Martina Jindrova Awarded Professional Fighters League Contact at PFL Challenger Series 3

Count Martina Jindrova as the latest addition to the Professional Fighters League roster.

The polished and determined kickboxer did just enough to eke out a split decision over Jacqueline Cavalcanti in the PFL Challenger Series 3 main event on Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with Jindrova (4-2). Afterward, she was awarded a contract by PFL President Ray Sefo.

Cavalcanti (2-1) mixed up her attacks beautifully, made fluid stance switches and occasionally beat her counterpart to the punch. After a competitive first five minutes, Jindrova hit the accelerator in Round 2. There, she had Cavalcanti reeling with right hands, cut off her bids for desperation takedowns and continued to assault her with clean, accurate punches in an attempt to finish. The increased output came at a cost, and Jindrova had little left in the tank in the third. Cavalcanti snapped back the Czech’s head more than once with plunging right hands and pressed the issue during the final period, but the stoppage she needed failed to materialize.

Meanwhile, Syndicate MMA export Jeslen Mishelle put away Julia Dorny with punches in the first round of their women’s lightweight feature. Bleeding from a cut across the bridge of her nose, Dorny (2-1) bowed out 3:51 into Round 1.

Mishelle (1-0) paired pace with power and created a toxic blend. She battered Dorny with knees from the clinch, wore down the German at close range and turned up the heat. Mishelle sent one right hand after another crashing into her fading counterpart’s face. Visible damage began to mount. She sat down Dorny with a two-punch combination, hovered above and drew the curtain with unanswered standing-to-ground punches.

Elsewhere, onetime Olympic hopeful Jackie Cataline dazzled in her professional debut, as she put Camee Adams to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their women’s lightweight attraction. A Jeremy Horn protégé, Adams (0-1) lost consciousness 2:41 into Round 1.

Cataline (1-0) struck for a takedown inside the first 30 seconds, floated into side control and eventually moved to a mounted crucifix position, at which point she started dropping heavy punches. Adams turned away from contact but exposed her back in the process. Cataline wheeled around behind her, cinched the choke and turned out the lights.

Finally, American Top Team’s Michelle Montague submitted Olivia Parker with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their women’s lightweight showcase. Parker (4-3) conceded defeat 3:57 into Round 1, suffering her third consecutive defeat.

Montague (1-0) pressed forward behind kick-punch combinations, ducked into a belly-to-back suplex and climbed to an advantageous position. She applied her ground-and-pound, progressed to the back and went to work on the choke. Parker withstood her initial advances but only prolonged the inevitable. Montague readjusted, snaked her arms in place and tightened her squeeze until the job was done.