PFL 2025 World Tournament 5 Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

Jason Danner (135.8) vs. Nathan Gilmore (135)

Round 1

It may be a school night, so put the kids to bed and flip on some PFL action. The welterweights and featherweights will provide most of the entertainment this evening, with a rare Thursday offering and an even rarer start time of 11 PM on the East Coast for the main card. A whole ten fights will go through the gate at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and they begin with a showcase match at 135 pounds. With two first-round knockouts in the last two years, local combatant Danner (2-0, 0-0 PFL) gains a slot on the prelims. He takes on Gilmore (4-5, 0-0 PFL), an Arkansan with a deceptive record as he appears to have turned things around since losing five of his first six pro outings. Referee Eric McMahon is on the particulars for the curtain jerker, who kicks things off as they rush towards one another, no glove touch in sight. The fighters are jittery and intense, and they clash together throwing bombs. They back off to resettle, and Gilmore drills his opponent with a huge right hook. Danner falls forward, leaning against his man and already leaning on his grappling, as he looks to initiate a takedown. Gilmore knees him several times in the gut to practically lift him off the ground, and he uses Danner’s momentum against him and leverages him to the ground with a body lock. Gilmore passes to half guard, and when Danner sits up, he wraps up a guillotine choke. Gilmore grabs the fence to adjust and has his hand swatted away, but he drops down a few more elbows before Danner backs off to reset. It takes seconds for Danner to charge forward like a bull, swinging two punches into a takedown effort. The mat return from the 2-0 fighter is more successful at grounding Gilmore, but not for long. A third effort allows Danner to wrench his man down towards the middle of the cage, where he quickly finds himself in north-south position. As Gilmore tries to turn over, Danner rushes over to assert dominant position but ends up in the closed guard of his foe. Things slow down one Danner initiates his ground offense, as Gilmore holds on tight to his foe’s limbs to prevent much from getting to him. Gilmore squirms and scrambles, but Danner takes advantage of the situation by stepping into full mount. After a few reckless strikes, Danner falls off the side, and Gilmore climbs into top position. Gilmore sits up and wall-walks to get upright, and he grabs the fence two more times to prevent a takedown. Danner is irritated by the fouls and lifts Gilmore in the air to slam him down. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Danner
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Danner
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Danner

Round 2

The fighters again hurry towards one another, and Gilmore fires off a pair of body kicks. McMahon tells Danner that he is the captain now and will be in charge of time-outs, and gives Danner a few seconds to recover from the second that is to his groin. Danner excitedly wants to get going again, and he does. Gilmore steps in with a right hand, and Danner responds in kind. Danner chew up his foe’s lead leg with a couple kicks, and Gilmore’s more out of range. Gilmore punches his way into a single-leg takedown opportunity, clasping his hands around the limb but not able to elevate his foe. Danner, meanwhile, slams his knee into Gilmore’s chest that are legal and super effective, forcing Gilmore to abandon his effort. When Gilmore changes levels again, jamming Danner up against the fencing, Danner immediately replies with more short knees. Gilmore takes note and drives a few into his foe’s midsection, as McMahon asks fore more activity. McMahon has to ask for them to stop the grabbing the fence, and Gilmore lifts his man up and slams him to the floor. Danner slides out the back door and drills him with a knee to the body, holding Gilmore’s arm down so he can beat on him with his free hand. Gilmore turns to put his back on the cage, and Danner thanks him for this by elbowing him in the forehead. Gilmore explodes back to his feet and rifles off a right hand and leaps in the air with a flying knee. His back against the cage prohibits him from putting his full oomph behind it, but it still gets Danner’s attention and makes him bleed a little more. Some crimson fluid trickles out of a few places on Danner’s face, but nothing appears overly concerning. Just then, Gilmore leaps with a knee that crashes square into Danner’s chin, setting him down on his knees desperate for a takedown. Gilmore stops it with an anaconda choke, even rolling to his back to lock it down. No tap comes from it, as Danner issues a thumbs-up, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Gilmore
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Gilmore
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Gilmore

Round 3

The action hardly slows down as the two bantamweights reach the third round, with Gilmore taking advantage of the high pace by pressing Danner to the wall and then zapping him with a spinning back elbow. They break apart, and take a breath before re-engaging. Gilmore shoots in on the hips for a takedown, transitioning something that only falls apart because McMahon is only saying “no fence grabs” while not enforcing the rule that has been violated at least five times thus far. Danner successfully drags Gilmore to the floor, where he quickly relocates to half guard and starts jamming down elbows. Danner postures up and drives down a trio of standing-to-ground punches before squashing himself back down in top position. Danner steps into full mount, and Gilmore brilliantly times the guard pass by flipping him all the way over. Gilmore on top claims half guard, with Danner pushing off the fence with his foot until taking a flush elbow. Danner explodes back to his feet, and Gilmore does as well. Gilmore comes up short with a spinning wheel kick, and this only allows Danner to tackle him back down to the floor. Danner starts opening up with right hands, and he looks to hang on with a kimura grip in order to ride out the fight—one that has been permeated by barking in the building. They go the distance.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Danner (29-28 Danner)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Danner (29-28 Danner)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Danner (29-28 Danner)

