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A Middleweight World Title Fight headlines PFL Madrid: Tune in LIVE, Friday, March 20 at 12 p.m. ET.
Nacho Campos (146) vs. Mathys Duragrin (146.5: Missed Weight)
Round 1
For the first time, a major MMA league will be planting its flag on Spanish soil. The PFL beat the UFC and other heavies to the punch with a fight card that is appropriately headlined by a local champion. Before we get there, a bunch of fighters from the European region will battle it out over the next few hours. The action starts in a catchweight affair that was scheduled at featherweight. Spain’s “Nacho” Campos (6-2, 0-1 PFL) made his proper marks, but the same could not be said for Frenchman Duragrin (4-2, 1-1 PFL), who eclipsed the limit by a half pound. The two will meet with referee Jose Villar watching on, and they share a fist bump to get things going.
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Campos introduces himself with a few slapping low kicks, putting Duragrin on his back foot early. He chambers and fires off one to the body, and chants in favor of him start to rain down. Duragrin crowds him, and he shoots for a takedown but ends up pushing Campos to the wall after trading a few punches. Campos defends with vicious elbows to the side of the head, and Duragrin wilts and regains his footing to pressure the Spaniard against the wall. Duragrin’s attempt to take the fight down leads to him getting shoved to his back, and Campos snatches up a guillotine and slides into full mount. Duragrin is able to fight out of the choke, but is still under heavy pressure and stuck against the wall. The Frenchman explodes to reverse his position, and this results in both men working their way back to their feet. Duragrin grabs Campos from behind while leaning him against the fencing, and he elevates and slams Campos to the mat.
Campos bounces back up to his feet as if he had springs in his shorts, and Duragrin tries and fails to attempt a throw. Duragrin drops all the way down to pursue a double, and Campos rolls him around thanks to a keylock attempt and positions himself on top. Campos lowers himself down to hit an arm-triangle choke, but he is on the wrong side and Duragrin is not overly concerned. Campos imposes heavy shoulder pressure on Duragrin’s throat, and Duragrin is flat on his back giving up side control but not in serious submission danger. Campos repositions himself to half guard in hopes of improving his leverage, smothering the French fighter all the while. Duragrin pulls on his foe’s face and scrapes Campos’ eyes, but this all leads to the two fighting back to their feet. Campos cracks his man with a heavy forearm strike to shake Duragrin up, and he thumps up Duragrin with a knee to the body. Duragrin falls to his seat in pain, and Campos tries to punch him out but runs out of time. When the referee separates the two, Duragrin complains that it was a groin strike and not a knee to the midsection, and replay shows the knees were right on the belt line.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Campos
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Campos
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-8 Campos
Round 2
Duragrin tries to get the foul called between rounds to allow himself a little more time to recover, but Villar is not hearing it and clocks the two in. Duragrin starts off extremely aggressively, swinging wildly to close the distance and get his hands on the Spanish fighter. Duragrin slows himself down to pursue a takedown, transitioning from a double to a body lock and throw, one in which he is able to slip around and take Campos’ back. Duragrin gets his hooks in but would rather shift around to get on top, and he slithers over to full mount only to get pulled back to half guard. Duragrin attempts his own arm-triangle choke, maintaining heavy shoulder pressure until Campos bucks him to the side. Duragrin rolls over to snag hold of a guillotine choke, and Campos wisely presses forward to relieve the pressure on his neck by keeping Duragrin’s back stuck on the cage wall. Campos sits comfortably in the choke position while not overly concerned, looking to establish himself on top. Duragrin responds with 12-to-6 elbows to the thigh, striking any target with his free hand until Campos breaks out of the choke entirely.
Duragrin attempts to reclaim the guillotine, and Campos is able to get out of it and stand up. Duragrin immediately mat returns him with a textbook double, scooping Campos up off the ground and dumping him down. Duragrin hangs on when Campos stands up once more, clinging to him from behind while kneeing his man in the back so the thigh. When Campos turns around, Duragrin completes another double. Campos scrambles like a madman, ultimately giving up his back with Duragrin securing both hooks. Duragrin softs up Campos from behind with strikes to both sides of the head, slowing only to pursue a rear-naked choke that is nowhere close. Duragrin readjusts his grip, and he cannot get it under the chin so the local is not in danger. Campos uses his feet to push off the fencing, even locking his toes in the cage illegally to leverage himself around and sneak on top. Duragrin snags an armbar off his back, and he releases it to belt Campos in the face with an upkick as the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin
Round 3
The two men touch gloves, and this time it is Campos who comes out hot. Duragrin counters him smoothly with a hip toss, and Campos bounds back up to press Duragrin back to the cage wall. Duragrin defends himself by putting himself to the fence and snagging a guillotine choke with one arm. Campos is solely focused on the double-leg entry, ignoring the arm wrapped around his neck because the other is not remotely fastened. Duragrin sprawls and is dragged to his seat, and he finds himself looking for answers hacking away with feeble elbows that have little effect. Campos controls and smacks Duragrin on the side of the head with a fierce elbow, prompting Duragrin to burst out of the position and counter with his own level change.
