The 2023 Skilled Fighters League (PFL) common season received underway with a bang on Saturday night time in Las Vegas, with featherweights and lightweight heavyweights competing within the first card of the yr. The night time featured a number of thrilling fights, together with the primary occasion between Brendan Loughnane and Marlon Moraes.
Loughnane, the 2022 PFL featherweight champion, placed on a formidable efficiency in opposition to Moraes, a former UFC title contender. Though Moraes appeared to have the higher hand within the first spherical, Loughnane’s leg kicks progressively took their toll, inflicting vital injury to Moraes’ proper leg. Within the second spherical, Moraes got here out swinging, on the lookout for a knockout, however Loughnane landed one other brutal leg kick that dropped Moraes for good. With the win, Loughnane earned six factors within the featherweight standings.
Within the co-main occasion, mild heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson took on former UFC title contender Thiago Santos. Wilkinson, who has 4 straight knockouts in 2023, employed a sensible recreation plan, utilizing well-timed takedowns to regulate Santos and restrict his placing. Wilkinson’s efforts earned him a unanimous resolution victory and three factors within the mild heavyweight standings.
Different notable fights on the cardboard included former Bellator fighter Will Fleury’s cut up resolution victory over UFC veteran Krzysztof Jotko within the mild heavyweight division, and featherweights Movlid Khaybulaev and Bubba Jenkins’ dominant wins over Ryoji Kudo and Chris Wade, respectively.
Trying forward, the subsequent PFL card is scheduled for April 29 and can function ladies’s light-weight and welterweight fighters. The cardboard will embody a number of notable names, together with former UFC fighter Kayla Harrison, who received the PFL ladies’s light-weight championship in 2019 and 2021. Harrison will tackle Mariana Morais in what guarantees to be an thrilling combat.
Different fights on the cardboard embody a ladies’s welterweight matchup between reigning champion Kayla Harrison’s coaching companion, Genah Fabian, and former UFC fighter Sarah Moras. As well as, two-time Olympic judo gold medalist and former UFC fighter Kayla Harrison will make her PFL debut in opposition to Mariana Morais.
With the PFL providing a $1 million prize to every weight class champion, followers can count on to see among the best and thrilling fights on the earth of MMA. The common season continues all through the summer time, culminating within the PFL Championship on December 31.
Try PFL 1 outcomes beneath
Predominant CardÂ
Brendan Loughnane def. Marlon Moraes through TKO (leg kicks) at Spherical 2, 1:11
Rob Wilkinson def. Thiago Santos through unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Will Fleury def. Krzysztof Jotko through cut up resolution (28-29, 28-29, 29-28)
Movlid Khaybulaev def. Ryoji Kudo through unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Bubba Jenkins def. Chris Wade through unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Marthin Hamlet def. Mohammad Fakhreddine through submission (face crank) at Spherical 1, 1:05
Josh Silveira def. Sam Kei through submission (rear-naked choke) at Spherical 1, 2:46
Alejandro Flores def. Daniel Torres through unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Gabriel Braga def. Jesus Pinedo through cut up resolution (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)*
Ty Flores def. Delan Monte through unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Impa Kasanganay def. Cory Hendricks through unanimous resolution (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
*Jo Sungbin has been pressured to withdraw from his combat with Jesus Pinedo as a consequence of not being medically cleared to compete. Alternate Gabriel Braga steps in to combat Pinedo