The Official Result

Jason Danner def. Nathan Gilmore via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Alexei Pergande (145.4) vs. Mike Bardsley (145.2)

Round 1

Keeping things pushing with another non-tourney matchup on the slate, the PFL trots out a homegrown Nashville native by way of Florida in Pergande (5-0, 5-0 PFL) that may become one to watch. He meets a fellow Southerner, the once-beaten Bardsley (5-1, 0-1 PFL). Both men prefer the submission, so referee Eric McMahon is prepared in the event this one hits the mat sooner than later. Before they get down to business, the featherweights tap gloves together. Pergande is a sniper as soon as he gets to striking, using his superior range to potshot and mark up Bardsley’s face in a hurry. Bardsley bounces back and forth, but it is Pergande who fires and scores. When Bardsley commits to a strike, he is met with a one-two. He tries a few more kicks before eating a right hand and a four-punch salvo that bounces off of him. A body kick bangs into Pergande’s cup, and he takes a few seconds to get his wind back before resuming. Bardsley chases his man around, walking into or through punch combos to get there. Bardsley goes to the body and head a few times when finding his range, but Pergande is ever present tagging him from a distance. Pergande clips his man with a one-two, and gets blasted in the groin with a kick that saves Bardsley. McMahon calls time for a second, but Bardsley is not pleased about committing a foul that pauses the action while Pergande wants to shake it off and do further damage as Bardsley’s legs are not totally back beneath him. Despite this, he marches down Pergande and connects with a punch, blocking a head kick at the bell.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 2

The featherweights get back to where they left off, with Bardsley chasing after Pergande directly and not cutting angles. Pergande times a perfect flying knee that jacks Bardsley’s jaw, and he fails to finish the job with a wheel kick that goes wide. Pergande calms himself down, attacking the ribcage of the Georgia native. Bardsley, swollen with battle damage beneath both eyes, continues to plod forward, even to his detriment. Pergande tees off on him rom afar, not allowing Bardsley to trap him or get hands on him for long. Pergande launches a head kick, and Bardsley catches it and tosses him to the floor. As soon as the unbeaten fighter hits the mat, he throws up a triangle choke, transitioning to an armbar and then an omoplata shoulder lock. Bardsley rolls through them all to fight back to his feet, and he marches down the longer man with impunity. Pergande measures him up with a one-two, and he lets fly an elbow that slashes open the top of Bardsley’s head above his left ear. Pergande slips to the side, dodges a left hook and releases a huge right hand that staggers his opponent again. Bardsley is bloodied and bruised but still walking forward. Bardsley chops down the long legs of his foe every so often, but his head kicks cannot get high enough. Pergande’s, however, smack the short man in the head right before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pergande
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pergande

Round 3

Having fun with one another, the featherweights high-five before getting to business. Bardsley powers forward looking for power strikes. Pergande marks him with a one-two but does not slow him for long, as he has to continue moving so that he does not stay still in one place for long. Pergande unloads with two three-hook salvos to bang Bardsley’s head around, and he is knocking around a bloody mess at this point. Pergande peppers him with jabs and kicks from both sides, not allowing Bardsley to set up in his big right hand. Pergande’s head movement allows him to hang out in the pocket and pop his foe. Bardsley walks him down, hands down, chin up, and Pergande obliges him with that approach by nailing him with a flying knee. At this point, it would take a steel chair to put Bardsley down, who is doggedly pursuing his target no matter how much plasma he donates tonight. Bardsley sits down on hooks he only occasionally lands, and his rear leg is not long enough to smack Pergande in the face. Bardsley swings mightily, following “Russian DNA” around the cage while eating peppering strikes, and one of his best is a high body kick that makes Pergande adjust his guard. Pergande fades back with a right hand, and he lets Bardsley swing past him. They both go for high kicks, and hug it out when time expires.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Pergande (30-27 Pergande)

The Official Result

Alexei Pergande def. Mike Bardsley via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mukhamed Berkhamov (170.6) vs. Kendly St. Louis (170.2)

