Sherdog’s live
PFL Sioux Falls coverage will begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.
Round 1
The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will host a
dozen matchups for the latest PFL offering this May. There may be
no title on the line at night’s end, but that does not mean these
matches will be any less compelling. We kick things off at the
heavyweight division, as U.S. Virgin Islands native Williams (10-5,
1-3 PFL) looks to end the longest losing streak (three) of his
career. To do so, he will have to get through Nana (7-2, 2-1 PFL),
who saw his own victorious stretch come to a halt last October. The
third man in the cage for the big men will be referee Nick Berens,
who keeps watch as the fighters touch gloves.
Nana positions himself in the center of the cage, where he pushes
out a few jabs right off the bat. When Williams is about to
counter, Nana kicks his front leg. He tosses the same strike once
more to try to set something else up, but Williams is out of the
way for anything else. Williams lunges behind an overhand right,
and Nana skirts back to take the sting out of it. Williams chops at
the front leg to disrupt him coming in, and he hand-fights to parry
an intercepting blow. Nana lets go a thudding inside leg kick,
getting knocked back a step with a right hand but no worse for
wear. Both big men reach at one another with wide swings, but they
are out of range with most of it. Williams does get off the end of
a one-two on the forward brow, and he takes a right hand to the
ribs for his effort.
Both men scoop with awkward left hooks to score them on one
another, and the match turns into a sparring match with little put
behind their swings. Nana comes up short on a left hand, and he
dances away from a counter. Williams stands Nana up with a right
hand, and he eventually shoots in for a takedown after absorbing a
few naked low kicks. All Williams can do is press Nana to the
fencing for a moment, with the Cameroon native turning him back
around as they jockey for position. Williams tags Nana with a right
hand right before bell, concluding a close round.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Williams
Round 2
The two slowly work towards one another offering tentative strikes,
still not committing fully as they take turns tossing strikes at
one another. Nana is the aggressor, although not by a wide margin,
as Williams is ready and willing to counter and jab back. Nana
springs around with his jab, and he sneaks in a right hand as
Williams is transitioning to sting him. Williams reacts poorly from
a subsequent punch, an oddly angled left hook, but he gathers his
thoughts and rifles off a one-two. Nana gets poked in the eye
during an exchange, and Williams backs off to let him clear it out
when Berens does not register it.
Nana meanders towards his target, ripping a body shot as a takedown
shot bears down on him. Williams is shut down when pursuing the
tackle, and he gets popped in the chops on the way out. Nana keeps
pressing forward behind his jab, doubling it up to decent effect.
After some chasing from Nana, Nana walks face-first into an
overhand right and tanks it without batting an eye. Nana’s counters
do not get released, as he fakes and feints to draw out exaggerated
reactions from the man from the Virgin Islands. Nana walks into a
jab and no-sells it, looking to set up an overhand right with a low
kick but not throwing the former. The tepid round draws to a
close.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana
Round 3
The big men high-five, neither man appearing fatigued thus far.
Nana bounces on his heels before letting go with a body kick, and
Williams kicks him back in the knee. Nana answers that strike back
post haste. Williams punches his way into a takedown attempt, but
he does not even go for the standard double or single and instead
just mashes his way forward into a body lock clinched position.
Nana pushes him away without absorbing any damage, and he gets back
to flicking his jab out. When Williams reaches out to find his
distance, Nana grabs his wrist with both gloves, and Williams looks
at him strangely until he releases the grip. Nana sneaks in short
double jabs, pecking and probing without swinging for the
bleachers. Williams lets go with a left hand, and Nana wipes his
eye as if he was poked again, and Berens does not call it so they
sort of fight on. Williams lets him off the hook for a few seconds
before confusedly shooting in for a naked single, this time
changing levels enough to actually possibly take the fight
down.
