PFL 2025 World Tournament 3 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Antonio Caruso (155.6) vs. Robert Watley (154.6)

Round 1

The fight was canceled on Friday afternoon due to an illness suffered by Watley. News of its cancelation broke from the promotion shortly after the event started.

Aaron Jeffery (185.4) vs. Murad Ramazanov (185.2)

Round 1

Every match tonight will have tournament implications as this is a single-elimination grand prix where you win and move on. Four semifinalists for lightweight will be established, but before then, middleweights are up to bat. PFL newcomer Jeffery (15-5, 0-0 PFL) will try to ply his trade with the company, while Ramazanov (12-2, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) is hoping the 15 extra pounds on his frame will give him the advantage he seeks. Before they throw down, they touch gloves. Referee Blake Grice is ready for what happens next. Jeffery probes his way forward with jabs and leg kicks, and Ramazanov sits down and jabs him back harder. The Russian shoots, and Jeffery turns him around against the fencing and pursues his own single-leg takedown. Ramazanov leans against the cage, smacking the Canadian on the side of the head, and he thwarts a snapping attempt from his opponent. The action stalls out as they are tied up, with neither man able to ground the other. Ramazanov spins his man around, thumps him in the chest with a knee and trips his leg out to put Jeffery on his seat. Ramazanov climbs on top of him into half guard, and Jeffery hand-fights to keep himself safe. Ramazanov adjusts when Jeffery pushes off the floor to stand up, and Jeffery sneaks in an elbow and changes levels. Ramazanov shuts down the single again, and Jeffery settles for a sharp elbow up close and personal. Ramazanov gets in a pair of knees, and they proceed to trade them when the takedowns fail. Ramazanov keeps his balance leaned up against the fencing, and when he breaks, Jeffery charges at him swinging. The momentum of the Canadian results in another clinch, and he strings together a few punches and an elbow while eating a few strikes at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery

Round 2

With Jeffery coming out of his corner hot, Ramazanov takes several steps back and pumps out his jab. He works the jab until Jeffery bears down on him, with the Canadian hunting for a single that is not there. Ramazanov turns the corner to apply leverage for a body lock attempt, and Jeffery stifles it and slips an elbow over the top. Ramazanov forces a break, and he uses his jab as a range-finder. Jeffery plants his shin on the lead leg, and he pushes forward back into the clinch. Jeffery imposes his full body weight on his foe, leaning without changing levels and instead occasionally thumping Ramazanov up with short elbows or knees. Ramazanov gives him one elbow back to think about, and they get off knees on the inside until Ramazanov is sick of it. The Russian drags Jeffery to the floor for a second, and he jumps on Jeffery’s back but cannot cling to him. Jeffery peels him off by putting his back to the fence, and then spins around to jam Ramazanov up. Jeffery scores a heavier-than-usual knee and looks for a Thai plum to deliver more clinch strikes. He lands a few uppercuts and knees, and Ramazanov responds all with knees. The clinch leads them across the cage, and Jeffery leans lower and knees the Russian in the top of the head once or twice. Ramazanov fights out of the clinch after absorbing an elbow, sneaking out a right hand and sitting down on his punches when Jeffery walks towards him. Jeffery sells out for a body lock takedown as he closes in to wrench his adversary down, and Ramazanov’s defense holds up well as he leans against the wire. A few more short strikes end the round for Jeffery, but not before Ramazanov cuts open the bridge of his nose.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Jeffery

