Professional Fighters League (PFL) jumps continents today (Sat., Aug. 13, 2022), setting sail for Cardiff, Wales, for its Welterweight and Heavyweight playoff semifinals.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE results and real-time play-by-play coverage of the entire PFL Playoffs 2 main card below, which begins at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+. We’ll also provide quick results for the “Prelims” undercard on ESPN+, which will start streaming at 12 p.m. ET.
Unfortunately, the card’s taken a late-notice hit for entirely preventable reasons. The move from the United States to the United Kingdom left the tournament favorites, Magomed Umalatov and Denis Goltsov, unable to secure visas. Anyone with half a mind could have seen this coming, but apparently not the PFL brass.
As a result, UFC veteran, Rory MacDonald, will face late replacement Dilano Taylor in the main event, while Juan Adams steps in for Goltsov against Matheus Scheffel. The rest of the main card includes Ante Delija vs. Renan Ferreia and Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal in the other semifinal match ups, plus a Featherweight tussle between Nate Kelly and Ben Ellis.
PFL PLAYOFFS 2 QUICK RESULTS:
Rory MacDonald vs. Dilano Taylor — Taylor def. MacDonald by TKO (punches) at 3:59 of Round One
Ante Delija vs. Renan Ferreira — Delija def. Ferreira by TKO (punches) at 4:31 of Round One
Matheus Scheffel vs. Juan Adams — Scheffel def. Adams by TKO (punches) at 3:45 of Round Three
Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal — Sy def. Leal by unanimous decision (29-27 x3)
Nathan Kelly vs. Ben Ellis — Kelly def. Ellis by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:45 of Round One
Joshua O’Connor vs. Emran Sakhizada — O’Connor def. Sakhizada by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:56 of Round Three
Mick Stanton vs. Marcin Wojcik — Wojcik def. Stanton by submission (rear naked choke) at 4:04 of Round One
Chris Mixan vs. Christian Stigenberg — Mixan def. Stigenberg by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Ronny Markes vs. Szymon Bajor — Bajor def. Markes by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-27)
PFL PLAYOFFS 2 ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE:
170 lbs.: Rory MacDonald vs. Dilano Taylor
Round one: MacDonald shoots in the opening seconds, looks for an inside trip form over-unders, ends up on his back in guard. Looking for an omoplata. He tries to transition into a triangle, ends up stuck in half guard. One minute in. MacDonald makes it to his feet. Solid 1-2 met by a 1-3 from Taylor. Two minutes in. Taylor low kick. MacDonald considers a knee tap, bails. Low kick to cross by Taylor, who eats a cross counter. MacDonald to the body with two minutes to go.
Taylor continuing to pile up jabs, avoids an ankle pick. He continues to jab, then floors MacDonald with a monster right cross. MacDonald slumps to the ground and tries to cover up, but Taylor just keeps dropping hammerfists until the ref intervenes.
Final result: Taylor def. MacDonald by TKO (punches)
265 lbs.: Ante Delija vs. Renan Ferreira
Round one: Both swing big in the center to start. Double-leg attempt from Delija, puts him on the fence. Short punches. One minute in. Nice work to finish the takedown away from the fence. He slips out of a triangle and looks for side control, settles for half guard. Two minutes in. Ferreira scoots to the fence. Solid hammerfists by Delija. Two minutes to go.
Ferreira still unable to stand. Delija postures up, looks to drop some heavy punches. One minute to go. Big shots piling up. Ferreira turns and covers up under the onslaught and there’s the finish.
Final result: Delija def. Ferreira by TKO (punches)
265 lbs.: Matheus Scheffel vs. Juan Adams
Round one: Adams ties up on the fence in the first few seconds. Scheffel throwing volume as he retreats, gets tied up again, separates again. Nice jab. Adams changes levels again. One minute in. Adams looking for a single-leg, drags him to a knee. Adams staying heavy. Two minutes in. Scheffel makes it to his feet, cracks Adams with a clean 1-2. Two minutes to go.
Again Scheffel gets backed to the fence as he flurries and this time Adams hits a double-leg. Scheffel stands, still stuck against the fence. One minute to go. Now Scheffel separates. Low kick. Both look tired already. Adams looks for front kicks, lands a low kick. Scheffel suddenly opens up with some nasty combinations, absorbing a leg kick in the process. 10-9 Scheffel.
