar, and Martins does not seem fazed as Mokhnatkina goes for a third from another angle. Martins kicks off at the last one to five them the space to stand, and when they are back to their feet, Mokhnatkina is the cleaner striker with several right hands on the bloodied corner of Martins’ eye. Mokhnatkina scores a spinning back fist, has a body kick blocked, and time expires in what could also be a close contest. Should the Russian get her hand raised, she will clinch her spot in the playoffs. If Martins is the one to get the nod, things will be much more interesting, as they will both hold five points and the tiebreaker rules could come into play.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina (29-28 Mokhnatkina)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina (29-28 Mokhnatkina)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Mokhnatkina (29-28 Mokhnatkina)

The Official Result

Marina Mokhnatkina def. Evelyn Martins via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Denis Goltsov (246.2) vs. Yorgan De Castro (264.8)

Round 1

Two large fist-fighters will engage in the last fight on the prelims, as playoff regular Goltsov (30-7, 8-2 PFL) looks to secure his place in the 2023 final four. In his way will be De Castro (9-4, 0-1 PFL), who is eager to get some points on the board and spoil the hopes of the Russian at a giant check. The third man in the cage will be referee Blake Grice, and the heavyweights clap hands. De Castro walks straight into a number of jabs when he wants to get his hands going early, and he whips a kick down to the calf. Goltsov completely ignores it, marches forward confidently, leans back to evade a looping right hand. “The Russian Bogatyr” rockets out a ferocious straight right hand that smashes square into De Castro’s nose, and the damage is immediate and devastating. The Russian only needed that one, as De Castro falls to his back and clutches his potentially shattered nose. Grice sees that De Castro wants no more and races in to wave off the match, and Goltsov needed a little more than 15 seconds to register that nasty knockout. That makes two first-round finishes for Goltsov this year, who claims six additional points to max out with 12 and violently secure the top spot in the heavyweight bracket.

The Official Result

Denis Goltsov def. Yorgan De Castro R1 0:18 via KO (Punch)

Aspen Ladd (145) vs. Karolina Sobek (145.6)

Round 1

Kicking off the main card, one of these two featherweights will finally pick up points – barring an odd result – and hope they are enough to move on. Fresh off an upset decision loss to Kolesnyk, Ladd (10-4, 1-1 PFL), will hope to turn things around in big way. Poland’s Sobek (4-1, 0-1 PFL) also lost to a fighter that competed earlier tonight, dropping a decision to Martins in April, so someone’s 0 this year must go. Whether that is the former UFC contender or the young upstart Sobek, referee Gary Copeland will keep tabs on the affair. The ladies do not bump fists, and Ladd instead races forward swarming with punches. Sobek sits down on a clean counter right hand that rattles Ladd, and she manages to drive Ladd back to the wall with her own quick, active offense. Ladd blinks out the damage as Sobek threatens with a body lock takedown and a trip, and this allows Ladd to gather her faculties while defending the takedown tries. Ladd drops to her knee while Sobek is giving it all her might to drag the fight down, and Sobek suddenly breaks and pops Ladd with a right hand. Ladd follows her to crash forward for a single, and she dumps the Polish fighter to her back thanks to an inside trip. Sobek scoots her way to the fence to put it behind her head, and she posts off her left arm with the wire behind her to stand up. Ladd quickly secures a mat return, but Sobek is able to explode up once more to her feet. Ladd doggedly pursues a single when they are standing again, and Sobek fights it off and turns Ladd around to knee her in the ribs. Sobek separates and tags Ladd with a few punches and a body kick, and the latter kick allows Ladd to scoop her up and deposit her to the canvas. Ladd considers a high guard and possibly even a triangle, and Ladd steps over to pass to half guard as Sobek looks to her corner for answers. Ladd moves right to mount, and Sobek turns to nearly give up her back. Sobek bucks as Ladd flattens her out, and she ends up giving up her back and tries to slide out the back door. Ladd lays into Sobek with punches to the side of the head, and there is not enough time for her to procure a finish before the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ladd
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ladd
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Ladd