The Frenchman is able to ground Campos for a second, but he cannot hold him there. Duragrin opens up a tiny cut on Campos’ right cheek with one of his flailing strikes while asserting a position change, and he keeps getting mat returns but Campos bounces up every time. Campos fights his way out with a sharp elbow, and his follow-up left hand drives Duragrin back. Duragrin ducks a big swing of a left hand to clinch up, and Campos reverses him and jams him up against the wall. Duragrin spins him around and starts working the body, absorbing knees and elbows from the Spanish fighter until Duragrin swings so wildly that he slips to the floor. Duragrin climbs back upright and goes for a few punches, but he is met with thudding elbows on the temple that rock him and send him to his seat. Duragrin is able to survive the assault by shelling up, and he steels himself and swings back with a vengeance. Campos knees him in the guts, and Duragrin scoops him up and deposits him to the floor with seconds to spare. Campos kicks him off and time expires, with the local man walking off grinning as if he knows his hand is about to get raised.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)
The Official Result
Nacho Campos def. Mathys Duragrin via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
David Mora (164.1) vs. Claudio Pacella (164.7)
Round 1
Spain is well-represented through this fight card, and that includes this next scheduled 165-pound “contract weight” affair. Black Panther Gym rep Mora (10-6, 2 NC; 0-0 PFL) makes his promotional debut against Italian SBG Ireland product Pacella (6-3, 3-2 PFL), who is the far more experienced in the PFL cage of the two. Gloves are touched before they are traded, as referee Jesus Arjona stands by.
Pacella comes out firing, hoping to take the enthusiasm out of the crowd, and the ensuing melee leads to Mora falling to his back while launching a kick. Pacella lords over him slapping him with low kicks until Arjona stands him up, and Pacella gets back to chasing after the Spanish fighter. Mora skirts around the outer edge of the cage, setting up a counter but getting popped by the Italian with a big right hand. Mora quickly clinches up his man, sliding his leg between Pacella’s to trip him up. Pacella regains his footing and breaks off with an elbow, and he is quick to pressure once separated. Pacella chases Mora down and nails him with a low kick, ripping a left to the body and a right upstairs shortly thereafter. Mora’s counters may be infrequent but they have some pop on them, with Pacella’s midsection glowing red and his nose leaking from a few shots up top.
Mora keeps strafing either direction, not falling into a pattern so he can get cornered. This leads to Pacella swinging wildly to try to pin him down, but Mora is leagues away in time. Mora counters with a step-in knee to the abdomen, and he sticks out a jab as Pacella wipes his nose several times. Pacella winds up with a huge right hand that skims the temple, and he misses with a subsequent windmilling swing. Mora connects with a stern calf kick, and Pacella responds in kind. Mora slips and counters with a right hand over the top, but Pacella is able to catch up with him and push him to the wall. Pacella settles for a few knees to the body and a quick elbow up top, and he scores a few more before breaking off. Mora skirts away and pitches out a high kick that gets blocked, and he gets on his bike away from Pacella. A missed front kick from Mora is where the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Round 2
The second stanza picks up right where the two left off, with Pacella chasing and Mora countering. Mora gets off a high kick and ducks down with a responsive double, where he lifts the Italian up but cannot deposit him on his seat. Pacella leans against Mora while Mora frames off with knees, and Mora is able to break off and scurry to the side. Pacella times a solid kick to the ribcage, and he shrugs off a knee to blast the local man in the temple with a right hand. Mora falls over and snatches up a leglock, but Pacella wants nothing to do with it and stands up. Arjona allows Mora to get up without being nailed on the way, and Pacella ducks the overhand right that he sees coming from a mile away on the restart. Pacella crowds Mora with elbows, and a huge right and left rock the Spanish man and send him collapsing to the mat. Pacella fights off a few upkicks to climb into the guard of his opponent, where he thumps Mora up with a few more elbows.
The elbows from Pacella have busted up Mora’s nose, in the style of “an eye for an eye” only involving snouts, and Mora can only look to Arjona for a referee standup. Pacella stays busy while on top smacking Mora around, dropping down punches and the occasional slashing elbow. Mora responds with elbows from off his back, but Pacella’s are much heavier and far more frequent. Mora looks to set up an armbar when under fire, and he hooks his toes in the cage for leverage but gets them slapped away by Arjona. While Mora is able to push Pacella off of him for a moment, Pacella dodges the upkicks flying at his melon to crowd Mora back down in his guard. Pacella postures up and jackhammers Mora with punches and elbows, standing up to let the rest of the round elapse. Mora surprises him with a few tripping kicks, and the bell rings.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Round 3
The athletes touch gloves, and Mora hops right on his bike to circle away as Pacella plods towards him. Mora goes left and right to stay away from Pacella’s big swings, but Pacella is able to catch up with him and drive home a left to the liver that would make Bas Rutten smile. Mora’s reply of a high kick careens off the guard harmlessly, but his body kick gets under the elbows and pauses Pacella. Pacella gathers his thoughts with his right hand a bit lower to protect his vital organs, and he starts jabbing the body of his opponent. Mora constantly moves until he stops to strike, and this opens Pacella up to kick him and chase with a pair of hooks. Mora keeps moving, but he does not throw very often and usually commits to single strikes. Mora puts his back to the cage and stumbles, and Pacella is able to clip him with a hook or two. Pacella pressures him back to the chain links, squeezing him with his shoulder and offering an elbow up close.
Arjona intervenes when Mora is found to have grabbed the inside of Pacella’s gloves, and he resets them rather than potting them back in the position Pacella held. Pacella takes advantage of this by clinching again, and Mora turns him around and grabs the cage. Arjona yells at him to knock off all the fouling, and Mora gathers all his remaining strength to throw Pacella on the floor. Both of them hit the deck on their faces, and they have to take a second to shake out their collective cobwebs before climbing back up. Pacella swings his way after Mora, bullying him to the wire and kneeing him a few times in the side. Mora grabs the fence a few more times to hold Pacella in place, and Arjona calls time to give Mora a hard warning with a couple seconds left in the match. Nothing happens on the restart, and both men raise their hands in the air when it is over.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)
The Official Result
Claudio Pacella def. David Mora via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Mattia Giordano (136) vs. Ernesto Schisano (135.6)
Round 1
On paper, this appears to be another matchup of Spain vs. Italy like the bout preceding it. This one will have fans a bit more conflicted, however, as while Giordano (4-2, 0-0 PFL) is a Spanish fighter through and through, foe Schisano (5-1, 0-0 PFL) trains in the “The Bull Skin.” Look it up. The bantamweights will have referee Bryan Miner watching over them for as long as this one lasts, as these two PFL newcomers would like to make a splash in the next 15 minutes or fewer. With nine stoppages in nine combined wins, it might not make it to the final bell.
