As the PFL playoffs continue with semifinals in two weight classes on Thursday in Hollywood, Florida (live on ESPN/ESPN+), the emerging narrative could be that a dominant champion remains in the driver’s seat. Or it could be that someone new is about to take the wheel. Or both.
Kayla Harrison, who rolled to the 2019 PFL women’s lightweight championship, headlines the fight card at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, taking on kickboxer Genah Fabian in one semifinal. Harrison (10-0) is a heavy favorite in this bout, despite Fabian’s pedigree of training at City Kickboxing in New Zealand with two UFC champions, middleweight Israel Adesanya and featherweight Alexander Volkanovski.
Beyond this week’s fight, Harrison is the frontrunner for the $1 million championship — a position she’s even more firmly entrenched in after the withdrawal of No. 1 seed Larissa Pacheco, who missed weight on Wednesday. Her scheduled opponent, Taylor Guardado, now faces alternate Mariana Morais.
But while there’s a good chance the 2021 women’s lightweight champion will be the same as the 2019 champ, there’s guaranteed to be a new titlist at heavyweight, the other division that locks down its finalists on Thursday.
2019 PFL heavyweight champion, Ali Isaev, never made it to the cage this season to defend his title. That leaves four new names in the mix. Bruno Cappelozza, the No. 1 seed, takes on Jamelle Jones, and second-seeded Denis Goltsov faces Ante Delija.
Follow along for recaps and analysis throughout the night.
Up next — Heavyweight semifinals: No. 2 Denis Goltsov vs. No. 3. Ante Delija
Heavyweight: Renan Ferreira def. Stuart Austin by first-round knockout
Austin, the 33-year-old British heavyweight, got dropped by a straight right hand from Ferreira in the fight’s opening seconds, and as the back of Austin’s head bounced off the canvas, his Brazilian opponent pounced with his right hand cocked to deliver more damage. But referee Keith Peterson’s fast first step allowed him to dive onto Austin’s torso and into Ferreira’s path, leaving Ferreira to pull up short on another damaging punch.
Peterson waved off the fight at 31 seconds. The 31-year-old Ferreira (8-2, 1 NC) is now unbeaten in his last four fights. Included in that run is a knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum that later was overturned to a no contest.
Austin, who is from London, dropped to 15-7.
Heavyweight: Muhammed DeReese def. Carl Seumanutafa by unanimous decision
After two rounds without much action, DeReese took advantage of a sudden show of aggression by Seumanutafa and dropped the charging Samoan with a straight punch midway through Round 3 to turn a close fight his way.
All three judges scored the bout his way, by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
DeReese and Seumanutafa spent a considerable amount of time in the clinch against the cage, including most of the first round. But they came out winging punches in the final round, and aggression cost the 38-year-old Seumanutafa (12-14), who fights out of San Francisco. DeReese, who is 33 and from Titusville, Florida, moved to 9-4.
Women’s lightweight: Marina Mokhnatkina def. Claudia Zamora by unanimous decision
Mokhnatkina, a six-time combat sambo world champion from Russia, damaged Zamora’s lead leg with kicks early in the fight, then stalked her for three rounds to win a fight in which there was little engagement. All three judges scored all three rounds for the 33-year-old Mokhnatkina (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Zamora, who is from Miami, weighed in more than 6 pounds under the women’s lightweight limit. She appeared undersized for the division, after having previously completed as low as bantamweight.
Women’s lightweight: Amanda Leve def. Miranda Barber by first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Leve, a two-time world champion in jiu-jitsu, clearly wanted to make a statement by showing off her standup skills in her pro MMA debut. She did not attempt a takedown in the first three minutes of the fight. But after Barber wobbled her with a straight right hand, then swarmed her with punches, Leve decided enough was enough.
Leve, who fights out of Philadelphia, went for the takedown and quickly turned it into a rear-naked choke, finishing Barber at 4:18. Barber, out of nearby Boca Raton, is 1-2 as a pro.
Men’s lightweight: Christian Lohsen def. Jonas Flok by unanimous decision
It was only fitting that the first winner in a night of fights in Hollywood, Florida, was a fighter from Florida nicknamed “Hollywood.” Lohsen used strong, fluid grappling to secure his fifth victory in his last six bouts, as all three judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 at the end of three rounds.
The 26-year-old Lohsen had won six of his last eight by submission, and he did threaten Flok throughout with a variety of different submission attempts, but Flok, who fights out of Wisconsin, toughed it out to the final bell. Both lightweights were making their PFL debuts.
Still to come:
Women’s lightweight: No. 2 Kayla Harrison vs. No. 3 Genah Fabian
Heavyweight: No. 1 Bruno Cappelozza vs. No. 4 Jamelle Jones
Women’s lightweight: No. 4 Taylor Guardado vs. No. 5 Mariana Morais