Round 1

After a stunning knockout loss, Berkhamov (16-2, 1 NC; 1-1 PFL) finds himself on the outside of the welterweight bracket looking in. As a result, “Cherkes” is not even in an alternate spot, as he faces “The Highlander” St. Louis (10-4, 2-0 PFL) in a battle of Kill Cliff FC vs. Deerfield Beach, a copy of the main event. The storied rivalry will add one more notch as referee Blake Grice takes care of the action, keeping things on the up-and-up. Ever the sportsmen, the fighters touch gloves first, and then commence punching and kicking at one another. St. Louis probes and pokes with jabs and low kicks, and he ducks a looping right hook to chip at the lead leg. Berkhamov connects with a heavy head kick to knock St. Louis back, and he pursues a takedown that does not come together. St. Louis bounces off and returns to striking range, but he does not commit to much so he does not expose himself to getting grounded. Berkhamov drives a knee into his chin when St. Louis ducks, and both men try and fail to reach one another with short combos. St. Louis narrowly evades a ground-to-ceiling uppercut, and he lets Berkhamov fall over when an unsuccessful knee whizzes past him. St. Louis jumps guard to lock down a guillotine choke, and Berkhamov calmly works his way through it and threatens briefly with a Von Preux. Berkhamov strikes with an elbow, residing in half guard to further nullify “The Highlander.” St. Louis bucks, and Berkhamov times this and mounts him. As soon as Berkhamov postures up, St. Louis explodes, getting Berkhamov off of him momentarily but not getting to his feet. Berkhamov is able to hold him down, smacking him with hammerfists until the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Berkhamov
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Berkhamov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Berkhamov

Round 2

St. Louis sticks out both arms trying to reestablish his range, and he finds it by countering an inside leg kick and snapping the Russian’s head back. St. Louis probes with his hands, putting fire behind a few when he feels he has the target. Berkhamov spins with a clean back elbow that bangs into the Florida native’s face, and he allows St. Louis to charge at him so he can land one of the easiest doubles he has ever tried. Lifting St. Louis up like a small nephew and depositing him the floor, he begins to big brother “The Highlander.” While Berkhamov looks for control, St. Louis escapes and spins around to bully Berkhamov against the fencing. St. Louis takes his time in the clinch, with feeble knees and short punches satisfying Grice’s interest in activity. Berkhamov sells out for a takedown, and St. Louis jumps away from the trip effort and winds up with a right hand that skims his foe’s temple. St. Louis shoots for a double, and when it fails, he jabs the Russian in the gut with the fall of his foot. St. Louis tries for another takedown, this time a single, and the balance of “Cherkes” keeps him afloat. Grice asks for more action as St. Louis stays composed in his takedown effort, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 St. Louis
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 St. Louis
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 St. Louis

Round 3

When St. Louis tries to come out firing, Berkhamov meets him with a lead hook that gives him pause. St. Louis takes a few seconds before lashing out again, and again Berkhamov is able to turn him away with a thumping low kick. Berkhamov watches St. Louis’ punches fly past him, and he catches him with a few short barrages before getting warned for outstretched fingers. The Russian drills his man in the head with a knee, and he allows St. Louis to soar past him so he can pop St. Louis in the side of the head with his right hand. St. Louis goes for an unorthodox takedown, and Berkhamov pulls off a partial handstand to flip over and escape the sub. “Cherkes” recovers and goes for a takedown, and it lands fairly easily because St. Louis jump guard with a guillotine. When there is no choke, St. Louis wills himself to action by just standing up and grabbing Berkhamov’s legs to hurl him to the floor. St. Louis scrambles, taking his foe’s back and setting up a body triangle, softening him up all the while with right hands. St. Louis pauses on strikes so he can wrap up a rear-naked choke, and he abandons it a second to land a few more punches. This time, St. Louis sees the opening and attacks, fastening the rear-naked choke beneath the chin and completing it. Berkhamov knows that he does not have enough to fight off the submission this time and is forced to tap out for the first time in his career. The victorious St. Louis lifts Berkhamov off the ground and celebrates their hard-fought battle, but Berkhamov wants to lean against the cage thinking about what happened.

The Official Result

Kendly St. Louis def. Mukhamed Berkhamov R3 3:21 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Joseph Luciano (170.4) vs. Sarek Shields (170)

Round 1

A pair of welterweights that would like consideration into next year’s tournament will try to impress the brass as the prelims roll on. Luciano (9-3, 0-1 PFL) ran into the freight train that was Logan Storley a few months ago, shutting down his hopes of moving to the semis. Now, he welcomes newcomer Shields (6-2, 0-0 PFL) to the organization, who has some history with headliner Thad Jean. The showcase contest will be officiated by referee Eric McMahon, who stands back as the fighters touch ‘em up. Shields introduces himself with a front kick and a double-leg entry, succeeding in pushing the Aussie against the wall but no further. Luciano throws Shields to his back and assumes top control, and Shields pulls on the wall a few times to adjust his position—illegally, of course. Luciano thwarts the first escape attempt from Shields, who pursues a standing guillotine choke and leans back against the wall. Luciano is unconcerned about the submission, so Shields cranks his hips and back into it to improve his leverage and torque. McMahon asks for more as the two are in a stalemate, and although Luciano slings Shields to the mat, it is Luciano who hits the deck while Shields rebounds well. Shields lifts his foe up in the air and slams him down, smacking him with punches to the back and side of the head. Luciano stands up and quickly lowers himself to a knee to take knees to the dome out of the equation for now. Shields imposes his body weight while not sure what else to strike with, as a few short knees to the thigh are not cutting it. Luciano scrambles, and Shields takes his back and gets both hooks in. Shields fastens the body triangle around the waist, and he quickly asserts the rear-naked choke under the chin. Luciano hand-fights to defend the first try, but he is still in a precarious position with about 20 seconds to go. Luciano rides it out, and the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shields
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Shields
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Shields

