Playoffs: 2023 PFL 9 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

John Caldone (148.6) vs. Nathaniel Grimard (145.8)

Round 1

Featherweight Grimard and featherweight-plus Caldone, who came in heavy for the bout, open up the card under the watchful eye of Keith Peterson. Caldone is southpaw, Grimard orthodox. Grimard goes for a single-leg off a kick immediately, but can’t complete the takedown. Caldone stings Grimard with a jab. Grimard ducks under and shoots a double-leg, running Caldone to the fence. Caldone grabs a front headlock to defend and after a few moments of jockeying, manages to stand Grimard up. They return to the center of the cage. Caldone lands a push kick up the middle. Grimard drops for another takedown and pushes Caldone to the fence once again. Caldone reverses him, shoves him off and throws a flurry of punches. A big right hand gets through, dropping Grimard. Caldone pounces with more punches and Peterson is there seconds later to rescue him. Impressive first-round knockout for John Caldone, marred only by his two-pound weight miss.

The Result

John Caldone def. Nathaniel Grimard R1 2:32 via TKO (Punches)

Abdullah Al-Qahtani (145.8) vs. David Zelner (145.8)

Round 1

Featherweights are up once again, as Saudi prospect Al-Qahtani welcomes the debuting Zelner to the PFL cage. Mike Walter draws the refereeing assignment. Both men are in orthodox stance, and Zelner is the first to score, with a sharp low kick. Al-Qahtani comes back with a kick of his own, then a three-punch combo that lands cleanly and hurts Zelner. Al-Qahtani is stalking, throwing punches that land more often than now. Zelner shoots a single-leg and Al-Qahtani punishes him with a sprawl and crossface that would do a folkstyle wrestler proud. Zelner’s face is already bleeding and busted up, 90 seconds into the fight. Al-Qahtani is piecing his man up and Zelner is unable to land in return. Zelner clinches and runs his opponent into the cage, but Al-Qahtani shoves him off and lands a knee inside. Half the round down, and Al-Qahtani catches Zelner with a cross that stumbles him badly. He gives chase and tags him with another punch that stumbles him again. Al-Qahtani throws a spinning back kick to the body. Zelner retreats and recovers, but still can’t seem to find Al-Qahtani on the feet. Zelner shoots a takedown with just under a minute left. He can’t get it, but the round ends with him pushing Al-Qahtani into the fence.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani

Round 2

Al-Qahtani lands a crisp jab, then another. Zelner comes back with an outside leg kick. Al-Qahtani lands another jab, then catches the incoming Zelner with a right hook. Al-Qahtani is leaning heavily on his jab so far in Round 2, but it’s been enough to keep Zelner outside and hesitant. Zelner lands another kick to the lead leg. Al-Qahtani lands a one-two, then a moment later, a four-punch combination. Zelner shoots for a takedown, but Al-Qahtani sprawls, tips him over and takes top position in the closed guard of Zelner. He lands a couple of punches from the top before Zelner inserts a knee shield and kicks him off. Back on the feet, Al-Qahtani’s jab is immediately in the American’s face once again. 90 seconds left in the round and Al-Qahtani has begun pairing the right cross with the jab, and it feels like he can’t miss with either. Zelner charges forward, but Al-Qahtani gives ground and lands a combo. Al-Qahtani throws a leg kick of his own, then another one that takes Zelner off his feet. The bell rings on another dominant frame for Al-Qahtani.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani

Round 3

Zelner’s face is a mess to start Round 3, but he is still game, coming right forward behind his jab and low kick. Al-Qahtani returns fire with a jab. Zelner charges forward and clinches, and Al-Qahtani throws a knee up the middle. They disengage and resume kickboxing in the center of the cage. Zelner is still throwing, but Al-Qahtani is busier, faster and much more accurate. He lands what feels like his 100th jab of the fight. Both men land low kicks: Zelner to the thigh, Al-Qahtani to the calf. Al-Qahtani lands a hard left hook to the body. Under half the round left and Zelner has no quit in him, still coming forward but unable to avoid Al-Qahtani’s jab. Al-Qahtani spins and lands a glancing hook kick to the midsection. Zelner whiffs on an overhand right and Al-Qahtani lands a right hand. Al-Qahtani throws a low kick that has Zelner limping visibly. Zelner essays a takedown but there’s nothing there. With under 30 seconds left, Zelner lands a nice clean right hand, but Al-Qahtani shrugs it off. The final bell sounds. Fantastic outing by Abdullah Al-Qahtani, who should be officially 2-0 in PFL in a few minutes.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani (30-27 Al-Qahtani)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani (30-27 Al-Qahtani)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Al-Qahtani (30-27 Al-Qahtani)

