PFL 2023 Season Opener Results

PFL 2023 Season Opener Results

Liam Mooney|
April 03, 2023|
0

Preliminary Card

Impa Kasanganay vs. Cory Hendricks

 Impa Kasanganay wins. Credits to: PFL.
Impa Kasanganay wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Impa Kasangnay def. Cory Hendricks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Division: Light heavyweight. Referee: Mark Smith.

The opening fight on the card was a showcase fight and didn't count toward the regular season. However, coming fresh off a TKO victory just three weeks ago in the PFL Challenger series 15, Impa Kasangnay continued to impress in his new weight class with his second straight victory in the PFL.

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Ty Flores vs. Delan Monte

Ty Flores wins. Credits to: PFL.
Ty Flores wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Ty Flores def. Delna Monte via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28,39-27). Division: Light heavyweight. Referee: Chris Tognoni.

Ty Flores came into the fight as almost a 2-1 betting underdog, so it's clear that nobody expected him to dominate in the fashion he did, after a competitive first round where Monte started strong. Flores came into his own and took control in the second and third putting three points on the board as he took the first victory in the regular season.

Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo

Gabriel Braga wins. Credits to: PFL.
Gabriel Braga wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Gabriel Braga def. Jesus Pinedo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Division: Featherweight. Referee: Keith Peterson.

Undefeated Grabriel Braga came in as a last-minute replacement, taking the fight on just 24 hours' notice. Braga and Pinedo performed exceptionally as both fighters gave it everything for the entire three rounds. Braga ultimately tipped the decision with the judges and put three points on the board in the featherweight opening fight this season.

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Alejandro Flores vs. Daniel Torres

Alejandro Flores wins. Credits to: PFL.
Alejandro Flores wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Alejandro Flores def. Daniel Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Division: Featherweight. Referee: Chris Tognoni.

Both fighters seemingly fought a cautious fight and relatively abstained from action. Still, Braga was able to edge out a decision win and ultimately put a vital three points on the table.

Josh Silveira vs. Sam Kei

Josh Silveira wins. Credits to: PFL.
Josh Silveira wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Josh Silveira def. Sam Kei via submission (rear-naked-choke) - Round 1, 2:46. Division: Light heavyweight. Referee: Kerry Hatley.

Silveira not only picked up the first finish of the night but also took home the maximum six points by doing so in the very first round. Silveira was able to trip Kei midway through the first round successfully, then take his neck as he tried to get back up and submit him with a rear-naked choke. This would mean Silveira has finished nine of his ten wins and certainly put himself on the radar of the light heavyweight division this season.

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Marthin Hamlet def. Mohammad Fakhreddine

Marthin Hamlet wins. Credits to: PFL.
Marthin Hamlet wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Marthin def. Mohammad Fakhreddine via submission (neck crank) - Round 1, 1:05. Division: Light heavyweight. Referee: Mark Smith.

Hamlet came out from the opening bell super aggressively; he quickly took the fight to the ground and forced Fakhreddine into a world of trouble forcing the tap with a neck crank early. Like the fight before, this would also give the winner a maximum of six points.

Main Card

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Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade

Bubba Jenkins wins. Credits to: PFL.
Bubba Jenkins wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Bubba Jenkins def. Chris Wade via unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) Division: Featherweight. Referee: Chris Tognoni.

Opening the main card, last year's finalist Bubba Jenkins made it known that there was some bad blood toward opponent Chris Wade coming into this fight. Following a 2021 loss to Wade, Jenkins was very vocal about setting the record straight. Jenkins dominated the fight from start to finish putting on an excellent display of wrestling. Jenkins used his takedowns and ground control to win a shutout with the judges, giving last year's runner-up three points to kickstart the season.

Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Ryoji Kudo

Movlid Khaybulaev wins. Credits to: PFL.
Movlid Khaybulaev wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Ryoji Kudo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Division: Featherweight. Referee: Keith Peterson

Missing last season through injury, the 2021 undefeated champion Movlid Khayvulaev added another impressive victory to his PFL career. With a win over current champion Brendan Loughnane, Khayvulaev is undoubtedly one to watch in the featherweight division and proved just that with a dominant wrestling performance to grind out a decision shutout victory. Unfortunately, Kudo was unable to have an offensive success as Khayvulaev drowned him with pressure, putting up three points on the table as he did.

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Will Fleury vs. Krzysztof Jotko

Will Fleury wins. Credits to: PFL.
Will Fleury wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Will Fleury def. Krzysztof Jotko via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Division: Light Heavyweight. Referee: Kerry Hatley.

After an extended run in the UFC, Krzysztof Jotko was looking to make good on his PFL debut. Both fighters moving up from middleweight were looking to prove themselves in their new weight class. Fleury, was not going to roll over and make this easy for his opponent. In a competitive back-and-forth fight, both athletes looked to implement their takedowns to control the fight. Fleury eventually got the nod and the all-important three points in an incredibly tough fight to call.

Rob Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos

Rob Wilkinson wins. Credits to: PFL.
Rob Wilkinson wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Rob Wilkinson def. Thiago Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Division: Light Heavyweight. Referee: Mark Smith.

In the co-main event, the final light heavyweight match-up of the night was 2022 PFL defending champion Rob Wilkinson. He was squaring up against another UFC veteran making his PFL debut, Thiago Santos. Wilkinson has taken the PFL by storm with a 100% rate in his four fights thus far; however, Wilkinson put on a solid, more controlled performance we have yet seen from him. His game plan was evident as he closed the distance and wrestled Santos early to take away his power. Santos did have some moments, particularly in the third round, but it wasn't enough to get him the victory. Wilkinson showcased a much more well-rounded side to his game and put three crucial points on the table after the first fight.

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Brendon Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes

Brendan Loughnane wins. Credits to: PFL.
Brendan Loughnane wins. Credits to: PFL.

Result: Brendon Loughnane def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (leg kicks). Round 2, 1:11 Division: Featherweight.
Referee: Keith Peterson

Defending 2022 featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane faced off against PFL debutant and former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes. Loughnane came out on the front foot early and spent most of the first round attacking his opponent's legs. Moraes didn't have an answer for Loughnane's onslaught, and it even looked unlikely that Moraes would make it out for the second round. Hurt from the first round, Moraes came out aggressive and was swinging for the bleachers with only one thing in mind. However, Loughnane was able to evade any attacks and continued with his slick leg kicks that eventually would be the beginning of the end for his opponent. 18 successful leg kicks later, Loughnane would bag himself five points in the season opener and close the card with a massive reminder of who the man to beat in the featherweight division is.

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