Round 2

A high-five is shared, and Shields instantly crashes through with a double to put Luciano down. Not wanting to settle in that position, Shields lifts Luciano up in the air and carries him like a sack of potatoes to his corner while channeling his inner Matt Hughes. Shields puts his foe down, and Luciano is quick to power back to his feet leaning against the fence. Just when Luciano thinks he is able to get free, Shields grabs him and chucks him to the mat. Luciano climbs back up, and Shields jumps on his back and starts fishing for a rear-naked choke. Luciano hand-fights to defend the sub, leaning Shields against the wall to take some of the weight off his hips. Luciano walks Shields over to his own corner, with Shields still wrapped around him. Luciano outlasts Shields in the standing-and-leaning category, and Shields elects to put his feet back on the mat. “Berserker” knees Luciano in the face and is looking for a high-amplitude attack, but it is a short trip that puts Luciano on the floor. Luciano stands and keeps shields from backpacking him again, and he finds himself in a fortuitous position when Shields pursues a single. Luciano twists his man around for a potential crucifix, and he bails on it to go after a double. Shields rolls through it, with Luciano assuming top control with seconds to go. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shields
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Shields
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Shields

Round 3

They share a final fist bump, and Shields does not go after a takedown immediately. Instead, he lets fly two head kick, and then shoots for the double that puts Luciano on the canvas. Shields gets control from behind, climbing on Luciano’s back as Luciano stands up and leans against the fencing. Shields slithers his arm around the chest in hopes of finding a choke, but Luciano is wise to it this time and pulls on Shields’ leg to disrupt the body lock around his waist. Shields keeps the body triangle tight, squeezing Luciano for all he has. The fans grow restless at this malicious backpack approach, as the stalemate between them results in very little action. Shields lets go of the lock and wrenches Luciano to the floor, face-first. Luciano springs up and attacks a single on the other side. Shields defends it with several cracking elbows to the side of the melon, and he wraps up a guillotine he uses to pull guard when getting taken down. Luciano no-sells the choke, and Shields does not have the grip and quickly abandons it. Luciano twists and turns out of a lock that Shields was setting up, and he starts delivering punches to the side of the head until Shields explodes to somehow not only get out but take Luciano’s back. Luciano escapes the back take, and Shields is on his hips immediately like a dog with a bone. Luciano works his way to his feet, and Shields drags him to his knees and then climbs on the back. Shields slips one arm under the chin, but the other is not able to lock it down, saving the Aussie. Both men hit the ground with seconds to spare, and the match concludes with Luciano letting out a loud profanity.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Shields (30-27 Shields)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Shields (30-27 Shields)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Shields (30-27 Shields)

The Official Result

Sarek Shields def. Joseph Luciano via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Magomed Umalatov (170.4) vs. Anthony Ivy (175.4: Missed Weight)

Round 1

A catchweight affair will serve as the first alternate bout, although perhaps just for one fighter. Umalatov (17-1, 8-1 PFL), whose lunch was eaten by Shamil Musaev in the finals of the 2024 tournament, wants to make waves and raise his hand as a possible replacement if need be. While Texas native Ivy (15-7, 2-0 PFL) would like to do the same, he clocked in 4.4 pounds heavy, likely eliminating him from consideration if he gets his hand raised. Whether Ivy moves on or not, referee Jason Herzog will be ready from start to finish. Glad to still be competing, Ivy offers an apologetic glove touch that is received. Ivy leads the dance with a kick low and then one high, the latter blocked in time. Ivy springs to the side, searching for his oblique kick to the knee, but does not put much on any of his strikes. Umalatov responds with a light tripping kick as well, and he comes up short on a one-two. Another high kick from Ivy is stopped, and he shoots for a takedown that run into a Russian wall. Umalatov drives a knee to the chest of his foe, knocking the wind out of him, and Ivy remains on his knees trying to some desperate takedown. Umalatov elbows his foe on the sides of the head, and Ivy rolls over in an attempt to ground his opponent. Umalatov stops this a second time and elbows “Aquaman” in the side of the dome. Ivy stays attached to a single, but Umalatov stands him up when putting his back to the cage. Umalatov goes to the body, and he gets countered up top. Ivy steps in with a knee, and Umalatov counters him perfectly with a short but deadly left hand. Spinning around like a character from “Punch-Out!” video game series, Ivy is stunned but still upright. That is, he is upright until Umalatov puts him down for the count, unleashing another left hook on the temple that sends Ivy crashing to the mat for good this time. Ivy is out when he falls on his face, and the impact of the collision shakes him back to his senses. This is a crucial win for Umalatov, who remains the top welterweight alternate if need be.