They clap hands, and both men lay claim for the center of the age. Giordano peels off first, pitching out a body kick and swinging with a pair of hooks out of range. Schisano replies with a chopping kick that sends Giordano off-balance, and he walks through a head kick to punch his way in. Schisano bullies Giordano to the cage wall, where a clinch ensues with multiple knees from the Italian. Giordano is able to break free and offer a high kick on the break, but it is his one-two that actually lands cleanly. Giordano ducks in to deliver an uppercut to the jaw, and Schisano responds with a pair of punches that knock “El Humilde” back. Schisano loads up with his heavy right hand, and he follows one with a quick left that makes Giordano have to retreat. Giordano sets up and whiffs with a spinning back kick, and he darts away from the counters only to spring forward with his own swings. Schisano backs him off further with a left hook on the chin, and he keeps Giordano honest with his power.
Giordano potshots him as he circles away, looking to pepper the Italian man with jabs and the occasional body kick. Schisano keeps powering forward with wide swings, working the body when planting his foot and cracking Giordano with a left hand. Giordano beats on the front leg with a kick, and Schisano looks at him with a frustrated expression. Schisano connects when working his way in, but Giordano beats him to the punch figuratively and literally with a speedy left hand. Schisano rings his bell with a huge right hand, and Giordano replies with a jump knee that grazes the cheek. Giordano connects with a calf kick, and Schisano shrugs at him and throws fire. Both men spin with strikes, with Schisano’s kick landing while he ducks the back fist soaring at him shortly thereafter. The round ends in the clinch.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Schisano
Round 2
The two touch gloves, and Schisano goes right to chasing down his opponent. Every time he gets hit back, he showboats or motions to his opponent, even going so far as to put his hands on his hips to motion that they should just brawl. Giordano stays on his bike, not biting on the offer and instead sticking to his strategy of countering with distance strikes on the outside. This leads to Giordano putting up numbers while Schisano largely hits air as he loads up. Schisano spins for a back fist, and his momentum pushes him close enough to allow him to grab hold and throw Giordano to the floor. Giordano works his way up and pops Schisano with a few short shots to back him off, and he gets back to his preferred kickboxing range.
Body kicks are traded, with Schisano frustrated and mocking Giordano when he connects. Schisano spurs into action with a few spins, and then puts his hands back on his hips dismissively. Giordano is able to potshot him, staying out of the range of the huge hurled hands and prodding Schisano with attacks. Schisano smiles at him after taking a clean punch upstairs, and Giordano makes that grin grow larger as he busts him in the chops a few more times. Schisano keeps his hands on his hips to welcome Giordano in, and Giordano cracks him with a right hand that busts open his cauliflower ear. Schisano chambers and fires kicks from both sides, with the sheer impact off the guard giving Giordano some pause. Schisano marches forward fearlessly, taking a one-two on the chin and laughing it off. This allows Giordano to work him a few more times, and the round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
Round 3
The third round opens with a half-hearted hug and a clap of hands, and Giordano reintroduces himself with a left hand and takedown shot. Giordano presses his foe to the wall and throws him to his knees, but Schisano powers his way back to his feet quickly even with Giordano behind him. Giordano looks to yank Schisano to the floor and strip away his footing, and the shorter, stockier man keeps himself upright despite the efforts. Schisano breaks out, and Giordano fires off a pair of elbows that blow the hair back. Schisano sits down on a clubbing right hand to the temple, and he uses his momentum to tie the Spanish fighter up and hold him on the wall.
Giordano separates and chops down the front leg, blocking a body kick that comes his way. The pace slows between the two, with both men flagging after their exchanges. Schisano punches his way into a level change, and Giordano puts his back to the wall and leans against it to stay on his feet. Giordano is able to get free thanks to a sharp left hand, and he tries a jump knee and lands to pitch two punches that miss the mark. Schisano ducks into a straight right hand, leaning back to watch a high kick soar past him but not largely waiting. Schisano ducks a spin and swarms his man with two punches, and Giordano grabs him from behind to take the fight down. Schisano grabs the fence to stay upright as Miner admonishes him, and the horn blares to conclude the match.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (30-27 Giordano)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (30-27 Giordano)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (29-28 Giordano)
The Official Result
Mattia Giordano def. Ernesto Schisano via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Gino van Steenis (155.8) vs. Mark Ewen (153.3)
Round 1
While these two men both sport matching pro records of 7-2, the similarities largely end there. Setting the table for his big brother in the headliner later on, van Steenis (7-2, 1-1 PFL) hopes to get his namesake on the board and pump up the champion. Looking the spoil the party is the hyper-aggressive Ewen (7-2, 2-2 PFL), who has never needed more than two rounds to record a stoppage win. Referee Blake Grice takes charge of the cage, standing back as the lightweights touch ‘em up.
The lightweights are jittery to get going, largely parrying and throwing out single range-fighting strikes. Van Steenis offers a number of low kicks to the front leg of the Scottish fighter, beating his leg up early as he assaults it from both sides. Ewen misses the mark when swinging his way in, and van Steenis batters his lead leg again. Ewen pump-fakes with his hips to threaten but not actually offer much offense, and he finally pitches out a single low kick. Van Steenis’ calf kick sets up a left hand on the temple, and Ewen gathers himself and attacks the body. Van Steenis stays composed, aiming his calf kick to Ewen’s forward leg again and again to decent success. Ewen tries to get his own going, but his foe is out of the way.
