PFL 5 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Brendan Loughnane (145.8) vs. Ago Huskic (145.4)

Round 1

The penultimate regular season PFL event from 2022 will beam into your eyeballs tonight through ESPN or whichever broadcast you receive it from. This PFL 5 event will feature featherweights, heavyweights and Anthony Pettis, for some reason, and the action kicks off at 145 pounds. There will be no “showcase” fights tonight, with all 11 holding playoff import of some fashion. Oft-discussed prospect and Dana White’s Contender Series victor but not signee Loughnane (22-4, 5-1 PFL) will start things off tonight as he looks to slay “The Bosnian Dragon” Huskic (8-4, 0-0 PFL). There was a bit of confusion as to whether Huskic would be competing or if Keith Richardson would take his place, due to the PFL’s own releases, but Huskic has made it to the dance tonight. Refereeing the first fight of the card is Brent McKeehan, and he watches on while the two men touch gloves before his eyes. Huskic tries to get things started in a hurry with a huge one-two, but Loughnane is well out harm’s way before it reaches him. Loughnane stays light on his feet, switching stances and dancing out of the way of his opponent’s winging strikes. Neither man can land anything of note, although Loughnane has not thrown but one single leg kick in the first minute. The Brit catches a body kick, and he lets it go before anything comes of it. This exact same kick-to-catch exchange happens again, and he once more sets it down after it connects solidly. Loughnane presses forward in search of a clinch attempt, and the American turns him around and prevents any takedown setups. On the break, Huskic clips his man with an overhand right, and he follows it with a clean left hook. Loughnane delivers one solid low kick on the outside, and Huskic winds up with a left hand that pounds into the side of his foe’s head. Loughnane wears it well and slips back when Huskic hunts for him with a high kick, and he slips in with a right hand for a rare punch already three minutes into the fight. He reaches with a one-two that falls short, and swelling on his left eye is developing and growing in a hurry. Loughnane backs away from strikes, and Huskic chases him and scores a left, with Loughnane’s eye nearly swollen shut already. The Brit lands a leg kick and bullies Huskic to the wall, but Huskic rebuffs him and meets him in the center of the cage to throw hands. Huskic gets the better of an exchange, with Loughnane struggling to see and his depth perception likely suffering. Loughnane lands a right hand, and when Huskic comes at him, Loughnane chains four punches together on the inside. “The Bosnian Dragon” shrugs them off completely, but he does absorb a thudding leg kick on the outside. Huskic gives chase as time comes to a close, and he signals for Loughnane to fight him. Loughnane retreats until the bell sounds, and the doctors may take a close look at his eye between rounds. 10-9 Huskic.

Round 2

The doctor clears Loughnane to compete in the second round, and he is fired up and ready to go. He lands first with a flurry of strikes, and Huskic ducks out of the way and returns fire effectively. Loughnane slips a punch to nail Huskic with a left hook up close, and Huskic does not get sucked into a brawl. Instead, he stays on the outside targeting that busted eye with long punches, and he does so until Loughnane shoots in for a takedown in the open cage. The American stuffs it with ease, although he gets backed up to the wall, but he pushes off to separate and keeps a high guard to block his face. Loughnane has several punches bounce off the guard, and he spins with a back kick and continues his movement through after landing it with a solid right hand. Huskic pokes away at the lead leg with kicks from both legs, and he starts showboating and keeping his hands low. As he does this, Loughnane sneaks in a left hand, and he ducks the looping strikes that swing at him. Huskic leans over and lunges out with a few punches, and Loughnane allows him to throw himself off-balance, which lets Loughnane get the takedown he so desperately sought. Huskic keeps Loughnane in his closed guard, where he prevents much of the strikes aside from some short body shots from landing. Huskic utilizes a high rubber guard with his right leg, keeping it high and shutting Loughnane down with much of his offense, and he searches to cinch up a triangle choke but cannot reach it. Loughnane postures up instead, and he scores punches from above. Huskic keeps his defense active enough, grabbing hold of the hands before they land on his face. Loughnane stands back up with 30 seconds to spare, and Huskic rolls with a leglock attempt and stands back up when Loughnane does not keep him down. When back up, they start trading heavy leather, and Loughnane gets cracked and shoots for a takedown. He cannot get it before the horn, and once more, the doctors will need to examine the Loughnane eye that is completely closed at this point. 10-9 Loughnane.

Round 3

The last round does indeed begin, and a confident but one-eyed Loughnane lands with a clean one-two out of the gate. Huskic ducks when a spinning kick whizzes by his head, and an odd situation ensues when Huskic falls to the mat. McKeehan steps in to let Huskic stand up, instead of allowing Loughnane to pursue some ground control, in something that will be questioned should the result not go in Loughnane’s favor. They throw hands, and Loughnane absorbs a few blows and swings back. Huskic recklessly wings two punches, and Loughnane easily grabs him and wrenches him to the mat. This time, the Brit lands in side control, and he clings from top position while not landing a great deal of strikes. Huskic appears fatigued in this position, but he still manages to explode up when Loughnane attempts a submission of some sort. Huskic stands and swings for the fences, and Loughnane counters him and scores a takedown to again put himself in side control. Loughnane searches for full mount, and he punches the American in the groin to draw an immediate stoppage from the referee. McKeehan takes away the position and gives Huskic time to recover, who takes as much as he needs. When they engage again, they bump heads, and Huskic backs up to throw hands. Loughnane is dead set on pursuing a takedown, and he settles for jamming “The Bosnian Dragon” into the wire until Huskic shoves him back out. Loughnane circles on the outside to avoid the low-percentage hooking punches aimed at him, and he ducks to trip Huskic to the mat. Loughnane unloads with a short salvo of punches and hammerfists until the final horn sounds to end the fight. One eye, no problem for Loughnane, who arguably performed better when unable to see out of both. This should give him a total of six points, which does not automatically cinch him a place in the playoffs but definitely helps. 10-9 Loughnane (29-28 Loughnane).