Round 3

The fighters meet in the center of the cage, with Jeffery a bit less hot than before. He punches his way into the clinch, and the grind resumes. Jeffery muscles his man towards the wall, getting lifted up a few times with stern knees that he no-sells. Jeffery lines up a solid knee, and Ramazanov sells out for a takedown. The first effort fails, so he looks for a body lock with a trip to get him down. Jeffery nullifies the try, and Ramazanov breaks out of the tie-up. Ramazanov prods out a couple jabs on the beak, and he ducks a looping right hand to hit a picture-perfect double-leg takedown. Jeffery butt-scoots all the way across the cage to wall-walk his way upright without taking so much as a punch. He gains some space, and he sees the big punches coming and initiates another clinch to take the heavier hands of Ramazanov out of the equation. Ramazanov drops to his knees and pushes Jeffery to the wall so he can scoop him up and deposit him to the mat. The Canadian posts off his arm to stand up in seconds, and Ramazanov’s mat return immediately follows. Jeffery smacks him in the side of the head with elbows, and gets in one knee before Ramazanov drops down to his own knee. Ramazanov still goes for the double, and through sheer horsepower he wrangles Jeffery down. Jeffery stands before he sustains any damage, and he sets up a power guillotine choke to stave off a takedown try. Jeffery drags his foe to the floor and dings him with a knee on the way, but Ramazanov will not be grounded and tries to put Jeffery down again. Ramazanov firmly embraces the grind, keeping tightly pressed against his opponent until the fight concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Ramazanov (29-28 Jeffery)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Ramazanov (29-28 Jeffery)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Ramazanov (29-28 Jeffery)

The Official Result

Aaron Jeffery def. Murad Ramazanov via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

Vinicius Sacchelli Cenci (155.8) vs. Brent Primus (155.6)

Round 1

The lightweight bracket commences differently than expected, as Alexandr Shabliy was planning on competing in this slot only to fall off the lineup. In his stead is aggressive Brazilian Cenci (10-2, 0-0 PFL), who wants to shock the world and put away a former Bellator champion. That ex-champ is Primus (15-4, 1 NC; 3-1 PFL), who will be aiming to place the brutal loss to Gadzhi Rabadanov last year behind him. The third man in the cage will be referee Bryan Miner, who clocks the fighters in as they choose not to bump fists. Cenci stands in the center of the cage and fights behind his longer jab. Primus hops on the outside until darting in with a right hand, and the sheer impact knocks the Brazilian back. Cenci charges at him, leaping in the air with a flying knee, and Primus catches him and repositions him against the wall. When he pursues a takedown, Primus forces Cenci to turn, and this allows him to climb on the back and cinch up a body triangle. Primus holds on like a malicious backpack, imposing his weight rather than landing any strikes of note. Miner asks for more than just clinging, and Primus complains that his gloves are being grabbed. Primus starts striking, elbowing the ribs when Cenci looks to break out of the body lock on his waist. Primus hacks at the side of the Brazilian’s dome, and Cenci can do little but keep his hands up and try to predict which side Primus will attack. Just before the round ends, Primus releases his leg grip.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Primus
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Primus
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Primus

Round 2

Cenci strikes first to open up the second stanza, rifling off a body kick in his preferred range. He brings up a front kick to the chest, and he ducks out of the way of a looping Primus punch. The two clash together, and Cenci sees an opening for a guillotine choke and grabs it while pulling guard. The former Bellator champ sees it coming a mile away and slides his neck out of danger, all the while advancing to half guard. As Primus opens up with strikes, Cenci explodes to reverse him and flip over to his knees. Primus hangs on using a grip on Cenci’s shoulder to flirt with a crucifix, but Cenci breaks out of it and the two return to their feet. Primus punches his way back in, and Cenci steels himself and fires back a left hand. Cenci launches in the air with a knee, and Primus shrugs it off and pursues a double. Primus sells out while transitioning for a body lock and throw, and he falls to his back. Cenci climbs on top, and he quickly finds that Primus is setting up a Gogoplata on him. Primus wraps his left leg up and around Cenci’s shoulder, in hopes of slithering the shin under the chin in the ultra-rare sub. The grappling-minded Cenci works his way out of it and returns to the closed guard, only for Primus to open it up very quickly to set up the Gogoplata again. The left leg of the former Bellator champ wraps behind Cenci’s head, and Cenci bucks out of it to end the round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Primus
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Primus
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Cenci

