PFL 4 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jake Childers (155) vs. Nate Jennerman (155)

Round 1

The PFL is back for three weeks in a row in Hotlanta to wrap up its regular season, and the first of three comes with a card for lightweight and light heavyweights. Only two 155ers thus far celebrate more than three points, so it’s still anyone’s game in the lightweight range. Meanwhile, four of the five 205-pound victors thus far pocketed at least five points, and every single light heavyweight winner from a few weeks ago takes on someone else with zero points. There are, however, no tournament implications for this first fight, as it is instead a “showcase” match between two PFL debutants and LFA vets Childers (9-2, 0-0 PFL) and Jennerman (15-5, 0-0 PFL) to start the show. Both looking to punch their ticket either to next year’s tourney or to this year as a potential alternate, they are amped up and ready to go. Referee Blake Grice will watch on in the first fight of the night. There is no touch of gloves, as Jennerman instead wants to his kick man in the chest. He strides forward after the kick to back Childers up with a few punches down the middle, and Childers swats them away. Childers looks to push out a few jabs, and Jennerman ignores them to push straight right hands down the pipe to get Childers’ attention early. Jennerman crashes forward to attack, and as he unloads on Childers, he wings an elbow. Grice calls an immediate pause, because these strikes are illegal in PFL, and Jennerman apologizes and they reset. When they get back after it, Jennerman feels he still has Childers on the ropes, and he backs Childers up and starts ripping the body with several ferocious right hands. Childers shells up as Jennerman lays into him, and Jennerman mixes in knees and punches on the inside. The offense does not slow from “Nasty Nate,” who continues to work Childers over early and often. Childers hopes to gain some space and back off, and he does sneak a left hand through, but Jennerman meets him with three or four of his own in response. Ever playing the bully, Jennerman gives chase whenever Childers retreats, battering him with strikes but not ultimately hurting him. Childers tries to frame off with knees when Jennerman backs him off and strikes, but he cannot keep the constant aggressor at bay. Jennerman shows off with a spinning strike as he wades forward fearlessly, and he punches his way into clinches repeatedly. When Childers answers, Jennerman responds with far more volume, and the round ends with a fierce exchange.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Jennerman

Round 2

The two lightweights meet in the middle, and it takes Jennerman very little time to pick up where he left off. Jennerman blitzes forward to engage in a clinch after landing a few strikes, and he thinks to set up a standing guillotine choke. When Childers defends, Jennerman swirls around to take his back standing up. The left arm snakes beneath Childers’ neck, and it becomes a modified version of a rear-naked choke that Childers shakes off. Childers manages to free his neck, and just when he thinks he is safe, Jennerman trips his legs out and wrenches him down to the mat. With both hooks in and transitioning into a body triangle, Jennerman secures a tight rear-naked choke, and Childers is suddenly in big trouble. Out of options and in danger of going out, Childers elects to tap out, prompting Grice’s intervention. This showcase could not have gone much better for “Nasty Nate,” who announces that he is a ready and willing contender should anything arise this season at 155 pounds.

The Official Result

Nate Jennerman def. Jake Childers R2 2:00 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Marthin Hamlet (205.6) vs. Joshua Silveira (205.6)

Round 1

The first points-relevant matchup begins now, as light heavyweights Hamlet (9-3, 3-2 PFL) and Challenger Series pickup Silveira (8-0, 1-0 PFL) tangle in search of a spot in the top four. The winner may need a finish to qualify for the playoffs, depending on the participant. Referee Nate Mann will oversee this first tournament bout to officially kick off the second round of the regular season, and a touch of gloves seals the cage around the fighters. Hamlet takes the center of the cage only to absorb a low kick, and he responds with a head kick. After blocking it, Silveira throws a similar kick back up high. They trade single strikes, and Silveira feints for a level change to draw a reaction out of his Norwegian adversary. Hamlet sits down on a right hand after a jab, and it appears to sting the American and stop him in his tracks for a moment. Hamlet bears down on him with a few punches, and he shoves the unbeaten fighter into the wall to make him bear his weight as well. Silveira defends with a high guillotine choke, but Hamlet slides his head out and lets go. Hamlet unleashes a spinning back fist in the vein of Zangief from Street Fighter, with momentum taking him all the way around and back again. Silveira easily dodges the blow, but he is forced to block a high kick to follow. Silveira crashes forward for a takedown effort, and Hamlet stops it and muscles Silveira back against the wire. Silveira breaks it up and backs Hamlet off with a solid front kick to the torso, and Silveira does a number on him with several in rapid succession. Silveira mixes things up with a speedy head kick, and Hamlet suddenly finds himself on roller skates. Silveira tries to finish the job, and Hamlet falls to the ground in big trouble. Silveira thinks to take Hamlet’s back and search for some sort of choke, but decides to land punches in bunches in hopes of a finish. As Silveira pounds on Hamlet with any strike he can muster, Hamlet steels himself, stands up, pushes off and wings another inaccurate spinning back fist. Mann is taking a close eye on the action with Hamlet getting knocked into the cage due to vicious strikes, and Hamlet tries again with a spinning strike that bounces off of his opponent. Silveira frames up his foe, and he lets loose with a knee that disables Hamlet entirely, with the Norwegian collapsing to his knees in dire shape. A few follow-up punches upside the head are all Mann needs to see to step in, and Silveira has now earned a clean six points with a first-round finish. His place in the playoffs is not guaranteed, but he does eject Hamlet from contention in dynamite fashion.