Ewen lunges forward, and van Steenis slips it brilliantly and pierces the guard with a piston-like right hand. Ewen hits the ground like a sack of bricks, and “The Ghost Assassin” has struck his target and put him down for the count. Even with Ewen landing on his face as his lights are flicking on and off, van Steenis shuts them all the way out with two destructive right hands as Grice is racing in to stop the fight. The stadium erupts in support of the Spanish-Dutch fighter, who not only ended a rough string of decisions today, but put his team and family on the board in a big way.
The Official Result
Gino van Steenis def. Mark Ewen R1 2:43 via KO (Punches)
Borja Garcia Heres (125.6) vs. Rafael Calderon (125.6)
Round 1
The lone Spain-on-Spain display of violence comes at 125 pounds between two upstarts from rival Spanish promotions. Garcia (6-2, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL) grew up through the World Athlete Radical MMA league, while Calderon (6-2, 0-0 PFL) made his bones out of The Way of Warrior. Local pride and bragging rights go to the victor, who will have their hand raised by referee Kevin MacDonald in the next three rounds or fewer. The countrymen touch gloves before getting down to business.
Calderon quickly assumes control of the center of the cage, as Garcia circles around him several times. Calderon lashes out with a single low kick, and Garcia whiffs on a front kick as Calderon parries it and throws Garcia briefly off-balance. Garcia gathers himself and offers out a few jabs, sticking the shorter Calderon a few times. Both men briefly engage in an exchange, and Calderon gets the better of it with a right hand before splitting off. Garcia fights behind his jab, not offering much else behind it thus far. Calderon methodically attacks the front calf, while Garcia pokes out his jab. Garcia follows one jab with a straight right down the pipe, and Calderon shoulder rolls to take some of the sting out of it. Calderon eventually reaches out with a swatting right hand after a lull in action, and they both jab at one another.
Garcia tries to set up another overhand right after his jab, but it is Calderon who lands cleanly with a chopping kick. Calderon ducks a punch to scoop up with a clean left hand on the jaw, and Garcia takes a quick count of his teeth. Calderon shoots forward and tackles Garcia to the mat, and even though Garcia scrambles to get back up, Calderon slugs him in the side of the dome a few times. Garcia stands and pulls on the fencing to find a better position with Calderon’s hands wrapped around his waist, and MacDonald sees it and tells him to stop. Calderon doggedly pursues the takedown, inadvertently pulling Garcia’s shorts down but not completing the takedown he seeks. This results in a stalemate as Calderon switches from double-leg entry to that of a single leg, and Garcia keeps his balance but is otherwise nullified. The tepid round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderon
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Calderon
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Calderon
Round 2
The bell rings to start off the round, but the broadcast elects to instead keep the camera on a few local sports celebrities, resulting in about 10 seconds of fight that only people in the building can see. When we do get back to the fights, it is Garcia who has attacked first, going after a single to drag the shorter man down. Calderon gets away with a few cheeky fence grabs to keep himself on his feet, and Garcia tries to trip him up from behind but the stocky Calderon has his weight pressed on the cage to stop himself from going down. Garcia succeeds in hitting a trip, and Calderon bounces back up so quickly that it may not be counted as a takedown on the stats. Garcia knees and heel strikes Calderon on the back of his calf and ankle, and Calderon is confused as few train to take strikes to that low target. The strikes are starting to welt up Calderon’s lower calf, who has no way to defend it, and a new meta may be coming.
Garcia keeps kicking the back of the leg, and the commentators audibly say “ow” and “ouch” as the strikes continue to connect. MacDonald pauses the action to split them up, telling Garcia he needs to pursue a finish and not just irritating, big-brothering shots. Garcia is able to pursue a takedown again, and he gets back to his unorthodox position where he is beating on Calderon’s lower right calf. The welting is beginning to show as the back of Calderon’s glows red, and Garcia is targeting them again and again. Calderon does not know what to do, and he picks that leg up to stop them from hitting him. Calderon spins around to smack Garcia with an elbow, and Garcia turns him about again to keep slamming his heel and instep into Calderon’s calf. Garcia wraps punches around the sides of the head, and Calderon thumps him with a partially spun elbow as the round concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Round 3
Between rounds, MacDonald tells Garcia that he has to do more, and then goes to Calderon to tell him to stop grabbing the fence. Both men hug it out to start off the round, and Calderon attacks with one single calf kick before Garcia shoots in on his hips. Stunningly, Calderon turns himself to put his forehead on the fence to take some of the weight off of him, and Garcia is behind him once more clubbing him on the back of the calves with surprisingly effective strikes. MacDonald suggests that Garcia do more with his position, and Calderon answers with elbows to the forearm. Garcia gets off the occasional punch on the side of the head, and MacDonald breaks them up and restarts the match. Garcia matches forward behind his jab, and Calderon times a perfect double to scoop Garcia up off his feet and down to the floor. Garcia works his way up, and he tries his own takedown. They go back to the same position with Calderon leaning on the fence and Garcia behind him smacking his calf around. Calderon lifts his leg up to try to protect himself from these unusual strikes, so Garcia knees him repeatedly in the backside. Calderon grabs the fence when trying to reposition himself, and Garcia is not about to stop…whatever it is he is doing.
