Jesus Pinedo Knee Strike Eliminates Brendan Loughnane in Stunning PFL 4 Headliner

A lightning bolt from Jesus Pinedo altered the direction of the Professional Fighters League season in an instant.

The Peruvian featherweight wiped out Brendan Loughnane with an exquisite knee strike and follow-up punches in the PFL 4 headliner on Thursday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Pinedo (21-6-1, 1-1 PFL) drew the curtain 1:34 into Round 1, eliminating the defending league champion from postseason contention in a shocking turn of events.

Loughnane (26-5, 9-2 PFL) was never allowed to get in gear. The gangly Pinedo met him with fluid stance switches and shots from various angles. A perfectly placed knee to the head at close range froze Loughnane where he stood before he collapsed to the canvas in a dazed-and-confused state. Pinedo then pounced with punches, forcing referee Keith Peterson to call for the stoppage.

Meanwhile, the undefeated Movlid Khaybulaev dismissed “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 27 semifinalist Tyler Diamond with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their featherweight co-main event. Diamond (12-3, 1-2 PFL) checked out 4:23 into Round 2.

Khaybulaev (21-0-1, 7-0-1 PFL) was utterly dominant. He decked Diamond with a flying knee late in the third round and flurried with punches for a potential finish. Only the bell kept Khaybulaev from wrapping it up right then and there. Round 2 went even worse for Diamond. Khaybulaev secured an immediate takedown, applied asphyxiating pressure and zeroed in on the neck. He eventually climbed to a mounted position, locked in the arm-triangle and prompted the tapout.

Related » 2023 PFL 4 Round-by-Round Scoring

The 32-year-old Khaybulaev now finds himself on a seven-fight winning streak.

Elsewhere, Frontline Academy standout Marthin Hamlet leaned on takedowns, positional control and an active but ineffective submission game to claim a unanimous decision over Australian journeyman Sam Kei in a three-round light heavyweight showcase. All three cageside judges struck 29-28 scorecards for Hamlet (12-4, 6-3 PFL).

Kei (8-8, 0-3 PFL) once again looked out of his depth. Hamlet struck for takedowns in the first and second rounds, climbed to the back without meeting much resistance and worked aimlessly on rear-naked chokes without creating the necessary openings. Kei more than once escaped to his feet, where the two men engaged one another in what turned to a plodding standup affair. Hamlet made a concerted effort to steer clear of danger across the final five minutes, resulting in an uneventful third round that drew boos from the crowd.

Hamlet has won three fights in a row.

Further down the card, former Brave Combat Federation champion Bubba Jenkins put Sung Bin Jo to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their featherweight attraction. Jo (10-3, 0-2 PFL) lost his grip on reality 1:25 into Round 1, where he was finished for the first time in his 13-fight career.

Jenkins (21-6, 7-2 PFL) charged to a takedown inside the first 15 seconds, allowed the Team Stun Gun product to return to his feet and executed a beautiful suplex before progressing to the back. Soon after, the choke was in place. Jo briefly struggled briefly to free himself, only to have the room go dark.

The 35-year-old Jenkins has rattled off 10 victories across his past 12 appearances.

Finally, American Top Team’s Joshua Silveira was awarded a technical knockout after Delan Monte suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in the first round of their light heavyweight feature. Monte (9-5, 1-4 PFL) met his unfortunate end 1:30 into Round 1, losing for the third time in as may outings.

Silveira (11-1, 4-1 PFL) kept the Brazilian at bay with repeated rear-leg front kicks to the body, a sharp jab and a few punching combinations. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder then moved on a double-leg takedown, with Monte suffering the fight-ending injury on his fall to the canvas. He wailed in pain, resulting in an immediate stoppage.

In preliminary action, Gabriel Braga (11-0, 3-0 PFL) punched out Marlon Moraes (23-13-1, 0-3 PFL) and sent the former World Series of Fighting champion into retirement 3:02 into the first round of their featherweight contest; Ty Flores (13-4, 2-0 PFL) took a unanimous decision from Dan Spohn (19-9-1, 2-4-1 PFL) in a three-round light heavyweight affair, drawing 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 marks from the cageside judges; Chris Wade (23-9, 11-6 PFL) choked Ryoji Kudo (11-6-1, 1-4 PFL) unconscious with a high-elbow guillotine 4:15 into the first round of their featherweight battle; Impa Kasanganay (13-3, 3-0 PFL) dispatched Tim Caron (13-6, 0-1 PFL) with an arm-triangle choke 3:52 into the second round of their light heavyweight clash; Andrew Sanchez (14-7, 1-0 PFL) eked out a split decision—29-27, 27-29, 29-27—over Taylor Johnson (9-4, 2-1 PFL) in a three-round light heavyweight tilt; Alexei Pergande (3-0, 3-0 PFL) subdued Akeem Bashir (3-2, 0-1 PFL) with a brabo choke 3:40 into the first round of their featherweight pairing; and Abigail Montes (4-2, 2-2 PFL) put away Brandy Hester (0-1, 0-1 PFL) with punches 3:06 into the first round of their women’s featherweight encounter.