The Official Result

Joshua Silveira def. Marthin Hamlet R1 3:27 via TKO (Knee and Punches)

Rob Wilkinson (206) vs. Viktor Pesta (205.8)

Round 1

Two competitors ejected from the UFC a few years ago will come to blows next, although Wilkinson (14-2, 1-0 PFL) fought at 185 pounds while Pesta (18-7, 0-1 PFL) remained in the heavyweight division. They will meet in the middle at light heavyweight, with high finish rates for each man and something to prove. The glove touch comes before referee Kevin MacDonald, and Pesta opens up with a right hand that brushes past the hair of his foe. Wilkinson steps in with a left hook, and he finds his mark and then follows it with a clean jab. Pesta again looks for his overhand right, and it too falls short of the intended target. The jabs get traded, and Pesta times a responsive jab to shoot in for a takedown. The Aussie does not let himself stay down for more than a second before rebounding back to his feet, but he does get shoved into the wall. Pesta looks for a mat return, and he trips Wilkinson back down. Wilkinson once more springs right back up, and he turns Pesta around against the wire. Wilkinson drops down for his own takedown effort, but he decides to let it go so that he can slug Pesta in the chops with a clean left. Pesta eats it like rizek and backs off to get his bearings, and Wilkinson does not decide to chase him down to force a finish. Instead, he gives chase calmly, and he slips a few punches to counter with a barrage of his own. A three-punch salvo knocks Pesta to the mat, and Pesta jumps back to his feet but does not have his legs about him. Wilkinson loads up on a few more, dropping Pesta once more, and MacDonald is paying very close attention. Wilkinson lets loose with a final salvo of clubbing punches with Pesta on his knees, and Pesta is not getting up this time. MacDonald steps in so that Pesta does not get mashed into pesto, and Wilkinson is now the proud owner of the top seed at 205 pounds with 11 points.

The Official Result

Rob Wilkinson def. Viktor Pesta R1 3:03 via TKO (Punches)

Emiliano Sordi (204.8) vs. Delan Monte (205.6)

Round 1

When referee Blake Grice intervenes – as this light heavyweight clash will almost certainly end inside the distance – either Argentina’s Sordi (23-10-1, 7-3-1 PFL) or Brazilian Monte (8-2, 0-1 PFL) will get on the scoreboard in hopes of playoff contention. With the bar set at six points already, one of these two will need to register a first-round stoppage quicker than 3:27 in order to have a chance to get into the playoffs. A whopping 17 finishes in Round 1 reside on Sordi’s ledger, while Monte’s own stoppage rate sits at 100% with seven of eight coming in the opening round. They touch gloves, and both flash out jabs. Monte leans forward with a left hook, and Sordi dances out of the way. Monto struggles to find the range, with Sordi’s movement flustering him. Sordi sits down on a pair of leg kicks, and Monte aims a left hand on the chin but can only land with the end of it. Monte winds up on a huge right, and Sordi slides out of the way and cracks him with a short left hook. Monte charges forward, and they both start brawling recklessly and wildly. Sordi backs off and circles away, with him getting the worst of the exchange, and Monte starts pouring it on. Sordi might actually be hurt from the initial right hand to start off a barrage, and he shells up against the cage wall while possibly playing possum. Sordi then bursts with one big left hook, but Monte shrugs it off and keeps on bombing. As the punches get past the guard or at least impact on the hands, Sordi struggles and misses with another single strike to respond. The Brazilian continues his bombardment until Sordi drops to a knee, and Monte swarms him with a long series of unanswered punches until Grice has no choice but to step in. That finish clocked in under the mark mentioned above, giving him six points and the tiebreaker to currently seat Monte in the four spot at light heavyweight. He is not in yet, as there are still two more 205-pound tilts left tonight. However, things are looking bright for the Brazilian that just sprang a massive upset, doing so by laying waste to the 2021 champ.

The Official Result

Delan Monte def. Emiliano Sordi R1 1:32 via TKO (Punches)

Natan Schulte (156) vs. Marcin Held (155.6)

