PFL Challenger Series 1 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Kendly St. Louis (174.4) vs. Nick Alley (173.2)

Round 1

Kicking off this PFL card, Nick Alley (7-5) faces Kendly St. Louis (7-4) in a catchweight affair. Referee Larry Folsom gets the first assignment of the night. St. Louis begins pawing with a jab, though none of them connect. The two men meet in the center of the cage opening up with punches, but again, none land. St. Louis, however, gets a body lock and gets an easy takedown in the center of the cage. Alley puts St. Louis in an open full guard, while the top man St. Louis paws with a few arm punches that do little damage. St. Louis briefly gets half-guard but Alley soon retains full guard again. Regardless, St. Louis isn't doing any damage from the top. Alley uses butterfly hooks to try to get back to his feet, but St. Louis presses him back to the canvas. St. Louis eventually gets higher as a result and goes for a guillotine. He can't finish it and it appears Alley might use the failed submission to get back up. However, St. Louis again pushes him back down. However, after some time, Alley finally uses his butterfly hooks to get to his feet. They then start throwing punches with wild abandon, but nothing hard lands for either man. Alley now shoots and briefly gets St. Louis down. St. Louis gets back up, but Alley is undeterred and drags him back down. St. Louis is now against the cage and Alley is in half-guard. Alley does more with top position, landing a few solid punches to the body and then the head. St. Louis is setting up a triangle, but there is nothing. Alley lands a few nice punches to the head as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Alley
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 St. Louis
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 St. Louis

Round 2

St. Louis throws some punches and a right cross partially gets through. Alley misses with his own punches. Alley throws a kick which is very slow and misses, and St. Louis partially counters him. Alley presses forward, but St. Louis hits him with a straight, the best of the fight. St. Louis then lands a clean jab. Alley brawls while coming forward but he misses all of them. Alley then clinches and lands a nice knee to the body, his first good connect. St. Louis then gets an inside trip and easily puts Alley on the canvas. St. Louis is now in half-guard. However, with little resistance, he gets to full mount and starts to open up with punches. Alley gives up his back and St. Louis locks in a rear-naked choke. Alley INSTANTLY taps, as if he didn't even want to defend against the choke. A nice win for St. Louis.

The Official Result

Kendly St. Louis def. Nick Alley via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:17 of Round 2

Zach Juusola (170.8) vs. Jozef Wittner (171)

Round 1

In a welterweight clash, Slovakian prospect Jozef Wittner (16-2) meets Zach Juusola (12-9), with the questionable nickname of "The Juice", which once belonged to a certain infamous NFL running back. Referee Josh Rutgers will keep them honest. Wittner begins with a couple of leg kicks that get through. He then follows that up with a body kick and then another leg kick. He is jabbing now and Juusola is covering up. Wittner throws a left hook and right cross but they're mostly defended. Juusola decides to clinch, but it's Wittner who pushes his opponent in the cage and grinds for a takedown. Wittner tries a single-leg, but Juusola uses a kimura lock to barely stay upright. Juusola throws a few rabbit punches as the pace slows. Juusola lands a couple of knees from the Thai plum and Wittner mostly eats them. They break and separate back to the striking. Juusola lands a jab to the head and then one to the body. Wittner misses some punches but then lands a few uppercuts on the inside. Juusola throws a 1-2 and lands a right cross to the chin, though it's not hard. Wittner lands a leg kick but then eats more punches. Juusola keeps going and keeps landing with his punches. Wittner throws a leg kick but it's weak. Juusola lands a few jabs as Wittner is missing now. Juusola has success again with a 1-2. Wittner throws a head kick but it's blocked and Juusola uses it to push the Slovakian over. Juusola is on top and uses a very old-school move in putting his glove over Wittner's mouth. Juusola postures all the way up but isn't able to land any big punches and goes to half-guard. Juusola lands a few body punches. Nice turnaround for the big underdog.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Juusola
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Juusola
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Juusola

