Uh, oh … watch out, PFL Flyweights.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight title challenger Taila Santos was victorious in her Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut earlier today at PFL San Antonio (Thurs. April. 4, 2024) when she strangled former Bellator fighter Ilara Joanne in the first round inside Boeing Center in San Antonio, TX.
It was an easy night for Santos, as she absolutely tore through her opponent in under four minutes. Joanne landed a punch after a wild combination, but other than that, Santos used her size and strength to dominate Joanne on the ground, which ultimately ended in a first-round rear-naked choke.
Check out the finish below:
THIS IS OVER! Taila Santos gets the Quick 6??FINISH!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
ESPN+
https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/NRbDSeXuMq— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 5, 2024
Santos unexpectedly left the UFC after her contract expired last year, which confused the entire MMA world (she explained why here). The 30-year-old had a lot of success inside the UFC, including giving Valentina Shevchenko all that she could handle at UFC 275. Santos snapped her career’s first two-fight losing streak at PFL San Antonio.
Joanne (11-9) has now lost three straight fights, two of which were in the first round.
Santo’s first-round finish earned her six crucial points, and she is tied with Jena Bishop for first place in the 2024 season thus far.
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Follow along with full PFL 1: San Antonio results here.