Round 1

A rematch almost 14 months in the making will come to fruition now in the lightweight division. With both men losing in their last respective bouts against Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Schulte (21-5-1, 10-3-1 PFL) and Held (27-8, 1-1 PFL) will hope to settle their business while getting on the leaderboard with a much-needed win. Back in April 2021, Held took a decision to spoil the playoff hopes of Schulte, and also snapped a 10-fight unbeaten streak for the Brazilian. Referee Nate Mann will make preside to keep things on the up-and-up, although they display respect with a glove touch. Schulte immediately goes on the offensive, with low kicks and jabs coming out in a hurry. Held responds with a few jabs, and a wide right hand allows Schulte to push forward and tie him up. Held manages to break free, and Schulte walks him down, scoring a right down the middle and then arcing one around the guard. Schulte marks up the lead calf with another thudding kick, and Held drops down for a rolling heel hook. Schulte sees it coming and stands back, where he tells Held to get back up. Held obliges, and they both throw haymakers at one another that miss the respective marks. Schulte scores a few right hands over the top, as he approaches fearlessly and absorbs anything the Polish fighter throws at him. Schulte eats a right hand like a pierogi and plods forward, and even though his nose appears to redden up a little, he is constantly forcing Held to fight off the back foot. Held looks to change levels, but when that does not succeed, he spins with a back fist that bounces off Schulte’s high guard. Held hops back with several jabs, and Schulte is throwing much heavier and mixing up his strikes to the body to decent effect. Held has his lead leg chopped at a few times, and Schulte rips a left hand that just misses the mark. The Brazilian trades leg kicks with his foe, and he steps out of the way of a telegraphed spinning kick. Held rolls again for a leglock, and Schulte is wise to it and stacks Held up, before standing up and imploring Held to stand up again. When Schulte walks Held down, he leans into a left hand that dislodges Held’s mouthpiece for a moment and stuns him. Held keeps his wits about him and spins with a back fist, but his strikes do little with Schulte maintaining an effective guard and giving Held back more than comes at him. Held has a few punches collide with the guard, and Schulte nails his lead leg with a kick that forces Held to pick it up. One last nasty kick from the Brazilian ends the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Held
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Held

Round 2

Gloves get touched to start off the second round, and Schulte marches Held down and pops him in the face with the ball of his foot. Held absorbs another chopping kick, and he takes a left hand around the side. Schulte slips a punch and tags Held with a right, and Held backs off with jabs. Schulte keeps a safe range to pick and potshot his opponent from afar, and Held shoots in for a takedown only to get brought right back to his feet. Schulte stings his man with a right hand, and he scores a few more on the inside until Held is forced to backpedal. Schulte winds up on power punches, and Held is forced to retreat and throw a few low kicks of his own. Held ricochets off the guard with a spinning back fist, and he gets his lead leg kicked when coming back around. Held sits down on a left hand, and Schulte completely ignores it and a right that follows. Schulte kicks the ribs and wings a left hand, and a right over the top rocks Held. Held gathers his thoughts and absorbs a low kick and another right hand, and he manages to keep his bearings and fire back. Held shoots in low for a takedown, and Schulte stuffs him and stands back. Schulte lands a body kick when Held jabs at him, and he swings a right hand over the guard that clangs into Held’s dome. Held absorbs a few more kicks as he tries to find offense of his own, and he manages to sting the Brazilian with a quick right hand. Schulte no-sells the strike and continues to plod forward, and a high kick just misses. Held scores to the leg, and he gets popped with an uppercut. Schulte comes up hitting air with a huge right hand, and Held replies with a straight jab. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte

Round 3

The lightweights meet in the middle to tap hands, and it’s right back to the salt mines for Schulte, by swing power punches. Held absorbs a few and leans back, and although he lands back, the power is in the favor of the Brazilian. Held has several punches bounce into the guard, and a low kick is checked. Schulte wings punches recklessly, and Held circles out before anything lands of note. Held sticks him with a jab, and he finds himself in a brief but thrilling slugfest where he lands as much as Schulte does. Schulte peppers the lead calf with kicks, but they have far less on them than the previous rounds. Schulte reaches out with a left hook as Held strings three punches together on his way out. They trade punches, and Held sticks and moves, evading several head kicks but constantly backpedaling. Schulte plods forward without missing a beat, and he connects with a clean leg kick that irritates Held. They trade left hands at the same time, and Held keeps head movement going while Schulte is consistently moving towards him. Held fails on a takedown effort, and he gathers himself to swing a spinning wheel kick. When the foot hits the block, Held falls over, and Schulte does not want to play the ground game with him so Held stands up. Held swipes out with a right hand, and he protects his mug from a high kick. Held’s jab keeps Schulte at bay well enough to not get tagged by something flush, and he spins as Schulte moves towards him. Held stays on his bike with ample jabs, and he keeps up with Schulte in multiple exchanges. Schulte clips him with a left in the midst of a combination, and Held does a quick count of his teeth and shoots for a takedown. Schulte shows no signs of concern as he steps out of harm’s way, and they trade heavy leather. Held blocks a few high kicks, and Schulte connects with a blistering combination of heavy punches. The Brazilian knocks the head back with punches in bunches, and Held is rocked but still with it. Schulte lays into him with one last try to get the finish, but time expires before he can elicit a stoppage. That should be three points with the decision win for Schulte, which may not be enough to make the playoffs this year. He does, however, avenge the loss to Held suffered last year.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (30-27 Schulte)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)

The Official Result

Natan Schulte def. Marcin Held via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Omari Akhmedov (203.2) vs. Teodoras Aukstuolis (204)