The Official Result

Magomed Umalatov def. Anthony Ivy R1 2:28 via KO (Punches)

2025 PFL Featherweight Alternate Bout:
Jeremy Kennedy (146) vs. Adam Borics (145.8)

Round 1

The prelims conclude with another alternate bout, this one at 145 pounds. On a three-fight skid, the Canadian known as “Junior Bacon Cheeseburger,” Kennedy (19-6, 1 NC; 2-3, 1 NC PFL), needs to pick up the win to even his record to .500 with the promotion. Given past successes including his last outing where many believed he won, he will have to contend with Borics (19-3, 1-1 PFL), a high-flying Hungarian with a penchant for knee strikes. The third man in the cage will be referee Eric McMahon, who serves in his final assignment of the evening unless something goes awry. Fists are bumped before they are traded, and Borics is quick to fight behind his jab. Kennedy comes out swinging heavier, but Borics keeps him at bay with his jab. Borics drives a one-two down the pipe and sends the Canadian flying with a subsequent combination, leaping on top to try to finish the job. Kennedy quickly recovers from the knockdown, and he sways and moves on the mat so as to not get tagged with more concussive blows. Kennedy wraps his legs around Borics’ knee, keeping him from getting up but also preventing Borics from advancing. Borics stays in this position and elbows Kennedy repeatedly with his free arm. The elbows from Borics continue to find their home as he stays comfortable in half guard, using the crown of his head to further grind. Borics flattens Kennedy out and threatens with an arm-triangle choke, and Kennedy flips him over while still in submission territory. Borics has the arm-triangle secure off his back, and he locks his legs up to further complete it. Kennedy stacks him up to break it up and starts hacking down with elbows to win back some points. Kennedy’s blows soften up his target but are not full-blast, with Borics able to remain active enough on his back to irritate “JBC.” The horn sounds with Kennedy landing strikes on top.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Borics
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Borics
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Borics

Round 2

The fighters touch gloves to get going, and Kennedy starts off with a takedown attempt in five seconds. Borics puts his back to the wall to defend it, and Kennedy laces his leg around Borics’ to drag it out and ground him. Borics scrambles, and Kennedy welcomes this by trapping the Hungarian’s left hand. Kennedy rolls Borics over and asserts back control, locking down the body triangle with over three minutes to work in this dominant position. Kennedy is warned for grabbing inside of Borics’ glove, and he bops Borics on the side of the noggin several times to soften him up. Kennedy is also warned for elbowing the back of the head, with rules in MMA more like guidelines. Kennedy clings to the back take while punching from any side he can attack from, but it results in lulls and boos from those in the crowd. Borics is even throwing no-look punches when Kennedy is not striking him, signaling that he is not very concerned about where he is. Kennedy sells out for a choke with seconds to spare, and Borics hand-fights to stop it but eats a few solid elbows before the horn blares.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kennedy
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Kennedy
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Kennedy

Round 3

Borics surges out of his corner loaded for bear, lashing out with big hooks almost immediately. Kennedy stands him up with a step-in elbow, only to get stunned with a right hand around his guard. The Canadian has to shake it out, eats a jab and then takes a step back to shell up from several punches in rapid succession. Borics stuffs a takedown, and Kennedy thanks him for this with an uppercut. Two more failed takedowns come from “JBC,” who is trying to shut down Borics but eating shots. Kennedy clips Borics with an elbow and shoots low for a double, and Borics elbows him in the back of the head a few times to stop the first try. Kennedy transitions to a single, and then back to a double, but the efforts all fail against the Kill Cliff FC fighter. Kennedy goes as low as he can to trip Borics up, using all of his energy to take the fight down. Borics can do little but defend, keeping his balance and the cage at his back at all costs. McMahon asks for the fighters to do something, as they are stuck, practically attached at the hip, as Kennedy tries but cannot take the fight down. Kennedy gives Borics no room to breathe, and Borics stands him up, turns him around in the clinch and breaks free with 35 seconds to go. Surging forward, Borics wants to send a message with several one-twos and a body kick. Kennedy misses in his counters, and Borics zings him with a right and a left. One final two-punch salvo connects for the Hungarian right before time is up.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Borics (29-28 Borics)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Borics (29-28 Borics)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Borics (29-28 Borics)

The Official Result

Adam Borics def. Jeremy Kennedy via Majority Decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28)

