Professional Fighters Leagues kicks off the first of three weekends in Atlanta with highlight finishes and close decision wins at PFL 4.
PFL 4 was the fourth event of the 2022 regular season. PFL follows a format like many other professional sports, but the only one of its kind in mixed martial arts. PFL has a regular season, made up of six events, then playoffs. The regular season has two halves and each fighter fights once in each half of the regular season. The top four fighters in each weight class at the end of the regular season advance to the playoffs. At the end of the playoffs, champions are crowned in their respective weight classes.
The main event of PFL 4 was in the lightweight division with Alex Martinez defeating Clay Collard by split decision. This fight was very close with two of the three judges giving Martinez the win and crediting him for winning two of the three rounds they fought.
Martinez clinched a playoff spot with this win and showed that he will be a serious contender in the playoffs. With the loss, Collard was eliminated from the playoffs.
In the co-main event, 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. defeated Bruce Souto by unanimous decision. Carlos Jr. dominated the fight and showed how strong of a grappler he is. He had six successful takedowns in the fight. With the win, Carlos Jr. is back in the PFL playoffs and will look to win back-to-back championships, and Souto was eliminated with this loss.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight fighters, Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Jeremy Stephens got wins to open the main card. Aubin-Mercier defeated 2019 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio by unanimous decision and secured a playoff spot. Stephens got the split decision win against Myles Price.
The opening card of PFL 4 featured six fights and five of them ended with a finish.
In the first fight of the evening, Nate Jennerman defeated Jake Childers by rear naked choke submission. Childers was an alternate for the card and was called in to fight Wednesday after weight cutting complications from the original opponent for Jennerman, Bruno Miranda.
Omari Akhmedov secured a playoff spot with his win against Teodoras Aukstuolis. Akhmedov dominated on the ground and got the win by arm triangle submission.
2019 PFL light heavyweight champions Emiliano Sordi was knocked out in 1:32 by Delan Monte. Monte came out swinging early in the fight and stunned the former champion with a hook. Sordi tried to fight back was met with a punches in bunches from Monte. Monte said post fight that he had a broken right hand going into this fight and the hand he used to knockout Sordi was his right one. Monte clinched a playoff spot with his win and will be a fighter to watch in the playoffs with this dominant win.
In his PFL debut, light heavyweight Josh Silveira got a huge knockout win. Silveira defeated Norwegian Marthin Hamlet in 3:27 of Round 1. Silveira landed a head kick that wobbled Hamlet, then Silveira saw the opportunity to finish the fight and capitalized on it. In his post-fight interview in the octagon, Silveira said “I feel amazing…Don’t count me out. I ain’t just a wrestler either.”
PFL Full Results:
Alexander Martinez def. Clay Collard by split decision
Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Bruce Souto by unanimous decision
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Raush Manfio by unanimous decision
Jeremy Stephens def. Myles Price by split decision via arm triangle
Omari Akhedov def. Teodoras Aukstuolis by submission
Natan Schulte def. Marcin Held by unanimous decision
Delan Monte def. Emiliano Sordi by technical knockout
Robert Wilkinson def. Viktor Pesta by TKO
Josh Silviera def Marthin Hamlet by TKO
Nate Jennerman def. Jake Childers by submission via rear naked choke
PFL’s next events, PFL 5 will be June 24 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. PFL 6, the final regular season event of 2022, will be at the same location on July 1.
More information on PFL and tickets to upcoming events, visit the PFL website.
Feature Image by Cannon Crompton
