Sergey Bilostennyy there was a better fighter in the main event of the year
PFL Dubai on Saturday at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as he captured the PFL Heavyweight Championship from the reigning champion.
Vadim Nemkov.
Bilostenniy (16-4) controlled the pace for much of the five rounds and kept Nemkov (20-3, 1 NC) at bay with well-timed uppercuts and several kicks. Nemkov, a former Bellator light heavyweight champion, tried to use his grappling ability early and nearly landed a belly-down armbar the first time, but Bilostenniy was smart and stayed out of the fight the rest of the way.
Bilostenniy battered Nemkov’s face with jabs and wore down the fellow Russian, and when the final sounded, there was no doubt about the winner. In the end, two cageside judges favored Bilostenniy with scores of 48:47, while the third scored 49:46, ending Nemkov’s 10-year winning streak.
A rising welterweight contender Patrick Habirora jumped to 10-0 with Egypt’s impressive first-round technical statement Omar El Dafrawy. The two fighters tore into each other early and often, but after a wild scramble on the ground, the “Belgian Bomber” appeared
guillotine lock, stood up, squeezed harderand put El Dafrawy (16-7) to sleep. The end came at 3:11, giving Habirora his biggest win yet.
Oleg Popov made it look easy against the heavyweight Pouya Rahmanidominating him for three rounds. Popov (24-2) did land a few good kicks on the legs, but most of the fight took place on the ground, where Rahmani (5-1) was overpowered. All three judges favored Popov with scores of 30-27, 30-26 and 30-25.
Joji Goto scored arguably the biggest win of his MMA career by dominating the longtime UFC veteran Sergio Pettis three rounds at bantamweight, won by a lopsided unanimous decision. Goto (21-9) landed much better shots, controlled the tempo and dominated Pettis (25-9). In the end, Goto won the competition with a score of 30-27.
Lewis McGrillen-Evans delivered dozens of blows to the head and body and then a knee Nawras Abzakh‘s face as the first round ended and that was all the Englishman needed to go up 14-2. Absakhi (15-7)
stayed on his knees and bowed after the roundgiving McGrillen-Evans the TKO victory via retirement.
Connor Hughes and Shaqueme Rock (11-4-1) had a lot of beef steering into their slight grudge match, and Hughes was the one to win. After the tactical opening round, Hughes (13-3) exploded.
perfect left hook-right cross combination Rock’s head, he coldly snaps. The end came with only 64 birdies for the second.
Saygid Izagakhmaev improved to 23-4 when he submitted David Martinez late in the third round of a closely contested welterweight fight. Izagakhmaev grabbed Martinez’s back and locked in a body triangle,
then pinched the rear naked chokeforcing the tap at the 4:27 mark. Martinez dropped to 17-7.
In a pleasant slight tilt, that of Russia Ahmed Magomedov won by unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Alexey Pergande. Each round was as close as it came, but Magomedov’s greater punch volume and pressure (11-2) impressed the judges enough to give him the win by scores of 29-28 (twice) and 30-27. Pergande fell 8:1.
Adam Borics pulled off a notable upset by going undefeated previously
Khasan Magomedsharipov in the first round. The featherweights measured each other early, but when Magomedsharipov (11-1) scored a takedown, he found himself in a triangle in the scramble. Borics (21-4) kept switching between a triangle stitch and a triangle armbar, landing elbows to the Russian’s head until Magomedsharipov tapped out. The end of the round was 4:17, which gave Borics the victory
through the triangular handle.
Denis Goltsov was too much Maxwell Djantou – The Best of Maxwell (9-3) to behave as he won in the first. Goltsov (38-9) constantly jabbed Nana and picked him off his feet. Goltsov dropped Nana with a right cross to the head and then
he finished moments later with follow-up punchesending the heavyweight bout at 3:41.
Ernesto Rodriguez took a point in the first game for an illegal knee from a fallen opponent, but he made sure it didn’t affect the final result. When the fight resumed after the penalty, Rodriguez (12-2) promptly dropped his welterweight opponent Rhys McKee
(15-8-1) together
overhand and then he finished with a punch. The end of the song came at 2:28.
An undefeated light heavyweight contender Khabib Nabiev he had his hands full for two rounds before finally calling it quits Styve Ngono Essono. Although Esson (8-2) was deducted a point in the first game for an accidental poke in the eye, the Cameroonian Nabievit dominated on the feet and held his ground. But moments into the third, Nabiev (13-0) scored an easy takedown.
quickly moved into top control and landed several elbows on a cloaked Essonowhich forces the referee to stay in the frame for only 46 seconds.
Alexandra Savicheva improved to 9-2 with the unanimous decision win
Jacinta Austin (9-3) straw weight. Savicheva landed much better shots throughout the contest and won a unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.