We witnessed the first of hopefully many champion vs champion fight cards and Bellator showed why it was the only promotion that could compete with the UFC. Here are the official PFL vs Bellator Results.
PFL vs Bellator Results: Main Card, Fight by Fight
Clay Collard vs AJ McKee – McKee won via Submission (1:10, Round 1)
Clay Collard and AJ McKee got off to a sparkling start. This is especially true for the second fighter. From the very beginning of the confrontation, he completely seized the initiative. He was in control on the ground and tried multiple different submission techniques in the first minute. In the end, Collard simply gave up. In just 70 seconds, McKee gave us one of the highlights of the evening.
Thiago Santos vs Yoel Romero – Romero won via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
We definitely expected more from Santos as he was 6 years younger than his 46-year-old foe and looked like he was in better shape in general.
The fighters spent the starting round on reconnaissance, where they preferably worked in a standing position from a long distance. From the second round, Romero began to control the fight due to active work with low kicks and periodic involvement with exchanges. Nothing changed in the final round, which followed the same scenario. As a result, all three judges unanimously gave Romero the victory.
Bruno Cappelozza vs Vadim Nemkov – Nemkov won via Submission (2:23, Round 2)
We had huge expectations for this fight and it did not disappoint. Well, Vadim Nemkov didn't disappoint while Cappelozza was simply absent from the action.
Nemkov showed his enormous potential in the heavyweight division. It was surprising to watch how easily Vadim transferred his opponent. The huge Brazilian looked like a toy in the hands of the Russian. Therefore, the victory in the second round did not come as much of a surprise.
True, there were some negative aspects. In one of the exchanges, things became alarming for Vadim. Cappelozza shocked him with several powerful punches but that is normal for this weight class where one punch can change the whole course of action. However, Nemkov came to his senses quickly and responded with a submission that sent Cappelozza to sleep.
Ray Cooper III vs Jason Jackson – Jackson won via TKO (0:23, Round 2)
It is very different when we watch fights that are not in the UFC. Fights are simply more unhinged and we see a ton of knockouts and submissions.
Ray Cooper III and Jason Jackson ended their fight within a round and a few seconds. It was fun while it lasted. Jackson looked in incredible form and he showed once again that the level in Bellator is elite. In the second round, he threw his opponent to the canvas and overwhelmed him with punches. As a result, the judge decided to stop the contest.
Impa Kasanganay vs Johnny Eblen – Eblen won via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Out of all the representatives of Bellator that actually went past the first round, Eblen had the toughest bout and really could have lost this fight.
The starting round was for Kasanganay. The fighters preferably worked in a standing position, and in this aspect, it was Kasanganay who was more effective. But already in the second round, Eblen began to look for ways to win through wrestling and noticeably exhausted his opponent on the ground. In the decisive third round, he seized the initiative into his own hands and was the more active fighter, hence winning a hard-fought victory via Split Decision.
Renan Ferreira vs Ryan Bader – Ferreira won via TKO (0:21, Round 1)
It is fair to say that the early card was dominated by PFL's athletes while Bellator won the important matches and champion vs champion scenarios. Apart from the main event. We told you days ago that Renan Ferreira has the power to knock every single heavyweight out, even an experienced veteran like Ryan Bader. And he did.
Ferreira needed only 20 seconds. Bader simply fell apart from his pressure and power. Renan knocked down his opponent on the canvas and finished him instantly. We would have loved to watch at least a couple of rounds but there is no doubt that the PFL vs Bellator results couldn't have had a more explosive ending.
PFL vs Bellator Full Card Results: Pre-Fight Odds vs Results
In this section, we give you all the matchups with every single favorite on display. It is fair to say that bookmakers mostly got their odds right this time, which is rare for an MMA event and we definitely cannot say the same about the recent UFC results. Here are the PFL vs Bellator results from the full card.
• Heavyweight: Renan Ferreira (-105) vs Ryan Bader (-115) – Ferreira won via TKO (0:21, Round 1)
• Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay (+400) vs Johnny Eblen (-535) – Eblen won via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Catchweight: Ray Cooper III (+440) vs Jason Jackson (-600) – Jackson won via TKO (0:23, Round 2)
• Heavyweight: Bruno Cappelozza (+350) vs Vadim Nemkov (-550) – Nemkov won via Submission (2:23, Round 2)
• Light Heavyweight: Thiago Santos (-130) vs Yoel Romero (-110) – Romero won via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Lightweight: Clay Collard (+200) vs AJ McKee (-275) – McKee won via Submission (1:10, Round 1)
• Featherweight: Aaron Pico (-425) vs Henry Corrales (+290) – Pico won via TKO (4:53, Round 1)
• Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh (-1000) vs Chris Morris (+575) – Walsh won via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Lightweight: Claressa Shields (-500) vs Kelsey DeSantis (+330) – Shields won via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Featherweight: Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-1400) vs Edukondal Rao (+700) – Al-Qahtani won via TKO (0:23, Round 3)
• Amateur Flyweight: Malik Basahel vs Vinicius Pereira – Basahel won via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