The Official Result

Brendan Loughnane def. Ago Huskic via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Alejandro Flores Garcia (145.8) vs. Ryoji Kudo (145.4)

Round 1

Sticking to the featherweight division – and it should be noted that every featherweight that won at PFL 2 is taking on someone lost that week or is debuting with the league – Flores (21-3, 2-0 PFL) will try to maneuver his way into the playoffs with three points currently under his belt. He will be taking on Kudo (10-3-1, 0-1 PFL), who fell short to Loughnane a few months ago by technical decision. The third man in the cage is referee Jason Collins, who clocks in the fighters as they decide not to touch gloves. Kudo starts off aggressively with a few hooks, but Flores is able to dart away from each and every one before they connect. Kudo goes low to the thigh with a kick, and Flores responds with a quick right hook. The two measure one another for quite some time, and Flores retreats when Kudo comes at him with a line of jabs. Kudo scores a left on the way in, and Flores punches him in the back of the head when they clinch up. Kudo complains, but Collins ignores the possible foul and lets it all play out. They jockey for position until neither can ground the other, and Flores sticks out a jab on the way out when they split. The Japanese fighter scores a single slapping kick on the inner thigh, and Flores dips back when Kudo charges at him. “El Gallito” leans back, and as he does, he gets backed up to the fence. This is the worst place he can be, as Kudo unloads a monstrous right hand that lands right on the button. Flores’ eyes roll back in his head as he slumps into the wall and down to the mat, and Kudo lines up a straight right hand and a booming left on the jaw that is totally unnecessary but quite punctuating to put Flores completely out. With that terrific first-round knockout under his belt, Kudo officially earns a spot in the featherweight playoff picture.

The Official Result

Ryoji Kudo def. Alejandro Flores Garcia R1 2:52 via KO (Punch)

Sam Kei (240) vs. Juan Adams (266)

Round 1

The first of five heavyweight fights comes next, with two men making their respective PFL debuts while trying to qualify for the playoffs with one devastating blow. Australia’s Kei (8-5, 0-0 PFL) will battle it out with the notably larger UFC vet Adams (9-4, 0-0 PFL), with the latter having to cut weight to make the limit. Kei will be looking to prove that size matters not, and he will do so under the watchful eye of referee Gary Copeland. The big men touch ‘em up before throwing hands, and Adams comes forward with a jab and a right hand that stings Kei immediately. Adams is not messing around, as he presses forward to jam Kei into the wall and searches for a takedown. Adams devotes for a single, and he ends up taking Kei’s back when Kei tries to fight him off. Kei grabs the fence to prevent some kind of takedown, but Adams lifts him in the air and slams him down. When Kei gets back up after getting dumped on his head, Adams elevates his leg and plops him right back down again. Adams keeps pressed heavily on his opponent when Kei returns to his knee, and Kei grabs the cage once again to try to get up. Adams is a man possessed, dragging Kei to the mat, and fighting for Kei to get back down when Kei returns to a knee, with Adams not letting go and not giving Kei a moment to breathe. Adams uses his body weight to drag Kei down, and he starts working with left hands until Kei works his way up to a knee and interlocks his fingers through the fence. Adams strips his foe’s legs out beneath him, but Kei manages to power his way upright and split up. Kei blasts “The Kraken” with two huge punches, and Adams shakes it off and takes two more flush on the chin that rocks him badly. Adams shoots for a desperation takedown, and Kei sprawls, pounds on him and finds Adams muscling his way back upright. Adams goes after another takedown, and Kei shakes it off and pushes Adams back to the wire, with Adams breathing very hard with a minute left in the round. “K9” backs off so that he can score two punches, and Adams leans back with blood pouring from his nose to dodge a few more. Adams stings his foe with a left hand, punching his way to a double-leg takedown, attempt, but Kei is able to fight off this takedown. Clinched up in the center of the cage, Adams cannot hold him there, and Kei is much lighter on his feet. Adams unloads with four punches, and Kei uses head movement to evade the blows and stick out a left hand to the liver that hurts the Houston native again. The exciting first round ends. 10-9 Kei.

Round 2

The big guys touch gloves to start off the second round, and Adams ambles forward and rolls with an overhand right that zooms his way. Kei doubles down with a left to the liver, and Adams sees it and swats his arm down to block it. Kei continues to work the midsection, and Adams is walking forward slowly trying to get his wind back and suddenly surprises Kei with a straight right hand. Kei looks around, shocked, as the punch hurt him badly. Adams goes for the finish, bullying Kei to the mat and pounding on him relentlessly. Possibly on autopilot, Kei works his way back up, and he starts slugging it out with Adams back, rocking Adams again. Adams goes after a double, and he sucks Kei’s legs out beneath him and lands straight in full mount. Adams postures up and lands ground-and-pound, and it might not be overwhelmingly devastating given Adams’ gas tank concerns, but it is connecting. Adams spams light hammerfists in the vein of the Roy Nelson against Kimbo Slice, and they continue to accumulate as Adams is using what little energy he has left to force the finish. Adams keeps on bopping Kei with his fists until Copeland steps in to rescue the Aussie, with a stoppage that some may question. Nevertheless, Adams is on the board with five points, but the finish is not fast enough to qualify him for playoff contention. A noble effort, and something that may make the PFL call him back in the future.

The Official Result

Juan Adams def. Sam Kei R2 2:30 via TKO (Punches)

Lance Palmer (145.8) vs. Sheymon Moraes (145.6)

Round 1

Two vets that have been around since the WSOF days will finally collide after swimming in the same circle for quite some time. Two-time champ Palmer (22-6, 15-6 PFL) will look to get on the board –likely needing a finish, which are exceedingly rare for “The Party” – at the expense of former bantamweight title challenger Moraes (14-5, 6-2 PFL). The 145ers battle it out with oversight from referee Brent McKeehan, and these established names with the company gladly touch gloves first. Moraes reaches out with a jab to find his range, and Palmer blazes forward with a left hand that he turns into a takedown attempt. The former champ grounds Moraes with ease, and rides out a wild scramble from the Brazilian so that he can claim half guard. In the center of the cage and on his back, Moraes looks to scoot any direction he can to work his way to the fence, so that he can try to walk up. Palmer times one such movement to slice over to side control, and he keeps his chest pressed heavily so that Moraes has no chance of escaping. “The Party” jumps over to full mount practically uncontested, and he finds a few punches before Moraes bucks him off with his hips. Palmer resets to climb into half guard again, and Moraes sits up and works his way back to the wall. Moraes kicks off the fencing in a scramble, and Palmer starts punching him in the face and retains mount, before surrendering it to fall back into the half guard from above. Palmer embraces the grind and smothers Moraes from on top, and he willingly accepts to return to full guard so that he can keep Moraes flat on his back. Moraes sneaks in a left hand from his back, but he ends the round on his back. 10-9 Palmer.