Round two: Early takedown attempt from Adams rebuffed. Adams jabs, Scheffel overhand right. They’re both plodding at this point. One minute in. Stiff jabs by Scheffel snap Adams’ head back. Scheffel limp-legs out of a takedown and bangs the body. Some slow-mo punching exchanges. Two minutes in. Adams looks to open up on the fence, then changes levels after eating a clean overhand right. Successful high-amplitude double-leg. Two minutes to go.
Scheffel works himself back to his feet and separates. Heavy overhand right lands for him. Right hand downstairs. Left hook, overhand right. Adams retreating. One minute to go. Adams low kick. He wades in and shoots once again, completing the takedown against the fence. Scheffel looking to punch as he tries to stand. Left hook on the break, then a brutal 2-3 that rattled Adams at the bell. 10-9 Scheffel.
Round three: Good left hook by Scheffel as he circles. Hard combinations. Uppercut to left hook. Adams low blow a minute in. Check hook and 2-3 by Scheffel, who’s landing just about every punch he throws at this point. Adams claims in eye poke, but the ref doesn’t respond, so Scheffel looks to pursue after initially hesitating. This is target practice two minutes in. Low kicks from Adams. He shoots, rebuffed. Scheffel to the body, follows with a left hook upstairs. 1-3 with two minutes to go.
Scheffel denies a level change, lands two hard left hooks and an overhand right. Jab by Adams as he slowly retreats. Huge left hook by Scheffel. Another left hook and the ref intervenes.
Final result: Scheffel def. Adams by TKO (punches)
170 lbs.: Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal
Round one: Leal switching stance as he advances. Sy looking to circle and fire kicks. Leal punches into the clinch and puts Sy on the fence. They separate a minute in. 1-2 from Leal an da leg kick behind it. Sy digs in a nice body kick and check right hook. Crisp jabs. Continuing to land. Two minutes in. Leal looks for a combo on the fence. Heavy 1-2 lands for him, Sy jabs the body in return and tries a Brazilian kick behind it. Sy managing range well, potshotting with jabs and low kicks. Leal looks to open up near the fence with two minutes to go.
Leal with some more pressure, still eating jabs and a nice body kick. Leal 1-2, right hook by Sy in return with a minute to go. Leal long right, Sy body kick. Leal fires a Superman punch into the clinch. Sy with a head kick once they separate. 10-9 Sy.
Round two: Leal shoots early and puts Sy on the fence. One minute in. Separation. Leal staying a lot closer this round, looking for combinations. Solid double-leg entry and Leal puts in a hook two minutes in. Sy dislodges it, still stuck in the clinch. Now they separate. Leal just crowding Sy against the fence, throwing volume and periodically shooting in. Solid right hand from Leal, eats a counter. Two minutes to go.
Sy still throwing crisp punches but not moving nearly as well. There’s a good sequence from him, capped by a body kick. Leal ties up, looks to fall back for the takedown, can’t complete it and they separate with a minute to go. Counter rights by Sy. Leal falls short with a combo and they trade body kicks. Harder one from Sy. 10-9 Leal.
Round three: Sy circling once again, landing quick shots. Head kick to body kick attempt a minute in. Leal ties up against the fence, then lands a low blow that really seems to hurt Sy. He takes a couple minutes to recover and the ref takes a point from Leal. Leal comes out aggressive, fights off a takedown, continues to pressure. Trying to swarm, ties up two minutes in. Not a lot of action against the fence. Two minutes to go.
Leal separates, eats an uppercut. Lengthy series of jabs from Sy followed by a cross and right hook. Leal shoots, gets sprawled on, puts him on the fence. They separate with a minute to go. More jabs from Sy. Leal tries a wheel kick, avoids two in return. Sy circles away from a blitz. 10-8 Sy with the point deduction.
Final result: Sy def. Leal by unanimous decision
145 lbs.: Nathan Kelly vs. Ben Ellis
Round one: They immediately start trading in the center and it’s Kelly who finds the mark, knocking Ellis back with heavy shots before changing levels against the fence. Ellis lands a knee before they separate. Kelly continuing to land in center cage a minute in. Hard 1-2 as Ellis ties up. Kelly separates, then continues to land heavy combinations. Man, Ellis’ defense is atrocious. Kelly landing virtually everything he throws, and as Ellis ties up, Kelly makes a slick standing back take and immediately locks up the RNC. Ellis fighting the hands, but while he initially manages to break the grip, Kelly frees his hand and cinches it back up for the finish.
Final result: Kelly def. Ellis by submission (rear naked choke)
For more PFL 2022 news and notes, click here.