Round 1

Fresh off his 85-second knockout of Viktor Pesta, Akhmedov (22-7-1, 1-1 PFL) by that win alone might have already done enough to reach the playoffs, other results pending. In this second 205-pound tilt for the Russian, he takes on Aukstuolis (11-6, 0-1 PFL), a Rizin FF vet that lost in his PFL debut. While Akhmedov hopes to improve on his six-point spot, Aukstuolis aims to get on the board, and referee Kevin MacDonald will be the first to know who does just that. There is no glove touch ahead of the preliminary headliner, as Aukstuolis claims the middle of the cage and gets jabbed in the face to make his hair fly back. Aukstuolis ducks a high kick, and he pushes out with a jab that is about two feet away from where he wanted to strike. Akhmedov kicks the ribcage, and Aukstuolis swarms him with a left hook. When Aukstuolis goes after another looping punch, Akhmedov hits an easy single-leg takedown to ground the Lithuanian. Akhmedov slices over to half guard within seconds of landing it, and he starts fishing for an arm-triangle setup. Aukstuolis scoots his way back to the fence, and the position he keeps allows him stay out of submission danger. Akhmedov drags him back out, and he looks to pass to mount. The Russian stays heavily pressed to his opponent, not giving Aukstuolis a moment to breathe, and he hunts for an arm-triangle again. As Akhmedov jumps over to snag mount, Aukstuolis reverses the position and flips Akhmedov to his back. Aukstuolis sits in Akhmedov’s guard, trying to get off a few punches, and Akhmedov replies by bucking and nearly kicking the Lithuanian off of him. Akhmedov powers his way back up, threatens with his own takedown on his way standing, and gets up. A brawl ensues, and Akhmedov lands the far heavier of the blows as Aukstuolis is stunned and wobbles back to the fence. Aukstuolis replies with a powerful couple punches, but a one-two from Akhmedov rocks Aukstuolis again. Akhmedov steps in with a right hand, measuring the strikes and not simply letting them all go and gassing out. Aukstuolis gets his wits about him and starts throwing haymakers, with an uppercut that grazes past Akhmedov’s chin. Aukstuolis swings so hard he falls over, and Akhmedov jumps on top to land blows, but the horn sounds to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Akhmedov

Round 2

The light heavyweights meet in the center of the cage, and Aukstuolis leaps forward with a pair of punches that pound into the Russian’s guard. Akhmedov flashes out a jab, and he intercepts Aukstuolis jumping towards him with reckless offense. Akhmedov scores a thudding low kick, and he aims one to the same spot. When Akhmedov winds up on a right hand, Aukstuolis takes it flush and does not bat an eye. The Russian wings another right over the top, and Aukstuolis absorbs it once more. A piston-like jab from Aukstuolis snaps straight into the chin of Akhmedov, sending Akhmedov crashing to the canvas suddenly. Akhmedov gathers himself, looks to reverse the position and threatens with a single from his knees. The takedown succeeds for the Russian, who quickly assumes full mount while blood flows from a cut around the bridge of his nose. Akhmedov scores a few short punches to the body, but he is much more interested in locking down an arm-triangle choke from the mount. Akhmedov decides to step into side control, and the choke is even tighter. The shoulder pressure is crushing, and Aukstuolis tries to kick off the fence to gain some leverage, but there is none to be found. Before he can surrender, Aukstuolis goes out on his shield. The lights are on but no one’s home, as Aukstuolis gets rendered unconscious with his eyes wide open, and MacDonald recognizes this and steps in. Five more points go to Akhmedov, who finds himself in the second seed at 205 pounds with 11 total below Wilkinson, as he officially punches his ticket to the playoffs with an exclamation point.

The Official Result

Omari Akhmedov def. Teodoras Aukstuolis R2 2:50 via Technical Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Jeremy Stephens (156) vs. Myles Price (155.2)

Round 1

Kicking off the main card is a clean-shaven Stephens (28-20, 1 NC; 0-1 PFL), who appears to have had a great deal of difficulty making weight for his lightweight clash with Ireland’s own Price (11-8, 0-1 PFL). These two men will throw down with hopes of qualifying for the lightweight playoffs with a dramatic win, and a decision very well may not be enough. Referee Blake Grice is charged with officiating this potential brawl, and Stephens wants nothing to do with a glove touch and would rather introduce himself with his fists. Stephens marches forward, and he scores a big leg kick when Price tries to back him off. The Irish fighter dives forward into a takedown, and Stephens’ sprawl is so powerful that he pelvic thrusts Price all the way over and to his back. “Lil Heathen” takes top position, and Price looks to sit up and possibly sweep, while Stephens decides to take a step and let Price up. Stephens comes out swinging, and Price shells up to block the blows but cannot defend against a slapping leg kick on his inner thigh. Price chops at the lead leg of his foe, and Stephens ignores it entirely and ducks a jab. Price has a spinning back fist go well wide of the target, and Stephens answers him with a leg kick and a pair of punches. Stephens loads up on three more, and Price checks a leg kick and ties Stephens up and pulls him back to the wall. Stephens wants to throw elbows, but they are illegal, so he holds back. When Stephens gains a little space, he leans back to avoid a knee and lets his hands go with a series of punches. Price absorbs or blocks them well enough, and he tries to chip away with a kick. “Magic Myles” attempts another takedown, and Stephens simply pushes him back and slugs him in the face with an uppercut. Price dodges a knee and fires back with his own uppercut. Stephens mashes Price back to the fencing, and he breaks the grip so that he can throw hands. Price kicks him in the ribs, and he flicks out a few jabs and a front kick to the body. Stephens goes to the body with a few punches, and he follows them with strikes over the top. Price tags his man with a few sharp punches, and Stephens leans forward to tie him up. Stephens keeps trying to push off, and Price grabs him and pulls him back in. Price does let him go so that he can push out a few jabs, and he blocks the oncoming fire until he can clinch Stephens to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stephens
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Stephens
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Stephens