Round 2

The glove touch starts Round 2, and Moraes quickly opens with a body kick. Palmer leaps forward with a superman punch, and he turns it right into a single-leg entry to force Moraes to his seat. Moraes posts on his right arm to get some leverage to stand back up, but Palmer is relentless and drags him back down. With little offense or anything beyond top control, Palmer frustrates Moraes and nullifies him as well. Moraes explodes to his knees and upright, and he starts ripping knees up the middle until Palmer lets him go. Moraes wings a head kick that slaps off the guard, and he starts tossing out kicks and punches. Palmer recklessly charges forward, hands down and chin up, as he reaches with punches. Moraes stays composed, clearly more comfortable on the feet, and he boots Palmer in the ribs. Moraes splits the guard with a right hand and wraps the top of his foot around Palmer’s side. Moraes absorbs a left hand without batting an eye, and he keeps working on Palmer’s body. Palmer again charges, and Moraes intercepts him with a right that wobbles Palmer. Moraes swings a kick upside his head, and Palmer tanks it and blinks repeatedly until diving forward into a takedown. Moraes will not settle on his back this time around, as he works his ways to his knees in a hurry, and he walks up the cage wall. Palmer leans heavily to keep grinding on his opponent, and he wrenches Moraes back down. When the 10-second clapper sounds, Moraes bursts back upright, but he cannot get Palmer off him before the round ends. 10-9 Moraes.

Round 3

One final glove touch reintroduces the men to one another, and Moraes whips a leg kick after Palmer backs off. Palmer wings a big left hand that connects cleanly on the jaw, and he turns this into a takedown setup. Moraes is wise to it and keeps his back pressed against the fence so that he does not get taken down. Palmer cannot keep Moraes in the clinch, and he properly times a duck and move so that Moraes does not nail him with the big punches that immediately follow. Palmer takes a few punches flush, and he desperately drops down for a takedown, where he elevates Moraes and sets him down on his back emphatically. Moraes lands awkwardly and may have tweaked his knee on the way down, and he looks frustrated that Palmer is glommed on to him. Moraes wriggles towards the wall so that he can stand again, with Palmer not making him pay with ground strikes, and he manages to get to a knee. Moraes wrestles his way back up to his feet, and he shoves Palmer back so that he can take the center of the cage. Palmer gets off a single left hand, and Moraes dips back and aims a right hook at him. Palmer wings a left and hits a clean double, setting Moraes down and making the crowd boo. Moraes works his way back to the fencing, with time his greatest threat, and he sits up only for Palmer to sneak around and take his back. Palmer wraps up a rear-naked choke with one hook in, and it is on the chin and not under it. Palmer squeezes with all his might to try to get something, but Moraes fights the wrists to free his neck. Palmer slithers the other hook in, and Moraes turns through and forces Palmer to follow him on the way up. Moraes nearly gets Palmer to slide out the back door, but Palmer wisely attacks a kneebar to keep himself on Moraes’ back. The fight ends in this position, and “The Party” seems to have finally done enough to break his losing streak. It will not likely be enough to get him another crack at a $1 million check, however. 10-9 Palmer (29-28 Palmer).

The Official Result

Lance Palmer def. Sheymon Moraes via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Denis Goltsov (244.2) vs. Maurice Greene (241.4)

Round 1

With six points already in his pocket, 2019 heavyweight semifinalist Goltsov (28-7, 6-2 PFL) will greet “The Crochet Boss” Greene (10-6, 0-0 PFL) at the gates, where he will look to unravel the hulking American. Finish rates of 80% or higher accompany both men, and referee Gary Copeland will need to be ready to jump in at a moment’s notice given what they bring to the table. There is a sporting touch of gloves before the mayhem that is this main card opener, and Greene sticks out a long jab and an oblique kick out of training partner Jon Jones’ playbook. Greene reaches with several more jabs, and he absorbs a leg kick on the way back. Goltsov crashes the pocket with a short string of punches to tie Greene up, and he trips Greene up with a body lock and sets him on his back with a loud thump. The Russian lands in half guard, and Greene is bucking and scrambling wildly to recover position or sit up against the fence. Goltsov hangs on with chest pressed on his opponent before pulling Greene down to his back again, and he lands an elbow that is quite illegal but is not called. “The Russian Bogatyr” lands a few punches and fishes for some sort of submission, but nothing materializes before Greene can get his limb back safe. Goltsov sets Greene down to hunt for an arm-triangle choke, and Greene tosses his legs up after breaking the grip for a triangle choke. Goltsov easily sees it coming and pushes the legs away so that he can open up with unanswered left hands. Goltsov uses his full body weight to crush down with an arm-triangle choke, and even from half guard it is extremely tight. Greene keeps moving and pushes off the fence to save himself from harm, so Goltsov elects to let go of the choke so that he can assume full mount position. Goltsov scores a few punches to get Greene to think about something else, and Goltsov tightly presses himself against Greene’s chest while doing little else. Copeland tells Goltsov to start moving and doing something, while in full mount, and he punches Greene in the back of the head to draw another warning from the muscular referee. Goltsov fishes for an Ezekiel choke on top, but time expires before anything comes of it. 10-9 Goltsov.

