PFL 1 2022 Regular Season Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Simeon Powell (205.75) vs. Clinton Williams (204.5)

Round 1

The regular season of PFL is back, as the last eight shows for the organization – including one that had quite a hiccup – were all their qualifier Challenger Series cards. This first episode comes exclusively for lightweight and light heavyweight fighters, with four lightweight matches and five in the light heavyweight division with tournament stakes. This means that the first of the 10 bouts on the card is a non-tourney bout, instead called a “showcase” at 205 pounds between unbeaten recent pickup Powell (5-0, 1-0 PFL) and WSOF vet Williams (9-5, 1 NC; 0-2 PFL). Referee Jacob Montalvo will draw the charge on the first fight of the night, and after the fighters touch gloves, it’s on with the show! Powell gets on his bike early as the American pressures him, and Williams walks into a jab as he looks to wind up an overhand right. The shorter man, is stalking forward, lining up bombs, but Powell is able to slip them and stick him with a left hand. Powell keeps backpedaling as Williams is constantly moving forward, picking at him with a few leg kicks and jabs while Williams’ looping punches largely hit nothing but air. Powell catches his foe with a solid right hand, getting Williams’ attention and stopping him from advancing momentarily. “Smooth” Powell uses the moment to his advantage as he bullies Williams to the wall, clinching with him after landing a few shots while Williams keeps his guard up. When they separate, Powell works over his struggling opponent with rangy shots, and he steps in with a clean knee that connects solidly on the jaw. The Georgia native chomps down on it like a peach and decides to start advancing again, but what little volume he had has fallen off a cliff. Powell makes Williams stare at him as he befuddles him with feints and fakes, and he works on Williams’ lead leg with a few more kicks. Williams gets tired of absorbing these effective strikes and powers through to tie his foe up. In the clinch up against the wall, Powell scores a few short knees as he searches for some kind of takedown approach up close. The grinding continues for Williams, who peppers his British adversary with short punches as he considers going after a single leg. Powell remains upright without an issue as he trades back from up close, and he eventually circles away to gain some space. A few jabs lead into a right hand, and he hurts Williams. The punches keep coming from the taller, longer Powell until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Powell
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Powell
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Powell

Round 2

Montalvo calls in the doctor before the start of the second round to check on Williams’ vision, as a finger from somebody may have inadvertently stuck him. Williams is easily medically cleared, and when the round begins, he gets started plodding forward. The Brit is easily able to anticipate his telegraphed strikes and intercept him on the way in, with sharp jabs and pushing kicks that keep Williams at bay. Williams nevertheless continues to advance while taking shots, and Powell leaps in the air with a knee that collides straight into his chin. Williams absorbs it, and he pushes forward to tie his opponent up in the clinch. They jockey for position and trade knees up close, and one for Powell clacks into Williams’ cup to call a pause to the round. Williams bends over in obvious discomfort, and after about a minute of recovery time, he is good to go. The American walks straight into a long string of jabs, as Powell is the more active man immediately while Williams throws a single strike and hits nothing but air. Williams swipes out a left hook, and Powell shakes his head as if to signal it didn’t hurt him – when fighters do that, it generally means that they got tagged. Taking a moment to gather himself, he starts to put together jabs again and switches it up with an uppercut that pops Williams right on the jaw. The punch knocks Williams’ head back, who dives forward to go after a double after getting clipped. Powell sprawls and breaks away, and he hops right back on his bike to circle away as “Bomba” lobs bombs. A few do pound into Powell’s chin, and after his successes, he scoops Powell up and plants the Brit down on the mat. In half guard, Williams stays heavy with shoulder pressure and lands a few punches, doing enough to stay in this position to ride out the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Powell

Round 3

Not sure where he resides on the scorecards, Williams begins the final frame as the aggressor, with a bit more pace as he chases Powell down. When Powell does nothing but back away, Williams signals at him to engage, leading Powell to punch him in the face a few times. The Georgia-based fighter rushes forward, and instead of setting it up with a punch, he just changes levels for a double. The sheer power of “Bomba” allows him to pick Powell up in the air and slam him down to the mat, where he lands in side control. From on top, Williams looks for crucifix position or a way to lock Powell’s left arm down, but he cannot get any ground-and-pound off. After surrendering some control time, Powell explodes out of his position and gets back to his feet, where he quickly resumes his sharp striking approach. After getting off a few more jabs, Powell backs his way to the fence, and Williams crashes the pocket and takes him down with a double-leg takedown. While Williams drops down a few tiring fists, Powell wall-walks his way back up to his feet, clearly unconcerned about any ground strikes coming his way. Powell hand-fights enough to turn away and back off, and when he does, he slips up a high knee that ricochets right off the temple of the American. A perfectly placed strike, Williams’ eyes roll back in his head as he goes completely out, and he falls to the ground face-first with an arm limp by his side. What an absolute stunner, one even Montalvo did not quite notice until he saw “Bomba” crumble lifelessly to the canvas. Powell walks off, believing he does not need to do anything more tonight as his flawless record remains intact. That’s two PFL wins in two weeks for “Smooth” Simeon Powell, who wants in on the tournament after that result, but not before taking a few weeks off to "get drunk."