Round 2

Price offers a glove touch to start off the round, and this time, Stephens accepts. Price then lashes out with a kick low and one to the body, and he charges forward with a line of punches that make Stephens back off. Price catches him on the way in with a kick to the cup, and Stephens waves off Grice instead of allowing him to pause the action. Price uses several jabs to work his way in and rip the body with a left hand, and he gets in a short knee to the midsection before Stephens turns him around. Price pulls his leg back when a low kick comes at it, and he uses that same foot to jab into Stephens’ torso. Stephens winds up on a looping punch or two, and Price sees them coming and takes a few more body shots. Price spins with a back kick that pounds into the side of Stephens, and he shoots in for a double that mashes Stephens into the wire. Stephens turns him about as they jockey for position, and he absorbs a knee to the liver when hanging on. When they break, Stephens is a foot short of a looping left hook. Price stays composed with jabs, and he follows one with a one-two. Price snaps the head back with a combination, and this seems to activate “Lil Heathen” who gets ready to start brawling. Price uses head movement and footwork to his advantage, staying away on the outside before crashing in for a single. Stephens remains on his feet as he gets pushed to the fence, but he manages to break free and start marching forward. Stephens scores a calf kick that gets Price’s attention, and Stephens gloms onto Price instead of striking it more. Stephens hangs on in the clinch with half-hearted body punches, and Price ends the round with a few knees to the chest.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Price
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Price

Round 3

Price is quick to start off the last round with a takedown, and the defense of Stephens is strong enough to bowl the Irishman over and put him on his backside. Price closes his guard, and he suddenly whips his leg around to attack a leglock. Stephens sees this coming and steps out, and both men get to their feet. Price kicks the chest, and he slides out of the way when Stephens throws hammers at him. “Magic Myles” digs a left to the body, and he attempts to throw Stephens to the mat. Stephens keeps his balance on his knees and stands up to jam Price into the fencing, and he muscles Price to keep him in this position. Price turns the tables, finally hits the takedown he is seeking, and puts Stephens on the mat. Stephens looks to close his guard, but Price is quick in advancing to half guard and he stays busy with left hands from on top. The pace slows to a crawl with Price in this position from above, and Grice tells them to keep working. The Irishman keeps just active enough with strikes, and Stephens sits up against the fence in hopes of walking up. Price smartly pulls Stephens back down, and he embraces the grind all while Grice keeps telling them to fight. Price hangs on with all his might, doing little else besides maintaining control, and Stephens posts off his hands and tries to do anything to stand. With less than 10 seconds to go, Stephens does, and he throws caution to the wind. “Lil Heathen” blitzes his opponent with a few haymakers, and Price blocks them and protects himself until the final bell rings. This could be a close one, and the victor will most likely not reach the playoffs due to how closely scored this will be.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Price (29-28 Price)

The Official Result

Jeremy Stephens def. Myles Price via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Raush Manfio (155.8) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.8)

Round 1

At the end of this lightweight pairing, one of these two surprising successes with PFL will have to lose for the first time under its banner. Whether it is 2021 champ Manfio (16-3, 5-0 PFL), or ex-UFC talent Aubin-Mercier (14-5, 3-0 PFL), the betting lines on this match are the closest of any fight on the whole card. Although “The Canadian Gangster” will come in as a slight favorite, he pays it no mind, and he pleasantly offers a glove touch to his opponent in front of referee Nate Mann. Manfio leads off with a kick up the middle, and he jumps forward with two punches. Aubin-Mercier bats them away and tries to find his range, and the two hand-fight with their arms outstretched. The Canadian tosses out a few kicks, but neither have engaged with anything of note in the first minute. This stalemate continues as they paw at one another with half-hearted kicks, and Aubin-Mercier suddenly springs into action with a left hand over the top that bounces off the shoulder. Manfio reaches out with a few kicks to the body, and they have reddened up Aubin-Mercier’s side already. Aubin-Mercier tosses up a high kick that gets easily blocked, and he comes up just short with a looping right hand. “The Canadian Gangster” fakes a takedown effort, and he kicks the 2021 champ in the side. Aubin-Mercier times a body kick with a right hand over the top, very possibly landing the first clean punch after 3:30 of non-combat. Aubin-Mercier sits down on a body kick that lands with an audible thud, and Manfio takes it flush without missing a beat. Manfio tries to come over the top with a looping left hand, and he push kicks the Canadian in the chest. “OAM” replies with a kick to the body, and he blocks a head kick just in time. Aubin-Mercier scores low kicks with both of his own legs, and he takes one back from Manfio. Manfio pushes out a front kick, and Aubin-Mercier counters him with a right over the guard before the horn sounds to end this tepid round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 2