MacDonald watches closely as Garcia controls with this standing back take and low kicks from behind, and Garcia puts a little more mustard on his kicks to stave off intervention. Fighters should take note of this situation, as Calderon is almost totally nullified while Garcia is landing strikes that are not overly destructive but compounding fast. The kick total is off the charts because of these short smacks, and Calderon is completely out of ideas and tries to punch Garcia with undercuts beneath his own armpit. MacDonald breaks them up as Garcia landed with a strike or two behind the head, and they reset in a neutral position. Garcia shoots in for a single, and instantly repositions himself behind Calderon leaned on the cage. The fight ends in this position, and Calderon complains and mocks the celebrating Garcia. This was a strange one, a bout that might need to be either studied or totally forgotten.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)
The Official Result
Borja Garcia Heres def. Rafael Calderon via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Kevin Cordero (136.6: Missed Weight) vs. Luciano Pereira (134.5)
Round 1
The prelims wrap up with an unplanned catchweight contest when Spain’s Cordero (15-5, 0-0 PFL) missed the bantamweight limit by half a pound. He likely surrenders a portion of his purse to once-beaten Samurai Fight House product Pereira (15-1, 0-0 PFL), who has seen 13 of his 15 wins coming before the final bell. Referee Kevin MacDonald will receive back-to-back assignments as he is in charge of this prelim headliner, and the combatants still clap hands despite the weight miss.
Pereira is the initial aggressor to start off the match, pressing forward and resulting in a clinch. Cordero pushes him back, and they let kicks fly at the same time as Cordero’s bangs into the mulleted Pereira’s groin. Pereira waves MacDonald off and wants to get back to fighting, so Cordero picks up where he left off with a bunch of kicks. Pereira lets fly punches back at the Spanish fighter, reddening his nose but not landing cleanly on them. Pereira slips around the outside to score a few kicks, and he blitzes forward to engage in a wild flurry. The Uruguayan pulls back, and gathers a full head of steam. His mullet waving majestically behind him, “El Torito” channels its power to its fullest and unleashes a left hand and connects with a massive right that sends Cordero crashing down to the floor on his face. Cordero might be out when he hits the canvas, and as MacDonald sprints in to intervene, Pereira blasts the doomed athlete with three or four concussive left hands to completely punch Cordero’s lights out. The victor further adds to his impressive ledger, recording his 11th career stoppage in the first round by completely leveling the Spanish fighter. While the crowd is disappointed by their guy getting faceplanted, they can’t help but give it up for such a mighty knockout.
The Official Result
Luciano Pereira def. Kevin Cordero R1 2:10 via KO (Punches)
A Middleweight World Title Fight headlines PFL Madrid: Tune in LIVE, Friday, March 20 at 12 p.m. ET.
Linton Vassell (242.5) vs. Jose Augusto (261.5)
Round 1
The first fight on the main card does not represent Spain, as instead it is a classic matchup pitting England against Brazil. Former heavyweight and a svelte 243 pounds at 42 years young, Vassell (25-10, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) wants to even his PFL record to .500. Instead of facing Denis Goltsov again, he fights late replacement Augusto (11-5, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL), who also swam in the same Bellator pond as his opponent. Referee Blake Grice will handle the big men, and those big men tap their equally big gloves together before getting started.
Vassell moves to the middle of the cage to offer out kicks from his lead leg, going from low to high in a hurry. Augusto takes advantage of the naked kicks by unloading a huge right hand over the top, and “The Swarm” has to shake it off before advancing again. Vassell pitches kick from both sides, sliding away from the counter right hand he is now expecting. Augusto has a kick land just beneath the cup on the inner thigh, and they fight on. Vassell strikes the body with his foot, jabbing behind it as the Brazilian nods at him. Augusto whiffs on a haymaker of a right hand, and he slides back as Vassell jabs at his body. The Brit follows with a kick to the ribs, and he dances away from a pair of counters. Vassell crowds Augusto back to the cage without getting too close, allowing him to set up kicks with Augusto unable to back up.
Vassell starts hammering the midsection with kicks, and when he gets the attention of “Gugu” with them, he strings together a few punches upstairs. Augusto hurls back single overhand rights, but it is his uppercut that sneaks through and rocks the 42-year-old. Augusto gets poked in the eye, and he tells Grice to back off, but Grice tells him that he is the one who will call time and not the fighter. Vassell gets right back to chasing around Augusto with a steady diet of kicks, with his most effective blow the one to the liver. Augusto is calm as a cucumber, but he appears stuck in first gear swinging his big right hand and not too much else. When it lands, it matters, but Vassell is able to potshot him and chip away with kicks to any target. Augusto drops his hands and offers up a right hand over the top, and he scores another effective uppercut. Vassell works the body with two kicks before the round concludes.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vassell
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Vassell
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Vassell
Round 2
Vassell walks the Brazilian down to start off the second stanza, putting punches together to draw out reactions from Augusto. When Augusto swings back, Vassell counters with a picturesque double that dumps Augusto flat on his back. Vassell lands in half guard, setting up an arm-triangle with his right shoulder and posturing up just slightly to bust Augusto in the chops with his left hand. All the while, Vassell slithers into full mount, where methodically begins to beat Augusto down with accurate punches and well-aimed elbows. Vassell isolates Augusto’s right arm to open up elbows from his other limb, and he slashes down with the occasional 12-to-6 variety before flattening himself down to go for another arm-triangle. The choke is not there, so he wraps up Augusto with one hand to make it like a seatbelt over his face. Vassell slams his elbow on the back of Augusto’s head, and he is warned for the foul. Grice sees that Augusto is flat on his stomach with nothing to offer, so he calls for the Brazilian to improve his position despite not taking a lot of damage. Vassell aims his blows better, sinking in elbows on the cheek to slowly crush the late replacement fighter. As Vassell drops down punches and elbows, Grice waves the fight off to save Augusto from further punishment. At the tender age of 42, Vassell still made relatively easy work of his Brazilian adversary, who asks to face off against Goltsov.