Round 2

The featherweights do not offer a glove touch, and instead offer their fists in the other’s faces. Sobek pushes out several straight punches, and she slips back when Ladd wings a hook. Ladd reaches her with a short left hook and a larger right one, and she surprises the Polish woman with a subsequent left hook. Sobek splits the guard with straight strikes, and she disrupts an advancing Ladd with her more direct blows. Ladd connects with a solid left, and she uses a one-two to disguise a level change. Sobek blocks it by backing up to the wall, and Ladd squeezes her into the fence as if she were trying to mash Sobek straight through the links. Sobek keeps her balance when Ladd lifts her right leg up, and Ladd cannot keep hold of it for long when Sobek starts working her with short but effective knees. Sobek finally manages to break off the grip, and she scores two punches. Ladd wades forward with two coming back, and she slowly and methodically grinds her way into a takedown. Ladd drags Sobek away from the cage wall this time, and she pins Sobek down with her shoulder in what could potentially turn into an arm-triangle choke. Ladd steps into full mount with 30 seconds to go, and Sobek turns to her side to prevent ground-and-pound. Ladd turns to grab hold of an armbar, and Sobek falls to her back and fights with every bit of her energy to survive to the end of the round. Ladd torques it ruthlessly, and with mere seconds left in the round, Sobek taps out to prevent her arm from getting hyperextended or worse. This is the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, as Ladd pulled off the second-round stoppage to earn five points and pass Kolesnyk in playoff standings by a matter of a few ticks on the clock. Due to Ladd’s finish compared to Kolesnyk’s two decisions – and one lost point for missing weight – Ladd claims a place in the final bracket, while Kolesnyk has to wait for the co-main event. The promotion shows Kolesnyk on the side of the screen the whole way, where she was rooting for the time to expire in the round, for Sobek to push through and for the disappointment to hit her. Later on during the broadcast, the tiebreaker rules are explained a little further to actually state that Kolesnyk sits above Ladd in the standings due to the head-to-head win for the Ukrainian over Ladd, despite that Ladd earned a finish compared to the two wins on the scorecards for Kolesnyk.

The Official Result

Aspen Ladd def. Karolina Sobek R2 4:57 via Submission (Armbar)

Biaggio Ali Walsh (155.6) vs. Travell Miller (154.4)

Round 1

To quote the inimitable John Cleese, “and now for something completely different!” Stepping away from not only the tournament but professional MMA action, the PFL is running a showcase fight for an amateur. As they have for two past events, the company is sending out Xtreme Couture product Walsh (3-1, 2-0 PFL), the grandson of all-time great Muhammad Ali. This time around, he will be taking on the energetic, dancing Miller (3-2, 0-0 PFL), who trains out of Shidokan Atlanta. Referee Rob Hinds is in charge of this amateur affair, and the fighters decide to touch gloves before getting after it. Walsh is on a mission right out of the gate, lining up his big right hand at Miller. Miller circles on the outside, lands a leg kick or two, and has one kick slide up and pop off the cup. Hinds does not register this, so the two fight on. Miller is backed up to the wall, and he fights off a potential takedown setup to dance away on the perimeter. Walsh gives him chase, throwing big hands, and Miller smiles at him as he avoids it. Walsh charges with a heavy right hook, and he gets off a leg kick as he strings a solid combination together. Miller gets caught with a right hand, and he seems stunned but still wants to throw hands. This is a bad idea for him, as Walsh is much tighter with his striking, who plants a right hand on Miller’s chin. Miller bounces off the cage wall, and Walsh is on him to seek out a finishing sequence. Miller ducks down, directly into a crisp uppercut from Walsh, and Miller is in a bad, bad way. Walsh drills his damaged opponent with a right on the temple, and he swings a left hook on the chin that sends Miller toppling to the floor. Walsh unloads with two more fiery fists while Miller is on his side to seal the deal, and Hinds steps in to call a halt to the amateur match, with Miller potentially out from the onslaught. This is one more easy win for Walsh in the PFL cage, who chalks up another speedy first-round knockout.