The Official Result

Simeon Powell def. Clinton Williams R3 4:38 via KO (Knee)

Rob Wilkinson (205) vs. Bruce Souto (204.5)

Round 1

After 34 PFL fights so far in 2022, the PFL tournament will finally begin with this next match. In the 205-pound weight category, a pair of fighters making their tourney debuts in ex-UFC name Wilkinson (13-2, 0-0 PFL) and CS 1 signee Souto (15-3, 1-0 PFL) will come to blows. They will be joined in the cage by referee Kerry Hatley, who sits back as the fighters glove to make their fight official. Souto comes out fast, but he pulls back right as he is about to engage when Wilkinson flicks out a few jabs at him. “Razor Rob” chops down with a few low kicks before rushing out with a pair of punches, and he absorbs a leg kick on the way in. Souto resets and swats away a punch coming at him but cannot get out of the way from a calf kick. Wilkinson ducks a punch and takes a right hook square on the chin, which leads to him tying up the Brazilian and turning him to the wire. Wilkinson drills the chest with several flush knees, and he takes one back before changing levels to take the fight down. Although Wilkinson gets him down, Souto scrambles right back to his feet. A mat return from the Aussie drags Souto down after Wilkinson briefly gets hold of his back, and he tries but fails to keep Souto grounded for long. When Souto wall-walks, Wilkinson greets him with a few knees and turns with a body lock to throw Souto on the ground. The Brazilian links a finger in the fence, but it is not enough to stay upright. Wilkinson falls on top of his opponent, where he briefly sneaks into half guard to set up an arm-triangle choke. The choke gets abandoned so that Wilkinson can take full mount, and “Soldado de Cristo” bucks him back off to half guard. The top control from Wilkinson is heavy and effective to keep Souto on his back, even if he does not land much in the way of offense. An occasional right hand rains down when Souto tries to sit up, keeping the Brazilian honest and stuck on the mat. Whenever Souto scrambles, Wilkinson greets him with punches and thinks about dropping down elbows, but he cannot due to the tourney ruleset. The ground-and-pound continues right to the end of the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wilkinson
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Wilkinson
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Wilkinson

Round 2

When the round begins, Souto walks forward and straight into a swiping left hand coming his direction. Wilkinson surges forward with a combination, knocking Souto back and forcing the Brazilian to adjust and reset his approach. This leads Souto to charge on his own, and Wilkinson cracks him with an uppercut that levels “Soldado de Cristo.” Souto, wobbled, manages to get back to his feet, but the damage is done and Wilkinson is on him. Starting with a stern knee to the body and another to the head, Wilkinson swarms his foe and throws him down to the ground to start pounding on him. Souto turtles up among the onslaught of strikes coming at him, and Wilkinson rains down a long series of punches until Hatley has seen enough. Wilkinson is now the first fighter on the board this season, picking up five points for his stoppage in Round 2.

The Official Result

Rob Wilkinson def. Bruce Souto R2 0:46 via TKO (Punches)

Omari Akhmedov (204.5) vs. Viktor Pesta (205.5)

Round 1

A pair of men that competed for a while in the UFC will be taking the stage now at light heavyweight, when Russian grappler Akhmedov (21-7-1, 0-1 PFL) – who sports the “International” flag this season – faces hard-charging ex-heavyweight Pesta (18-6, 0-0 PFL). There is no touch of gloves in front of referee Jacob Montalvo, as the two fighters introduces themselves to one another, instead with solid right hands. The Russian fighter takes the center of the cage and slams his shin into the calf a few times, and Pesta is already struggling after absorbing a couple of those punches. Akhmedov pursues another low kick to an increasingly reddening leg, and he wings a right hand that just misses the mark. One that follows from “Wolverine” does connect cleanly, and Pesta is in big trouble when Akhmedov bears down on him to smash him upside the head with hammers for fists. The Czech fighter staggers back, hoping to recover from the assault, but Akhmedov does not let him off the hook. Pesta shoots for a desperation takedown, and when Akhmedov stands him up, the Russian launches a missile of a right hook that knocks Pesta down and completely unconscious. Falling to his back with no life in his eyes, Pesta is out cold after taking that devastating blow. Akhmedov walks away, and then returns with a look of concern on his face that Pesta may be hurt badly. Pesta does eventually regain consciousness and sits up on his stool, and relief washes over the face of “Wolverine.” Akhmedov successfully puts himself in the driver’s seat this season with a six-point stoppage, picking it up in less than 90 seconds and potentially even qualifying himself for the playoffs on the speed of one single victory.

The Official Result

Omari Akhmedov def. Viktor Pesta R1 1:25 via KO (Punch)

Marthin Hamlet (205.75) vs. Teodoras Aukstuolis (204.5)