The Official Result
Linton Vassell def. Jose Augusto R2 2:48 via TKO (Punches and Elbows)
Jacinta Austin (115.6) vs. Benita van Rooij (115.4)
Round 1
While the undercard was littered with Spanish athletes, most of the main card contains foreigners. This is the case for Austin (8-2, 0-0 PFL) vs. van Rooij (7-1, 0-0 PFL), who rep Australia and the Netherlands, respectively. Combined, these strawweights have never landed a knockout while performing seven of their 15 wins by submission. Referee Bryan Miner knows he may be in this one for the long haul, but the two women show plenty of respect by offering a glove touch.
Van Rooij is quick to engage her opponent, stalking the Aussie down and punching her square in the face. Austin strafes to the left to get off the firing range, and she throw back a right hand to get a little respect. Van Rooij pushes out her jab, and Austin answers in kind. The two tie up, and they knee and elbow one another before breaking off. Austin initiates a clinch that bullies the Dutch woman to the fencing, and van Rooij turns her around and lands a strike. Van Rooij tries to go after a clinch on her own terms, and Austin throws her face-first into the fencing. When van Rooij recovers, Austin busts her in the chops with a right hand. Van Rooij sprints forward behind her swinging fist, and she meets a right hand on the jaw that knocks her clean off her feet. Austin leaps down, shocked by the damage she just inflicted, and starts battering van Rooij with a barrage of hammerfists. Van Rooij is stunned and turns to her side, and Austin keeps slugging her in the chops. Miner is right there to stop the fight once he determines that van Rooij is no longer intelligently defending herself. Just like that, the 0 is gone—that is, Austin has performed the first knockout of her career on the biggest stage she has reached. Van Rooij is down for some time because of the beating she just received, and manages to come to and is helped to her stool. She ends up being ushered out of the cage rather than waiting around to have her opponent’s hand raised, possibly to seek medical treatment.
The Official Result
Jacinta Austin def. Benita van Rooij R1 2:40 via TKO (Punches)
Franco Tenaglia (167.8) vs. Yassin Najid (169.8)
Round 1
In one of the most lopsided matches on the betting lines, Spanish-trained former BKFC champ Tenaglia (5-2, 0-0 PFL) will come in as a hefty favorite around -550. He takes on “live by the sword, die by the sword” submission grappler Najid (9-6, 1 NC; 0-1 PFL), who holds all of his stoppage wins by tapout but has lost two in a row via first-round sub. Referee Kevin MacDonald will serve as the cage commander for this welterweight bout, and the men share a swift fist bump to introduce one another.
Tenaglia comes out of his corner a man possessed, throwing wild punches and kicks until he crashes into Najid. The bare-knuckle boxer ends up dragging his foe to the ground, and when they bounce back up, Najid turns the corner on him and trips up Tenaglia to put him on his back. Najid lands on top and considers dropping down strikes, but instead sets up a brabo choke by wrapping his lower arm beneath the neck to set it up. Tenaglia breaks it out of it before long, and they get back upright, only for Najid to take him down again. Tenaglia bursts upright once more with Najid clinging to him, and he is warned for grabbing the fence in hopes of improving his position. Najid drags Tenaglia down in a mat return, and does so again as he is tossing the striker around at this point. Tenaglia grabs the fence and rolls for a leglock, and Najid also pulls on the fencing to get out of it. MacDonald shouts at both fighters to stop tugging on the fence links, and Tenaglia tries to isolate a kneebar but cannot keep it.
Najid strips his leg out of danger and pounces down to slam Tenaglia in the face with an elbow, and he threatens with another brabo choke before electing to slug away with punches and elbows. Najid winds up in the half guard position, and the crowd starts chanting “Franco” to psyche up the man on his back. Najid sits up and drills Tenaglia in the face with a big right hand, and Tenaglia rolls around again to go for a leg. Najid punches his way out of it and appears to hurt Tenaglia while busting him in the face, and he considers setting up a rear-naked choke before Tenaglia turns out of it. Tenaglia keeps twisting and turning to set up some sort of submission, but Najid sees them all coming and bludgeons the Argentinian in the process. Najid gets away with elbowing Tenaglia in the spine, and the grueling round ends.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Najid
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Najid
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Najid
Round 2
This round, Tenaglia approaches far more cautiously, while Najid keeps a bladed karate stance so he can fire off kicks. Najid boots the BK fighter in the face with his shin and spins with a perfect back kick in the guts, and Tenaglia reels and explodes forward to throw hands. Tenaglia ends up tackling Najid to the floor rather than swing further, and he takes Najid’s back as Najid stands up with the wall at his side. Tenaglia drags the Frenchman away from the fence to put him on his back several feet away from it. Najid keeps his butterfly hooks in hopes of sweeping or setting up something, and he turns to snag hold of Tenaglia’s neck but does not have anything with it. Najid tries to hit a reversal, and Tenaglia lowers himself flat down to stop him from succeeding.