The lightweights touch gloves, and the two stand in front of one another without throwing much of note after. Manfio goes after a low kick, and he ducks a right hand counter that soars at his head. A single low kick comes from Aubin-Mercier, and the hand fighting continues as they possess alternate stances. They both throw big punches, and both men miss the mark. Aubin-Mercier follows a failed overhand left with a leg kick, and Manfio misses with a counter. Aubin-Mercier scores a left and then pounds the liver with his shin, and Manfio can only get one back with his own body kick. Aubin-Mercier eventually goes to that same spot with another kick, and Manfio backs up to the wall and has to protect himself from a head kick. Manfio looks for short left check hooks, but Aubin-Mercier is out of the way and able to stab his kick into Manfio’s ribs. Aubin-Mercier absorbs a body kick and flirts with a one-two, and Manfio knocks the air out when he is about a foot away with a huge overhand right. Aubin-Mercier slides in with a step-in right, and Manfio grabs his hands but cannot hold him. Instead, the Brazilian chips with a low kick, and he gets jabbed in the face. The strike totals are abysmal after nearly nine minutes of action, but Aubin-Mercier holds the advantage as he blocks a body kick and gives one back. They both punch one another in the midsection, and Aubin-Mercier comes over the top with a left. The Canadian lets loose with a heavy leg kick on the inside, and Manfio takes a funny step to recover. The crowd begins to boo from the lack of action throughout this match, and Aubin-Mercier spurs into action with a couple jabs. Manfio reaches to the body, and Aubin-Mercier checks a kick and pushes out his own right hand. The second round comes to a close as boos rain down in the arena.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 3

The two greet in the middle with a glove touch, and they immediately grab gloves with their arms outstretched to continue hand fighting. Aubin-Mercier pulls his arm back and slugs Manfio in the chops with a left hand, and Manfio takes it flush and tries to kick low, only to get checked. Manfio nearly kicks his foe’s leg out beneath him, but the strike is one-and-done as Aubin-Mercier resets. Manfio kicks the same spot again, and he gets a little frantic to push forward with punches, but Aubin-Mercier is there to score with a right hand. Aubin-Mercier boots the body with his rear leg again, and Manfio is walking his man down but not throwing. Manfio tries to tie Aubin-Mercier up, and he lands a knee before letting go. Manfio connects with a pair of low kicks, and Aubin-Mercier wings a left that is well short of the mark. The Canadian again slams his foot into the ribcage, and Manfio takes it without budging and launches a right hand. Aubin-Mercier slips it and circles away, and Manfio nearly catches him with a short left hook. Aubin-Mercier gets pushed to the wall, and he turns Manfio around and breaks away. Aubin-Mercier considers a takedown, and Manfio stuffs him and gets off an uppercut. Manfio kicks and moves forward, only to get bullied back with the power of “The Canadian Gangster” in the clinch. When Manfio tries to let go with some short clinch strikes, Aubin-Mercier pushes off and circles away. Aubin-Mercier continues to move laterally, and he dodges a spinning back kick from Manfio and slaps away a front kick. Aubin-Mercier advances, rushing forward to jam Manfio into the wire, and he considers a level change but cannot get there before Manfio pulls him back upright. Manfio is trapped against the fence as Aubin-Mercier lands a knee or two, and loud boos rain down. When they break away, Manfio tries to charge, but he cannot catch his foe before the horn blares. The fans are incensed, but the fight is mercifully over. The Canadian successfully earned a place in the playoffs with his lackluster decision win, doing so by improving his point total to 6.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27 Aubin-Mercier)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27 Aubin-Mercier)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier (30-27 Aubin-Mercier)

The Official Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Raush Manfio via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Antonio Carlos Jr. (205.8) vs. Bruce Souto (205.2)

Round 1

It’s an all-Brazil battle in the co-main event, when 2021 light heavyweight champ Carlos Jr. (14-5, 2 NC; 4-0, 1 NC PFL) takes on the recently knocked out Souto (15-4, 1-1 PFL). Coming into this card, Carlos Jr. held the pole position at 205 pounds with six points and the tiebreaker of a 29-second victory under his belt, and another quick win would recertify that spot for him as he vies for a top seed again. Referee Kevin MacDonald will receive the honor of presiding over this matchup, and the countrymen do touch ‘em up before coming out fighting. Souto throws out several low kicks early, and he slides back from a jab. Carlos Jr. prods out with multiple jabs, and he chases one with a right hand. Souto continues to irritate the 2021 champ with low kicks, but he does not throw any other strikes while working on that kick. Carlos Jr. blocks a body kick, and he nearly gets countered over the top. Souto walks through a jab and kicks Carlos Jr.’s leg hard, and “Shoeface” comes forward with two punches to the body. As time continues to elapse, Delan Monte from earlier tonight has officially made the playoffs, thanks to the time in the first round and the possibility of an early finish for Souto. This does not appear to be in the cards for Souto, as Carlos Jr. closes in and takes him down to the mat. “Soldado de Cristo” fights his way to a salvageable position, and he wall-walks without giving up his back. Carlos Jr. keeps pinned to his opponent, in search of some takedown effort, and he settles for knees to the body. The knee strikes from Carlos Jr. continue as stay-busy efforts to remain tied up against the wall, and MacDonald shows no sign of stepping in to break them up. Carlos Jr. keeps tightly pressed against his opponent until he drops down for a single, and he whips Souto down to the mat for a moment. Souto springs back up without much concern, at least from a submission danger perspective, but he cannot get Carlos Jr. off of him. Souto finally gets a break and pushes off with seconds to spare in the round, and he absorbs a front kick and a jab as the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.