Round 3

It could be all up for grabs in this round, as the last frame was quite close. Primus engages quickly, putting out a body kick and a sharp jab to disrupt Cenci’s movement. Both fighters suddenly start throwing hands, and Cenci ends it with a failed jumping knee. Primus ducks a subsequent overhand left to grab hold of a double, elevating the Brazilian and slamming him to the floor. Upon the impact of the takedown, chants for “USA” rain down in favor of Primus. Cenci shifts back and forth between open and closed guard, and Primus opens it back up with a firm elbow. Cenci scoots his way to the fence, but before he can wall-walk, Primus climbs into a tighter position. Cenci bucks him off using butterfly hooks, and Primus backs off and finds his way back down with a looping standing-to-ground right hand. Primus slices into full mount, and he is quick to isolate the arm-triangle choke. As Cenci scrambles, he gives up his back, and Primus gladly takes it and fishes for a rear-naked choke instead. Cenci rolls all the way about, but Primus is on him like a cheap suit with his right leg fasted around the underdog’s midsection. Primus snakes his forearm under the chin and secures the rear-naked choke, surprising the submission artist with the solid maneuver. Cenci thinks about toughing it out, with mere seconds left on the clock, but it is too tight and he finds himself drifting in and out of consciousness. Before he fully communes with his ancestors, the Brazilian surrenders. While the majority of Cenci’s wins are by tapout, all of his losses remain exclusively from this type of choke. Primus punches his ticket to the semis and sticks it to recappers and play-by-play writers everywhere with the ultra-late stoppage.

The Official Result

Brent Primus def. Vinicius Sacchelli Cenci R3 4:52 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Mike Shipman (186) vs. Joshua Silveira (185.6)

Round 1

This next 185-pound quarterfinal should shape up to be quite the violent one, with combatants sporting finish rates hovering around 90% each. Shipman (17-4, 0-0 PFL) made his bones in the Bellator circuit, once sporting a 13-fight win streak, but things have changed since that run. Ex-light heavyweight Silveira (13-4, 6-4 PFL) had a similarly impressive stretch to start his career, winning his first nine before running into the buzzsaw that was Omari Akhmedov. He has struggled lately, dropping his last two, although two of his last three losses came to champ Impa Kasanganay. Referee Marcos Perez draws the charge and plans on keeping things on the up-and-up, which starts well at the competitors respectfully touch ‘em up. Shipman comes out of his corner guns blazing, winging a huge right hand that Silveira springs out of the way and avoids. When Silveira lashes out with a kick, Shipman clips him with an overhand right and pushes the heavy favorite up against the wall. Silveira fights out of the tie-up and pitches out a low kick that is out of range. Shipman’s lunges miss the mark, with Silveira shoulder-rolling well enough to not get hit. Shipman runs at him and decides to push Silveira to the wall, and Silveira frames off his face and jams him with a mean elbow. Shipman leans over and briefly is in submission danger, but he shakes out of it without concern. Shipman gets in one knee before he is spun around, with Silveira smacking him in the face with his shoulder. Shipman bends Silveira over and knees him on the nose, and Silveira looks at him like he is personally offended from the blow. Shipman lumbers forward swinging his fists, and Silveira largely avoids the greatest of the danger and knees Shipman in the guts several times. After those knees, Silveira dings Shipman in the side of the head with an elbow. When Shipman goes for a takedown, Silveira attacks the guillotine, and quickly transitions it to a ninja choke. Shipman survives the move but hits the mat, and as they furiously scramble, Silveira locks down a guillotine choke. Shipman pulls the choking arm with all his might, and he signals to Perez that he is still with it. At the exact sound of the bell, Perez is in there to break up the action.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Silveira
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Silveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Silveira