Round 1

The finalist of last year’s 205-pound bracket will be fighting in this contest as Hamlet (8-3, 2-2 PFL) throws down with Rizin vet Aukstuolis (11-5, 0-0 PFL), with the latter competing in MMA for the first time since 2017. Since the Lithuanian fighter’s last match, Hamlet has fought 10 times, account for all but one of the fights in his entire career. This classic matchup of Norway vs. Lithuania will draw officiating from referee Kerry Hatley, and the fighters do not want to create an international incident, so they touch gloves. Hamlet paws out a few jabs, drawing his opponent in, and catches him right on the button with a clubbing right hand. Aukstuolis is rocked after the first strike of the fight, and it opens a cut above his left eye. Hamlet powers forward, lifting the Lithuanian fighter off the ground and tossing him to the floor. Aukstuolis closes his guard, and he locks Hamlet down to not allow him to get any shots off. Aukstuolis keeps his arm tightly grasped around Hamlet’s, protecting himself from damage and coaxing Hatley into standing them up. Hamlet tries to stay busy by wrangling his arm out and letting loose with a punch or two, and he holds his palm over Aukstuolis’ mouth to disrupt his breathing. Commentator Randy Couture reminisces about the time this happened to him, while noting it might have been the first time anyone did that in an MMA fight. After some inactivity, Hatley does stand them up, and the fighters thank him by throwing caution to the wind and throwing haymakers. Hamlet catches his opponent with a right hook, and he absorbs a thudding kick to the upper body. The Norwegian-based brawler gets hold of Aukstuolis again and wrenches him down to the canvas again, where he returns to the tight closed guard while trying to get off punches. Aukstuolis once more retains a lockdown posture on his back, keeping his chin safe from further blows and riding out on the bottom until the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet

Round 2

The light heavies touch ‘em up to begin the second stanza, and Aukstuolis strikes first with a jab to the waist. Hamlet ignores it to wind up a right hand, and it slams into Aukstuolis’ dome and knocks him back to the wall. Hamlet quickly pursues a tie-up, where he can drag the fight down in this position. Hamlet scoops his man up and deposits him to the mat, where he lands in side control. A few right hands from the fighter from Norway materialize, but Aukstuolis is still somehow able to keep the offense to a dull roar with his defensive game. Hamlet slices over to mount as he threatens with an arm-triangle choke, and Aukstuolis is able to tough it out and pull Hamlet back to his half guard. Hamlet slips his arm beneath Aukstuolis’ neck to set something up, only to pull it back and slam Aukstuolis in the face with his fist. Hamlet does not open up with ground-and-pound, instead preferring position over damage in truest fashion. Aukstuolis keeps his legs intertwined with Hamlet’s disallowing him from passing guard again, until Hamlet scoots him to the wall and steps over to full mount. Aukstuolis clings on tight to a wrist, allowing Hamlet to smother him but once more staying safe from any serious blows. The round ends in this grinding posture.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet

Round 3

The final round opens up with a glove touch, and Hamlet claims the center of the cage only to get cracked with a short combination. Hamlet eats the punches up top and knee to the body and backs off, not countering or threatening with a level change. Aukstuolis times a right hand clean on the jaw, one that gets Hamlet’s attention and does force Hamlet to charge for a takedown entry. Hamlet switches to a single, and he lifts Aukstuolis clear off the ground to dump him to the mat with relative ease. Aukstuolis pushes off the fence to try to scramble in some capacity as Hamlet resides comfortably in his guard, before closing it up to settle for a lockdown and not threaten off his back. Hamlet is happy to grind, even dropping down an elbow that goes uncalled. After a little more top control, someone from outside the cage shouts “Come on” in comically loud disappointment, and Hatley stands them up shortly thereafter. When back upright again, Hamlet is in a hurry to drag the fight down to a safer position. After a short burst of resistance from the Lithuanian, Hamlet pulls him down and steps right into half guard. With Aukstuolis fatiguing, Hamlet smoothly passes to side control, and he locks down half of a crucifix with his legs tying Aukstuolis’ right arm up. Hamlet abandons it when Aukstuolis twists and pushes his feet off the fence, but this allows Hamlet to very slowly and methodically land light hammerfists from on top. When the horn sounds, Aukstuolis groans in frustration having been thoroughly outwrestled. A slow, plodding performance will pick up Hamlet three points towards the playoffs, and he will have some catching up to do after the previous knockouts on the card.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet (30-27 Hamlet)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet (30-27 Hamlet)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Hamlet (30-27 Hamlet)

The Official Result

Marthin Hamlet def. Teodoras Aukstuolis via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Alex Martinez (156) vs. Steven Ray (155.5)

Round 1

Going unbeaten in his first eight fights leading to his 2021 PFL debut, Martinez (8-2, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) won one and then went on to lose his next two, even though he made the playoffs by beating eventual finalist Loik Radzhabov. He will attempt to break a two-fight skid against longtime UFC vet Ray (23-9, 0-0 PFL), who will be stepping into the first non-UFC cage for the first time since 2014. The lightweights will receive oversight from referee Jacob Montalvo, and they touch gloves before getting after it. They kick at the same time, and Ray brings a low kick up high to turn it to a hook kick. The foot bounces off Martinez’ head, spurring him to action as he runs forward with a blitz of punches. They settle down, and Ray steps in with a left hook to intercept a few jabs from the Paraguay native. They stomp kicks to the knee one after the other, and “Braveheart” swats away a kick to the midsection so that he can chop down his foe’s legs. He kicks the knee a few times, and Martinez steps back amidst a punch combination to whip his foot up high. Ray shrugs it off and dings Martinez with a left hook. The UFC vet works the body with a few punches, keeping Martinez guessing even as Martinez attacks the same area as well. Martinez pushes off, and a finger grazes Ray’s left eye. Martinez apologizes for it and pulls back before Montalvo even notices, and Ray earns a brief break. When they get to fighting again, Ray fires off another hook kick that glances off his intended target. Martinez pushes the leg aside so that he can bowl Ray over and pursue a takedown, but Ray is wise to it and climbs back to his feet. Ray then ducks a high kick that zooms over his head, and when he does, Martinez crashes the pocket and hits a body lock takedown to put the Scotsman on his back. Ray keeps a high guard but cannot trap Martinez with any setup, and he scrambles and stops Martinez from taking mount as they both move at the same time. Ray recovers to closed guard, and Martinez breaks the grip so that he can stand up. Martinez lords over his foe with slapping leg kicks, and he tries to step over with a right hand but it only connects with the chest. Ray threatens with a leglock, only for Martinez to drop down and pummel him with a few punches until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Martinez
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Martinez