Round 2

Wittner throws a very tired and slow leg kick to begin the round that doesn't even come close. He misses a 1-2 and then throws another very weak, slow body kick. Wittner throws a 1-2 with the right cross to the body partially connecting. Juusola comes back with a jab. Wittner keeps throwing but he keeps missing as Juusola moves his head in an exaggerated manner. Juusola throws a series of straights but they're blocked and Wittner lands a sloppy left hook. They then clinch, as Wittner hopes to have more success there. He doesn't and they break. Juusola lands a 1-2 but he is also tired and they're fairly light. Wittner misses more punches and Juusola lands a nice right cross, the best shot of the round. Juusola lands a big body kick soon after but Wittner uses it to take Juusola down and get into side control. They continue wrestling though and Juusola reverses Wittner, ending up on top. Now it's Juusola in side control! Juusola lands a few punches to the body. Juusola puts his knee on Wittner's belly, but Juusola doesn't quite get to the mount. Juusola is very high but Wittner is so tired that he isn't taking advantage of an easy opportunity to get back up. Juusola is doing little from the top but Wittner isn't doing anything to take advantage, simply putting his knee up to defend against a transition to mount. Juusola keeps rotating, but to little purpose. Finally Juusola lands a punch to the head, but it's fairly light. A flurry by him ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Juusola
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Juusola
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Juusola

Round 3

Juusola is now the one beginning the round with a leg kick and his lands. Both men throw tired straight punches but all miss, as their foe evades. Juusola then lands a couple of right jabs and then a left cross. Again Wittner clinches and now it's Juusola reversing him against the cage. However, they soon get to the center of the cage before getting back to the fence, reversing position several times. They separate and a series of punches by both men miss. Juusola lands another leg kick. Wittner lumbers forward and Juusola, also tired, misses an opportunity to take him down. He corrects the error a short while later, with an easy bodylock takedown that Wittner offers little resistance to. Juusola is in the half-guard but isn't doing much, landing few punches of consequence. When he finally gets his hands free he throws a few punches, but they're either inaccurate or blocked. Juusola postures up and despite Wittner being badly gassed, Juusola is able to do little with the opportunity. With a minute left, Wittner is content to stay on his back, not even trying to throw up a submission. Juusola lands a few solid punches to the body. Wittner briefly tries to posture up, but he is nowhere close to getting up. Juusola lands more body punches as the fight ends. An easy win for the...massive underdog.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Juusola (30-27 Juusola)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Juusola (30-27 Juusola)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Juusola (30-27 Juusola)

The Official Result

Zach Juusola def. Jozef Wittner via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Eric Alequin (169.4) vs. Thad Jean (170.6)

Round 1

We stay with the 170 pounders, as undefeated Eric Alequin (7-0) goes to war with similarly unbeaten Thad Jean (4-0). Referee Larry Folsom will have the closest vantage point for which one of these men will taste defeat for the first time as a pro. Alequin comes out aggressive and lands a nice body kick. Jean returns fire with head kicks but they're soundly blocked. Jean throws a nice left hook but Alequin is just out of range. Jean throws a head kick and it's barely blocked this time. These fighters are a LOT more skilled than anyone in the first two fights. Jean throws a series of fast straights and the right cross snaps Alequin's head back. Alequin goes for a single-leg but Jean stuffs it easily. Alequin fires a head kick of his own but Jean blocks it well. Alequin with a nice oblique kick. Jean then throws a monster head kick that is blocked but partially gets through, rocking Alequin. Alequin retaliates with a front push-kick to the body. Jean throws a 1-2 but Alequin blocks it well. Alequin with a nice side-kick to the legs. He then does it again. Jean comes forward with a right hook but Alequin blocks it well again. Alequin then blocks another one. They kick simultaneously and Alequin ends up on his butt. However, Jean backs off so they can resume the striking. Jean with a nice 1-2 with a head kick chained to the end, but everything is just barely blocked. Alequin with a nice leg kick. Alequin scores with a nice jab. Jean lands a nice leg kick of his own. Jean lands a right cross against the cage, but Alequin rolls with it well. As 10 seconds are left, Jean lands a few short hooks and then a huge right hook that floors Alequin! He tries to finish him, but the round ends. Very lucky for Alequin there!