2025 PFL Featherweight Semifinal:
Movlid Khaybulaev (145.4) vs. Tae Kyun Kim (145.6)

Round 1

Proud holder of the best undefeated record in the sport, Khaybulaev (22-0-1, 1 NC; 8-0-1, 1 NC PFL) had that 0 tested against Kennedy in his last outing. By the skin of his teeth, “Killer” moved on, and he reaches the semifinals against Kim (11-1, 1-0 PFL). Violence is almost certain about to ensue, and before it does, referee Blake Grice starts the clock for the featherweights. The fighters tap gloves. Kim says hello with a few pecking kicks to the body and front leg, keeping his range from the Dagestan native. Kim stays on the outside until Khaybulaev crashes the pocket, elevating the South Korean and depositing him to the canvas with relative ease. Khaybulaev drags him to the open cage away from the wall, and he gets smacked in the face when settling down. Kim flirts with using his legs to tie Khaybulaev up, and while he does fight back to his feet, Khaybulaev slams him down with gravitas. Kim wall-walks to get upright, and Khaybulaev thanks him for doing this by hopping on his back. Khaybulaev decides against burning his legs out and slides off the back, ultimately dragging Kim to a knee for a moment. Mat return after mat return add up for “Killer,” who is not giving Kim a modicum of space or taking any strike of note. With no other targets in place, Kim elbows Khaybulaev on the forearm repeatedly. Khaybulaev slings him to the floor, but Kim is active and springs up, where he proceeds to hack at the Russian’s left arm again. Khaybulaev yanks him to a knee, and Kim is up like he has springs in his shorts. The elbows to the forearm may be having an effect, but Khaybulaev still has his arms around the South Korean. Khaybulaev looks to kick out Kim’s foot several times, but Kim does not go down as the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev

Round 2

Gloves are touched to begin the round, and Khaybulaev wastes little time to take the fight down. Kim scrambles and even nearly hits a reversal, but the Dagestan native continues flipping Kim over and winds up on top. Khaybulaev isolates Kim’s left arm with a kimura grip, using it to hold Kim down rather than sub him. Kim slides out the back to suddenly escape, and the two find themselves on their feet in a hurry. Khaybulaev lands a long right hand, and follows it with another that bends Kim’s nose. A third overhand right is chained into a double, where the unbeaten fighter lifts “Ares” up and deposits him gingerly to the canvas. No matter where Kim goes, Khaybulaev follows him, with his arms wrapped around the waist looking to put him back down. Kim rolls through awkwardly to get out, and he times a spinning back fist when escaping. Kim pitches a high kick, falling to his knees as Khaybulaev climbs on top of him. Kim still fights to his feet despite Khaybulaev on his back, and Khaybulaev chops at the back of his calf with kicks of surprising amplitude. Kim turns the tables and uses a body lock to put Khaybulaev on his back, where he lands on top. Khaybulaev kicks Kim off of him, and they both get back to striking range. Kim surges forward directly into a right hand, and the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev

Round 3

The fighters touch gloves, and Kim starts on the offensive behind his jab. He flicks a head kick at the Russian, and digs to the body with a swiping left hand. Kim leaps at his man with a knee, and Khaybulaev nearly knocks him out of the sky with a looping right. Khaybulaev steps in with a short left and an elbow, changing levels to tackle Kim down to the floor. Like many times before, Kim returns to his feet, but with Khaybulaev holding him in some fashion. Kim spins around to put the fence behind him, and this allows Khaybulaev to hit a trip and dump the South Korean flat on his back. After a longer stretch, Kim is able to get upright, and Khaybulaev almost immediately throws him back to the floor, this time in the middle of the cage. Khaybulaev sets up an arm-triangle choke, but Kim wants nothing to do with it and fights out of it. The mad scrambles from Kim may allow him to get out of the most dangerous of situations or occasionally back to his feet, Khaybulaev is not about to give him anywhere to roam, slinging Kim on his face. Kim sits up with Khaybulaev’s hands around his waist, standing and breaking away with 25 seconds to go. Kim goes wild, spinning with anything he can muster, and he falls over when tossing a spinning back elbow. Khaybulaev climbs on top of him and punches him once or twice before the grinder of a match ends, and one semifinalist is all-but official now.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev (30-27 Khaybulaev)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev (30-27 Khaybulaev)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Khaybulaev (30-27 Khaybulaev)

The Official Result

Movlid Khaybulaev def. Tae Kyun Kim via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

2025 PFL Welterweight Semifinal:
Logan Storley (170.6) vs. Masayuki Kikuiri (170.4)

Round 1

Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling standout Storley (17-3, 2-1 PFL) is two wins away from a giant check, and to get there, he has to get past the aggressive Kikuiri (11-2-1, 1-0 PFL). The first welterweight semifinal will be officiated by Jason Herzog—as will the second—and it starts respectfully as the fighters bump fists. Storley claims the center of the cage early, only to bounce away when Kikuiri measures him with strikes out of range. Kikuiri pokes out his jab, and Storley shoots low for a takedown that Kikuiri stifles in part due to an apparent fence grab. Storley backs off, finds another angle in and lifts the Japanese fighter up to slam him down. Storley laces his legs around his foe’s, smoothly working his way to mount and settling down in half guard so he can jackhammer down elbows. Kikuiri scrambles when the elbows start finding their home, and Storley keeps after him with a long barrage of hammerfists. Storley switches to elbows and then punches again, as Herzog implores him to not strike the back of his foe’s head. Storley places his knee on top of Kikuiri’s left arm to allow him to take mount, and this forces Kikuiri to scramble and give up his back. Storley drives home a bevy of unanswered rights, and Kikuiri muscles back to his feet. The mat return, a way to deprive someone of their morale, puts Kikuiri right back down again. Storley uses half guard to control and disallow Kikuiri’s scrambles, all while exerting heavy shoulder and elbow pressure. The American fights off the escape efforts while smothering the underdog, and he postures up to start jacking Kikuiri up with elbows. The first round ends, and the only question will be whether judges deem it worthy of a 10-8 score.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Storley
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Storley
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Storley