Round 2

The lightweights touch gloves before commencing hostilities, and Ray leads off with a jab. Ray is forced to then defend a kick, and he rushes ahead with a few winging punches and connects with a solid right. Martinez circles away and resets to kick the leg, and he lands a thudding body kick on his way out. When Ray fires back, Martinez changes levels to scoop up the legs and drive through to hit a double. Ray goes to his back and sets up a triangle choke, only for Martinez to break the grip and force Ray to scramble. Ray turns his back, and when he does, Martinez aims to climb on his back. Ray still fights up to his feet, but Martinez’ hands are clasped behind his waist. Martinez lets go and just misses a head kick that slaps off the guard, and Ray plods forward with a one-two in response. Ray kicks the body, and not to be outdone, Martinez replies in kind. Martinez swats out with a few punches, and Ray aims one to the chest in a counter. Ray steps through with a one-two, and the clean left hand knocks Martinez off his feet. Ray dives down after him to try to finish the job, only for Martinez to scramble well enough to turn the tables and stand Ray up. Ray falls down to his back in pursuit of a leglock, and he turns it into a heel hook that twists to a kneebar when Ray switches his leg grip. Martinez gets away with pulling on the fence, and Ray abandons it when Martinez turns around to drop down into his guard. Ray cannot put his legs up fast enough with a triangle setup before Martinez lowers himself fearlessly to attack, and Martinez swarms him with grappling exchanges including a brief possible mounted guillotine choke before abandoning it to take north-south position. Ray does not settle in this position, fighting his way back up instead, and Ray spams his left hand a few times. Martinez catches him back with a right hand, and when Ray stings him with a counter, Martinez smiles with a nose or mouth that has started to bleed. They slug it out right to the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Ray
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Ray

Round 3

The final frame opens up with a striking exchange after a glove touch, with the two lightweights eager to trade hands. Ray surprises Martinez with a left hand, and he goes to the well one too many times as Martinez has started to time it. Martinez fires back with a head kick that brushes over the shoulder, and Ray meets him right in the middle of the cage to drop down with a double that puts the Paraguay native on his back. Strikes from Ray have opened a cut above Martinez’ left eye, and Martinez scrambles wildly to put himself in sudden danger when Ray sets up a heel hook. Ray latches on to it and torques it, forcing Martinez to twist all the way around and stack him up to break the grip. When Ray turns him over to claim top position, Martinez threatens with a triangle choke that he uses to sweep Ray over. Ray falls to his back and cannot finagle a leglock in this posture, so he stops to take a breath after a hard burst of grappling. Ray hangs on with a partial guillotine, with his right arm wrapped around Martinez’ neck while Martinez is on top, and this does enough to lock him down while not putting Ray in Von Preux choke danger. Martinez pulls his neck out to get free and start landing shots. When there is a lull in the offense, Montalvo suddenly pauses the fight to call in the doctor, which he brings in to check on a small cut that opened above Ray’s eye due to an accidental headbutt. Ray is struggling to see as he blinks it out, and Montalvo stands them up, and they restart on the feet. Without about a minute to go, Ray starts unloading with punches, hurting Martinez with a few punches. As Ray keeps doing work on the feet, Martinez changes things up and hits a double where his neck falls right into submission danger. Ray cannot keep the choke grip tight, and Martinez stands up and lands a few shots from above. The fight ends with an upkick from Ray that slams into his foe’s chest. This will be a close one to score, and the winner will receive three points for the decision win and briefly atop the leaderboard at 155 pounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ray (29-28 Ray)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Martinez (29-28 Martinez)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Ray (29-28 Ray)

The Official Result

Alex Martinez def. Steven Ray via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Emiliano Sordi (205.5) vs. Cory Hendricks (205.75)

Round 1

Violence is almost certainly on the menu for this preliminary headliner at light heavyweight, as 2019 season winner Sordi (23-9-1, 7-2-1 PFL) battles it out with 2021 playoff participant Hendricks (8-4, 1-1 PFL). The men each hold exactly one win on the scorecards in their careers, with finish rates of 96% and 87%, respectively, so referee Kerry Hatley may not be in this for the long haul. A glove touch is the formality to start off the bout, and Sordi bounces around and forward to engage. Hendricks is much more composed, and he ducks back from a booming right hand that aims at his face. Hendricks scores a low kick and evades another right hook, but Sordi pressures him back to the wall. Sordi crashes forward to meet Hendricks with an uppercut as Hendricks goes after a level change, and Hendricks is forced to shake off the cobwebs early. Sordi mashes him into the wire, but he pulls his arms free from the underhooks and backs off to strike. A huge leg kick from Hendricks sweeps Sordi down to the mat, just as Sordi is unloading a right hand bomb. Hendricks telegraphs another level change, and Sordi tries to time another uppercut, only for it to graze off Hendricks’ trimmed beard and allow him to hit the takedown he sought. From his back, Sordi is quick to set up submissions, going from an armbar to a triangle choke, and back to the armbar. The armbar on this attempt is extremely tight, and he locks Hendricks up and arches his back to yank on it. Hendricks keeps his weight on his opponent to break up the armlock, and this succeeds in forcing Sordi to bail on it and adjust. Hendricks stays with heavy top pressure as to not fall into submission danger again, and he lands a few punches while Sordi scrambles wildly. The Argentinian looks to sweep with an unorthodox maneuver, and he does manage to get to his knees even if he cannot put Hendricks on his back. Sordi muscles his way upright again, only for Hendricks to bowl him over chest-first and right into a heel hook position. Sordi transitions the heel hook into a calf slicer, and Hendricks snags on to a toe hold before attacking a calf slicer of his own. Sordi winds up on his back, and he tightens up a kneebar before the bell sounds to break up this exciting exchange of grappling.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Sordi
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Hendricks