Round 2

The two touch gloves to start off the second frame, and Souto is glad to be upright with some distance, and he celebrates this with a few leg kicks. Souto skips back and forth, landing a kick or two and hopping back when Carlos Jr. tries to counter him with punches. Carlos Jr. reaches him with a right hand down the pipe, and Souto keeps his leg kicks going without much concern. Souto turns into several low kicks, and Carlos Jr. is showing some issues on his wheel after absorbing these unanswered strikes. “Cara de Sapato” fires off punches when Souto kicks him, but Souto is able to recoil his leg fast enough and step back before getting punched. When Souto kicks the body, Carlos Jr. jabs his way into a clinch, and he hunts for a body lock takedown. When that fails, Carlos Jr. knees him right square in the gut. Carlos Jr. rips his man off the cage wall and tosses him down to the mat, and where Souto sits with his back to the fencing. Souto springs back up and gives up his back in the process, allowing Carlos Jr. to jump up on his back momentarily. Souto fights off any hook and works his way up, but Carlos Jr. has other intentions. Carlos Jr. continues to work for any takedown he can muster, be it a body lock with a trip, or a double that comes out of nowhere, but Souto’s defense largely holds up with his back getting ground into the fence. Carlos Jr. pulls him away and nearly grounds him, but he settles for shoving Souto back to the wall. Souto is nullified in these positions, and while he stays upright, he is not making Carlos Jr. pay for anything. Carlos Jr. breaks free of his own accord, and he wings two punches that blow past his opponent. Souto aims a head kick up high, but it gets blocked at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr.

Round 3

The Brazilians hug it out to begin the last round, and the Atlanta crowd boos them for this. The fighters then step back and throw kicks at the same time, and their shins clack together in ugly fashion. Souto doubles up on leg kicks as Carlos Jr. is firing back with little else besides jabs, and these kicks are again adding up. Carlos Jr. takes a front kick, and when Souto advances, Carlos Jr. snatches hold of him and clinches in pursuit of a takedown. The body lock does not succeed for Carlos Jr., even when he lifts Souto off the ground momentarily, as “Soldado de Cristo” remains standing. Carlos Jr. looks for a single, but with Souto squeezed up against the wall, Carlos Jr. cannot get a grip on it. Carlos Jr. elects to simply press him to the wall, and he spins Souto around and almost gets his back standing. They both continue twirling in entertaining fashion while tied up, and Souto manages to get the better of it and turns Carlos Jr. back to the wall. “Shoeface” turns him back to the wire as the crowd begins to boo, as it is beginning to tire of the wall-and-stall tactics of the 2021 champion. Carlos Jr. cannot get leverage for a takedown, with Souto staying strong and keeping his underhooks skillfully. MacDonald has seen enough after Carlos Jr. hangs on, and he splits them up. Souto fires off a head kick that collides with the guard, and Carlos Jr. crashes forward with a double-leg takedown that takes Souto off of his feet. When Souto works his way back to the wall, Carlos Jr. steps into mount, and he starts raining down left hands. Souto ignores them and start to fight his up, but Carlos Jr. sucks his hips out and drags him down again. A few more punches from Carlos Jr. collide with the gloves of his opponent, and the final bell rings. The two countrymen embrace and talk it out after 15 minutes of combat. Barring something strange, Carlos Jr. has done enough to pick up three more points, ending his season with nine and the third seed in his division.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos Jr.)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos Jr.)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Carlos Jr. (30-27 Carlos Jr.)

The Official Result

Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Bruce Souto via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Clay Collard (155.2) vs. Alex Martinez (155.8)