Tenaglia gets off some strikes on top, but he is labored with them and places his hand on Najid’s mouth to smother him. Tenaglia grinds down with his left elbow, advancing his way to half guard as Najid is stuck on his back. Najid has scooted his way to put his side against the fence, and he attempts to wall-walk and gets to a knee. Tenaglia tries to drag Najid down when Najid stands, and he holds on kneeing Najid in the back of the thigh before turning around to go for a double. The round ends before he can complete it. A wounded, exhausted Najid slowly meanders back to his corner, favoring his left side as he can barely walk. It appears that he might have suffered at least one injury in the ensuing 10 minutes, and it is his shoulder that has been dislocated and is visibly out of place. As the fight is waved off from the injury at the conclusion of the round, Najid slumps back and almost passes out from the pain, and has to be caught by his brother.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia
The Official Result
Franco Tenaglia def. Yassin Najid R2 5:00 via TKO (Shoulder Injury)
A.J. McKee (145.4) vs. Adam Borics (145.9)
Round 1
Despite a whopping 33 total bouts in the Bellator cage, Borics (20-3, 2-1 PFL) and McKee (23-2, 2-1 PFL) never crossed paths. That all changes when these two featherweights vie for a title eliminator spot for the vacant featherweight strap. The excitement is palpable. The third man in the cage for this co-main event will be referee Kevin MacDonald. The Bellator staples touch gloves before trying to punch the other’s lights out, and Borics winks at his opponent.
McKee opens up with a step-in side kick, and he chambers and fires a body kick with his other leg to catch Borics unaware. McKee stomps at the knee with a kick, and he rifles off a one-two and a looping right hand that Borics dodges in time. McKee goes to the knee again with a strike to hyperextend the limb, and he sells out with a head kick and topples to his back. Borics lords over him slapping his legs with kicks, and he motions for MacDonald to stand him up. They reset, and McKee darts forward with a flurry of punches. The two featherweights trade low kicks, taking turns to throw them until Borics breaks up the pattern with a jab. McKee rushes forward swinging two punches and crashes a knee to the body, and he hops back and lets go with a kick to the liver. Both of these featherweights are engaging with blazing speed and little regard for their well-being. McKee shoots in for a double, and Borics tosses him aside and buzzes the tower with a right hand.
McKee jabs with a front kick to the sternum, and he is reached with a left hand and an overhand right. McKee keeps feeding Borics a steady diet of kicks when at kickboxing range, switching up a low kick to one up high in the blink of an eye. Borics tosses out a one-two too far away, but his low kick does connect. McKee continues to hammer away at the knee with his kick, and he ducks away and spins with a back fist to threaten and not allow Borics to chase him down after an exchange. A head kick is blocked from the Hungarian, who has to slide back to defend against the counters. They continue to beat the other’s leg down, with McKee firing off his stomp kicks and mixing in one to the face. Borics sits down on a looping right hand to the breadbasket, and he stands firm rather than backing off to catch McKee with a combo. Borics goes to the body again, and he takes a left hand before the horn sounds.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Round 2
Between rounds, McKee complains to his father that he dislocated his toe throwing kicks, who informs him that he should just keep fighting. They appear to reset it to a degree, and the second round opens with furious offense just like they left off. Borics pushes the pace a bit more, forcing McKee to fight off his back foot, but he still absorbs plenty that comes back his way like a thudding body kick. Borics replies with one to the pectorals, and he is forced to deal with chopping kicks aimed at his lead leg shortly thereafter. McKee nearly sweeps the leg with his low calf kick, and Borics recovers and lets fly a body kick. McKee steps in with a side kick to the chest, and he stays in the pocket a bit too long and gets caught with a pair of hooks. McKee goes to the well with another kick, this time aiming it a bit higher but Borics crowds him so it hits the body. Borics throws back so hard, he nearly topples over, and McKee dances back and immediately sets up a low kick from each leg.
Borics just misses with a big right hand, and he walks forward in a few jabs and bites down on his mouthpiece to fire off two punches upstairs. McKee shakes Borics up with a sneaky left hand, and he keeps doing work on the left leg of the Hungarian. Borics uses his jab to measure out his range, and McKee bounces off the cage and attacks with a straight left hand. Feet and fists fly in a rapid exchange, with McKee setting up a body lock takedown attempt thanks to a crisp left hand on the jaw. Borics puts his back to the fence to defend the takedown effort, and McKee drills him in the solar plexus with a hard knee. McKee redoubles his effort for a double, transitioning to a single in hopes of landing it before the round ends. He cannot get it, and Borics hammers in with elbows to the side of the head. When the bell sounds, McKee badly limps back to his corner.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Round 3
The featherweights hug it out, and Borics shoves McKee back to get psyched up for five minutes of combat. McKee keeps a stiff upper lip about the pain in his foot, and he proceeds to throw kicks with his wounded limb as if nothing had happened to it. The action slows as Borics aims single strikes, while McKee is occasionally getting off low kicks. Borics goes to the body with his right hand, and he ducks a huge right hand that would knock the ears off a gundark. Borics strikes the body and transitions to a few punches up top, and he checks a kick coming his way. McKee misses with another big punch, and he is countered on the way back.
McKee kicks the body again, and he shoots for a double and completes it the moment that Borics commits to a hard swing. Borics employs a butterfly guard in hopes of sweeping, but he has to close it up when McKee starts hammering him with ground-and-pound. Borics throws back, and an elbow or two bangs into the back of McKee’s dome. Borics appears irritated as he scoots his way to the fencing to put his back to it, and he gets to a knee and takes a flush knee to the belly on the way up. Borics tries to fire back with a right hand, but McKee is out of range. Borics swings for the fences, and McKee is elusive and taking little more than leg kicks. McKee snaps out a jab, and he absorbs a heavy right hand to the ribs. Borics kicks the chest back and scores a right hand, with both men trading big fists and not slowing down. Borics asks for a brawl, and McKee obliges him as they swing and kick their way right to the bitter end.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)
The Official Result
A.J. McKee def. Adam Borics via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
PFL Middleweight Title Fight:
Costello van Steenis (184.7) vs. Fabian Edwards (184.7)
Round 1
Some five-plus years ago, van Steenis (17-3, 2-0 PFL) and Edwards (16-4, 3-1 PFL) met in the main event of a Bellator card in Milan. The former picked up the split decision win, setting the table for a future rematch down the line. That rematch has the highest of stakes possible in their current promotion, as they will be vying for the middleweight throne. Van Steenis won it last July by putting Johnny Eblen to sleep with a rear-naked choke with nine seconds left on the clock, and he gets a rematch—just not with Eblen. Instead, the Brit has worked his way towards PFL gold, winning three in a row to pick up the last tournament victory in the company’s 185-pound division. Referee Blake Grice brings the combatants to the center of the cage to issue final instructions and elicit a glove touch, and they oblige. It’s on with the show.
