After an eventful six-event season, Professional Fighters League’s (PFL’s) 2022 playoffs kick off tonight (Fri., Aug. 5, 2022) with the Lightweight and Light Heavyweight semifinals.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE results and real-time play-by-play coverage of the entire PFL Playoffs 1 main card below, which begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. We’ll also provide quick results for the “Prelims” undercard on ESPN+, which will start streaming at 6 p.m. ET.
The evening’s main event features a rematch between UFC veterans Anthony Pettis and Stevie Ray. The pair first locked horns in June, when “Braveheart” forced “Showtime” to tap to an ultra-tight body triangle. In the co-feature, Omari Akhmedov takes on fast-rising late replacement Josh Silveira, while the opening two bouts see Olivier Aubin-Mercier look to make it five straight against Alexander Martinez and Rob Wilkinson squares off with upset artist Delan Monte.
PFL PLAYOFFS 1 QUICK RESULTS:
Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray — Ray def. Pettis by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Omari Akhmedov vs. Josh Silveira — Akhmedov def. Silveira by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Alexander Martinez — Aubin-Mercier def. Martinez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26 x2)
Rob Wilkinson vs. Delan Monte — Wilkinson def. Monte by TKO (knee and punches) at 1:37 of Round One
Marcelo Nunes vs. Dylan Potter
Cory Hendricks vs. Marthin Hamlet — Hamlet def. Hendricks by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Mahmoud Sebie vs. Itso Babulaidze — Babulaidze def. Sebie by TKO (punches) at 4:30 of Round One
PFL PLAYOFFS 1 ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE:
155 lbs.: Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray
Round one: Ray lands to the body. Pettis tries a head kick. Ray with an ugly level change, gets pressed against the fence. One minute in. They separate. 1-2 from Ray. Hard body kick by Pettis in return. Body jab to 1-2 from Ray, his best of the round. They trade in the center. Pull counter by Pettis. Ray gets in on his hips and dumps him to the mat with two minutes to go.
Side control for Ray. Solid hammerfist with a minute to go. Cinching up a north-south choke of all things. It’s not quite deep enough and Pettis tries a final onslaught to end the round. 10-9 Ray.
Round two: Clean head kick lands for Pettis in the early going, but it allows Ray to tie up and put him on the fence. Pettis removes the hook and exits with punches. Ray to the body a minute in. Right hook met by a harder Pettis right cross. Brief clinch. Pettis body kicks, but once again Ray backs him to the fence and locks his hands. Hunting the back. He worms the other hook in two minutes in. Body triangle. He looks a little low on the back, but Pettis can’t get out. Two minutes to go.
Ray still fighting the hands, Pettis still unable to turn into him. One minute to go. Pettis manages to break the body triangle and stands right at the bell. 10-9 Ray.
Round three: Sharp lead right by Pettis. Hard front kick. Body kick to straight right. Ray trying to tie up, unable to. Another body kick and front kick by Pettis. One minute in. Pettis with a Superman punch to head kick. Ray puts him on the fence, can’t keep him there. Both land their rear hands. Two minutes in. Pettis front kick to right cross. Nice left cross by Ray. 1-2, right hook. Two minutes to go.
Ray catches a body kick for a level change. Holding a hook against the fence. Pettis removes it with a minute to go. They separate. Ray straight left, Pettis body kick. Pettis knocks him over with a low kick and tries to follow with a flying knee. Tossing out kicks. 10-9 Pettis.
Final result: Ray def. Pettis by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Omari Akhmedov vs. Josh Silveira
Round one: Akhmedov slips on a head kick, tries to shoot, rebuffed. Silveira body kick a minute in. Staying busy with the rear leg. Jab by Akhmedov. Two minutes in. Silveira 1-2, solid body kicks behind them. Akmedov tries a three-piece, then catches Silveira coming in with a jab. Flurry falls short. Two minutes to go.
Akhmedov waking up a bit, lands a right hand. Body shot. 1-2 comes back at him. He tries to open up on the fence and Silveira times a successful double-leg with a minute to go. Akhmedov gets to his feet and puts him on the fence. 10-9 Silveira.
Round two: Body kick by Akhmedov. Nice double-leg by Silveira. Akhmedov works his way up and separates a minute in. Overhand right lands for him. Staying aggressive, looks to land against the fence. Two minutes in. Akhmedov wings a right, denies a level change. They trade inside low kicks. Akhmedov body kick. Two minutes to go.
Silveira tossing out kicks. Nice snap kicks downstairs. Akhmedov lands a right hand against the fence. One minute to go. Silveira tries a single-leg, denied via whizzer. Akhmedov tries to run in with a right hand. Inside low kick. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Round three: Akhmedov continuing to advance, firing right hands. Silveira 1-2. Akhmedov the busier so far a minute in. Nice body shot met by a Silveira body kick. Two minutes in. Silveira body kick and 1-2. Leg kick comes back at him. Akhmedov 1-2. Silveira getting a bit busier with his hands. Body kick by Akhmedov, then some volleys. Two minutes to go.
Fairly slow fourth minute. Akhmedov looks for low kicks. One minute to go. Silveira low kick met by an overhand right. Silveira shoots and takes him to the fence. Nice finish gets him on top in the final seconds. 10-9 Akhmedov.
Final result: Akhmedov def. Silveira by unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Alexander Martinez
Round one: Both toss out low kicks. Body kick to spinning back fist from Martinez, neither land clean. Brief clinch. Nice counter left by OAN. One minute in. Low-high combination, another counter left to answer a Martinez head kick. 2-3, 1-2. Martinez staying active with his kicks. Hard step-in hook from OAM two minutes in. 2-1 attempt. Martinez low kick, walks into a counter left. Another 1-2 by OAM. Two minutes to go.
Martinez very busy with the kicks but it’s OAM’s hands doing work so far. OAM body kick and check hook. He tries to punch his way in and Martinez puts him on the fence with a minute to go. OAM reverses and separates with a left hand. Hard check hook. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier.
Round two: Martinez staying busy with the kicks, but OAM finding the mark with some heavy punches as he does. Hard 1-2 and down goes Martinez. OAM follows him into guard, postures out of an armbar, and takes the back. Body triangle locked up. Fighting the hands. Two minutes in. Still looking for the choke, not landing a ton from the back as he does. Two minutes to go.
More of the same. One minute to go. 10-8 Aubin-Mercier.
Round three: In a near-exact repeat of the second round, OAM counters a kick with a razor-sharp straight left that appears to turn Martinez’s lights out for a moment. OAM follows him down and retakes the back. One minute in. More of the same. Two minutes in. Still on the back. Two minutes to go.
This continues for the rest of the fight. 10-8 Aubin-Mercier.
Final result: Aubin-Mercier def. Martinez by unanimous decision
205 lbs.: Rob Wilkinson vs. Delan Monte
Round one: They trade jabs to start. 1-2-3 lands for Wilkinson, then a check hook. Monte chopping right, Wilkinson counter right. Another check hook by Wilkinson, who eats a pair of heavy rights as Monte barrels in. Knees to a body lock for Monte but Wilkinson slings him to the mat, landing punches. Back up a minute in. Yet another lead right from Monte, but Wilkinson comes back with rapid-fire punches. As soon as Monte tightens his guard, Wilkinson grabs the back of his head and slams home a perfect knee that sends Monte teetering to the mat.
Final result: Wilkinson def. Monte by TKO (knee and punches)
For more PFL 2022 news and notes, click here.