Round 1

At long last, we have reached the headliner. The pairing, with clear playoff stakes on the line for both men, comes in the lightweight division. Fresh off a thrilling battle with fellow PFL 4 competitor Stephens, Collard (21-9, 1 NC; 3-1 PFL) is ready and rearing to brawl it out with Peruvian up-and-comer Martinez (9-2, 1 NC; 2-2 PFL). The final assignment of the night goes to referee Blake Grice, and the respect is enough for a glove touch to come before the fists fly. Martinez is the initial aggressor, taking the center of the cage and shrugging off a leg kick. Collard comes out swinging, and Martinez leans back to avoid them. They both throw leg kicks, and Collard again blitzes forward to no effect. Martinez clips “Cassius Clay” coming forward, and Collard bites down on his mouthpiece and pushes into a clinch. The Paraguay native breaks the clinch up and works the low kick on the calf, but Collard replies in kind. Collard sneaks in a right hand, and he absorbs a chopping calf kick on the way out. Collard reaches out with a jab, and Martinez is fast and able to slip and rip the body with a kick. Collard again tries to tie his man up, working the body on the way in, and Martinez dances out of the way before Collard can grab him. Collard does succeed on a second attempt, and a body lock takedown effort fails. When Martinez backs off, they trade punches to the body, and Martinez appears compromised from low body shot. As they continue to throw, Grice pauses them due to hanging tape from Collard’s gloves. When it gets cut and they resume, Collard pursues body shots. Martinez attempts to take him down to slow the body work down, and Collard stops it and continues to pound on the ribs of his man. Collard uses his momentum to bowl Martinez over, and he tries to land some strikes to the sides when landing. Martinez manages to kick him off, and Collard backs him away and tells him to stand up. Martinez digs a low kick that buckles Collard’s knee, and he flings a high kick that Collard catches. The American trips Martinez down to the ground, and he leaps in the air in the vein of Dan Henderson to smash down his forearm. Martinez sees it coming and blocks it, and Collard looks to get off some ground-and-pound, only for Martinez to explode back up. When Martinez works to his feet, Collard suddenly attacks a rear-naked choke standing, and Martinez is able to wriggle out and get back to kickboxing range. Collard takes a few kicks to work his way forward with jabs and body punches, and one left makes Martinez double over briefly. The recklessness of Collard works against him, when Martinez scoops him off his feet and dumps him to the mat. Martinez scores some punches, and he topples over to his back thanks to a Collard trip right at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Collard

Round 2

The gloves get touched to start off the second round, and Collard is the one plodding forward this round. Collard just leans to the side when a front kick comes at his face, and he lets go with a lazy leg kick and gets cracked over the top with a right hand. The Paraguay native sinks in another heavy leg kick, and he starts using effective jabs to keep Collard at bay momentarily. A few of these jabs have cut open the bridge of Collard’s nose, but he completely ignores it so that he can charge in with a punch combination that ends with a few to the body. Collard absorbs a kick or two so that he can load up on power punches, and two left hands from him connect flush. This leads Martinez into a takedown effort, although he cannot fully ground Collard. The investment of Martinez with his legs kicks appears to be slightly paying off, but Collard is doing the same with his damaging body blows. A swarming combination from “Cassius Clay” knocks Martinez clean off his feet, and Collard leaps into the position to land standing-to-ground punches. Martinez hunts for a submission off his back, and Collard throws the legs to the side to get a better position. Martinez powers through and finds himself in submission danger for an armbar from Collard. Martinez slides his arm out, and he takes Collard from behind. Collard somersaults to try to break the grip, and when Martinez follows him, he does this again. Martinez will not let go of him, and he suddenly finds himself taking Collard’s back. Martinez locks up the body lock in an instant, and he follows this with a rear-naked choke that surprises Collard completely. Collard is now firmly entrenched in the danger zone, and he turns to both sides in an effort to break the leg grip and the one around his neck. With great effort, Collard grits it out and fights off the grip around his throat. When he turns, Martinez hangs onto his back standing. Collard cannot buck his foe off until the horn sounds. That wild round could definitely go either way.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Martinez

Round 3

A final glove touch checks in the last round of the evening, and Martinez lashes out first with a heavy leg kick. Collard powers through it to throw a left hand, but Martinez catches him on the way forward. Collard wings a left to the body, and he ducks down to throw bombs. Martinez replies with a stern combination of his own, and he gets out a front kick to back Collard off for a moment. Collard doubles down on body shots when Martinez attempts a takedown, and Martinez manages to secure it with a single when he runs the pipe and puts “Cassius Clay” on his back. Martinez looks to set up a possible arm-triangle choke where he is, but he prefers position of submission, as Collard is doing everything in his power to stand up. Collard does this, working his way to his knees and then up. Collard lifts Martinez’ left leg all the way in the air, tripping Martinez out, but Martinez manages to get the upper hand and grab Collard from the side. Collard turns his attack into a single, and when Martinez falls to the mat, he does so when sinking in a guillotine choke. Martinez tries to re-secure his hooks when the first squeeze does not do anything, and Collard manages to wrench his neck out of danger and stand back up. Collard thinks of lording over his man with low kicks, but he backs off and they reset in the center of the cage with two minutes left on the clock. Martinez nails Collard with a low kick, and he has two punches that land flush shortly after. When Martinez throws more kicks, Collard bumps straight into his foe and bowls him over. Collard lets Martinez stand back up so that he can drill him with a right hand, and he batters the body with several punches. Collard kicks the same spot, leading to a takedown effort from the Paraguay native. When that fails, he flops to his back, and he is let back up. Martinez ducks a punch to go after a takedown, and Collard looks for a kimura to reverse him. Martinez manages to yank Collard down to the floor, and he takes top position with 20 seconds left in the frame. A few punches from Martinez lead to an arm-triangle try, but he does end the fight on top when the choke is nowhere to be found. Scores could be all over the map here, as both men believe they have won this 15-minute battle. The winner of this fight will make the playoffs, while the losing party goes home. With that, the regular season for light heavyweights and most lightweights – beyond Anthony Pettis vs. Steven Ray at 155 pounds in seven days – is in the books. Next week, heavyweights, featherweights and Pettis-Ray will be up. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Collard (29-28 Collard)

The Official Result

Alex Martinez def. Clay Collard via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)