The Professional Fighters League (PFL) made its debut Saturday in “The Steel City,” where those in attendance at UPMC Center were treated to an incredible night of action.
In the PFL Pittsburgh main event, former Bellator World Champion and No. 1-ranked PFL middleweight Johnny Eblen bounced back from the first loss of his career with an emphatic first-round submission victory over No. 9-ranked Bryan Battle, who was making his PFL debut. With the win, Eblen puts himself in prime position for a rematch with current PFL Middleweight World Champion Costello van Steenis.
Pennsylvania’s own No. 4-ranked Dalton Rosta had the entire city of Pittsburgh behind him as he entered the PFL cage against No. 3-ranked Impa Kasanganay, but the support wasn’t enough to propel “Hercules” to victory. The two men exchanged heavy shots, with each landing damaging blows, but in the end it was a pair from Kasanganay that left Rosta facedown, forcing the referee to step in and stop the action.
In her PFL debut, No. 10-ranked flyweight Ariane Lipski da Silva took care of business against No. 5-ranked Sumiko Inaba, getting the better of the standup exchanges and controlling the pace throughout. Showcasing her sharp striking and composure, Lipski consistently found her range while neutralizing Inaba’s offense, ultimately securing a convincing decision victory.
A battle between the No. 8 and No. 9-ranked PFL featherweights lived up to the hype, as Alexei Pergande and Julio Arce turned the canvas into a bloody battleground, trading shots on the feet and scrambles on the ground throughout. In the end, the surging Pergande earned a unanimous decision victory.
Proud Cuban and No. 9-ranked bantamweight Lazaro Dayron remained undefeated with a unanimous decision victory over Jacob Thrall, showcasing his wrestling with seven takedowns across three rounds.
PFL Pittsburgh Main Card Results:
#1-Johnny Eblen (17-1) defeated #7-Bryan Battle (12-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:10 of round one#3-Impa Kasanganay (20-6) defeated #4-Dalton Rosta (11-3) via knockout at 3:18 of round one#10-Ariane Lipski da Silva (18-11) defeated #5-Sumiko Inaba (8-3) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)#8-Alexei Pergande (8-0) defeated #9-Julio Arce (21-7) via unanimous decisión (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)#9-Lazaro Dayron (10-0-1) defeated Jacob Thrall (15-8-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Preliminary Card Results:
Jack Cartwright (14-2) defeated Allan Begosso (10-4-1) via split decision (29-28, 27-28, 29-28)#5-Jakub Kaszuba (16-0) defeated #6-Natan Schulte (25-6-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)Dakota Bush (16-4) defeated Robert Watley (16-4) via KO at :34 of round oneErnesto Rodriguez (11-1) vs. #9-Masayuki Kikuiri (11-4-1) via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)Tatiana Postarnakova (7-0) defeated Elora Dana (8-2) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)Josh Fremd (12-6) defeated Jarrah Al Salawi (21-6) via knockout at 3:57 of round threeFred Dupras (10-2) defeated Ethan Goss (12-9) via technical submission (guillotine) at 2:46 of round one
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