Nana stands his man up with his own back to the wall, and he shoves
Williams away to reset. Williams parries the jab he knows is
coming, and he cannot quite figure out what to do when Nana grabs
his lead hand in exchanges. Williams swats out a left hook that is
well out of range, and he pulls a right hand before letting it go
all the way. Nana lets go with a body that lands a bit low, and
Williams ignores it to rush forward in pursuit of a level change.
Nana shuts it down and keeps himself close enough to Williams but
not within clinch territory. Nana beats Williams to the punch with
a left hand on the temple, and he leans to the side to avoid a few
punches. Fifteen minutes elapse, and both men raise their arms in
the air.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Nana (29-28 Nana)
The Official Result
Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Karl Williams via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Round 1
It’s an all-South Dakota affair between MMA neophytes as the
prelims roll on. Making not just his organizational debut but also
his first walk to the cage professionally, “Seabass” Bye (0-0, 0-0
PFL) wants to kick the ass of Michels (1-0, 0-0 PFL)—and
those in the crowd are sure to let him know he should. The
welterweights will test the waters as they collide under the
auspice of referee Kevin MacDonald, clocking the match in with a
glove touch.
Bye gets right to work, stringing short combinations together. He
mixes punches into kicks, setting up body shots with head work and
vice versa. Michels takes them on the chin and abdomen and
considers a level change. Bye fires off a left hand and absorbs one
back, and Michels gets in close to ding him with an overhand right.
Bye catches a body kick to loop a right hand back at his man, and
he turns Michels with a few punches upstairs. Michels gathers his
thoughts, his nose glowing read, and he looses a kick the same time
Bye does. Michels falls to the mat, and Bye leaps at him and almost
instantly has an arm-triangle choke in play. Michels explodes out
of the danger, and Bye time a head kick when Michels is resetting.
Michels takes it well, but uppercuts from Bye that follow get
through and bloody him up.
Bye lets fly a kick under the armpit, and he tosses out a low kick
and gets countered. His foot bumps into the peninsula south of the
Equator, and there is no pause from it but just a short first bump.
The blood begins to leak more heavily from Michels’ right cheek,
and Bye goes right to the head and left to the body.
Bye steps through to keep landing blows, driving a
knee to the liver and bending Michels over. Bye digs a left to the
same spot, and Michels collapses. Bye knows he is on the home
stretch. Michels shells up, and Bye lords over him beating him down
with his fists until MacDonald has to step in and rescue
Michels. That is one way to kick off a professional
career, who did not need to even use the grappling chops that he
supposedly has in his arsenal.
The Official Result
Brett Bye def. Taylor Michels R1 3:40 via TKO (Punches)
Round 1
A pair of well-traveled lightweights duel as they introduce
themselves to the PFL brass in this preliminary offering. Alvarez
(10-2, 0-0 PFL) reps Cuba and trains out of Kill Cliff FC, while
36-year-old Logan (13-9, 0-0 PFL) will be receiving a veritable
hero’s welcome as one of the few competitors on the billing from
the home state. A fist bump kicks things off, with referee Jason
Herzog standing by.
Logan stays on the outer edge of the cage to work his way in, while
Alvarez hangs out in the center of it measuring his range. Logan
reaches him with a long left and a right, and he remains in the
pocket too long and gets countered by a pair of speedy punches.
Logan escapes and resets to work his way forward, dodging a body
kick and a couple fists as well. Logan pounds a kick into the
raised guard, and he ducks away when Alvarez swarms him. Logan
kicks low with both legs, sticking out his jab behind it. Alvarez
backs him off with a few swings, and he takes one in the solar
plexus on the way. Alvarez gives chase and winds up with a hefty
left hook.