Van Steenis lands an early inside calf kick, and he targets the same spot a second time. Edwards fires back with a front kick to find his space, and van Steenis hammers that leg with another kick that sweeps Edwards’ leg back. Van Steenis commits to that inner calf, and Edwards opens up with a flurry of punches on the sides of the head that may have shaken up “The Spaniard.” Van Steenis wraps his arms around Edwards and considers a body lock takedown or at least a tight clinch, potentially to get his bearings back, and he leans heavily on the Brit against the wire. Grice asks for more activity from the fighters, and van Steenis answers by offering up a few high knees that do not find their target. Edwards fights his way out, scoring an elbow on the forehead of the champ. Edwards pushes out a front kick, and he strikes with a calf kick shortly thereafter.
Van Steenis goes upstairs with his shin, and Edwards blocks it and is greeted with a right hand on the chin. Edwards responds with a few punches before they clash heads, and a small cut is opened on the side of van Steenis’ left eye. Edwards shoots in for a double, and van Steenis puts his back to the fence and hacks down at Edwards’ arms with elbows. Van Steenis hangs on with a guillotine choke that is more to maintain his vertical posture than actually threaten, and he rolls his eyes as Edwards clings to him. Edwards knees him a few times before breaking off, and he takes a hard leg kick and gives one back. Edwards winds up a pair of left hands before shooting low for a double, and van Steenis responds with a guillotine that is so suddenly tight that Edwards has to fall to his back to relieve the pressure. Van Steenis lowers himself down in half guard and sets up an arm-triangle choke, but he runs out of time.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Round 2
The first strike of this round comes from the champ, aiming a head kick and switching to his other leg to sweep his foe’s leg. Edwards hits the floor and jumps back up, where he shoots for a double. Van Steenis puts his back to the wire and wraps his arms around the shoulders before hunting for underhooks to thwart the attempt altogether. Short knees are traded on the inside, with Edwards largely grinding without doing much more in the offensive clinch position. The Brit stomps the foot once before van Steenis swings his way out, and the champion kicks high and falls to his back. Edwards happily climbs into the guard, with van Steenis scooting his back to the fencing so he can start the wall-walking process. Edwards sucks van Steenis’ hips out to keep him stuck on his seat, and he takes van Steenis’ back when van Steenis tries to stand.
Van Steenis bucks and shakes to get Edwards to fall off of him, so Edwards answers by clutching onto a kimura that he has to release when he falls off. Van Steenis gives him a taste of his own medicine by taking his back standing, and he complains about glove grabs as Edwards is hooking his finger on the inside of it. Van Steenis opens up with punishing right hands and looks to cinch up a rear-naked choke with his right arm, but Edwards hand-fighting prevents the locking arm from getting hold of the limb to set the choke. Edwards is warned once more for grabbing inside of van Steenis’ gloves, and van Steenis starts belting Edwards in the face until Edwards shoots for a desperate double. The champion smothers Edwards flat on his chest and keeps his hand pressed on the back of Edwards’ neck to keep him stuck, and Edwards explodes out of the position and goes wild with punches and elbows. Edwards lets him have it right to the bell and slightly beyond.
Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Round 3
It takes about two seconds for van Steenis to attack with a calf kick, and Edwards answers him back. Van Steenis starts swinging his arms around in showboating manner, something Matt Hughes would not be pleased to see, and Edwards makes him pay for it by blocking a head kick and slamming his fist into van Steenis’ stomach. Edwards loads up to set up a takedown, and van Steenis puts his back to the cage to defend the attempt while looping his left arm under Edwards’ chin. The Brit goes after a single, and van Steenis responds by torqueing on the neck with a power guillotine. Edwards has to frantically break out of it, and he resets and charges back in to hunt for a double. This is the worst possible decision for the challenger, as he puts himself defenselessly with his head resting on van Steenis’ hip. Van Steenis lets him have it with a crushing barrage of devastating elbows to the side of the head, and an otherwise aggressive Edwards suddenly goes limp as the elbows crash into his temple time and again. Shouts of “he’s out, he’s out” rain down on the cage as Grice recognizes that Edwards has been deprived of his consciousness with merciless blows reminiscent of Travis Browne against Josh Barnett. As Grice waves things off, Edwards on autopilot tries to grapple any available limb of the person in front of him. Van Steenis walks off proudly, booting his mouthpiece into the crowd to give a lucky Spanish fan a sticky souvenir.
The crowd positively erupts in favor of their home country athlete, who has just defended his title in a huge way against an opponent who had only once previously been finished. The champion sets his sights on the four middleweights who will be competing in Pittsburgh next week. Brimming with confidence, he asks if he could have two fights in one night, boasting that he wishes to take on both victors from the Johnny Eblen-Bryan Battle and Dalton Rosta-Impa Kasanganay matches. We will be here for PFL Pitt next Saturday, and we hope you are too.
The Official Result
Costello van Steenis def. Fabian Edwards R3 1:48 via KO (Elbows)
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