Round 2

Hendricks digs a heavy leg kick on the outside of Sordi’s leg to start off the round, and he dips back when Sordi fires off a one-two down the pipe. Hendricks digs one to the calf, and Sordi looks for an overhand right to counter it. Sordi jumps forward with a swiping left to the body, and he takes a deep breath after the blow. A nasty low kick from Hendricks draws a huge pained expression from Sordi, and Sordi’s knee is in big trouble in a hurry. Hendricks zips a right hand over the top, but it is his leg kick that gets Sordi’s attention again. Sordi cannot stop these kicks from scoring, and Hendricks does not double down on them with Sordi compromised, instead electing to take the fight down. Sordi rolls to his knees, with Hendricks hanging on to his back, and he briefly threatens with a rear-naked choke before stepping over to mount when Sordi turns to his back. Hendricks begins what he hopes to be a final onslaught, letting go with punches one after the other as his gloves find their way around Sordi’s guard. Hendricks keeps on clubbing Sordi with punches as Hatley implores the Argentinian to defend himself. When Hendricks stops punching for a second and looks to Hatley to stop the fight, Hatley does just that, seeing that Sordi is done and just taking unnecessary punishment. Even if the stoppage looked a bit strange as Hatley halted the fight not when Hendricks was pounding on Sordi but after he let up, Hendricks has just picked up five points in the light heavyweight division by putting away the 2019 champ in impressive fashion.

The Official Result

Cory Hendricks def. Emiliano Sordi R2 2:13 via TKO (Punches)

Natan Schulte (156) vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.75)

Round 1

Winner of not one but two $1 million checks for winning past PFL tournaments, the 2018 and 2019 lightweight victor Schulte (21-4-1, 10-1-2 PFL) will try to start his successful run in 2022 at the expense of former UFC fighter Aubin-Mercier (13-5, 2-0 PFL). Neither man is afraid to go three hard rounds, nor are they unwilling to go anywhere the fight takes them. The cage ranger for this scrap will be referee Jacob Montalvo, and there is nothing but respect between these two as they touch gloves. Schulte is the initial aggressor, ignoring a jab so that he can throw a low kick and miss with a front kick. Aubin-Mercier jabs out back at him, and he circles away and directly into a slapping body kick. The Canadian fighter scores a solid inside low kick, and he keeps on the outside before stepping in with a right hand behind the ear. Schulte wades forward and tosses out a push kick to the chest, and he subsequently goes low with one to the calf. Aubin-Mercier may have stung the 2018 and 2019 champ with a kick to the body, as Schulte comes forward to take his man down. Aubin-Mercier sees this coming and stops it, and he breaks up an oncoming clinch and splits the guard with a few jabs on the way out. Aubin-Mercier goes to the body and head with a kick, but Schulte comes forward at the right time to defend himself from the blows and gets tied up. Schulte goes for an uppercut when up close, and Aubin-Mercier pushes him away with his fingers outstretched, only for one finger to jab right in the eye. Schulte is given time to clear his vision, and he returns to his forward pressure once they restart. Aubin-Mercier effectively works the body from the outside until Schulte pushes forward to go after a takedown. The two men, both schooled in judo among their other disciplines, effectively counter one another with trips and sweep tries before separating, with neither getting a leg up on the other. Schulte attacks with a few punches while wading forward, only to be met by the offense of his opponent, which includes a substantial amount of body work from the Canadian. Aubin-Mercier sits down on a left hand, and he gets met with one right back at him on the chin. Schulte steps back and thumps the calf with a kick, and the strike draws Aubin-Mercier into an exchange of punches that land flush on the chin. Aubin-Mercier keeps tagging Schulte, and Schulte walks through them all to bully him back up to the wall. Aubin-Mercier fights out of a tie-up and keeps a safe distance to pick away at his foe, landing leg kicks in his own right. Schulte sneaks a left hook over the top that glances off the temple, and Aubin-Mercier is forced to retreat and gather himself. “The Canadian Gangster” scores punches and kicks as he backpedals, and Schulte jumps forward with an elbow that is blocked.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier

Round 2

The lightweights decide to touch hands before handling their business in the second round, and Aubin-Mercier lands first with a few quick blows. Schulte uses more power, throwing a little too hard and leaving him open to counters. The advancing of Schulte opens him up to strikes, as Aubin-Mercier has met his forward movement with sharp punches and kicks to a variety of targets. Aubin-Mercier kicks the leg as Schulte comes at him, and the Brazilian winds up with a heavy right hand that brushes off the chin. Aubin-Mercier chips away with jabs and low kicks, and Schulte is prepared to counter with overhands. The Canadian dips down with an uppercut, banging into the nose and making Schulte rub it after absorbing it partially. Aubin-Mercier is able to stick Schulte and move away, but Schulte still plods forward to throw hands. “The Canadian Gangster” is more than willing to touch him while Schulte is swinging for the fences, allowing him to score and evade the growingly telegraphed counters. Aubin-Mercier jumps forward with a knee that pounds into the guard, and Schulte walks right through a leg kick and into a pair of one-twos from the speedier man. Schulte sits down on an uppercut, but he finds himself giving chase as Aubin-Mercier circles laterally and unevenly so as to not develop a clear pattern. The two trade body kicks, and Aubin-Mercier scores with a right hook and escapes out the side when Schulte swings. Schulte looks for a single, only for Aubin-Mercier to snatch his leg out and gain some space. They trade heavy punches, and Aubin-Mercier punctuates one short salvo with a knee up the middle. Seeing an opening for this particular blow, he times another knee as Schulte crashes forward. The Brazilian does not register the strike lands, as he strides forward to tie the Canadian up. Schulte tries to snag a knee, but he stays with short clinch strikes until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Aubin-Mercier
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Schulte
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte

Round 3

There is a final glove touch to start of the last round, and the two begin right where they left off. Schulte lets his hands go with a few powerful hooks, and Aubin-Mercier pursues a takedown only to get rebuffed. Aubin-Mercier scores a few more punches, and he ducks down for a double that he successfully hits. The Brazilian, as soon as part of his body hits the ground, rolls backwards and threatens with a scramble that ends up in what could be a submission setup for a leglock. Aubin-Mercier moves through it and both men stand up, and the two men decide to start slugging it out. Aubin-Mercier effectively works the body, and Schulte plods forward throwing fastballs at him. Aubin-Mercier is not quite as elusive as before, as some of the big shots from Schulte are finding their target or getting closer. Aubin-Mercier kicks low, lands high, and Schulte pursues several low leg kicks right to the calf. Aubin-Mercier’s calf is red from the absorbed blows, but he is not affected on his feet. Schulte surges forward with a barrage of blows, and Aubin-Mercier eats them like a plate of poutine before ducking back to get out of striking range. Schulte, like a Terminator, will not slow down, and he is getting the better of Aubin-Mercier as he marches after him and swings hammers. Aubin-Mercier appears to be slowing, and he scores a right and shoots in low for a takedown. The Brazilian stops it in his tracks and bullies Aubin-Mercier up to the wall, where he connects with several knees to the torso. The grind has firmly been embraced by “Russo,” who is content to keep Aubin-Mercier stuck here as he drills him in the chest with knees and goes up top with punches. The fight ends in this position, and it might all hinge in the second frame as to who gets their hand raised. Regardless of the result, the victor takes home three points for a grueling decision win.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Aubin-Mercier)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Schulte (29-28 Schulte)

The Official Result

Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Natan Schulte via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Antonio Carlos Jr. (205.5) vs. Delan Monte (205)

Round 1

The last light heavyweight contest of the evening will feature the 2021 champ Carlos Jr. (13-5, 2 NC; 3-1, 1 NC PFL) against a countryman in Monte (8-1, 0-0 PFL) that will be joining the ranks of the organization as an overwhelming betting underdog. By far, “Cara de Sapato” will be the biggest favorite of the night by a comical margin, and whether he gets it done or not, referee Kerry Hatley will be the first to know. The men from the same neck of the woods clap hands before coming out swinging, and they trade jabs to start things off as Carlos Jr. takes a funny step back after landing. An overhand right for Monte knocks Carlos Jr. off-balance, and “Cara de Sapato” bounces off the wall and lets go with a big right hand of his own that cracks Monte right on the chin. From there, he pursues a double that plants Monte on his back in a hurry. As Monte sits up in an effort to stand, Carlos Jr. snatches up a brabo choke that gets tight as soon as Carlos Jr. slides to his back. Monte is firmly entrenched in the danger zone with the arms wrapped around his neck, and it does not take more than a couple seconds in this dire position for Monte to tap out. In less than 30 seconds, Carlos Jr. has claimed the top spot on the light heavyweight leaderboard with six points, and as his finish occurred quicker than Akhmedov’s tonight, he has the tiebreaker in his favor. The rest of the 205-pound division better watch out for the man known as “Cara de Sapato” – or “Shoeface” in English – as he clearly has designs to be a repeat champ and claim another $1 million prize.

