PFL Playoffs 2 (ESPN/ESPN+) took place on Friday at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., and MMA Junkie had live round-by-round coverage throughout the entire card.
The main event will see 2023 light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay (17-4) take on Josh Silveira (13-3), while the 205-pound co-main event will see Rob Wilkinson (19-2) take on Dovre Yagsimradov (23-7-1).
Rounding out the main card will be three lightweight bouts, including semifinal bouts Gadzhi Labadanov vs. Michael Dufort and Brent Primus vs. Clay Collard.
Thad Jean vs. Chris Brown
Round 1 – Hard punches and kicks from both fighters early on as Zhang advances. Zhang kicks Brown off balance and sends him to his feet. Brown charges in with a front kick, followed by a head kick. Zhang lands a one-two and Brown lands a crescent kick. Brown keeps mixing up his strikes with awkward kick-punch combinations. Zhang keeps his guard up and tries to land a punch, but Brown kicks to keep him away. Zhang lands a hard left punch, followed immediately by a body kick. Brown kicks to the body. Zhang lands a sharp one-two. Now Zhang lands a hard right! Brown is rocked badly! Zhang leaps up with a flying knee and Brown is taken down with a wide leg. Zhang goes up but Brown scrambles quickly. Zhang lands another right punch before the end of the round.
MMA Junkie scored the round 10-9 for Zhang.
Round 2 – The fight starts fast. Zhang comes forward and both fighters trade strikes. Brown’s attacks are varied and somewhat reckless. He tries a jumping spinning kick at close range. Zhang stays on the defensive and dodges it well. A big kick from Brown lands and Zhang collapses in pain. Replays show Brown’s knee to the groin. After a brief pause, the two fighters are back in the fight, with Brown firing off a flurry of kicks. Zhang moves in and is cut off by a right hand. Zhang regains his footing and Brown lands a front kick. Zhang holds the center and the exchange continues at a fast pace. Brown looks tired but continues to pull off everything he can think of.
MMA Junkie scored the round 10-9 for Zhang.
Round 3 –
result:
Records: Jean (7-0), Brown (10-4)
Weight class: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Marcos Pérez
PHOTOS: 2024 PFL Playoffs 2: Florida’s Best Photos
2024 PFL Playoffs 2 full lineup
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira Rob Wilkinson vs. Dvretzhan Yagsimradov Michael Dufort vs. Ghazi Labadanov Clay Collard vs. Brent Primus Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Brian Stapleton
Prelims (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)
Lazaro Deiron vs. Danny Sabatello Mads Burnell vs. Elvin Espinoza Chris Brown vs. Thad Jean Braydon Akeao vs. Jordan Oliver Michelle Montague defeated Marilia Moraes by submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:44
Jordan Oliver vs. Braydon Akewo
Round 1 – Oliver comes out fast and controls the middle. Kick is caught and Akeo slams a right hand into the pipe. Oliver regains his balance and throws two hooks but misses. Akeo kicks to the calf and lands a right hand from up top. Oliver kicks high to the head. They both exchange punches but miss and trade leg kicks. Oliver lands a solid inside leg kick. Akeo fights back with a right hand. Oliver lands a few hooks and lands a good combo. Oliver lands a few more punches and Akeo fights back with a leg kick and a high punch.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Akeo.
Round 2 – Akeo lands punches to the body, Oliver fights back with kicks to the stomach while controlling the center. Oliver lands a few hooks as Akeo moves forward. They clinch briefly but Akeo breaks free and lands a leg kick. They continue to trade punches around the cage. Oliver steps in with a hard right and lands a clean combination. A sharp left jab from Oliver lands and Akeo lands a kick to the leg. Oliver lands another hard right. They trade single strikes as they move around the cage. A hard left kick from Oliver lands low. After a short pause, the fight resumes. Akeo lands a left jab but is countered with a right.
MMA Junkie scored the round 10-9 for Oliver.
Round 3 – Oliver pushes forward and goes for a single leg. Akeo defends and they start fighting in a clinch with their backs against the fence. After holding for a while, Oliver picks Akeo up and throws him to the ground, but the fight quickly goes back to a standing clinch. Oliver continues to go for the single leg as the clock ticks down. With 90 seconds left, Oliver breaks off an attempt and Akeo moves forward to attack. Akeo spins with a kick but doesn’t land much. Akeo lands a combo and Oliver lands a counter. Oliver changes levels and completes a double leg with 30 seconds left. Oliver is on his back, trying to land punches until the horn sounds.
MMA Junkie scored the round 10-9 for Oliver and won the bout 29-28.
Result: Jordan Oliver defeats Braydon Akeo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Records: Oliver (2-0), Akeo (5-4)
Weight class: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Christopher Mignocchi
PHOTOS: 2024 PFL Playoffs 2: Florida’s Best Photos
Michelle Montague vs. Marilia Moret
Round 1 – Montague wastes no time, crossing the cage and getting into the clinch. She gets a quick takedown and starts her offense from side control. Montague releases the arm and goes for a kimura. She fully extends her arm and switches to an armbar. Somehow Moraes doesn’t tap! Montague lets it go and transitions to the back. Rear naked choke in, and it’s deep! There’s the tap! A flawless victory for Montague, who went in as the overwhelming favorite.
Result: Michelle Montague defeats Marilia Moraes via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:44
Records: Montague (6-0), Morais (3-2)
Division: Women’s Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
PHOTOS: 2024 PFL Playoffs 2: Florida’s Best Photos
2024 PFL Playoffs 2 Weigh-in Gallery
Gallery
Photos: 2024 PFL Playoffs 2 weigh-in and fighter showdown
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For more details on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s 2024 PFL Playoffs 2 event hub.
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