The Official Result

Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Travell Miller R1 1:27 via KO (Punches)

Renan Ferreira (259) vs. Matheus Scheffel (260.6)

Round 1

A few months ago, Scheffel (17-9, 1 NC; 2-2, 1 NC PFL) ran into 2021 champ Bruno Cappelozza and had his chin checked. It later turned out that Cappelozza could not pass a drug test, so the loss flipped to a no contest. The same may very well be said for Ferreira (9-4, 2 NC; 3-2, 2 NC PFL), whose opponent Rizvan Kuniev that night also tested positive for banned substances. Both presumably clean fighters will throw down under the watchful eye of referee Blake Grice, hoping that this is the chance they need to stick out among the heavyweight contenders. The two tap gloves together before engaging, and the taller man is the aggressor as he whips a low kick with his longer limbs. Ferreira targets the body with the ball of his foot, and he absorbs one kick back. As Ferreira marches his foe down, he reaches his foe with a massive one-two. Scheffel backs up against the wall, stung by the strikes, and elects slugs it out. Scheffel manages to tag “Problema” with a clean right hand, but this does not Ferreira one iota. Ferreira fearlessly trades leather, and during a reckless exchange, he lobs a grenade of a left hand that explodes square on Scheffel’s chin. Scheffel hits the deck in an instant, and Ferreira finishes the job with one finalizing hammerfist before Grice intervenes to call an end to this heavyweight firefight. Ferreira has just snatched six points to pick up a spot in the playoffs with his blistering sub-minute knockout, and he celebrates by flipping his 6-foot-8 frame in the air and nearly sticking the landing. Most impressive.

The Official Result

Renan Ferreira def. Matheus Scheffel R1 0:50 via KO (Punches)

Larissa Pacheco (145.6) vs. Amber Leibrock (145.8)

Round 1

Rounding out the featherweight bracket, 2022 champion Pacheco (20-4, 9-2 PFL) hopes to commence her road to a second check in the co-main attraction. With Bellator vet Leibrock (7-4, 1-0 PFL) coming out firing in April with a rock-solid head kick knockout, this one could be extremely violent for as long as it lasts – the two celebrate 85% and 86% finish rates, respectively. Referee Rob Hinds may be in for a short night, and he steels himself when the women exit their corners with and meet in the middle with a glove touch. Not planning on letting this last long, Pacheco stalks Leibrock down and smashes her in the faces with hammers in the form of her fists. It does not take many to wobble Leibrock, who somehow manages to survive by circling out the side when Pacheco kicks her. As Leibrock moves away, hobbled but on her feet, she takes several more vicious punches. Her standing straight up with her back to the wall actually lets her get tagged more, to the point that she leans over to try to stop some of mugging. When Pacheco unloads a subsequent unrelenting combination, Leibrock drops to her knees, barely still with it, lumped up and bloodied already about 30 seconds in. Last year’s champ, dead set on claiming the top seed, knocks a kneeling Leibrock to her back with swinging, destructive fists. Leibrock turtles up on her back, and Hinds sees that she is doing nothing more than taking unnecessary punishment while her right eye swells up fast. The fight gets waved off, and Pacheco has just definitively grabbed hold of the no. 1 seed at featherweight with her lightning-quick annihilation of Leibrock. Due to this fight result, Kolesnyk backstage officially reaches the playoffs – but it might be a hollow victory, as she will have to fight Pacheco again in August knowing that Pacheco already holds two first-round knockouts over her. The women’s playoff bracket is set, as no. 2 seed Mokhnatkina will face the third-seeded Leibrock, and the winner of that will take on the victor between Pacheco and Kolesnyk for a million dollars.

The Official Result

Larissa Pacheco def. Amber Leibrock R1 0:45 via TKO (Punches)

Ante Delija (251) vs. Maurice Greene (255.4)

Round 1

Heavyweights claim the top placement on the billing, when 2022 tournament victor Delija (23-5, 7-2 PFL) gives it his all with one chance at picking up enough points to reach the playoffs. Standing taller than the Croatian fighter will be a man known as “The Crochet Boss” in Greene (11-7, 1-1 PFL), who already has a leg up on Delija with five points of his own tonight. It’s all or nothing in the final fight of the night, and referee Gary Copeland dons his proverbial hard hat before the heavy-swinging gentlemen get down to business. They do show respect with a clap of hands, and it’s on with the last fight of the night. Greene initiates first with a low kick, and he is quick to move back and stay on the outside with Delija marching towards him. Greene chips at his man with an inside leg kick, and he misses with a one-two and scores a kick on the outside to make it welt up fast. Greene kicks the body, and turns all the way through to plant a back kick on Delija’s midsection. Delija corners Greene and looks to load up with punches, but “The Crochet Boss” sneaks away before taking any damage. Greene prods with low kicks and whiffs on looping punches, and Delija is not responding with anything. Greene remains busy with distance-keeping blows, and Delija strides after him and gets one right hand to ding Greene on the side of the head. The Croatian collides with Greene and clinches him up, and time is betraying Delija, who needs a finish around the midpoint of Round 1 to get back to the playoffs. As Greene turns him around, the time for Delija to get the spot passes, and he eliminates himself from contention. Greene settles to knee Delija in the chest and body, and a mouse forms above the temple of “Walking Trouble.” Greene uses his full body weight to press Delija on the wall, and he keeps firing knees to the body and thighs. One comes near the groin, and Copeland warns him for this. As Greene spams knees, he changes levels out of nowhere and secures a double. Delija works his way back up to one knee, which lets Greene take his back and threaten with a one-armed choke. Delija breaks the grip and bursts back up, and he dodges a knee on the way. This lights a fire under the former champ, who starts unloading with vicious punches. Greene gets clipped as Delija lobs bombs, and Greene wisely ties Delija up when he gets his hurt. This lets him ride out the round and get his bearings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Greene
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Greene
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Greene