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Jean
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jean
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jean

Round 2

Alequin lands a leg kick to begin the second stanza. Alequin then lands another as Jean misses a jab. Jean goes for a huge spinning wheel kick that doesn't come close. Alequin evades some big Jean power punches after that. Alequin continues his effective sidekicks some now aimed at the body. Alequin gets too predictable though, with Jean catching his kick and putting him on his back, bashing him with a series of HUGE right hands over and over to the head. Finally Alequin ties him up and Jean stands all the way up, allowing Alequin to get back to his feet. Jean misses a jab and Alequin a head kick. Alequin scores a side-kick to the legs and then clinches. The action stalls and referee Larry Folsom restarts them in the center with 2 minutes left. Alequin misses a straight punch and Jean counters him with a hard left hook. Alequin gets onto his back, baiting Jean into his guard, but Jean tells him to get up. Jean now tags Alequin with a straight left. It's not a jab, as Jean, while he started Orthodox, has been switching stances the whole fight. Alequin comes forward but Jean nails him with a right cross and then an uppercut. Jean throws more punches that barely miss as the round ends. Impressive round for Jean.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Jean
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jean
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jean

Round 3

Alequin continues his assault of sidekicks to the legs, keeping a Jean jab from landing. Alequin opens up with punches but Jean evades them nicely. Jean misses a right cross and Alequin shoots a takedown, but Jean stuffs it with the greatest of ease. Jean partially gets a left hook through but isn't able to follow up, exiting the pocket soon after. Jean is pumping out a nice jab but Alequin stays tough and is just out of range. Jean lands a nice front kick to the body. Jean with a nice head kick and then a second one, which push Alequin back even though he blocks them. Jean throws a right cross and it's blocked. Jean catches an Alequin leg kick but isn't able to capitalize with his right hand. Jean comes forward wildly with punches but he misses, though Alequin's counters come up short, too. Both men have plenty of energy remaining with 2 minutes left in the round. Alequin misses a head kick and then Jean misses a leg kick. Jean misses a left hook and Alequin a jab. Both men throw leg kicks simultaneously and Jean connects to the cup. After a brief respite, they resume in the center of the cage. Jean throws a jab and then a right cross but Alequin blocks both, contrary to Sean O'Connell's commentary. As Alequin changes levels to get a takedown, Jean lands a huge body kick with a loud impact. Jean on top goes for hammerfists but Alequin continues to defend well. Jean gets to his feet as time runs out and rightly celebrates.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Jean (30-27 Jean)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Jean (30-27 Jean)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jean (30-27 Jean)

The Official Result

Thad Jean def. Eric Alequin via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27. 30-27)

Lucas Barbosa (170.4) vs. Itso Babulaidze (170.6)

Round 1

In the main event, we end with more welterweights, as Lucas Barbosa (2-1) of Brazil fights Itso Babulaidze (2-0), originally from Georgia. Referee Josh Rutgers gets the card's final assignment. Barbosa comes forward and blocks a Babulaidze 1-2. He soon clinches and pushes Babulaidze up against the cage. They're in a 50/50 underhook position and Barbosa throws a few small uppercuts. They jockey for position and Barbosa lands a solid knee to the body. However, Babulaidze spins free and they're back at range. Babulaidze throws a 1-2 that isn't close and Barbosa throws a few decent punches that barely miss. Barbosa barely misses a knee to the head when Babulaidze ducks. Another Babulaidze 1-2 hits the Brazilian's gloves. Again Barbossa goes for a takedown and this time he muscles through an outside trip. Babulaidze, however, is on his butt against the cage. Barbosa changes the angle and now he has his back firmly on the canvas. Barbosa now has just over half the round to try to get a submission from the top. Barbosa throws some blows, but they're arm punches and mostly blocked by Babulaidze. The pace slows and Barbosa is content to just be in Babulaidze's guard. Babulaidze, meanwhile, just keeps his guard closed. Barbosa tries to fire some bigger right hands, but they're mostly evaded or blocked. Barbosa finally postures up, standing up, though again, he is just going for ground-and-pound. Babulaidze pushes him off with his feet and then gets back on his butt, shrimping to the cage. Barbosa drags him down, but there are now just 15 seconds left in the round. Barbosa partially lands some punches as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Barbosa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barbosa
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Barbosa