Round 2

There is no glove touch to start off the second round, and Greene arcs a right hand that gets blocked. Goltsov punches outward, but with his arms outstretched at no particular target, he simply uses his momentum to shove Greene back. Greene attempts to get a trip on his opponent, but he inadvertently trips himself up and falls to his back. Greene welcomes the Russian down, where he tosses out a half-hearted upkick and looks for a triangle setup, but neither are successful. Goltsov lowers himself into the guard, and he gloms on to the American to keep top control and rack up time on top. Greene operates with a high guard, but Goltsov scores a few punches to make him think twice about that. In his foe’s full guard, Goltsov flirts with an Ezekiel choke again, and the crowd starts to get bored and shells the heavyweights with boos. Copeland hears this, and he obliges the fans by standing the two fighters up. Goltsov boots Greene in the ribs, and he pushes forward while ignoring Greene strikes so that he can shove “The Crochet Boss” into the wire. Greene turns the corner in hopes of snagging Goltsov from behind, and Goltsov still elects to take him down while in a precarious position. Goltsov never appears concerned, and he moves smoothly to side control when completing the takedown, where he hammers the side of his foe with a knee. Goltsov lines up another powerful knee, and he grips both of his wrists on Greene’s left arm in search of a keylock or kimura. Greene fights it off, and he muscles his way back to his feet. Greene falls to his back hunting for his own kimura, and the round ends. 10-9 Goltsov.

Round 3

The heavyweights reach the third round, and they meet in the middle. Greene leads off with a jab to the body and a low kick, and Goltsov returns fire with his own punch. Goltsov swarms Greene with a trio of punches in an effort to push Greene to the wall, and Greene fights him off. Goltsov does so again, and when he sweeps the legs, Greene stumbles but keeps his balance and walks himself to the fence behind him. Greene plants a short knee on Goltsov’s chest when mashed up against the wire, and Goltsov slithers his leg between Greene’s to trip the American to the canvas. Goltsov secures side control when landing, Goltsov decides to move to the half guard to keep Greene down, and he lands a few stay-busy strikes to keep Copeland at bay. Greene recovers to full guard, and he tries to work his way to the fence while the crowd pelts them with boos. Greene’s corner loudly shouts for Copeland to stand them up, but Copeland lets them keep going. The crowd begins to chant “stand them up,” and this too fails, as the Russian stays tightly pressed in the guard. After a few seconds more of inaction, Copeland does stand them up, and the crowd cheers louder than they have all night. Greene thanks Copeland by swinging for the bleachers, and he comes up short only to find himself clinching Goltsov back to the wall. Goltsov hits a sneaky throw to plant “The Crochet Boss” on the mat, and the cage and all its various cameras shakes from the impact. Greene rolls to his side and then to his knees, where he powers his way up the fencing. Goltsov smartly secures a mat return, tripping Greene’s leg out beneath him and keeping the American planted firmly on his back. Goltsov does nothing but hold on top, and Greene rolls to his stomach as the final bell rings through the arena. This miserable heavyweight slog is in the books, and Goltsov will earn three more points to guarantee himself a spot in the 2022 playoffs. 10-9 Goltsov (30-27 Goltsov).

The Official Result

Denis Goltsov def. Maurice Greene via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) 

Bubba Jenkins (145.8) vs. Reinaldo Ekson (145.2)

Round 1

It’s wrestling vs. submission grappling in this forthcoming featherweight fight, as Jenkins (17-5, 3-1 PFL) aims to make Brazil’s Ekson (18-5, 1-0 PFL) feel unwelcome in his first tournament appearance after getting signed from the Challenger Series. The two men will be joined in the cage by referee Jason Collins, and they offer a quick tap of gloves to seal the cage around them. Ekson skirts on the outside edge of the cage with a few kicks, and he surprises Jenkins with one to the body. Jenkins charges and falls forward, with Ekson well out of the way in time. Jenkins gathers himself and ducks in for a single, and Ekson sprawls with the fence to his back. Jenkins absorbs a strike to the body as he lowers himself as low as possible, and he turns the single into a double. Jenkins decides to simply pick Ekson all the way up in the air and slam him down, and doing so breaks up a possible guillotine choke setup. As Ekson works his way up, Jenkins hops around in an attempt to take his back. Ekson defends with a kimura lock and hopes to sweep with it, but Jenkins drags him down face-first and puts Ekson and his pink hair on the floor. Holding Ekson down, Jenkins works with punches on the sides of his foe’s head, and he rides on the back looking to flatten Ekson down to the floor. Ekson works his way back up to his feet, and he pulls his arms free and gains some separation. With space to work, the Brazilian spins with a back kick, and Jenkins answers him with a short chain of punches. Ekson jumps in the air to strike, but before he can, Jenkins counters him with a left hand. Ekson lets loose with a high kick that gets blocked, and he takes a heavy body kick when again leaping in the air. Jenkins fires off another thudding kick to the same spot, and Ekson gathers himself and is force to take a low kick on the outside. When the 10-second clapper sounds, Ekson throws caution to the wind and swings hammers. Jenkins responds with vicious haymakers of his own, and they both clock each other. Jenkins appears to get the better of the furious exchange, and he nods and walks forward to invite more, but the round ends. Collins has to separate them. 10-9 Jenkins.

Round 2

Both men trade hands right out of the gate, and Jenkins lands flush. When he does, he backs Ekson up, and Ekson motions that it did not hurt. Jenkins obliges him not with more strikes, but instead with a takedown effort, and he grounds Ekson for a moment. As Ekson squirms his way up, Jenkins hops on to assume the backpack position, and Ekson shucks him off the side. Jenkins gets back up and is forced to block a pair of punches from the pink-haired “Warrior,” and Jenkins closes the distance in a hurry to take away the power of those blows. Ekson defends himself from a takedown, and he ducks right into a left hook. Jenkins wings a punch, and Ekson slips it and counters with an overhand right that stuns “Bad Man” for a moment. Jenkins gathers himself and shoots for a double, and he scoops Ekson up off the ground like Matt Hughes. Instead of carrying Ekson to his own corner, he jumps and uses his own momentum and his shoulder to smash Ekson down to the mat with emphasis. The crowd chants “USA” after the dramatic takedown, and Jenkins lands in half guard while dropping down short right hands. Jenkins pins Ekson flat to the mat in this position, and he picks up ample riding time while not letting Ekson sit up. Ekson fishes for a kimura in hopes to sweep, and Jenkins stays heavy and keeps his arm straight to disallow the Brazilian from shifting him anywhere. Ekson bails on it, and Jenkins instantly latches on to an arm-triangle choke. Ekson leans forward so as to stop the choke from coming together, and Jenkins elects to sit up too so that he can punch Ekson in the face repeatedly. The horn ends in this position. 10-9 Jenkins.