Round 2

The fight resumes as the two heavyweights meet in the middle, and Delija closes the distance with jabs and a clubbing right hand. Greene keeps a wide berth and flicks out a few jabs and a leg kick, but Delija rushes at him and blasts “The Crochet Boss” with a ferocious right hook. Greene goes tumbling to the mat, and he races to the wall to power back up and block the oncoming fire from the Croatian. Delija keeps swinging, until Greene stands and grabs hold of him. Delija leans in the clinch, squeezing Greene tightly and thwarting any of his offense. Greene manages to sneak a knee up all the way to the forehead, and Delija ignores it and keeps grinding. Greene turns his foe around in the tie-up and starts thumping his knees on the thigh and plants one on the body for good measure. Delija works his way out, and he walks straight into a low leg kick. Delija flicks out several jabs to follow, and Greene is backing off and does not like getting hit at this point. Delija clubs him with a huge right hand, and Greene sprints away and turns his back to his opponent. Cornerman Jon Jones reminds him to keep his hands up, and Greene raises his guard just in time to block a huge oncoming right hook. Delija’s momentum results in a clinch, and Greene starts talking to him in the stalemate. Copeland splits them up with 40 seconds to go, and Greene celebrates this with a long one-two and leg kick. Greene gets countered, and he runs away from engagement. Delija follows him, and he belts Greene with a right hand, and strings together a length combination that only ends when the round’s time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Delija
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Delija
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Delija

Round 3

The final frame of the evening begins, and Delija takes the center of the cage with a scowl on his face. Greene leads the dance with several kicks to the chest and lead wheel, and he strafes on the outside and pecks at Delija’s leg with a few more strikes. Greene puts some mustard in to his jabs, and he hops on his bike and escapes before Delija can reach him. Delija unleashes a big right hand and makes Greene turn around, but Delija corners him and ends up in the clinch. The two big men jockey for position, and time ticks off the clock until Delija motions for a level change and pursues a double. Delija reconsiders his approach at the last second, stripping Greene’s right leg out and dragging him to the floor. Greene employs upkicks to keep Delija off of him, but this does not stave off the Croatian for long. Delija lowers himself into the guard, and he gets to work quickly with ground-and-pound. Greene has a brief conversation with his corner right behind him, and his corner chides him for talking to them and not focusing on the fight. All the while, Delija embraces the grind, dropping down punches to the body and others to the head. This activity keeps Copeland from getting involved, and the clock may be Greene’s worst enemy even as Delija is sitting on him, busting him in the chops. Delija is showing no signs of slowing down with his effective, methodical ground-and-pound, and he maintains top position right to the end of the fight. Greene hops up when the final bell sounds, and he starts dancing and hugging his corner with the expectation that he did enough to get his hand raised. If Greene manages to win a decision, he reaches the playoffs, while Delija can do nothing more but play spoiler. When the three matching scores are issued, Heiderman backstage slugs a beer, having earned the fourth seed with a Delija victory. He will take on Goltsov, while Ferreira comes to blows with Nunes in an all-Brazil battle. This penultimate regular season event for the PFL is now in the books, and there is one more next week that will feature lightweight and welterweights. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Delija (29-28 Delija)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Delija (29-28 Delija)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Delija (29-28 Delija)

The Official Result

Ante Delija def. Maurice Greene via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)