Round 2

The second round starts off with the two in the center of the cage, and Shipman leas off with a leg kick. He surges forward with a right hand that zips around the guard, and goes back to kicking the lead leg. Silveira’s counters are out of range, and he keeps his guard up to block a spinning back fist. Shipman’s low kick makes Silveira take a funny step back, and he wraps a right up and around the raised hand. Shipman splits the guard with an uppercut and chains a low kick behind it, and his overhand right finds the mark. A double jab from Shipman keeps Silveira guessing, and although he loops a left hand up high, Silveira rings his bell with a quicker left hook. Shipman wings punches to close the distance, pushing Silveira back to the wire. Shipman explodes with punch combinations, and he pushes Silveira against the fence again. The Brit elbows his man on the break, and he absorbs a knee on the chin without blinking. Shipman tries to take the fight down, and Silveira threatens with a guillotine to stop it from materializing. The right hands from Shipman open a cut on the corner of Silveira’s left eye, and he stays tightly pressed against the favored man and tries to hit a body lock trip. Silveira is wise to it, and at the very last second, he turns to put Shipman on his back. Shipman hangs on with a two-on-one wrist lock in hopes of reversing his fortunes, and Silveira wriggles his limb out of that and tries to advance position. Shipman uses the moment to explode back to his feet, and Silveira immediately shoots in on his hips. Silveira gets Shipman to a knee when the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shipman
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Shipman
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Shipman

Round 3

The middleweights touch ‘em up to open the last round. Shipman strikes first with a leg kick, and he ducks out of the way when Silveira tries to strike back. Shipman wings a left hook but is not able to land it, and Silveira rips an elbow over the top in response. Shipman tries a jumping switch kick, and Silveira evades it and fails to take the fight down. Shipman bounces off the fence and puts a few punches and a kick together, and he lands a right hand right before Silveira reaches him. With over three minutes left in the round, Silveira scoops up one of Shipman’s legs and deposits him gingerly to the canvas. Silveira partially stands in hopes of bypassing Shipman’s active open guard, and he lands a few strikes when the openings present themselves. Shipman leans to his side to pursue a kimura that he can use to sweep, only to abandon it when he takes several stiff ones to the face. Silveira flattens the Brit out and finds his way into half guard, briefly hopping into full mount before getting dragged back. Silveira thinks about an arm-triangle choke, and abandons it to rain down elbows. Shipman grimaces and has to suddenly deal with Silveira leaping into mount and battering him with any strike he can find. As the punches, elbows and maybe even a steel chair smack into the durable Shipman, time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Silveira (29-28 Silveira)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Silveira (29-28 Silveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Silveira (29-28 Silveira)

The Official Result

Joshua Silveira def. Mike Shipman via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Clay Collard (155.4) vs. Alfie Davis (155.6)

Round 1

If the PFL wanted two lightweights to stand in the pocket and duke it out, they could do worse than putting Collard (25-14, 1 NC; 7-6 PFL) against Davis (17-5-1, 0-1 PFL). While Collard prefers to punch foes in the face, Davis has legs and he knows how to use them. This potentially fun striking affair will have referee Blake Grice taking care of the particulars. Nothing left to do but hear the fans chanting “USA,” the fighters touch gloves and get down to business. Collard flashes his jab and darts forward behind it, out of reach and directly into a head kick. Collard drills Davis with a left hand up top in response, and he jams Davis against the fence. Davis spins him around after a few foot stomps, and he takes a knee to the breadbasket for his efforts. The two continue to jockey for position while clinched up, and Collard frames off the face with his elbow until he gets space. Davis retreats and launches a huge right hand, and he spins with a back kick that bangs into the boxer’s side. Collard presses in ready to throw hands, ripping two thudding punches to the midsection to make Davis back off. “Cassius Clay” rushes after him, and Davis times a miraculous spinning elbow that clips Collard right on the temple and sends him careening to the canvas. Davis leans over to start pounding with hammerfists, and as Collard tries to stand up, he realizes his legs are not beneath him yet. Davis continues clobbering Collard, and Collard drops to a knee as Grice sees that enough is enough. Grice leaps in not just to save Collard from more damage, but he actually catches Collard going down and prevents the boxer from banging his head on the floor. Collard, still with his senses, complains to Grice. He tries to prove he should be able to continue by mostly hitting a cartwheel, and Grice shrugs at him because there is nothing more he can do. The fight cannot be resumed after it is waved off like that, and Davis is moving on to the semifinals while Collard’s season goes up in smoke.