Round 2

Kikuiri offers a front kick that is out of range to start the second stanza, and he wings a right hand that similarly zooms past his target. A leg kick does land from him, and he swirls his hands around and fires off a second. Storley runs at him to tie him up, pursuing a single-leg takedown that results in him jamming the Never Quit prospect against the wall. Kikuiri pushes out courtesy of a knee, and he times a clean uppercut and a left hand to get a bit of respect from the wrestler. Kikuiri scores on the front leg with a kick, but it is not nearly enough to keep “Storm” from crashing into him. Kikuiri pushes him off and again connects with an uppercut and a front kick. Storley splits the guard with a jab, and he suddenly drops down to his feet with a dramatic level change that looked like he got stung to sweep Kikuiri off his feet. Kikuiri crawls his way to the fence to work himself upright, and Storley cannot hold him down. Kikuiri starts walking him down and landing with ferocity, as Storley’s offense is not nearly as effective and his takedowns do not put his man down. Kikuiri peels Storley away and fights to his feet when bounced to a knee, but Storley still manages to put Kikuiri down and climb onto his back. Storley keeps the pressure on until the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Storley
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Storley
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Storley

Round 3

The round begins with both welterweights electing to slug it out on the feet. A bit of swelling has developed under the right eye of the favorite, who takes a few punches on it before shooting in on the hips and yanking Kikuiri down to the floor. Storley is quick to assume half guard, but his offense falls off a cliff and Herzog asks for more. When Kikuiri leans on his side, Storley starts pounding him in the face with his right fist. A few of the blows shredded open a cut on the corner of Kikuiri’s right eyebrow, leaking blood down his face. Kikuiri tries to get out, but to no avail, as Storley is firmly in the driver’s seat as precious seconds tick off the clock. With a minute left, Kikuiri stands, and Storley dumps him squarely on his dome. Further making Kikuiri’s life miserable, Storley reassumes half guard and starts smacking the fighter from Japan with short hammerfists. Kikuiri grabs the fence to stand with seconds to spare, and he gets free and swings wildly but inaccurately. Exhausted, he drops his hands, and the final horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Storley (30-27 Storley)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Storley (30-27 Storley)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Storley (30-27 Storley)

The Official Result

Logan Storley def. Masayuki Kikuiri via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-28)

2025 PFL Featherweight Semifinal:
Jesus Pinedo (145.2) vs. Gabriel Braga (145)

Round 1

In the 2023 regular season, Pinedo (24-6-1, 4-1 PFL) and Braga (16-2, 8-2 PFL) first squared off, with the latter getting his hand raised. They rematched six and a half months later for the championship, and Pinedo was able to get the nod by stoppage. The last featherweight semifinal will be a rubber match, and referee Blake Grice will have the honor of officiating it. Buckle up. There is no glove touch. Braga assumes control of the cage, standing in the center and allowing Pinedo to circle around him. Braga lets go with a single body kick, and Pinedo counters with a one-two. Braga lets fly another body kick and a left hook, and Pinedo is unable to get out of the way but stands firm for the next exchange. Braga lets his hands fly, and Pinedo stings him with a fierce right hand at the end of a three-punch flurry. Braga stumbles back, in big trouble, and “El Mudo” catches up with him quickly and silences him with another feisty combination of fists. Braga hits the deck, barely still with it, and Pinedo drops the hammer in the form of a pair of mighty hammerfists to seal the deal. Brice has seen enough, waving the fight off in the first round as Pinedo blew his foe’s doors off again. Braga is a bit disappointed but not at the stoppage, knowing full well that getting into a full-bore firefight with someone like the Peruvian is a risky proposition. Pinedo’s corner erupts with excitement for their triumphant fighter, who is now a single victory away from winning it all again. All he will have to do in August is hand Khaybulaev his first career defeat—no pressure.