Logan strikes back with his own lead hook, with his guard high
enough to protect from an Alvarez high kick. Alvarez lets fly
another head kick, and he rushes at Logan and loads up on a trio of
punches. Logan bounces off the fencing and goes to the body with a
left and keeps working on the front leg. Alvarez crashes the pocket
but cannot find his mark, with Logan playing the matador to
Alvarez’ bull. Alvarez has strikes careen off his foe’s gloves with
little impact, and he eats a hard leg kick and a left hook on the
temple. While Logan circles away, Alvarez boots him hard in the
front leg to make him stumble. Logan blitzes with a low kick and a
left hook, keeping Alvarez honest when engaging. Alvarez loads up
and whiffs on an overhand right, and both men land right hands
before the bell.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Logan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Logan
Round 2
Alvarez works his way forward to start the round, and he finds the
perfect spot to slam his foot into the side of Logan’s dome. Logan
hits the deck, scrambling like a madman to get back to his feet.
Alvarez is so excited about the impact, he winds up clinching, and
Logan is able to survive and get his wits about him, all while
Alvarez is still swinging when he can. Logan breaks off and
separates, taking a left hand that makes him blink and a liver kick
that makes him frown. Alvarez gets right in front of Logan, ready
and willing to throw hands as he gains confidence in his power.
Logan keeps moving, but his offense is considerably lower while
Alvarez is in his grill. Alvarez bullies him with short, strong
punches up close, making Logan rebound off the wire.
Alvarez can play target practice as Logan remains largely
offensively muted, relegated to single strikes for the most part.
Alvarez gives chase, throwing kicks anywhere open, as Logan’s jab
falls feebly past him. Alvarez invests in another body kick, easily
parrying what comes back his way and countering that with a sharp
right hook. Logan finally appears to be getting back into it,
authoring up several long jabs and follow-up punches in short
barrages. Alvarez boots him in the liver and chases after him with
two hooks. Logan keeps his jab active, but it is now Alvarez who is
doing the leg kicking for the most part. Logan steps in to attack,
but he peels back before engaging. This leaves him wide open, and
Alvarez staggers him with a right hand. Logan gathers his thoughts
and shoots in low for a single, abandoning it in hopes of opening
up a haymaker. Alvarez is able to stop the takedown and avoid the
big swing, all while bopping Logan once before the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez
Round 3
Logan offers a glove touch, and Alvarez accepts it before they get
to it. Logan, fired up by corner advice between rounds, lunges at
his opponent repeatedly. Logan catches his man a few times,
resulting in Alvarez slipping and dropping frustratedly to a knee.
Alvarez bounces back up to return to his forward-moving best, and
he whiffs on a pair of huge hooks by the smallest of margins. Logan
turns his hips into a chopping kick, and when he throws another,
Alvarez charges him and storms him with a long surge of punches.
Logan bounces off the cage to find a better angle in, and Alvarez’
body kicks are starting to pay off as he reacts worse when taking
each successive one. Logan tries to tie up and body lock Alvarez,
but he falls woefully short and has to back away. Logan has to turn
tail and run when Alvarez backs him into a proverbial corner, and
he does not have the speed to take advantage with Alvarez falling
after lobbing a head kick.
Alvarez is right back up, boxing up Logan with strikes that have
drawn swelling around both of the South Dakotan’s eyes. Logan chips
at the head leg and leans back from a wide swing, staying in motion
so he does not get his chin checked. Logan splits the guard with a
right hand and considers a takedown shot, but he abandons it in a
hurry. Alvarez plods forward, putting three fists on his opponent
and allowing Logan to close the distance. When Logan gets in range,
Alvarez brawls with him with a few concussive blows that make Logan
question his life decisions. Logan shakes it all off and hurls
punches back, bloodying up Alvarez’ nose when he does manage to get
through. The momentum of Logan’s swings lead him to a takedown
effort, but Alvarez stands him up and absorbs a flush elbow. Logan
tries for one final takedown, and Alvarez flips him over and tosses
him aside as time expires.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (30-27 Alvarez)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Alvarez (29-28 Alvarez)
The Official Result
Angel Alvarez def. Bryce Logan via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
29-28, 29-28)
Round 1
Back after a suspension for multiple banned substances—to say
nothing of her explanation, where she claimed in a rush to work
out, she inadvertently took bodybuilder husband’s
supplements—Santos (22-4, 3-1 PFL) is aiming to bounce back from
her first pro stoppage loss in a big way. She welcomes China’s Yan
(25-5, 0-0 PFL) to the promotion, and she will likely serve as the
heftiest betting favorite this evening as she hovers well north of
-1000 to near -1500. Never tell Yan, or referee Nick Berens, the
odds. The flyweights do not bump fists.