Round 2

Both men throw cautious punches as the round begins, but nothing comes close to landing. Babulaidze shoots a series of jabs but Barbosa covers up well. Barbosa tries a 1-2 of his own but he drags his feet and is telegraphed, without landing anything. Barbosa changes levels to try to get a takedown but Babulaidze is tough, defending against the cage. They soon get to a 50/50 position and then Babulaidze pushes him off. Now Babulaidze comes forward with a flurry of punches and some are getting through, as the Brazilian is just covering up. Babulaidze now scores with a leg kick and then a front push-kick to the body. Barbosa goes for a big overhand right but it's painfully telegraphed and hits nothing but air. Babulaidze, meanwhile, lands some jabs and crosses. Barbosa is looking tired with just under 3 minutes left in the round. Again Barbosa tries for a takedown, this time a double, but Babulaidze sprawls well and then defends, with Barbosa grinding for a takedown against the cage. Barbosa tries to push forward, but Babulaidze's takedown defense holds up well, and they separate soon. Babulaidze lands a solid leg kick. And then, a while later, he lands another one that is clearly bothering the Brazilian. Babulaidze continues throwing 1-2s but they're partially getting through now. Another leg kick scores well. Barbosa throws punches and tries to change levels yet again, but he is stuffed just like all the other times. Babulaidze lands some hammerfists to the side of the head as a tired Barbosa stalls. Barbosa continues trying to get the takedown, but Babulaidze pushes him off and continues striking. Barbosa misses another huge overhand right as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Babulaidze
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Babulaidze
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Babulaidze

Round 3

Babulaidze lands a jab to begin the round. Barbosa is tired, lumbering forward and partially eating a 1-2 in the process. He then eats another leg kick. Babulaidze tries a kick upstairs but Barbosa manages to defend. Barbosa is throwing very tired punches, but they're easily blocked. Barbosa actually lands a body kick, though it's fairly weak. Babulaidze's own punches are sloppy and weak now, with little on his 1-2. Barbosa scores with a right cross! It's 1-1 in terms of rounds, so still either man's fight. Babulaidze touches Barbosa's leg with a kick, but there isn't much on it. Now Babulaidze shoots a double-leg and Barbosa is so tired he gets taken down! Babulaidze is in the half-guard. Barbosa is trying a half-guard sweep but that's hard when one is totally gassed, with mout lolling open. Barbosa tries a heel hook, but Babulaidze is able to defend, though his ankle stays in the 50/50 position. Barbosa throws wild overhanded punches/slaps from his back as he is desperately trying to get air into his lungs. Barbosa now gets a sweep off his back, with the last of his energy! He has 1 minute left. Barbosa gets into half-guard, with the two men trading tired punches. However, Barbosa is trying to get into mount and he does so! He has only 25 seconds left, though. Barbosa starts to open up and he is partially connecting with punches! Very tough round to score, but I think the Brazilian just barely edged it out.

Sherdog Scores

Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Barbosa (29-28 Barbosa)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Barbosa (29-28 Barbosa)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Babulaidze (29-28 Babulaidze)

The Official Result

Itso Babulaidze def. Lucas Barbosa via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)