The Official Result

Jesus Pinedo def. Gabriel Braga R1 1:16 via KO (Punches)

2025 PFL Welterweight Semifinal:
Jason Jackson (171) vs. Thad Jean (170.4)

Round 1

Even though he surrendered his Bellator throne in the middle of 2024, “The Ass-Kicking Machine” Jackson (19-5, 2-0 PFL) still does plenty of that. In his last time out, he wrecked Andrey Koreshkov, leaving the Russian staring at the lights from a consciousness-depriving rear-naked choke. Now, he will be tasked with removing the 0 from Jean’s (9-0, 5-0 PFL) record, a homegrown PFL talent who seems like he has plaster of Paris in his gloves. The main event will receive instructions from referee Jason Herzog, who clocks the welterweights in for their semifinal. There is a glove touch that precedes the action, and it’s on with the show. Jackson is the initial aggressor, working his way in towards “The Silverback” while controlling the cage. Neither man lands a blow until Jackson tosses out a low kick, and Jean checks it with a thump. Jackson wings a right hand, and Jean retaliates with a sharp jab that knocks the former Bellator champ off his feet. Jackson falls to his back and looks for an armbar, but Jean pulls out of it and tells Jackson to stand back up. Jean walks Jackson towards the wall and does work on the feet, but he is prepared for when Jackson launches a double at him. Jean keeps on his feet and leans against the wire to stay upright, and Jackson uses his full body weight to try to drag the unbeaten fighter down. Jean manages to escape, and he sports a wry grin. Jean probes again with jabs, and nearly misses with a scooping uppercut. Jean lets go wit ha heavy low kick and a right hand, the latter ducked when Jackson changes levels. Jackson tries to toss Jean over his shoulder, but Jean does not bite and instead elbows him to force his way out of a clinch situation. They trade calf kicks, and Jean splits the uprights with a front kick that lands on his foe’s chest. Jean starts smiling again after an exchange with his opponent, punching his way in but stopping a takedown. By sheer head movement, Jean dodges a surprise head kick, and he partially checks one down low. Jackson opens up with an overhand right and a shot, and he gets Jean down and does not let Jean set up a choke in defense. Instead, Jean turns to a knee, and Jackson partially takes his back and looks for a neck crank. With no submission available, Jackson rides on the back while landing a few short punches until Jean stands. Jackson wears on his opponent until the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jean
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jean

Round 2

The fighters begin the second round, with Jackson the one grinning now. He comes out of his corner pressing the pace, pushing out punches and low kicks. A left hand from the former Bellator champ surprises Jean, who is moving to and fro while dodging. Jackson backs him to the fence and shoots for a double, not grounding the younger man but kneeing him once before the break. Jean sticks out a jab and dodges two hooks, hands down with his chin up in the air albeit moving. Jackson runs right through to take Jean to his seat, only for Jean to turn the tables on him and put him on his seat for a moment. Jean gets Jackson back down a second time, but he abandons it as soon as they hit the ground. Both men stand back up, and they clash legs together when kicking them. Jean splits the guard with his jab, disrupting two looping punches coming his way. Jackson overswings his way into a clinch, and Jean is quick to turn him about and try for a double. Jackson shuts it down but is stuck against the wire, trading knees with his opponent. Jean elbows his way out of the clinch, and he walks into a heavy low kick that he cannot check in time. Jackson bits down on his mouthpiece to let rip an uppercut, and he leans to avoid a front kick. Jackson misses on two more big punches as Jean’s head movement holds up, but it is Jackson who is pressuring. Lifting Jean up, Jackson puts his foe on the mat for a moment, and Jean jumps back up. Jackson leans on him until the close round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Jackson
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jackson

Round 3

The last round opens up with Jackson as the aggressor, with scores likely up in the air and this round possibly playing a major factor. Jackson reintroduces himself with a head kick, and Jean avoids the subsequent swings with sheer movement alone. He might pay for that somewhere down the line, but until then, it looks impressive, pulled out of the playbook of “The Matrix.” Jean strides forward to land two body shots, and Jackson presses him back with jabs. Jackson clinches, and Jean fights out of it properly. Jean stomp kicks the front leg, and as he switches stances, he fires off an inside low kick that drills square into the former champ’s cup. Jackson drops to his knees immediately, as Herzog calls time to allow Jackson to recover. They hug in the middle of the cage to share that they know it was an accident, and Jackson is good to before too long. On the restart, Jackson relocates himself to the center of the Octagon pawing out jabs. Jackson follows one with a right hand, connecting partially and knocking Jean to the side. Jean bounces out and plants a kick on the lead leg, and he sees a takedown coming and backs himself to the wall to block it. Jean turns Jackson around and wriggles out of the tie-up, only for Jackson to drill him with a flush one-two. Jean rushes him for a level change, bailing on it to line up a right hand down the pipe. A second comes and misses from the unbeaten fighter. Jackson goes to the body, and Jean follows suit. A minute to go, the fight may still be up in the air, and neither man is engaging. Jackson eventually breaks the silence with a right hand, and he triples it up and surprises Jean. Jean loads up on his response, and Jackson takes him down in the process. Jackson fights out of a guillotine choke and is deep in on a single to try to put Jean on his seat one last time. Jean punches any target he can find while defending the takedown, and the horn blares to end the match and the evening. It could go either way, and the winner will undoubtedly have their hands full with Storley in August. When finals event happens, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (30-27 Jackson)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Jackson (29-28 Jackson)

The Official Result

Thad Jean def. Jason Jackson via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)