Santos strikes first, kicking the Chinese woman in the ribs. She
stays just out of range of any counter, but she is warned for
outstretched fingers. Yan circles on the outside, working a leg
kick, and she has her head snapped back with a right hand. Yan dips
in to throw hands, and Santos welcomes a short flurry with one of
her own. Santos reaches with her long jab, digging out with a body
kick and keeping Yan far at the end of her strikes. Yan struggles
to get in, as Santos chews her up with kicks to the front leg and
torso. Santos calls on her inner Bas Rutten to keep
crushing the body of “Queen Kong,” pushing out a finalizing front
kick that stabs directly into Yan’s liver. Yan backs off and hits
the wall, crumbling when the crippling pain sets in a moment later.
Berens watches on but is not getting involved yet, allowing Santos
to beat down Yan with punches until he finally
intervenes. Santos walks off and flexes, recording
what will likely be her fastest finish in nearly a decade after
putting in about two minutes of work.
The Official Result
Taila Santos def. Qihui Yan R1 2:02 via TKO (Front Kick to the Body
and Punches)
Round 1
In a classic battle of Peru vs. South Korea, Bandenay (27-9, 2 NC;
0-0 PFL) and Kim (14-6-1, 0-0 PFL) take center stage ready to throw
down for the next 15 minutes or fewer. Both men celebrate
relatively evenly distributed methods of victory, which means that
referee Nick Berens will need to be on his A-game to be ready to
intervene at a moment’s notice. The 145ers get after it without a
glove touch effort.
Both fighters measure one another with kicks, with the longer
Bandenay using his body kick from a wide berth to get through. Kim
answers with a clapping body kick, darting away from a punch combo
that does not reach him. Bandenay fires off another kick to the
side, already making the South Korean’s torso turn red. Berens asks
for both fighters to close their fists, and Kim answers first with
a takedown shot. Bandenay defends it by putting his back to the
wall, and Kim looks for a body lock but only ends up twirling
Bandenay around. Kim stays busy in the clinch with knee strikes,
and Bandenay answers him right back.
Bandenay digs a loud punch to the ribs, thwarting a Kim body lock
toss but unable to stop Kim from hitting a head-and-arm throw to
put him down. Kim looks to impose himself on top, and he runs into
butterfly hooks from Bandenay’s knees to his hips. Bandenay turns
to give his back up and hopefully stand, and Kim quickly mat
returns him and nearly pulls his foe’s shorts all the way off in
the process. Bandenay keeps an active guard from his back, but
there is no setup or anything from it as Kim measures an elbow and
shucks aside a couple submission setups. Kim steps over to half
guard and lowers his shoulder down for a possible arm-triangle
choke. Bandenay bucks to kick Kim back to his guard, and the horn
sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Kim
Round 2
Kim rushes out of his corner and kicks high, falling over and
bouncing back up before Bandenay can get to him. Bandenay hammers
him in the ribs with a kick with a sound reminiscent of a baseball
bat thwacking a side of beef. You know, when that happens at the
butcher shop. Bandenay starts ripping knees when they get up close,
mashing them into the liver as he briefly compromises Kim. Kim
hurries to take the fight down, elevating and slamming “The
Peruvian Problem” down to take his back. Kim gets a hook in and has
Bandenay on his side, where he proceeds to bash and batter Bandenay
with punches and elbows while seated in full mount. Bandenay
hand-fights to protect the worst of what is raining down on him,
until Kim starts lashing out with high-amplitude elbows. Berens
watches closely while Kim jackhammers his adversary with
elbows.