Round 3

Ekson leads off the last round by scoring a few punches, but Jenkins keeps him on his heels by striking back and maintaining the ever-present threat of a takedown. Jenkins backs Ekson off with a high kick after they circle one another for some time, and Ekson darts forward with four punches that Jenkins evades. Jenkins winds up with a kick, and it slams square into the Brazilian’s cup, dropping the Brazilian to his knees and bringing Collins in to pause the fight. Ekson gathers his wind rather quickly and tells Collins he is good to go, and he starts up when they resume with a powerful body kick. Jenkins replies in kind, and he takes a funny step when he sets his foot down. Ekson loads up on another, as if to start a kick-for-kick exchange like Frank Dux and Paco in “Bloodsport,” but Jenkins decides he would rather hunt for a takedown. Ekson darts out of the way and is forced to defend himself from high and low kicks from the American. When he keeps a low guard to block his waist, Jenkins goes up high with a right hand, timing a perfect double that allows him to take “Warrior” down to the ground. Jenkins happily embraces his grind all over Ekson, with no intent on finishing the fight whatsoever as he does not throw any strikes or maneuver for any submissions. Jenkins himself scoots Ekson to the fence so that he can keep Ekson’s neck pressed on it in an uncomfortable position, but he does nothing else with the posture. Fans go from celebrating Jenkins to lamenting his approach, as Jenkins holds on until the final bell ends this grueling grappling contest. The American may have yet picked up three points with a likely decision victory, where he would acquire a spot in the playoffs. Additionally, he should knock rival Lance Palmer out of contention, which might be a personal victory for him. 10-9 Jenkins (30-27 Jenkins).

The Official Result

Bubba Jenkins def. Reinaldo Ekson via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ante Delija (246.8) vs. Shelton Graves (265.6)

Round 1

Like the Goltsov fight from before, an established PFL name in Delija (20-5, 4-2 PFL) battles it out against a foe making their organizational debut. While Delija celebrates five points thus far this season, Graves (9-5, 0-0 PFL) has lost his last two by knockout, and will be competing for the first time since 2019. Unexpectedly, Delija is the largest betting favorite on the card, coming in around -1000, and Graves will need to keep his wits about him, as will referee Brent McKeehan. The heavyweights do not bump gloves before trading, and Graves throws a left hand that is at least a foot off the mark. Delija sets up a high kick with several jabs, but the kick also soars past his intended target by a wide margin. Delija catches Graves with a body kick, but Graves swipes out with a left hand. Graves darts forward with a few punches, and Delija catches him coming forward with a short uppercut. This does not slow “The Gravedigger,” who jams Delija up to the wall. Graves keeps his full body weight pressed on the Croatian, until Delija turns him around and gets his underhooks in. The two trade single, meaningless strikes until Graves pushes off. Delija dips back when punches come at him, and he puts a straight right hand on the jaw. Graves shakes it off and backs himself up to the fence, and he turns tail and ducks away when Delija unloads with several punches. Delija catches him for a moment, but releases him and jumps back as Graves unleashes several leaping punches. They both land solid right hands one after the other, and Delija finds himself taking strikes when slugging it out with the short-notice replacement. The two heavyweights clash heads, and Delija protests this and earns a pause from McKeehan. While recovering, blood begins to trickle from a thin cut around Delija’s left eyebrow, and they resume. Graves blitzes with punches, and Delija is faster and hits him harder, giving Graves pause. Graves motions his hand in the air repeatedly to throw Delija off, but Delija does not bite and instead punches his man in the face several times. The bell sounds, and they keep swinging well after McKeehan intervenes. Not willing to take punches from the big men, McKeehan yells at them to no effect, and when they finally stop, he admonishes them for ignoring his orders. 10-9 Delija.

Round 2

Round 2 opens with the heavyweights meeting in the middle, but they do not throw hands. Instead, Graves goes low with a slapping kick, and Delija walks him down slowly but surely. Graves stays unorthodox enough to keep Delija honest, but his right hand is dangerously low. Graves scores a quick right, and Delija is measuring him but not unloading. The heads clank again as they come together like walruses, and Graves manages to turn Delija into the wire and work on him with short strikes. Delija answers with a knee that appears to stun his opponent for a moment, and this allows him to twist his foe about and get both underhooks. McKeehan separates them after some inaction, and Graves loads up on a right hand at the end of a combination when they resume. Delija replies in kind, but it is one-and-done. Graves lowers his head on the way in, and the crown of his skill crashes into Delija’s nose, flattening and bloodying it instantly. Viewing the move as a headbutt, McKeehan deducts one point from Graves, as Graves protests due to the fact that they were coming together at the same time and simply bonked heads. They get back to it and Deljia ties him up against the wall, and he changes levels in pursuit of a takedown, only to get stood up by the newcomer and kneed a few times. Delija is able to break away from the wall, and he marches forward with a crisp uppercut. Delija appears incensed, and he ignores another clash of heads to push “The Gravedigger” into the wiring. Due to how little happened, this round could either be tied from the point deduction or a very lopsided one. 10-8 Delija.