The Result

Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. David Zelner via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)

Abigail Montes (145.6) vs. Michelle Montague (145.4)

Round 1

Same weight class, opposite locker room as PFL 9 turns to Montes and Montague, both hopefuls for the 2024 women’s featherweight season. Dan Miragliotta makes his first appearance of the evening as your referee. The women collide headlong and start swinging. Montague lands the first clean, hard shot of the fight, then another, but Montes comes back with a short right hook that stops her in her tracks. Montague clinches and runs Montes to the fence. They exchange some short punches and knees before disengaging. Moments later Montague initiates another clinch, pushing her foe to the fence again, where Montes reverses her. They break again, and Montes begins walking Montague down. Both women are landing multiple clean punches to the head. Montague times a takedown and spins Montes down to her knees, but they pop back up before she can complete it. Montes is still the aggressor, coming forward behind her one-two and low kick. Montague is game, landing counters on the advancing Mexican. With under a minute left, Montes stings Montague with a big right hand and like clockwork, is caught clean by the return fire. The bell sounds on a very busy, very even round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Montes
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Montes
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Montes

Round 2

Montague throws a left jab, then another, dropping levels for a sneaky takedown attempt as she does so, but Montes catches her with a check right hook that stands her back up. Montague comes forward with a right cross and jab, and Montes returns fire with a kick to the body. Montague marches forward behind a series of punches, backing Montes up to the fence and dropping for a takedown. She pulls Montes away from the fence and they briefly end up holding dueling front headlocks. Neither woman can threaten, and they break up the stalemate by mutual assent. Montague shoots another single-leg takedown and can’t finish it, but moves around to take Montes’ back standing near the fence. Montague jumps on Montes’ back, sinks the far hook, then the near one and flattens her opponent's hips to the canvas as they go down. Montague wraps up a rear-naked choke and Montes struggles, grimaces and finally taps, prompting the intervention by Miragliotta. Persistence pays off, as Michelle Montague’s first successful takedown attempt ends up being the only one she needed.

The Result

Michelle Montague def. Abigail Montes R2 3:38 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Mostafa Rashed Nada (184.8) vs. Korey Kuppe (184.8)

Round 1

Middleweights Nada and Kuppe square off as referee Mike Walter looks on. Kuppe is southpaw, Nada orthodox to start things off. Kuppe immediately fires off a high kick, then another, both of which glance off the forearms. Nada stalks forward methodically, refusing to be baited into a wild brawl. Nada comes forward with a trio of punches, one of which, a big right hook lands cleanly. Another sweeping hook staggers Kuppe, and a flurry of follow-up punches send him tumbling to the canvas at the base of the cage. Nada swarms with punches as Kuppe tries to recover. Kuppe briefly looks to be trying to mount some submission offense or at least get to a guard position, but Nada keeps nailing him with unblocked right hands and quickly puts him back in survival mode. That doesn’t last long either, though, as Walter implores Kuppe to work, but when he fails to do much more than cover up, stops the fight a few seconds later. Quick work for the Saudi puncher.

The Result

Mostafa Rashed Nada def. Korey Kuppe R1 1:55 via TKO (Punches)

Alexei Pergande (145.6) vs. Shawn Stefanelli (144.8)

Round 1

Stefanelli squares off with 22-year-old Pergande, perhaps PFL’s first and truest home-grown prospect, in this featherweight clash. Keith Peterson will oversee the proceedings. Stefanelli is in southpaw, mirroring the orthodox youngster. Pergande throws a long push kick to the midsection. Stefanelli bounces forward and lands one of his own. Stefanelli changes levels for a fast double-leg. He gets Pergande down, but Pergande stays moving and after a wild set of granby rolls, escapes to his feet. They collide again and this time Pergande lands on top, looking for a topside choke. Stefanelli breaks the hold and scrambles, but Pergande keeps his hips moving and stays on top in half guard. Stefanelli kicks him off and they’re back on their feet with two minutes left. Pergande stalks, throwing long kicks and jabs as Stefanelli circles out and looks to counter. Pergande steps in and hauls Stefanelli down with a body lock. He throws some hard ground-and-pound, and when Stefanelli bucks and tries to escape, he moves to mount. Pergande works again for the arm-triangle choke. Stefanelli fights it off, but Pergande moves to side control, where he remains until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 2