Bandenay twists and turns to remain just active enough to stay in
the fight, pushing his feet off the fence to reposition himself.
It is not enough, as Kim clobbers him with a
seemingly unending onslaught of vicious elbows. The elbows do not
stop, and Bandenay is taking unnecessary damage while no longer
intelligently defending himself. Berens calls it on account of
rain, with the only surprise that Bandenay’s face is not
reminiscent of a horror movie after taking so many hacking
elbows. Kim leaps on top of the cage to let out a
roar, and his team joins him inside of the cage to hoot and holler
with him.
The Official Result
Sang Won Kim def. Humberto Bandenay R2 2:56 via TKO (Elbows)
Round 1
Once scheduled as a flyweight contest, de Sousa (5-0, 2-0 PFL)
struggled to get to 126 pounds and was permitted by Bowers (7-2,
0-0 PFL) and the company to shift the match all the way up to 134
pounds. Of the two, the Bahrain native has already made a walk to
the PFL cage before, while it will be new grounds for LFA vet
Bowers. The women touching gloves to open up the melee, referee
Kevin MacDonald stands back to observe what is next.
Bowers works her way in while constantly switching stances, backing
off when de Sousa lets her hands fly. Bowers spins with a kick to
the ribs, and de Sousa backs her off with fast punches. Bowers jabs
the body with the ball of her foot, staying in the pocket a bit too
long to take some shots. De Sousa beats Bowers to the punch with a
left hand, and she goes with two to the body. Bowers backs her off
with a front kick, using her foot as a jab. De Sousa strings short
but effective combinations together, nailing the front leg with a
kick after landing punches. De Sousa dings Bowers again, drawing
out an inaccurate spin. The South Dakotan gathers herself and keeps
wading into the fury, driving home a knee on the jaw and checking
her own nose to see if she is bleeding. She is not, and she
celebrates this with a spinning back fist.
Bowers has a kick caught, and she takes a punch and shakes it off
to hurl back a slapping kick. De Sousa digs a left to the body,
with Bowers ready and willing to retaliate with a knee up the
middle. De Sousa paws out punches, leaning back when counters fly.
Now Bowers’ nose is bleeding. De Sousa uses the blood as a
bullseye, marking her up with blazing fast combinations. Bowers
keeps at range with a high kick, which bounces off the guard. De
Sousa clips her opponent, taking a low kick on the way out but
landing the flusher of the two with her hands. De Sousa catches a
kick and considers a takedown, but Bowers stands her up with a few
elbows on the face. The Brazilian by way of Bahrain cannot get the
fight down, and they duke it out to the horn.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Round 2
The ladies clap hands before picking up right where they left off.
De Sousa dodges a spin kick and a follow-up right hand, targeting
the body when Bowers settles. Bowers plods forward swinging hard,
and de Sousa welcomes this and trades with her. De Sousa whips a
right and left hand around the guard, with Bowers tanking them and
offering back a head kick. De Sousa splits the guard with a left
hand, and she catches Bowers coming in with a left hook. She nails
Bowers with another left, and Bowers completely ignores it and
walks her down fearlessly. De Sousa pecks out with her jab and
ducks a spinning strike, intercepting a low kick thrown by Bowers
with three or four fast hands. Bowers remains in de Sousa’s face,
chasing her around the cage, but this opens up de Sousa’s offense.
De Sousa thinks about a throw attempt, but Bowers pushes through it
and keeps pressing forward to force the unbeaten woman to
continuously fight off her back foot. Bowers just misses with a
front kick down the middle.