Round 3

McKeehan warns Graves for his head position before the last round begins, and the fighters march out to the middle of the cage to meet. Delija lumbers forward and gets off a right hand, and Graves clanks his head into his opponent’s one more time. Delija blinks it out and presses forward to clinch up, where he aims a right hand to the body. Graves turns him about and does the same, but they largely hold in this position as the crowd boos them aggressively. They split apart, only to lead head-first into one another like mountain goats, except their foreheads clash instead of horns. This goes uncalled, and they muscle one another around on the chain-link fence. Both men are gassed before the midpoint of the round, and they continue to lean on one another as they turn back and forth. McKeehan considers intervening until Delija unleashes a heavy right to the body. Graves swings back, and Delija protests a foul, possibly for an eye poke or headbutt once more. Delija, sucking wind and bleeding heavily out of the bridge of his nose, opts to squeeze Graves as if he were trying to make Play-Do shapes out of his torso. The competitive snuggling – to use a term from UFC fighter Julia Avila – continues as they grapple against the fence, doing little more than swapping underhooks and turning one another back and forth in a slow, sweaty and rhythmic fashion. With less than 30 seconds in the fight, Graves explodes out of this position and comes out swinging, only for Delija to swat the strikes away. Graves ducks down for a takedown, and he does not get it before the round ends to conclude this disaster of a heavyweight match. The crowd lets the exhausted fighters have it with rampant boos while the decision awaits. Scores could be messy here, but Graves will have an uphill battle to get his hand raised due to the lost point in Round 2. The winner will earn three points, and either place himself with eight points (Delija) and barely in the playoffs, or unlikely with three (Graves) and no playoff hopes in sight. 10-9 Graves (29-27 Delija).

The Official Result

Ante Delija def. Shelton Graves via Unanimous Decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)

Chris Wade (145.6) vs. Kyle Bochniak (145.8)

Round 1

Two UFC vets will put an end to the featherweight bracket in the regular season, when New York’s Wade (21-7, 9-5 PFL) comes to blows with Massachusetts native “Crash” Bochniak (11-6, 0-1 PFL). The two gentlemen combine for 35 decisions across their 45 pro bouts, so referee Jason Collins may be in it for the long haul. Keeping the NY vs. Mass rivalry alive, there is no touch of gloves, and they would rather get right to business. They sprint out of their respective corners, and Bochniak connects with two punches and has a head kick blocked. Wade stays on his bike with jabs, keeping Bochniak at bay, but “Crash” crashes forward to throw hands. Wade drops all the way down for a single, and even though his ankle gets tripped, he climbs back up. Wade lands a low kick, and this affects Bochniak significantly, who develops a limp in a hurry. Wade keeps working on that calf, slamming it and hurting Bochniak badly. Bochniak’s poker face dissolves as his leg buckles beneath him, and he falls to the mat. When the Massachusetts representatives works his way back up to his feet, Wade belts him in the head with a high kick, and Bochniak again crumples to the ground, this time in big trouble. With Bochniak on his knees, Wade lords over him with a lengthy onslaught of punches, and Collins has seen enough and halts the fight. Making a statement in the last featherweight fight of the season, Wade clinches the number one seed with an exclamation point, while becoming the first fighter to ever finish the durable Bochniak.

The Official Result

Chris Wade def. Kyle Bochniak R1 1:10 via TKO (Head Kick and Punches)

Renan Ferreira (261.2) vs. Klidson Abreu (258)

Round 1

The heaviest bout of the evening comes between the titanic Ferreira (9-2, 1 NC; 3-0, 1 NC PFL) and the far shorter but similarly weighted Abreu (16-5, 1 NC; 1-1 PFL), who will combine for about 520 pounds on fight night. Yoked referee Gary Copeland will have his hands full as these finishers with rates at 87% or above collide, and the countrymen do not touch gloves ahead of their melee. They respect one another’s power early, not letting loose with anything to put them off-balance and in danger of getting countered. Ferreira suddenly goes high with a kick, and his long legs nearly reach the target despite seemingly being two states away when throwing it. Another head kick from Ferreira collides with the high guard, and Abreu is minding his P’s and Q’s from these blows. “Problema” steps in with a right hand, just missing the mark as Abreu brushes sweat from his brow. Abreu cannot seem to find his way in, and he kicks high but only reaches the shoulder, unable to get his leg up enough to boot Ferreira upside the head. Ferreira keeps his hand outstretched, and he settles for palming Abreu’s forehead to back him off until “White Bear” charges him and pursues a takedown. Abreu scoops Ferreira off the mat and sets the long-legged man off his back, and he climbs into half guard comfortably. Ferreira shows a little panic when hitting the floor, and Abreu looks to line up several left hands but cannot get them to land flush. Ferreira hangs on tight with all his might, hoping Copeland will step in and stand them up due to inactivity. Abreu softens his man up with short punches that land on the solar plexus, and Ferreira tries to sweep only to give up his side to let Abreu lord over him. A Ferreira armbar setup fails, and he signals to Copeland to stand them up. Abreu uses this opportunity to score short shots from above, but nothing of import gets off as they are more frustrating blows than damaging. Abreu rides out the round on top. 10-9 Abreu.

Round 2

Abreu confidently takes the center of the cage to start off the round, and he ducks to score a clean right hand. Ferreira connects at the end of a one-two, but he gets popped with a counter right on the way out. “Problema” misses the mark with a punch, and a head kick gets blocked as he backs up. Abreu charges again with a left hand to the body, and he wrenches Ferreira down to the canvas. Abreu threatens with a two-on-one wrist lock to keep Ferreira, and even though mount is for the taking, he elects to back himself down to half guard to keep the tall, rangy fighter stuck. Abreu decides to take side control briefly, before jumping to half guard on the other side when Ferreira attempts to buck him off. Abreu drops down short hammerfists as he hangs out on top, and the crowd is bored from the lack of offense and lets the fighters know. Abreu moves to set up an arm-triangle choke, and he bails on it when Ferreira shifts his hips to scoot to the wall. Maintaining position over submission, Abreu elects to sit up and land punches, and commentator Kenny Florian reminds fellow commentator Randy Couture about his triumphant battle against Tim Sylvia over 15 years ago. While they reminisce about past fights, Abreu comfortable works over Ferreira from on top, and his strikes are not powerful but are keeping him active. Ferreira sits up with his back to the wall, but Abreu pulls him back down and smacks him with his fist repeatedly. Ferreira is sucking wind as he takes punches, and Abreu remains a constant frustration on top of him until the time expires. 10-9 Abreu.