Stefanelli’s face is a little worse for wear to start Round 2, but he is the one coming forward. Pergande lands a jab, followed by a hard cross, but Stefanelli is unfazed. Stefanelli comes forward with a one-two, and Pergande is starting to find him with the jab, cross and body kick. Pergande nails Stefanelli with a check hook, then hits an easy takedown near the center of the cage. Pergande is working from full guard as the midpoint of the round passes. He postures up for a couple of hard punches. Stefanelli’s guard is closed, and he throws an elbow from the bottom. Pergande tries to stack and pass, but Stefanelli keeps full guard. Pergande stands up out of Stefanelli’s guard and stands over him. They exchange a few kicks before Stefanelli stands. 45 seconds left and both men land in a flurry. Pergande lands a high kick seconds before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 3

Stefanelli lands a body kick at the same time Pergande connects with a punch over the top. Pergande grounds Stefanelli with a double-leg takedown. He looks to be setting up a shoulder choke. Stefanelli bursts out from under Pergande, but Pergande follows, and the choke changes to something between a bulldog and an anaconda choke. There’s no way to finish from the odd position, however, and Pergande ends up back on top in half guard. Stefanelli stuffs him to full guard, then uses butterfly hooks to try and make some room. Pergande is active on top, looking to pass the guard, but Stefanelli is right there with him, and the best Pergande can do is to end up back in half guard. Stefanelli pops up to his knees and Pergande is once again out to the side of him with a leg ride. Pergande moves to the back and gets both hooks in. Full back mount for Pergande with a minute left. Pergande has one arm under Stefanelli’s chin, but Stefanelli is preventing him from using the other arm to finish the choke. Stefanelli bursts out again and this time he sweeps to top position. Stefanelli is looking for a choke now, but there’s less than 30 seconds left. Pergande reverses him a few seconds before the final bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)

The Result

Alexei Pergande def. Shawn Stefanelli via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Biaggio Ali Walsh (155.2) vs. Ed Davis (155.6)

Round 1

Walsh, who stated this week that he plans to turn professional in 2024, will look to get in a few more ammy reps against Davis. Mike Walter is the referee. Walsh is orthodox, Davis southpaw. Walsh comes out firing, but lands a kick to the cup within the first few seconds. After a brief time-out and a caution from Walter, they restart. Walsh comes forward immediately with fast one-twos punctuated by kicks to the lead thigh of Davis. Davis stands in the pocket and throws back, but can’t seem to find the mark with any consistency. Walsh flicks out a fast head kick that glances off the dreadlocked dome of Davis. Walsh throws a front kick to the midsection, and Davis fires back with one of his own. Walsh blisters Davis with an eight or nine-piece combo that sends him staggering. Davis recovers and they are throwing at close range right up to the bell, which comes awfully quick in an amateur fight with three-minute rounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Ali Walsh
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Ali Walsh
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Ali Walsh

Round 2

Walsh lands first with a sharp right hand. Davis catches Walsh with a right hook, then another, his two best punches of the fight so far. Walsh is not fazed at all, and comes forward with punches and a head kick. Davis catches Walsh with another right, this one to the chest, and it sits Walsh down, off-balance more than hurt. Walsh springs back up and resumes walking his foe down. Walsh briefly channels his boxing heritage, slipping a three-piece combo from Davis in a way that would make Pernell Whittaker proud. Seconds later, he crushes Davis with an overhand right, followed by two more right hands that drop him in a heap. Walsh dives in with punches, but Walter is there in an instant, pulling him off. Davis protests the stoppage, and he may have a point, but that shouldn’t detract too much from a largely dominant performance by Walsh.