De Sousa sees that Bowers is loading up more on her attacks, and
she slips away from the big wings. Bowers goes high with a kick,
and de Sousa catches it. Bowers walks on her hands and turns to
slap de Sousa in the face with her other foot. De Sousa reels and
resets, but it is Bowers consistently pushing the pace on her. De
Sousa partially flattens the bridge of Bowers’ nose, as Bowers
leads with her head more often than not. De Sousa is exceedingly
accurate as Bowers sometimes walks directly into her swings, and
Bowers’ pressure is significant but may not be having the effect
she intended. The round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 de Sousa
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bowers
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bowers
Round 3
There is a clap of hands to lead off the last round, and the two
women appear fresh as daisies and display it with immediate
offense. Bowers is the aggressor again, to the point that she
closes in, grabs hold of a single-leg takedown, and dumps the
Brazilian to the floor. De Sousa off her back searches for a
leglock, and Bowers climbs over it to establish herself in half
guard. De Sousa continues pursuing a free foot, and Bowers puts her
posterior in her face until standing up again. De Sousa follows
her, taking a knee to the body on the way up. Bowers marches
forward and gets countered with a quick right hand, but she is able
to push the pace just a bit more to get off three on her own.
Bowers continues to press the action, forcing de Sousa to deal with
her pressure and increased volume. De Sousa fires back efficiently,
allowing Bowers to sell out so she can bust her in the chops with
solid counters. One such heavy counter from de Sousa forces Bowers
to turn around, and Bowers uses this to her advantage by spinning
with a back fist that careens off the temple. Bowers is not taking
many steps backwards, forcing de Sousa to deal with her
snowball-rolling-down-a-hill momentum. De Sousa does technically
take plenty of steps back, but they are strategic for the most part
and draws out a fun back-and-forth brawl. The two ladies go one
after the other trading hands and feet, fighting all the way to the
bell. It could go either way.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 de Sousa)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 Bowers)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Bowers (29-28 Bowers)
The Official Result
Sabrinna de Sousa def. Cheyanne Bowers via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Round 1
Wrapping up the preliminary section of the fight card is another
representative from Bahrain in unbeaten Magomedov (8-0, 1-0 PFL).
He draws well-traveled Xavier (14-8, 1-0 PFL), whose list of recent
training camps include Thailand, Brazil and Germany. Referee Jason
Herzog will learn quickly whether all that training has paid off,
or if Magomedov will keep the 0 next to his name. The light
heavyweights touch ‘em up to start things off.
The taller, longer Xavier slowly walks forward, and after about 20
seconds, he slams his shin into Magomedov’s calf. Xavier kicks the
same spot, and he is countered with a right hand upstairs. The
Russian by way of Bahrain crashes forward and practically tackles
Xavier to the mat with his chest and shoulder. Magomedov lands
right on top, in the guard looking to do some damage. He slashes
down with short, menacing elbows as he keeps Xavier stuck on his
back. Magomedov steps over to half guard with relative ease.
It takes mere seconds after that for Magomedov to advance to side
control, and he gets a little too greedy and tries to isolate an
arm for a crucifix setup. This allows Xavier to buck him to the
other side, but not completely off of him. Xavier manages to
recover his guard, but this only keeps Magomedov on top of him
smacking him around and racking up control time. Xavier uses his
knee to push off and get a modicum of space, but Magomedov is a
205-pound-plus lead weight on him smothering and grinding him out.
The fans do not approve, and voice their frustrations with a
smattering of boos. Magomedov ignores it all and keeps attacking,
opening up a cut on the bridge of his foe’s nose. When Xavier gets
feet on the hips to push off, Magomedov wiggles through it to
remain in the guard raining down strikes. The fairly one-sided
round concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 2
Xavier comes out of his corner on the offensive, using his leg to
stick Magomedov in the chest. He whiffs on a head kick, and
Magomedov answers him back with a low kick that makes Xavier recoil
it to take the oomph out of it. Xavier boots Magomedov in the leg,
and he slides to the side as Magomedov dives after a takedown.
Magomedov climbs back to his feet, lands a right hand and backs off
to allow Xavier to come to him. Xavier stands around waiting for
something to happen, and Magomedov runs at him and blasts him in
the temple with a right hand. The Brazilian stumbles back on baby
deer legs and/or on the stanky leg, and Magomedov bowls him over
with a takedown rather than pummeling him upright. Magomedov climbs
straight into the guard again, with Xavier closing it up trying to
defend his face with his hands. Magomedov stacks him up and exerts
heavy pressure.
