ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Professional Fighters League (PFL) kicks off its 2022 season TONIGHT (Weds., April 20, 2022) with a massive night of fights at PFL 1. Headlining the card will be a Lightweight fight between 34-fight Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran, Jeremy Stephens, and Clay Collard.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE results and real-time play-by-play coverage of the entire PFL 1 main card below, which begins at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. We’ll also provide quick results for the “Prelims” undercard on ESPN+, which will start streaming at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The evening’s co-main event will remain focused on the 155 pounders as last season’s champion, Raush Manfio, returns to face UFC veteran, Don Madge.
PFL 1 QUICK RESULTS:
155 lbs.: Clay Collard def. Jeremy Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27 All)
155 lbs.: Raush Manfio def. Don Madge via third-round knockout (punches) at 2:42
205 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Delan Monte via first-round submission (d’arce choke) at 0:29
155 lbs.: Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Natan Schulte via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
205 lbs.: Cory Hendricks def. Emiliano Sordi via second-round technical knockout (punches) at 2:13
155 lbs.: Alexander Martinez def. Stevie Ray via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
205 lbs.: Marthin Hamlet def. Teodoras Aukstuolis via unanimous decision (30-27 All)
205 lbs.: Omari Akhmedov def. Viktor Pesta via first-round knockout (punch) at 1:25
205 lbs.: Rob Wilkinson def. Bruce Souto via second-round technical knockout (knees and punches) at 0:46
205 lbs.: Simeon Powell def. Clinton Williams via third-round technical knockout (knee) at 4:38
PFL 1 PLAY-BY-PLAY:
155 lbs.: Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens
Round 1: Collard lands a pair of leg kicks early before Stephens returns some of his own while seeking a bomb upstairs. Getting into the clinch, they exchange uppercuts to the body. Separating, Stephens gets through with a head kick. A heavy right hand from Stephens connects. Collard sneaks a right straight down the pipe as uppercuts and hooks are traded. Collard starts ripping to the body. Collard starts putting together combinations of punches with leg kicks on the end. Stephens swings big left hooks off the back foot. An uppercut to the body and upstairs land for Collard with a head clash mixed in. Action pauses briefly. Collard continues picking up the pace and throwing straights. And then it’s off to brawling against the cage with each man landing. Collard lands a knee. Body work continues for Collard. He punches back to the head as Stephens covers. Collard teases a takedown with a knee tap. Both men get back to unloading bombs and landing. Stephens forces his way into round one to eat some late knees against the cage and the wild round closes.
Round 2: Stephens swings heavy early. The trading commences once again, hook after hook from each. Collard gets stunned as Stephens back him up and starts winging. He survives and pushes Stephens back to the other side of the cage where he lands punches in bunches. Knees in tight land for Collard. Defense goes out the window as Collard’s punch combos land. Stephens lands a big uppercut which forces Collard to hit a takedown. Stephens gets up quickly to control from Collard’s back. Slipping out, Collard gets back to punching the body in close. A solid right hook lands for Collard. Stephens eats a knee to the body. Leg kick from Collard. Stephens pushes Collard to the cage and retakes his back but can’t do anything effective with it. Stephens lands a knee before the buzzer.
Round 3: Collard catches a low kick early. Shovel uppercut from Collard lands. Stephens begins jabbing his way in on Collard. They trade leg kicks. Collard rips the body with punches. They brawl in tight against the cage before a Collard head kick. Uppercut from Collard. Jab from Collard gets through as Stephens starts going to the body with punches. Collard hits a quick trip but walks away. Collard throws knees with Stephens uppercutting the body against the cage. Stephens ducks down for a double leg attempt as Collard defends with one underhook. Short left for Stephens lands in a scramble. They separate and dance a bit. Slow wheel kick from Collard leads to another exchanging of big shots in tight as the bell sounds. Chaos.
Final result: Collard def. Stephens via unanimous decision (30-27 All)
155 lbs.: Raush Manfio vs. Don Madge
Round 1: Madge lands an inside leg kick early. He lands another. They circle the center as Manfio connects with a body kick. Madge lands an outside leg kick. He fires off a left straight with an outside leg kick behind it. Another pair of outside leg kicks land. Madge with an outside before going inside with the leg kick. A big left hook hits for Manfio. He eats a body kick right after before an inside low kick. Madge hits another outside low kick. Manfio connects with some big punches before the round ends.
Round 2: A pair of body kicks for Madge land right out the gate. Two big punches return from Manfio. Manfio finds two hooks. Madge starts looking for front kicks. An inside low kick from Madge leads to a brief clinch exchange. Madge connects with a clean left that retreats Manfio. A body kick lands for Madge. An inside low kick from Manfio off-balances Madge. Madge connects with a teep and side kick to the thigh. Manfio fires a teep back before an inside low kick to the ankle. Madge snaps off another outside low kick. Manfio finds a teep. Round ends right after a body kick for Manfio then a left hook from Madge.
Round 3: Both men fire off quick combos immediately as the round starts. Manfio hits a nice inside low kick before taking a teep and giving one back. Low side kick and outside from Madge land. Overhand right from Manfio gets through the guard. Big left hand connects for Madge. Manfio follows a teep with a straight right to the body. Massive overhand right from Manfio connects and sleeps Madge.
Final result: Manfio def. Madge via third-round knockout (punches) at 2:42
205lbs.: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Delan Monte
Round 1: An early leg kick bothers Carlos Junior before he eats a big punch up high. A takedown quickly follows and he wraps up the d’arce choke to finish it quick.
Final result: Carlos Junior def. Monte via first-round submission (d’arce choke) at 0:29
155lbs.: Natan Schulte vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier
Round 1: Schulte starts the action with his jab. A body kick finds a home. OAM lands a leg kick before finding an overhand right circling away from the cage. Schulte begins finding success with his own leg kicks. OAM hits some body kicks that seem to hurt Schulte who ducks for a failed takedown. Schulte connects with some knees to the body in tight before taking an eye poke that pauses the action. OAM gets back to attacking the body with knees and kicks once things resume. Schulte works his way in for a body lock against the cage. They break and OAM gets back to firing off body kicks. OAM starts absorbing some leg kicks that keep him on his bike before firing back one of his own. A good one-two lands for OAM. Schulte continues to pressure and lands a solid left hook before the round ends.
Round 2: Schulte immediately gets back to dictating the pace. He lands a leg kick followed by a left hook. A sneaky uppercut finds a home. OAM lands a leg kick and jab. They both trade leg kicks with Schulte advancing. An overhand behind the ear of Schulte lands. Schulte swings missing but finds a leg kick at the end. OAM gets a head kick block but connects with solid punches afterward. A left hand and leg kick connect for OAM. Schulte sneaks in a right straight. OAM eats a shot in close as Schulte continually walks him down. A step knee up high lands for OAM. Round ends with Schulte holding OAM against the cage landing some knees to the thigh.
Round 3: Schulte finds a leg kick as he backs up OAM. An overhand right grazes OAM before he shoots in and gets a very brief double leg takedown that Schulte scrambled out of. Schulte began landing his jab and gets back to swinging. Schulte connects with a body kick. OAM rips to the body with a left and eats two hooks in return. OAM lands a stiff leg kick. An OAM jab lands. Schulte starts unloading a bit against the cage but OAM blocks well. They each trade looping rights. They trade again with OAM taking his worse then failing on a takedown. Schulte backs him to the cage and starts landing knees to the body. Fight ends in that position.
Final result: Aubin-Mercier def Schulte via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more PFL 2022 news and notes click here.