The Official Result

Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Delan Monte R1 0:29 via Submission (Brabo Choke)

Raush Manfio (156) vs. Don Madge (155.75)

Round 1

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2021 season was Manfio (15-3, 4-0 PFL), who rocketed through the season with four decision victories to claim the tournament title at 155 pounds. Even though Manfio has not lost in the PFL cage yet, “Magic Man” Madge (10-3-1, 1-0 PFL) firmly believes that he can dethrone his Brazilian adversary after punching his ticket to this season on the prelims of the 2021 championship show. The third man in the cage for this seemingly high-stakes lightweight tilt – even though every fight has the same stakes based on the PFL point system – is referee Jacob Montalvo. There is still a glove touch, even if there is a slight perception of disrespect between them. The lightweights are tense early on, and Madge holds firm in the center of the cage by landing a handful of low kicks. On one such kick, Manfio answers with a counter right hand, and Madge answers with a kick to the body instead. Madge goes after another low kick, and Manfio already has a right hook chambered as a response. Madge jabs his way in, and Manfio reacts with a punch in a response. The 2021 champ absorbs another pair of calf kicks to the same spot, and Manfio blocks a head kick that follows but does not let go with offense of his own. Madge leads the dance with a stomp kick to the knee as Manfio comes at him, and Madge is slowly chopping down the lead leg. Manfio does not check a single kick, and his counters have waned as “Magic Man” appears to have cast a spell on him and made Manfio relatively inactive. Madge threatens with high kicks and long punches, and they meet one another at the same time with kicks to the midsection. Manfio catches his opponent coming in with a check left hook, and Madge grits his teeth and kicks the side. They trade kicks again and keep blocking them, with this developing as a tit-for-tat game as one lands, the other replies, and so forth. Madge’s volume is higher than his opponent, as he might throw two or three to a target in succession while Manfio is one-and-done. Manfio darts forward, and as soon as he gets his hands on Madge, Madge pushes him away. The South African keeps a safe range where he lets his kicks go and does not absorb much coming at him. Manfio looses a head kick that grazes the chin, and the two lightweights trade hands until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Madge
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Madge
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Madge

Round 2

Gloves get touched to start off the second round, and Madge feels comfortable enough to start right where he left off with kicks to the head, body and legs. Manfio lets go with a few punches, finally appearing flustered with taking potshots from a distance, and Madge catches him on the way out to prove a point. Madge skirts out of the way as Manfio advances, and he keeps his methodically effective pace with a steady diet of kicks wherever he wishes. They trade kicks, and Manfio cracks him with a left hook. Madge acknowledges the blow and waves his foe on, but Manfio does not engage him and just walks forward. The 2021 champ trades kicks as he advances, and Madge swats away a punch so that he can sit down on a body kick. As Madge kicks low, Manfio snatches up the leg and considers a takedown. The South African sets his leg down and backs out of the way, where he resets and plants a solid one-two on the chin. With a resounding thud, Madge chambers and releases a body kick on the side, and Manfio wears it well. Manfio wings a looping right hand that gets past the guard, but he does not follow it and instead lets Madge recover. Sweeping the leg, Manfio tosses out a kick that makes Madge stagger away, and he stands back to admire his work instead of doing anything about it. Several solid leg kicks come from the Brazilian, and he blocks the head kicks his direction with his shoulder. Madge jabs out and gets jabbed back, and he retains a kickboxing range with a small series of teep kicks to the body. Manfio wings a right hand that makes Madge shake his head, and both fighters swing for the fences and come up short right before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Madge
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Madge
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Madge

Round 3

The last round opens with a glove touch, and Madge goes right back to his rhythm of kicking at his preferred range with slapping shots to the knee and body. The kicks allow “Magic Man” to lull his opponent into a sense of security, where he pops Manfio with effective strikes and is out of the way when Manfio occasionally decides to throw back at him. Manfio scores a front kick up the middle, and he backs off as Madge looses a high kick that collides with his guard. Both men briefly engage in a slugfest, and when Manfio connects successfully, he gets countered with a right that reddens his nose. Manfio cuts his escaping foe off, and he winds up with a power punch out of nowhere that blasts Madge right in the face. “Magic Man” looks shocked that someone else worked their magic on him, as he falls back to the ground in serious danger with his eyes wide open. Sensing this is his moment, Manfio jumps on top to deliver three jackhammering right hands that seal the deal for him, and Montalvo steps in to save Madge from further destruction. The returning champ, possibly down on the scorecards, successfully blows away a worthy challenger with a clean right hand and a few follow-up punches, all while notching four points as he commences his journey towards another belt.

The Official Result

Raush Manfio def. Don Madge R3 2:42 via TKO (Punches)

Clay Collard (155) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)

Round 1

A sure-fire brawl at lightweight treats fans in the first headliner of the 2022 PFL season, even though ex-champs fought earlier on the lineup. Former boxer Collard (20-0, 1 NC; 2-1 PFL) will battle it out with heavy-handed striker Stephens (28-19, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL), where the latter will hope to earn his first victory since 2018 and end a six-fight stretch without getting his hand raised. A furious fight is almost sure to play out in front of referee Kerry Hatley, who has his running shoes laced up as he is prepared for whatever happens next. These men are intense, and there is no glove touch. Collard walks forward, lands a leg kick, and throws another much to the delight of Stephens. Stephens counters over the top, and he lets loose with a low kick that he turns his hips into. A huge right hook from “Lil Heathen” slams into Collard’s jaw, and Collard is reeling and forced to tie his man up. Stephens breaks the grip and separates to back off and aim more strikes, and it is his high kick that splits the guard. Collard calms down and starts jabbing, but Stephens winds up with a bomb of a right hand and rocks Collard. “Cassius Clay” eats it like a steak and throws haymakers right back at him. These two begin brawling, just like some had hoped they would, and both land huge shots and are forced to adjust. Collard resets to come out swinging with several low kicks, and Stephens throws one back and blocks a punch combination. Collard finds Stephens’ range, and then Stephens replies with a huge shot that just ticks Collard off. Stephens throws everything he has into his power punches, and Collard just walks through it and lobs ferocious strikes right back at him. Collard goes to the body, and Stephens leans forward only to clack heads with his opponent. Hatley calls a pause so that Stephens can recover, and he does just that. When recharged after getting a minute to clear his thoughts, Stephens unloads with a flurry of violence punches. Collard gets clipped again and again but keeps on coming, and when Collard comes forward, he does something that makes Stephens protest and turn away. Hatley pauses the fight for only a second until Stephens turns around, and then resumes without a foul being called. Collard begins to work the body again, making Stephens double over with his shots. Stephens violently swings back, but he is losing some pop on his punches as Collard lays into him. Collard lands a leg hook, Stephens does the same, and Stephens is still throwing with bad intentions. This round is terrific and destructive, and they tie up to take a brief breather. Collard lifts up a knee and scores a few punches, and this five-minute stanza ends at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stephens
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Stephens