The Result

Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Ed Davis R2 2:23 via TKO (Punches)

Magomed Magomedkerimov (170) vs. Solomon Renfro (170.4)

Round 1

The first of tonight’s four semifinals features 2018 welterweight champ Magomedkerimov looking to get back to the pinnacle, against upstart Renfro, who steps in for Gasan Umalatov. Dan Miragliotta is the referee. Both men are in orthodox stance, and Magomedkerimov is bouncing on the outside, throwing his jab and front kick. Renfro is pawing and feinting, looking to bounce into range on the taller man. A minute in, neither man has landed much other than glancing blows. Magomedkerimov connects with a hard outside leg kick, and Renfro counters with a right hand. Magomedkerimov changes levels for a quick takedown, and sets up in Renfro’s half guard. He is heavy on top, chest to chest, possibly framing an arm-triangle while punching the head with the other hand. Renfro has a lockdown guard on Magomedkerimov’s right leg and is throwing short strikes from the bottom. With a minute left, Magomedkerimov is still on top in half guard, but has given up the choke setup in favor of throwing leather with both hands. Renfro is preventing him from passing guard, and is avoiding the worst of the damage, but makes no real effort to get back up. He finally does, sitting up and pushing the Dagestani off, but there are just seconds left in the round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov

Round 2

Magomedkerimov gives ground as Renfro comes forward. He reaches out with an inside low kick. Renfro sticks a hard jab in Magomedkerimov’s face, backing him up further. Magomedkerimov takes the offensive, stepping forward and landing a jab. He sticks out another jab and goes for a takedown, dragging Renfro down with apparent ease—that is, until Renfro posts an arm and denies him. They pop back up and resume exchanging. Both men’s volume has dropped off a bit. Renfro throws a double jab and catches Magomedkerimov with a right hook behind it. Magomedkerimov throws a huge overhand right that just grazes the head of Renfro. They snap one another’s head back with simultaneous jabs. A minute to go in the round and Magomedkerimov changes levels again, this time completing the takedown. Renfro explodes back up and is snared in a guillotine, but pops his head out easily. The bell sounds seconds later.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Magomedkerimov

Round 3

Renfro is the one coming forward as the final round begins. Magomedkerimov sticks out a jab, then another. Renfro times one and tries to come in with a hook to the body, but it falls short. Magomedkerimov tries another punch-into-takedown routine, but Renfro skips aside and Magomedkerimov is grasping at air. Renfro marches forward with his hands at his waist as Magomedkerimov gives ground. He times the advancing Renfro for an easy takedown, and when Renfro pops up, Magomedkerimov takes his back and grabs a rear waistlock. Renfro defends well, breaking the grip and spinning away. Renfro nails Magomedkerimov with a lead right. A few seconds later he goes low-high with a pair of hooks. Magomedkerimov looks for another level change but bails instantly when Renfro pushes him off. Renfro suddenly drops and shoots a fast double-leg, scooping Magomedkerimov up and slamming him. He goes to work from Magomedkerimov’s full guard, throwing punches as Magomedkerimov grabs a loose guillotine. The final bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Renfro (29-28 Magomedkerimov)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Renfro (29-28 Magomedkerimov)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Renfro (29-28 Magomedkerimov)

The Result

Magomed Magomedkerimov def. Solomon Renfro via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Carlos Leal Miranda (172) vs. Sadibou Sy (170.8)

Round 1

Defending champ Sy and Leal now know exactly what is at stake in their scrap: a date with Magomed Magomedkerimov at the PFL Championships in November. Their first meeting a little over a year ago—also in a playoff semifinal—ended in a decision win for the Swede. Leal, who missed weight by a pound on Tuesday, begins with the handicap of a mandatory point deduction. Keith Peterson is tasked with keeping things nice and clean in this rematch, and he waves the semifinalists into action. Both fighters are orthodox. Sy flicks out a long front kick. Leal surges forward, looking to swarm the taller man with punches, but Sy gives ground and flicks out another kick, which unfortunately lands on the cup. There is a brief break in the action, but Leal wants to get back to work within seconds. He crashes the pocket and they clinch. Sy reverses him into the cage, at which point Leal spears him right in the groin with a knee strike. Sy also eschews most of his five-minute timeout, and they’re right back at it. Just a minute down in the round. Leal charges in for a takedown attempt, but Sy pulls his leg out and dances away. The Brazilian tries again and is met by an uppercut that staggers him badly. Sy considers pouncing, but Leal recovers quickly. Leal clinches and runs Sy into the fence, but Sy reverses him again. They break away from the cage and Leal tries a judo throw, but Sy counters well and lands on top. Before he can do much, Leal bucks him off and gets back up. He clinches once again and Sy punishes him with a knee to the midsection. Leal Miranda answers with one of his own. 90 seconds left and they are still locked together with an over- and underhook, looking variously for knee strikes or a takedown. They separate with 30 seconds left and Leal lunges forward with a left hand that falls just short. Leal shoves Sy to the fence, where the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sy
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Sy

