Amanda Leve Lands Professional Fighters League Contract on PFL Challenger Series 2

Philadelphia-based Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Amanda Leve nailed down a Professional Fighters League contract on Week 2 of the PFL Challenger Series, as she outstruck onetime Olympian Naranjargal Tsendayush to a unanimous decision on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. All three members of the cageside judiciary scored it the same: 29-28 for Leve (2-0, 2-0 PFL).

Tsendayush (2-1, 0-1 PFL), an accomplished judoka who represented Mongolia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, delivered a head-and-arm throw in the first round but failed to consolidate those efforts with meaningful damage or control. Leve snuck around to the back, secured her position with a body triangle and went about altering the narrative. For the next 10 minutes, she let fly with punches, countered effectively and connected with the occasional head kick. Tsendayush backed up a hearty chin and unfettered aggression with clubbing hooks from both hands, only to fall short on the scorecards.

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Meanwhile, American Top Team’s Michelle Montague disposed of the debuting Shaquita Woods with a palm-to-palm rear-naked choke in the second round of their women’s featherweight pairing. Woods (0-1, 0-1 PFL) conceded defeat 4:45 into Round 2.

Montague (3-0, 2-0 PFL) established her superiority throughout the first five minutes. The 29-year-old New Zealand native executed a high-amplitude takedown, settled in side control and eventually progressed to full mount before transitioning to the back and applying her ground-and-pound. Woods answered at the start of the second round, as she countered an attempted takedown with a brabo choke. Montague weathered her brush with adversity, scrambled into top position and once again forced the Team Bodyshop rep to surrender her back. She then went to work on the choke, readjusted her grip and flattened out Woods, prompting the tapout.

Elsewhere, Jackie Cataline put away Dutch judoka Senna van de Veerdonk with punches in the first round of their women’s featherweight confrontation. The 22-year-old Van de Veerdonk (3-2, 0-1 PFL) succumbed to blows 4:09 into Round 1.

Cataline (3-1, 2-1 PFL) wore down her counterpart in the clinch, where she cut loose with dirty-boxing uppercuts and other short-range punches, along with knees to the body. Van de Veerdonk ultimately turned away from contact after being staggered by a stiff jab. Cataline, 34, had her ducking for cover with a left hook, swarmed with punches, forced her into a defensive shell with a knee to the body and sealed the deal with a burst of ground-and-pound along the fence.

Finally, American Top Team prospect Evelyn Martins took care of Jeslen Mishelle with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their women’s featherweight tilt. Martins (3-0, 1-0 PFL), who missed weight for the match by 0.8 pounds, brought it to a close 1:38 into Round 2.

Mishelle (2-1, 2-1 PFL) pressed her luck from the start, as she pushed a frenetic pace, backed up the Brazilian with right hands and kept moving forward. Martins stayed composed, leaned into her cardio and seized control by the end of a wild, back-and-forth first round. She tripped Mishelle to the floor in the middle stanza and settled in side control before scrambling onto the Syndicate MMA export’s back. From there, Martins snaked her arms in place and tightened her squeeze for the finish.