Round 2

The second round begins with several effective jabs from Collard, and Stephens swings for the fences and lands at the end of a right hand. Collard does some solid work to the body, and Stephens brings up a knee that glances off the cup and Collard cries foul now. Hatley allows him to recover, as boos rain down in the building, and Collard shouts at the fans to shut up because it was an illegal blow. When they start back up, Stephens winds up and connects on several unanswered haymakers that rock Collard from one side of the cage to the other. Taking a breath, Collard attacks with a barrage of body shots that bend Stephens over. Just as he seems to be slowing, “Lil Heathen” comes out to assault his adversary with a long series of punches that hurt Collard for the umpteenth time. The chin of Collard can never be questioned, as Stephens has landed about as cleanly as he possibly could, and Collard keeps on coming. Collard targets the midsection to slow the fury of his opponent, and he knees Stephens on the midsection on the way out to slow him a little. Stephens appears to be fading fast while Collard is right there, and he bends Stephens over twice to boot him in the head. Stephens throws hands, and Stephens aims an uppercut to intercept a takedown that comes at him. Collard walks through it mindlessly, scoops Stephens up, and drops him down to the ground. Stephens works his way back up to his feet by wall-walking, and when in the clinch, chants of “USA” rain down for the two American brawlers. They separate, and they both start to slug it out again, but Stephens is sucking wind. Collard senses his moment, and he lumps up the body and goes over the top to make Stephens stagger back. Stephens reacts from every heavy blow, but he is willing to club Collard upside the head to force another takedown try from “Cassius Clay.” Collard rips an uppercut up the middle when Stephens turns him to the wall, and Stephens turns the corner to grab Collard from behind with his hands clasped around his waist. Collard sweeps the leg out, dumping Stephens to the mat and walking away proudly like an action hero or a Thai fighter. Stephens climbs back to his feet and wings a few punches, and they clash together and clinch to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Collard
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Collard

Round 3

We have somehow reached the third round, and the lightweights are ready to throw down to punctuate this violent battle. Stephens marches out methodically, and he swings a slamming body kick that makes Collard grunt. Collard grabs the leg but cannot take Stephens down, and instead bails on it to line up a few punches up high. Collard fails with another takedown try, and Stephens cracks him with a left hook. Stephens walks through a few punches to load up on his own, and he kicks Collard hard in the calf to make Collard trip. Collard responds, when upright and balanced, with a spinning kick to the liver. Stephens takes it flush and comes out firing, only to have to block a telegraphed spinning back fist coming his way. Stephens scores a right and a left, and Collard pins a one-two on his chin. Stephens walks into a knee on the chin, and he bumps his own knee on the cup but there is no pause. Stephens backs Collard up and swings for the bleachers, only for Collard to take them all cleanly and bounce off the wall to respond in mind. Collard pops Stephens a few times with right hands as Stephens advances, and a right hand to the midsection appears to hurt Collard. Stephens lands a few more to the torso, and Collard doubles over but gathers himself to throw hands back. Stephens scores a couple punches and ends a combination with a low kick, and Stephens backs off to kick and gets his leg caught. Collard tosses his man to the floor, and Stephens gets back up gingerly and advances to rip the body. Stephens is doing some damage with his punches to the breadbasket, as the poker face of Collard is shifting to pain when those strikes connect. The forward momentum of Stephens turns into a takedown try, and Collard scrambles wildly but cannot get Stephens off of him. Stephens lets him up so that he can smack him upside the head a few times, and when Stephens connects with a low kick, “Cassius Clay” starts dancing and does the Ali shuffle. Stephens does not bite, instead calmly approaching him and letting loose with strikes. Stephens ends strong, throwing everything he has left when backing Collard up to the wall including a spinning back elbow – an illegal strike under the PFL rules – and then landing few more punches until this insane fight ends. What a terrific way to end the first PFL regular season show, with two brawlers that did exactly what they do best for 15 ridiculous minutes. The winner will earn three points towards the playoffs, but more importantly, both men won the fans’ hearts and minds after that terrific slugfest. With that, the first card of the 2022 PFL tournament is in the books, and if fans get lucky, next week’s event with featherweights and heavyweights will live up to this one. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Stephens (29-28 Stephens)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Stephens (29-28 Collard)
Mike Fridley scores the round: 10-9 Stephens (29-28 Stephens)

The Official Result

Clay Collard def. Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)