Round 2

Leal shoots a takedown from well outside. Sy counters, hopping on one leg and pushing the Brazilian’s head down. He’s doing well to stay upright, but Leal changes the angle, then hoists the lanky Swede with ease and dumps him. Leal quickly sets up in side control, heavy on top, throwing elbows to the head. Sy is flat on his back, not doing much other than survive. Leal may be looking to sneak in an arm-triangle choke, but pauses periodically to drop elbow and forearm strikes. Over half the round has passed and Leal is in complete control, though he had not inflicted too much damage. Sy regains half guard, but Leal responds by throwing harder ground-and-pound. Leal tries to hop over to mount, but Sy takes the opportunity to get up and away. Leal immediately follows him to the fence and clinches with him, but Sy uses an overhook and head position to keep him where he wants him. They separate seconds before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Leal
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Leal
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Leal

Round 3

Leal shoots for a takedown within seconds, driving at Sy’s hips and backing him to the fence. Once there, Sy stands him up with an underhook. Leal grinds him into the fence, while Sy switches to an overhook and wide-legged stance, hoping to deny more takedown attempts. Two minutes in, Leal breaks the clinch and Sy immediately hits him with a glancing head kick. As Leal tries to close the distance, he is met with a knee strike. He finally manages to get back to the clinch, where the action slows once again. Leal throws a couple of knees up the middle and Sy responds with his own, though none of them have much steam behind him. Referee Peterson breaks them up and they return to the center of the cage, but they are back in the clinch against the fence within seconds. Leal breaks the clinch and throws a spinning backfist which misses. Sy throws a spinning wheel kick that goes over Leal’s head, and Leal counters with a wide overhand that glances off Sy’s forehead. Leal goes to the clinch once again, and presses Sy against the fence. They separate just seconds before the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Sy (29-27 Sy)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sy (29-27 Sy)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Sy (29-27 Sy)

The Result

Sadibou Sy def. Carlos Leal Miranda via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The scores are announced without taking into account the point deduction due to Leal missing weight, but in any event Sadibou Sy will advance to the welterweight final with a chance to repeat as champ, while Magomed Magomedkerimov will look to win his second PFL title five full years after his first.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.6) vs. Bruno Miranda (154)

Round 1

Returning lightweight champ Aubin-Mercier enters the 2023 semifinals as the No. 2 seed, opposite third-seeded Miranda, ready to fight for the privilege of taking on the winner of the Collard-Burgos headliner. Dan Miragliotta is the third man in the cage. As has been a theme tonight, the lightweights are in mirrored stances: Aubin-Mercier southpaw and Miranda orthodox. They exchange hard low kicks. Miranda continues to throw kicks to Aubin-Mercier’s lead right leg. A minute and a half is gone and Aubin-Mercier still has barely thrown a punch. He tags Miranda with a body kick to the open side, and rolls with the left hand coming back his way. Aubin-Mercier with a glancing head kick, and he slides out to the side as the Brazilian tries to counter. Miranda catches a kick and tries to respond with a punch, but Aubin-Mercier extracts his leg. Miranda hits Aubin-Mercier with a hard body punch. He follows it up with a body kick. Aubin-Mercier’s ribs are showing bright red from the strikes. Aubin-Mercier drops levels for a takedown and runs Miranda to the fence with 30 seconds left. Miranda defends with underhooks and they are in a stalemate until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Miranda
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Miranda
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Miranda

Round 2

Aubin-Mercier clocks Miranda with a flush left hand that drops him to his seat. He pounces on his fallen foe, but Miranda does a good job of getting him into his guard, surviving as he gathers his wits. The immediate danger of a knockout seems to have passed, but Aubin-Mercier goes to work on the ground, instantly passing to half guard and threatening to take mount. Aubin-Mercier throws punches upstairs, scooting Miranda to the edge of the cage as he constantly look to pass guard. Miranda manages to regain full guard, but Aubin-Mercier drops a couple of heavy punches as he does. Aubin-Mercier manages to isolate Miranda’s right arm with a handcuff, then passes to mount. He slides back to a low mount, sitting on Miranda’s knees as he throws punches, but Miranda manages to regain guard. Aubin-Mercier immediately passes again to the Dagestani-style low mount, then advances to a regular mount and begins unleashing a two-handed barrage of leather. Everything is landing, Miranda is doing little but cover his face, and after a pair of quick warnings, Miragliotta moves in for the TKO stoppage. Methodical, clinical—and brutal—ground work by the man from Quebec, who is now one fight away from possibly repeating as PFL lightweight champion.

The Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Bruno Miranda R2 4:41 via TKO (Punches)

Clay Collard (155) vs. Shane Burgos (156)

Round 1

Burgos, Collard—and referee Peterson—will close out the evening by determining who gets the chance to dethrone Aubin-Mercier, who won his lightweight semifinal minutes ago. They set up in matching orthodox stances and immediately exchange low kicks. Both men land with their jab and one-two in the early going. An incidental collision leads to Burgos briefly taking Collard’s back standing, but Collard spins toward him and Burgos lets him go rather than push the issue. Burgos hits Collard with an inside low kick. Collard tags Burgos with a body punch. He lands another a moment later, a left hook that Burgos tries to answer with a big swing up top. Collard lands a two-punch combination followed by an inside low kick. Burgos answers with a body shot that bowls Collard over, off balance. He rolls back to his feet and they engage again. Burgos lands another inside low kick and Collard stumbles. His left leg is bright red and apparently compromised. Collard lands a right hand that rocks Burgos badly. Burgos staggers back as Collard pursues, but “Hurricane Shane” recovers quickly. Collard walks him toward the fence and they exchange until the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Collard

Round 2

Burgos walks Collard toward the fence and nails him with an inside low kick. Collard rips a hook to the midsection. They circle away from the fence and Collard switches stances momentarily, likely to get his left leg off the artillery range. Collard hits Burgos with four clean punches to the face. Burgos shakes them off and fires back. Burgos with another leg kick. Collard unleashes another long salvo of punches to the head, almost all of which land. Burgos is bleeding from the face. Burgos hits Collard with a body punch that clearly hurts him, then punctuates with yet another leg kick. Burgos switches it up, landing an outside leg kick that takes Collard’s left leg out from under him. He gets up smiling, but also limping. Collard smashes Burgos with a right hand that freezes him, then follows with a flurry that puts him down. Burgos is active, trying to avoid ground-and-pound, and moments later pops back to his feet and immediately takes Collard’s back standing against the fence. Collard tries to scrape him off using the chain-link. He succeeds, but eats a clean punch on the way out. They return to the center of the cage, throwing until the bell. Another fantastic round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Collard

Round 3

Collard touches the body with a long straight right, then another. Burgos continues his investment in low kicks, and tags Collard with a vicious body punch. These two are in near phone-booth range, just exchanging punch combinations. Unbelievable pace. Collard shoots for a single-leg from outside. Burgos pulls his leg free and spins around, only to be met with a well-timed body punch. Burgos catches Collard with a right hand to the head that snaps his head back. A moment later, another low kick knocks Collard off his feet. Collard gets back up and comes forward, and Burgos meets him with a pair of punches, then grabs the clinch, forcing Collard’s gimpy leg to bear both men’s weight. They separate and go back to throwing down in the pocket. Burgos is leaning heavily on the body work, landing a pair of left hooks and a front kick to the midsection. Burgos tries going upstairs and Collard slips a three-piece easily. At the 10-second clapper, Burgos clatters a head kick off Collard. They flurry until the final bell. “Fight of the Year” contender, folks.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Burgos (29-28 Collard)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Burgos (29-28 Collard)
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Burgos (29-28 Collard)

The Result