The grind has been embraced by Magomedov, who advances to half
guard smoothly. Xavier looks for a sweep off his back, but there is
nothing to it. When Xavier flirts with a leglock, Magomedov reaches
over, grabs the fence and improves his position. Herzog yells at
him, but the damage is done figuratively speaking. Magomedov sits
down again in half guard, nullifying the Brazilian for prolonged
stretches. Xavier defends against giving up full mount, but time is
his enemy as he has no answers. The round comes to an end.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 3
The 205ers bump fists, and like before, Xavier commences the round
walking forward. He tosses a calf kick, and then one to the lower
body as his foot slaps directly into the cup. Herzog calls time,
and Magomedov paces back and forth to adjust himself and recover.
After about 30 seconds, Magomedov states he is ready, and they
touch gloves to restart. Xavier stands in front of Magomedov, doing
little more than offering a single body kick for the good part of a
minute. Magomedov jabs him in the stomach, and he whiffs on the
reply. Magomedov reaches out, and Xavier drills him in the chin
with a jump knee. Magomedov answers with a double, and he sucks the
wind out of his foe, his foe’s team and the audience as well by
landing it. Xavier sits his back against the cage and even flirts
with a front choke, but he does not have the proper leverage and
Magomedov pushes him to be flat on his back. Magomedov suffocates
from above, with a steady diet of body and head shots not
individually destructive but collectively scoring.
Xavier appears totally out of options as he tries to grab hold of
Magomedov’s wrist with both hands to force a lock, but Magomedov
easily pulls his limb free and proceeds to beat Xavier with it. As
fans start booing, Xavier’s team encourages them in hopes of
eliciting a crowd-inspired standup. Herzog is a true pro and just
stands watching on ever vigilant as Magomedov slashes Xavier open
with an elbow. Blood leaks from multiple wounds on the Brazilian’s
face, who is under fire and feebly offers up the occasional
responsive swing from his back that has nothing on it. Xavier lifts
his legs up to set up a possible submission, and Magomedov laughs
it off and remains in guard until the grueling match closes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27 Magomedov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (30-27
Magomedov)
The Official Result
Rasul Magomedov def. Rafael Xavier via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)
Round 1
Unable to reach the bantamweight limit, Magomedov (21-5, 1-1
PFL)—no relation to the one from the previous bout, as far as we
know—clocked in heavy and surrendered a fraction of his purse to
his opponent. “Alter” Higo (23-7, 0-1 PFL) will gladly accept that
chunk of change in addition to still being able to throw down
tonight, and he proceeds without a glove touch. Referee Nick Berens
will keep things on the up-and-up.
Magomedov smacks the front leg with an introductory kick, as seems
to be the custom these days in the sport. Higo kicks him on the
front leg, and Magomedov pulls his shorts up and points at the limb
to implore the Brazilian to kick him again. When Higo does not
engage, Magomedov spins with a wheel kick as Higo is out of range,
and Higo points to his head mockingly. Magomedov spins with another
kick, this one a back kick, and it connects square on the body.
Magomedov goes to the well with one more spin, a back fist now, and
Higo is wise to it. Higo catches an advancing Magomedov and lifts
him in the air, and before he can land a slam, Magomedov threatens
with a standing mid-air choke. Higo sets him down, and Magomedov
jogs around laughing. Magomedov whips a kick at Higo, who catches
it and searches for a level change. Magomedov leans against the
fencing to keep his balance, and he turns Higo around in the
clinch.
Magomedov tries to break out of the clinch, but it is Higo who
concludes it with a powerful elbow on the temple. Higo stands in
the pocket to let go with a low kick, opening him up for a counter
overhand right. When Magomedov throws a second big right hand, Higo
closes in to take him down. Magomedov defends once more with the
fence at his back, and Higo threatens with a trip from a body lock.