Round 3

Five minutes remain for these two heavyweights, and they decide to bump fists before starting things off. Ferreira reaches out with jabs, and he does so to enough effect where he can slide back when Abreu wings a left hand at him. Abreu works his way forward and lunges forward with a left and a right, and Ferreira aims a knee at the dome of “White Bear.” Abreu smoothly avoids it and crashes the pocket to clinch up. Abreu softens up the thigh with a few knees before hunting for a body lock with a trip, and he takes Ferreira for a ride with a clean hip toss. “Problema” has a major problem now, on his back again, as Abreu has maintained the type of top control the last two rounds that mean one take down essentially ends the round. Ferreira uses whatever energy he has left to scoot himself back and push off the wall with his foot, but Abreu is stuck on him like a cheap suit. Abreu keeps a top posture where he moves from half guard to side control, and he holds his knee on Ferreira’s right arm so that he can belt Ferreira in the face with undefended strikes. Abreu elects to slide back to half guard to keep the tall man down, and the grind hath been embraced. Abreu slowly, methodically lands right hands that keep Copeland from intervening, and he works Ferreira over with a pillar-to-post performance that will put a severe damper on Ferreira’s playoff hopes. This shocking upset – Ferreira was around -1000 on some books, which would make him a betting favorite the magnitude of Georges St. Pierre when he faced off against Matt Serra – wraps up with bow when the final horn blares, and this triumph for “White Bear” will certainly shake up the standings at heavyweight. 10-9 Abreu (30-27 Abreu).

The Official Result

Klidson Abreu def. Renan Ferreira via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Anthony Pettis (155.4) vs. Stevie Ray (155.6)

Round 1

Stepping away from the 145- or 265-pound divisions for a moment, the lightweight bracket needs to be settled. The recipient of what other fighters in the company have called “special treatment” to allow him extra time to prepare, ex-UFC champ Pettis (25-12, 1-2 PFL) will soon be face-to-face with fellow UFC mainstay “Braveheart” Ray (23-10, 0-1 PFL). Pettis already comes into this fight in prime position to move forward at lightweight, while Ray needs to finish the fight in order to punch his ticket to the playoffs. Whether Pettis or Ray gets their hand raised tonight, referee Jason Collins will be the very first to know. The experienced competitors touch gloves, and they measure one another carefully. The first strike of the fight comes in the form of an axe kick, and it lands flush on Ray’s shoulder to his great surprise. Ray pressures his opponent back, and he does this but retreats just in time when Pettis leaps in the air with a knee. Ray absorbs a kick to the body and a right hand when he advances, and Pettis sits down on another kick when the first one lands. Ray lets loose with a single right hand, and it gets blocked and he protects himself from the counter. Ray blitzes forward, only for Pettis to be out of the way in time. Ray goes up high with a kick, and Pettis blocks it and finds himself having to defend a single. Pettis keeps his balance and pulls Ray upright against the fence, and he sneaks in a few short knees as he holds Ray tight. They separate, and Ray ducks in for a low takedown that is rebuffed. Ray goes to set up a Thai plum, and that too fails when Pettis shucks it off and gains some space. “Braveheart” clips Pettis with a right hand, and Pettis gathers himself and lets go with a kick to the ribs. Ray strings three punches together to bully Pettis into the wire, but Pettis is not having it, as he circles out. Ray plants a one-two on the chin, and he punches forward into a clinch attempt for a possible takedown. Pettis stuffs this and breaks up the high clinch try once more, but Ray is on him and forcing Pettis to fight off his back foot. Pettis stutter-steps to nearly hit a trip, and Ray keeps his balance and slings a high kick. When that misses, a punch to the body from Ray does not, and he drills Pettis with a one-two. Ray walks Pettis down and lands a left hand, and Pettis spins all the way around with a tornado kick that slams into Ray’s shoulder. The round ends as Ray walks Pettis down. 10-9 Ray.

Round 2

The lightweights meet in the middle and engage with a glove touch, only to back off and look for their respective ranges. Ray aims a right hand down the pipe, and Pettis catches him on the way in. The Scotsman kicks low, and Pettis responds. Pettis slaps Ray in the face with a kick, and Ray ignores it and fights off a takedown setup. Ray again connects with a slapping low kick on the inside of the knee, and Pettis answers with a body kick. Pettis surprises his opponent with a head kick, and Ray wobbles but his knees stay beneath him as he continues to power forward. Ray keeps his hands going as he presses ahead, and Pettis is more accurate and measured even if his volume is lower than Ray’s punches in bunches approach. Pettis briefly backs his man off with a body kick, and he catches ray on the way in with a throw. Ray reverses him on the way down to get a leg around Pettis’, and he takes Pettis’ back and works on him with punches. Pettis rolls through but cannot get Ray off of him, as “Braveheart” slugs away with powerful unanswered punches. Pettis tries to work his way up using the fence, and Ray gets his right leg around Pettis’ shoulder to drag him back down to the floor. Ray secures a tight body triangle, and he fishes for a choke around the neck but there is nothing there as Pettis is paying close attention. Pettis punches from behind his own head to pop Ray in the chops, and he explodes out of the position to turn Ray to his back. Ray nearly reverses the position, but he has something else in mind as the body triangle is locked on tight. Ray looks to crank on Pettis’ shoulders one direction and his hips the other, to set up a twister, and he crushes the ribcage with his leg grip with all his might. Before he can get it, in a move reminiscent of when Dustin Poirier submitted Pettis in 2017, Pettis winces in pain and taps out while trapped on his side above his opponent. Insane! When Collins steps in, Pettis quickly goes over to his team to examine his ribs, out of concern that he suffered a serious injury or some broken bones because of the crushing move. Ray has done it, pulling off the upset and submitting Pettis in an extremely unusual position. The feeling of victory will be short-lived from the upset for Ray, however, due to the immediate ramifications of this performance. With points where they are for seeding, as long as his foe is healthy, Ray will rematch Pettis in the semifinals, and he will try to pull off the unthinkable one more time.

The Official Result

Steven Ray def. Anthony Pettis R2 3:57 via Submission (Body Triangle)

Bruno Cappelozza (237.2) vs. Matheus Scheffel (254)

Round 1

Most expect that the main event here will end by knockout, and it is hard to disagree. Heavy favorite and 2021 champ Cappelozza (15-5, 5-0 PFL) possesses a terrific 93% knockout rate, while Brazilian brawler “Buffa” Scheffel (15-8, 0-1 PFL) has seen six of his eight defeats come by strikes. On the other hand, he does post a 73% knockout rate on his own right, and if we know MMA, anything is possible. Large gloves are not touched in front of equally large referee Gary Copeland, who checks in the heavyweights and hopes to not get popped with an errant blow. Cappelozza is jittery to come out of his corner, and he avoids a jab to plan a loud leg kick on his opponent. Scheffel whiffs with a right hand, and Cappelozza catches him with a left hook and then another kick to the leg. Cappelozza beats Scheffel to the punch with a punch, and another leg kick lands to solid effect. Scheffel looks to measure his foe with his fists, and Cappelozza is able to slide back and reset so that he can jab the body. Scheffel answers with a single leg kick of his own, and Cappelozza pops him in the face and chest with a straight left hand. Cappelozza scores a one-two, and Scheffel tries to respond but the strikes bounce off the shoulder roll. Cappelozza sticks and moves, staying active and even using an open palm strike. Scheffel backs Cappelozza off and ducks a huge right hand, and he pokes out with his own jab and a solid leg kick that makes Cappelozza takes an awkward step. Cappelozza bites down on his gumshield and throws heavy leather, and Scheffel targets the lead leg two more times after blocking. The kicks from “Buffa” are having an immediate effect on his opponent, who is forced to escape on the outside and move back to the center of the cage. Scheffel has his high kick pound into the guard, and Cappelozza puts two punches on him and hops back. Scheffel scores a big kick and an overhand right, and he gets amped up and starts brawling with his countryman. Cappelozza drops to a knee and tries to back away, and when he gets back up, Scheffel unloads with a vicious right hand and several punches to follow. Cappelozza backs away, and Scheffel points straight down to the ground to tell him to throw down. A Cappelozza takedown fails miserably, as his face is bloodied and battered from the “Buffa” blows. Scheffel walks the 2021 champ down and blasts him in the face with a few more punches, and he gets pulled into a brief clinch. Scheffel walks into a few punches that he completely ignores, and he stalks Cappelozza down but cannot score before the bell sounds. 10-9 Scheffel.

Round 2

Scheffel is fired up and talking to his opponent between rounds, asking if he is alright and if he is ready to brawl. Cappelozza answers in the affirmative, but his expression is substantially different than it was a few minutes ago. Scheffel lands first with a jab, and he takes a kick to the upper thigh while advancing. Two punches from Cappelozza slide off the top of the head, and Cappelozza strings two more together and gets caught with a salvo coming his direction. Scheffel hammers the leg with his shin, and he swipes out with a left hook that hits the hands. Cappelozza delivers a clean uppercut up the middle, but Scheffel cracks him with a right hand to make him bounce off the cage and come back at him. “Buffa” kicks the side with one left, and the lead leg with another, and the latter hobbles Cappelozza. Scheffel continues to power forward, letting go with three mighty hooks that collide with the guard. Scheffel does not expose himself to any serious counters, as he jabs his way in and follows them with two lunging hooks. The one-two again finds its mark from the 2021 champ, and he marks the body with a straight punch. Scheffel has a low kick checked, and Cappelozza answers with a kick of his own to the calf. Scheffel brushes it off and leans back from a left hand so that he can cut Cappelozza off and let him have it. Cappelozza continues to try to use one-twos to his benefit, and Scheffel sees them coming and keeps his guard high and tight as he advances. Scheffel’s volume lowers to single strikes, and his occasional overhand rights miss the mark. One does find its home on the temple of Cappelozza, but Cappelozza chomps down on his mouthpiece and backs Scheffel off with his fists. Cappelozza goes to the body and head, but his punches do not appear to have the same sting on them as before. Scheffel can walk through them, and he does, until Cappelozza crashes in with a double-leg takedown. Scheffel turns him around and pushes him away, and the two men high-five. With 10 seconds to go, Cappelozza is ready to start brawling, and Scheffel catches him with a clean left hook. The round ends with a tense exchange, wrapping up a close five-minute entanglement. 10-9 Scheffel.

Round 3

The big Brazilians hug it out to start off the last round, and they decide it’s time to go for broke. They both blast one another with massive hooks, and neither get rocked even though they take them flush. Cappelozza’s nose gets busted up again from the strikes, and Scheffel appears to be the fresher man and the aggressor. Scheffel ducks into a two-hook combo, and he ignores a low kick so that he can plant a left hand on the jaw. Cappelozza blocks an overhand right and the sheer impact knocks him back a step, and he finds himself defensive as Scheffel marches him down. Cappelozza pushes out multiple jabs to the head and breadbasket, and Scheffel sinks a low kick on the inside of the knee that draws a grimace out of the 2021 champ. Scheffel comes out swinging, and Cappelozza dances out of the way and puts two punches on the guard in response. Cappelozza leads with a right to the body, and he scores first with a right hook but Scheffel walks through it to lob bombs. Scheffel stuffs the takedown and laughs it off, and they appear to gesture at one another awkwardly. Scheffel loads up on power strikes, and Cappelozza rolls with them and finds himself coming back with straight strikes down the middle. Cappelozza gets tagged with a left, but he fires back with his own right as momentum keeps shifting. Cappelozza goes up high suddenly with a kick, only for it to collide off the guard. Scheffel knocks him back with a jab, and he scores two punches to boot. Scheffel takes jabs and gives them back, and he lumps up Cappelozza’s leg with another kick. Scheffel confidently comes forward, blocking strikes at him, and kicking high twice. The final bell sounds, and the Brazilians celebrate their entertaining 15-minutes clash. The winner here – scores might vary, depending on how the punches are scored by the three cageside judges – but an upset loss for Cappelozza would still allow him to hunt for another $1 million check due to his finish in his first fight this season. No matter how it shakes out, the PFL will not slow down after this event, as one more regular season show comes next week when welterweights and women’s lightweights conclude its 2022 run. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too. 10-9 Scheffel (30-27 Scheffel).

The Official Result

Matheus Scheffel def. Bruno Cappelozza via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)