The Official Result

Alfie Davis def. Clay Collard R1 2:12 via TKO (Spinning Back Elbow and Punches)

Jay-Jay Wilson (156) vs. Mads Burnell (155.8)

Round 1

Sticking around the lightweights for one more match, home-grown Bellator talent Wilson (10-1, 0-0 PFL) makes a comeback to the sport after over a year and a half away. He meets fellow ex-Bellator vet Burnell (20-6, 2-1 PFL) in a battle with a valley of experience difference between the two. Referee Bryan Miner draws the charge on this lightweight quarterfinal, and it kicks off with a sporting glove touch. Wilson flicks out a low kick and goes after a takedown. The Danish fighter quickly turns him around to ply his own wrestling game, and this results in a clinch. Burnell lifts Wilson clean off his feet to take him down, and Wilson frames off his right arm or knee to not go down. Burnell trips him by sweeping the leg, and Wilson springs back up and grabs the fence. Miner admonishes him loudly for the foul. Burnell wrangles Wilson to the floor, thwarting a Granby roll and ignoring a few elbows once the fight hits the mat. Wilson closes the guard, and they proceed to trade punches from this position. Wilson explodes to his feet, giving his back up in the process so he can lean on the fence, and he spins with an elbow as if he had seen the previous match. Burnell does not budge, imposing his weight on the Kiwi and looking for a body lock with a trip. Wilson’s defense holds firm, and he breaks put and slugs Burnell in the face with three punches. Wilson is fired up, and he loads up on punches and kicks and backs Burnell to the wall. The body shots are the most effective blows from “The Maori Kid,” who has Burnell against the fence but not in any grave danger. Burnell times a way to get out of it, pushing forward to try a takedown and settling for an elbow on the jaw. Wilson jumps for a knee while in the clinch, letting it bang into Burnell’s chest, and he lands and trips Burnell out to land on top. Wilson climbs over to a three-quarter mount, hacking down with elbows to end the close round.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wilson
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Wilson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Wilson

Round 2

After the glove touch, Wilson is the immediate aggressor, chaining several body kicks into one up high. He uses the kicks to set up a takedown, which he completes and dumps the Dane to his back. Wilson steps over to side control without much resistance, and he fights off a sweep effort to pin Burnell in half guard. “The Maori Kid” controls using his shoulder, letting the pace wane so he does not find himself getting swept. Wilson sneaks his arms beneath Burnell’s armpits to briefly threaten with a brabo choke, and he follows a nearly escaped Burnell and bowls him over again. Wilson slashes down with elbows, putting the Danish fighter flat on his back again. Wilson postures up momentarily to strike, and he fastens the sudden brabo choke again to catch Burnell unaware. Burnell was quite aware of it, leaning to his side and out of submission danger. Wilson’s elbows get Burnell’s attention, as he puts more mustard behind them and makes Miner take a closer eye. Wilson elbows and punches with high amplitude, and he squeezes his shoulder down as Burnell sticks his tongue out. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Wilson
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Wilson
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Wilson

Round 3

A double clap of hands and a partial embrace leads to the last round, where Wilson pursues and secures a takedown in 10 seconds. Burnell thinks about defending with some kind of submission, but Wilson’s double is immaculate and prevents him from getting snared. Wilson firmly embraces the grind from top position, amassing plenty of control time while not letting Burnell sweep or reverse him. Burnell’s defense is enough to rebuff Wilson from stepping into mount, and Wilson smacks him upside the head when looking for anywhere to go. Wilson nails his opponent with an elbow while Burnell grabs the fence, and the crowd celebrates that he is punished for the foul with that strike. Wilson sits up and jackhammers Burnell with hammerfists, and Burnell kicks out and explodes enough to not have the fight stopped. Wilson, seated in half guard, batters Burnell with both fists, and as he keeps striking, Miner draws closer and closer. Wilson sees that Miner is ready to call this one on account of rain, pouring it on with one final salvo until Miner steps in. Experience mattered not to “The Maori Kid,” who picked it up enough towards the end of the match to secure the late stoppage. Just like that, Wilson is a semifinalist while Burnell has to hope that 2026 is a better year for him.

The Official Result

Jay-Jay Wilson def. Mads Burnell R3 4:42 via TKO (Elbows and Punches)

Dalton Rosta (185.6) vs. Sadibou Sy (185.8)

Round 1

Having fought with Bellator in all 10 of his previous pro outings, Rosta (9-1, 0-0 PFL) goes to the remaining part of the company to test out a PFL tournament. He draws one of the most seasoned competitors the organization has to work with in Sy (17-8-2, 1 NC; 11-6-2, 1 NC PFL), who has fought from 170 to 205 pounds in hopes of claiming gold. This one will be in the middle at 185 pounds, with referee Marcos Perez in charge for the next 15 minutes or less. Gloves are not touched, and Rosta opens up with a leg kick. He aims the same kick to Sy’s long legs a couple more times. Sy kicks him in the calf, and Rosta bites on his feints and fakes. Sy paws out a jab as he shifts laterally, circling away from the power right hand and lifting up a knee to meet Rosta on the jaw. Rosta slings a head kick that just misses, and he loads up with a big right hand that allows him to go for a takedown. Rosta embodies his inner “Hercules” nickname by lifting up the Swede, but Sy’s balance stays intact as he leans into the fence. Rosta chips at his foe’s thigh with several knees from up close, and he stomps Sy’s toes to send a message. Rosta lets go with his knees, and it is unclear if he damaged his opponent with them or he struck Sy in the cup. Sy immediately grimaces and backs off, and Rosta gives chase and throws hands. Sy tosses out two body kicks, apparently recovered from the potential uncalled fouls, and Rosta punches his way into a takedown attempt that he gets. Rosta unloads with a few hammerfists before the round wraps.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Rosta
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Rosta
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Rosta

Round 2

Sy reintroduces himself in the second round with some pecking leg kicks and one up the middle. The two trade low kicks one after the other, and Sy steps in to plant a jab on the face. Rosta swings and misses to get in close, and Sy pushes him off with his kicks. Rosta doubles up on a jab to rail Sy with an overhand right, sending “The Swedish Denzel” down to the ground. Rosta leaps at him and starts pounding on Sy with strikes, landing in side control while grinding elbows on Sy’s face. Rosta’s elbows draw blood, and he stops throwing them to latch on to Sy’s right arm for a keylock. Rosta cranks it fairly hard, but Sy frees himself from the submission. Rosta remains closely pressed to his opponent, elbowing Sy until he slithers his right arm beneath the head to pursue a north-south choke. When Sy twists, Rosta transitions to a brabo choke. The submission is immediately tight, and Sy does not know where to go. It is just a matter of time for “Hercules,” who knows his work is about to be done today. Just before going out on his shield, and Sy taps using the tips of his fingers. Perez intervenes, and Rosta leaps to the top of the cage to double-fist energy drinks and chug them like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

The Official Result

Dalton Rosta def. Sadibou Sy R2 3:29 via Submission (Brabo Choke)

Gadzhi Rabadanov (156) vs. Marc Diakiese (155.2)

Round 1

The final semifinalist at lightweight will be figured out with this co-main attraction. Rabadanov (24-4-1, 5-0 PFL) may be undefeated in the Bellator and PFL cages, but nothing can be taken for granted as anything can happen in combat sports. He welcomes Diakiese (18-7, 0-0 PFL) to the promotion, who departed the ranks of the UFC in 2023 after spending seven years there. The classic matchup of Russia vs. the Democratic Republic of the Congo will have referee Blake Grice managing the in-cage affairs. The 155ers do not open with a glove touch, as Diakiese would rather get right to kicking up a storm. Two normal kicks lead to a jumping wheel kick from “Bonecrusher,” who misses the mark on the third. The Russian offers a single leg kick that partially turns Diakiese’s hips, and Diakiese deftly changes stances and looses a body kick that slams into the ribcage. While Diakiese’s leg is in the air, Rabadanov wings a left hand and a right, with his advancing frame knocking Diakiese to his back rather than the impact of a blow. Rabadanov postures up and unloads a brutal bombardment of a half dozen swarming punches, knocking Diakiese clean out and all the way back in again. Grice leaps in, recognizing that Diakiese’s goose is cooked, and there is no protest from the Brit. Concerned about his foe’s condition after the nasty knockout, Rabadanov hushes the crowd, telling them to cool it until he comes to. The 2024 champ went from zero to 60 in a hurry, becoming the first fighter to ever separate “Bonecrusher” from his senses with strikes. Wow. It takes some time for Diakiese to return to his stool, but he comes to well enough so that the medical professionals allow him to stand during the final announcement. What a knockout.

The Official Result

Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Marc Diakiese R1 0:32 via KO (Punches)

Impa Kasanganay (185.6) vs. Fabian Edwards (185.6)

Round 1

Glad to be back in a weight class that suits him, Kasanganay (18-5, 8-2 PFL) is happy to be competing at 185 pounds. He might be less-than-thrilled about the strange turn of events that saw Edwards (13-4, 0-1 PFL) withdraw, only to be replaced by Jordan Newman, who then was pulled from the match as Edwards had his issues resolved. The cage commander for this main event is referee Bryan Miner, who declares that it’s on with the show. There is no touch of gloves. Kasanganay opens up with ample pressure, leading with a body kick to close the distance. The two reach the fence and clinch, and Edwards is quick to spin his foe around. Kasanganay turns him about, and he shuts down a trip from the Brit. Edwards tries again to turn and chuck “Tshilobo” to the floor, only to learn he does not have the proper leverage. Kasanganay breaks out of the clinch and throws big hands, and his leg kick that follows buckles Edwards’ knee. Kasanganay lets his opponent stand so he can zing a head kick at him, and they crash together throwing bombs. Both men clip one another in their dangerous exchange, and Kasanganay kicks his way into close range to tie them up again. Elbows from Kasanganay break him out the clinch that he initiated, and when Edwards tries to pursue a takedown, Kasanganay stands him up. The two appear to clash heads, as blood trickles from the right eyebrow from Kasanganay. Edwards targets the wound with elbows, and when they break, he jabs at the same spot. Edwards then slides out of the way of a lunging combination, further drawing blood that flows into Kasanganay’s eye. They toss out kicks, and Kasanganay rings Edwards’ bell with an elbow. Edwards scores a left, allows Kasanganay to crash the pocket so he can elbow him, and the round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Edwards
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Edwards

Round 2

Miner calls in the doctor to evaluate the cut on Kasanganay’s brow, which has opened up significantly and is already leaking again. He is cleared to continue, but might be on borrowed time. Edwards leads the dance with two head kicks in rapid succession, and Kasanganay walks him down and boots him in the front leg. Kasanganay swings his way into a flurry, making Edwards slip and gather himself before hitting the floor. Kasanganay strides forward, firing off a big right hand that stumbles Edwards, and is met with a stern elbow that stands him up. Kasanganay shakes it off and leaps forward again, pushing past a front kick to get in on him. Edwards keeps his distance, using his body kick to set up a left hand upstairs. Kasanganay charges in recklessly, eating elbows and getting hurt before he can land anything effective. Edwards stabs out a one-two, and he grabs the back of Kasanganay’s neck and drives up his knee into the face of “Tshilobo.” Kasanganay is stung but still with it, and he circles away to get a bit of distance and recover. The Brit is on him, lashing out with a long left hand that further shakes Kasanganay up. As Edwards chambers more strikes, the damage catches up to Kasanganay, whose legs give way beneath him. Kasanganay drops to his knees with his side against the fence, and Edwards knows the end is night and lets Kasanganay know what time it is with a handful of fierce left hands. Miner races in to rescue Kasanganay from further punishment, and a crestfallen Kasanganay sits with his head in his hands as takes stock of his surroundings. Edwards goes to celebrate with brother Leon Edwards, and then approaches the fallen Kasanganay and embraces him. That’s a wrap on the PFL show tonight, one where the entire main card resulted in finishes and taking four and a half hours to get there. The opening round of the World Tourney will conclude next week, with the biggest of the big men on the docket. We will be here for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result

Fabian Edwards def. Impa Kasanganay R2 2:14 via TKO (Punches)