Magomedov stays on his feet as Higo leans on him, with Higo
exerting so much pressure it is almost as if he wishes to squeeze
the Russian through the chain links like a Play-Do toy. Magomedov
slowly, methodically gains the leverage to turn Higo around,
kneeing Higo once before lifting him up and twirling him about.
Magomedov cannot get the takedown either, so they break off. With
seconds to spare, Higo gets a bit of space and blasts “Tiger” in
the face with a spinning back fist. The round concludes after that,
as Higo gets in his face and starts wooing.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Round 2
Higo is in a rush coming out of his corner, putting some mustard
behind a low kick. Magomedov shoots for a takedown in the open
cage, and Higo jumps in the air to snatch hold of a guillotine
choke. Higo cranks it with all his might, leaning back in hopes of
finishing the job, but Magomedov grits it out and lowers Higo to
the mat. Magomedov’s eyes go wide as he slides his head out,
slightly compromised from the submission and having to shake out of
it. Higo stays somewhat busy from his back, throwing his legs up
and hacking with elbows off his back. Magomedov’s shorts nearly
slide off as he engages in his grappling, and Higo hangs on rather
than pushing off to escape. Higo’s subsequent butterfly hooks lead
to little more than Magomedov posturing up to hammer him in the
face twice, so Higo thinks better of this strategy and closes his
guard up.
Magomedov softens up his opponent with steady ground work, and he
thwarts the triangle and armbar setups. Higo still manages to trip
Magomedov up, who hits his seat, and both men spring back upright.
Higo rushes after the Russian to bully him to the wire, and they
turn one another around while tied up. A few knees from Magomedov
get through on the inside, and Higo lifts Magomedov in the air and
sets him down still on his feet. Higo doggedly pursues a single,
and Magomedov defends it with a guillotine choke that Higo
practically ignores completely. The clinch is where this round
ends, and Higo jaws at Magomedov while walking back to his
corner.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Higo
Round 3
Higo engages in the final round by trying to draw out a brawl, and
he lets go with a wheel kick that Magomedov sees coming from a mile
away. Higo gathers himself after the spin to catch Magomedov with a
right hand, and he jams Magomedov up against the fencing in hopes
of taking the Dagestani fighter down. Magomedov easily turns him
about, absorbing palm strikes to the side of the head when there is
nothing else to offer. Magomedov thinks about a standing choke
attempt, and Higo once more no-sells it as he pursues a takedown at
all costs. Magomedov defends it and turns the tables to hunt for a
single, and Higo stonewalls him as well. Higo settles for
open-handed slaps to the body until Magomedov separates and elbows
him clean in the face. When Higo tries to return fire, Magomedov
steps in to jack him in the jaw with a knee.
Higo’s eyes roll around in his head, and Magomedov lifts him up and
slams him down on his face unceremoniously. Higo rolls to his back
and lashes his legs up and around the shoulders to search for a
triangle choke. Magomedov shakes out of it and find himself dealing
with an arm-in guillotine choke that Higo may be using more for a
sweep than a tapout, and Magomedov wall-walks with his feet to
position himself out of danger. Magomedov stacks Higo up and looks
to attack, but Higo explodes to his feet and tries for an off-angle
guillotine choke. Magomedov wriggles out without concern, and he
knees Higo in the face while Higo is trying to take the fight down
again. Magomedov turns all the way through to put Higo on his back
again, and Higo defends with a heel hook in the blink of an eye.
Higo torques it with all he has, but Magomedov is not about to
surrender and the match ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28 Magomedov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28 Magomedov)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov (29-28
Magomedov)
The Official Result
Magomed Magomedov def. Leandro Higo via Split Decision (30-27,
28-29, 30-27)
Round 1
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 2
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 3
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
The Official Result
Round 1
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 2
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 3
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
The Official Result
Round 1
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 2
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 3
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
The Official Result
Round 1
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 2
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round:
Round 3
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round:
Brian Knapp scores the round:
Mike Pendleton scores the round: