Tag: 2021 PFL 6

2021 PFL 6 video highlights: Final playoff spots secured

The PFL wrapped up its six-event regular season this past Friday with postseason spots on the line in four divisions.

The PFL wrapped up its six-event regular season this past Friday with postseason spots on the line in four divisions.

Kayla Harrison, the 2019 women’s lightweight season winner, kept her perfect record intact in the main event when she submitted Cindy Dandois in the first round. Although the 6-point win gave her a maximum possible of 12 in the regular season, Harrison will be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs behind Larissa Pacheco – who also finished with 12 points, but gets the No. 1 seed based on a shorter total cage time in the tiebreaker.

Joining them in the women’s lightweight playoffs will be No. 3 seed Genah Fabian, who stopped Julija Pajic in the second round at PFL 6, and No. 4 seed Taylor Guardado.

Raush Manfio earned a lightweight playoff spot in in the co-main event with his upset of former UFC and WEC champion Anthony Pettis. Pettis, one of the PFL’s most highly touted free agent signings, went 0-2 in the regular season. Manfio’s 6 points have him tied with Loik Radzhabov and Clay Collard atop the standings, but he’s No. 3 based on the tiebreaker. The No. 4 spot went to Alexander Martinez and left two-time champ Natan Schulte, among others, watching the playoffs from home.

Movlid Khaybulaev made sure two-time featherweight winner Lance Palmer won’t three-peat. He got into the four-man field with top seed Brendan Loughnane, No. 2 Chris Wade and Bubba Jenkins with a decision win over Palmer.

And at heavyweight, the four-man field will be No. 1 Bruno Cappelozza, No. 2 Denis Goltsov, No. 3 Ante Delija and No. 4 Jamelle Jones, all of whom picked up wins Friday. Jones was an alternate who got in with just one regular season fight – a 6-point first-round TKO of Klidson Abreu to open the card.

Check out the highlights from 2021 PFL 6 in the video above.

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2021 PFL 6 results: Kayla Harrison cruises into playoffs with first round submission of Cindy Dandois

The main event of 2021 PFL 6 featured a bout in the women’s lightweight division between Kayla Harrison and Cindy Dandois.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]’s dominance in the PFL lightweight division continues.

With six points in the bag after her first-round stoppage of Mariana Moraes at 2021 PFL 3, Harrison (10-0) was in a great position to cruise into the playoffs. In fact, she clinched a playoff spot early in the evening as the prelims unfolded when Taylor Guardado defeated Laura Sanchez.

Entering the cage as a heavy favorite over Cindy Dandois, the two-time PFL champion found herself in a favorable matchup to earn more points in the standings.

Dandois (16-7) dropped her season opener to Kaitlin Young by unanimous decision and needed to pull off a major upset stoppage in order to make it through to the playoffs. Unfortunately, the odds were not in her favor.

2021 PFL 6 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The fight did not stay standing for long. A few moments into the opening round, the fight ended up on the canvas where many believed the fight would eventually end up, given Harrison’s dominant grappling. While looking to land heavy punches on Dandois from guard, Harrison stayed patient and also focused on keeping dominant positions.

After returning to her feet briefly, Harrison closed back in and transitioned to full mount. With time running out in the opening round, Harrison searched for an armbar submission and was able to lock in the technique to force Dandois to tap out.

Harrison finishes the regular season with two finishes, earning 12 points, which secured the number two seed behind Larissa Pacheco.

“I’m so far ahead of all these girls,” Harrison said during her post-fight interview.

“This is the game of thrones and I’m gonna be the queen.”

Full results of 2021 PFL 6 are below:

  • Kayla Harrison def. Cindy Dandois via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:44
  • Raush Manfio def. Anthony Pettis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lance Palmer via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Denis Goltsov def. Brandon Sayles via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:24
  • Bruno Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:21
  • Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
  • Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
  • Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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Twitter reacts to Kayla Harrison’s dominant win, Anthony Pettis’ narrow loss at 2021 PFL 6

Two of PFL’s biggest names – Kayla Harrison and Anthony Pettis – had different results in their regular season finales at 2021 PFL 6.

Two of PFL’s biggest names – [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] – had different results in their regular season finales at 2021 PFL 6.

Pettis (24-12), the former UFC and WEC champion, fell to 0-2 under the PFL banner when he dropped a split decision to Raush Manfio (13-3) in the lightweight season finale, which co-headlined the show at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

Harrison (10-0), meanwhile, continued to dominate in her career, dispatching of Cindy Dandois (16-7) with a first-round armbar to stay undefeated and continue her question toward a second women’s lightweight crown.

Check out the top Twitter reactions to the notable results from 2021 PFL 6.

Anthony Pettis’ loss

2021 PFL 6 results: Raush Manfio wins split decision, ending Anthony Pettis’ season

The co-main event of 2021 PFL 6 had lightweight division playoff implications as Anthony Pettis took on Raush Manfio.

[autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] secured his spot in the 2021 PFL playoffs, while sending [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] home.

Pettis (24-12) dropped his PFL debut against Clay Collard by unanimous decision at 2021 PFL 1 in April, putting one of the biggest newcomers to the promotion in jeopardy to earn a spot in the playoffs. Manfio (13-3) won a split decision over Joilton Lutterbach that same evening, earning three points in the lightweight standings.

In order to guarantee a spot in the playoffs, Pettis needed to finish Manfio, although a decision win would have kept his hopes alive. Unfortunately for him, Manfio did not allow either to take place, leaving the former UFC champion with zero points.

2021 PFL 6 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

Pettis displayed sharp striking early in the first round. Manfio was content to stay patient and find a read on his opponent’s movements before letting his hands go, as he landed a nice counter combination. Pettis continued to circle on the outside while darting in to land quick punches as Manfio tried to land counter strikes.

Both men came out quickly in the second round as they traded strikes. A low blow caught Pettis prompting a brief pause in the action for recovery. When the action resumed, Pettis began focusing on landing leg kicks while Manfio maintained the center of the cage. Pettis began landing punches upstairs as well, but Manfio answered with a few counters of his own.

Another low blow landed on Pettis after a front kick, causing another brief pause. The action resumed with a couple of exchanges before the round ended.

The third round began similar to the second with both men landing strikes, but Manfio landed a clean combination on Pettis which clearly hurt him, leading to the biggest moment of the fight.

Manfio caused Pettis to fall to the canvas briefly, and just as he returned to his feet, Manfio landed a hard knee that sent him back down.

Manfio searched for the finish, but Pettis was able to survive the moment. The remainder of the round was spent with Pettis circling on the outside until heated exchanges before the round expired.

The judges were split in their decision, with two turning in scores of 29-28 in favor of Manfio, while the dissenting judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Pettis.

Manfio advances to the lightweight playoffs with the split decision victory, while Pettis’ 2021 season ends without recording any points in the standings.

Up-to-the-minute results of 2021 PFL 6 are below:

  • Raush Manfio def. Anthony Pettis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lance Palmer via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Denis Goltsov def. Brandon Sayles via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:24
  • Bruno Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:21
  • Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
  • Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
  • Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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2021 PFL 6 results: Movlid Khaybulaev wins decision, eliminates Lance Palmer from playoffs

Lance Palmer and Movlid Khaybulaev met in a high-stakes battle on Friday to earn a playoff spot and keep their 2021 PFL season alive.

Two-time PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] was eliminated from the 2021 season on Friday after failing to finish [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag].

In Friday’s bout to finalize the featherweight playoffs bracket, Palmer needed to record a finish before the end of the second round in order to advance, but Khaybulaev didn’t let that happen.

Palmer (22-5) dropped his season opener to Bubba Jenkins by unanimous decision at 2021 PFL 1, whereas Khaybulaev (17-0-1) won against Lazar Stojadinovic by unanimous decision that same evening to earn three points.

2021 PFL 6 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The first round started off methodically, with both fighters trying to find the range without leaving openings for counters. As the round wore on, both men began to let the strikes fly a little more frequently. Khaybulaev landed a nice lunging left hook on Palmer for one of the best strikes of the opening round.

Khaybulaev switched up the plan of attack early in the second round as he quickly secured a takedown on Palmer. Knowing the playoff window was closing quickly, Palmer did everything he could to stifle the heavy wrestling attack of his opponent. With just over a minute remaining, he was able to separate from Khaybulaev and he began to throw heavy left-hand strikes.

Palmer couldn’t land a punch to hurt his opponent and his playoff hopes were ended as the round concluded.

While the playoffs were no longer an option for Palmer, winning the fight was still a possibility, but he would need a statement third round.

Khaybulaev would have his say on how the final round would play out as he stayed patient and landed a nice flurry midway through. In the closing moments of the round, Palmer landed a nice left hand to get his opponent’s attention, but the Russian was able to prevent any further damage before the fight concluded.

The judges scored the bout in favor of Khaybulaev unanimously with matching scores of 29-28.

The third and fourth seeds of the featherweight bracket have come down to Khaybulaev and Bubba Jenkins, who are tied in the featherweight standings. A coin flip will determine their placement to finalize the bracket.

Up-to-the-minute results of 2021 PFL 6 are below:

  • Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lance Palmer via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Denis Goltsov def. Brandon Sayles via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:24
  • Bruno Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:21
  • Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
  • Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
  • Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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2021 PFL 6 video: Bruno Cappelozza unloads a barrage of strikes to knock out Muhammed DeReese

Watch Bruno Cappelozza’s devastating first-round finish of Muhammed DeReese at 2021 PFL 6.

[autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] closed out the 2021 PFL 6 prelims in spectacular fashion.

The final fight on the preliminary portion of Friday’s PFL event was a heavyweight clash between Bruno Cappelozza and Muhammed DeReese.

Cappelozza (12-5) started his 2021 season with a first-round knockout of Ante Delija in just 46 seconds. Although it took him a little bit longer on Friday, he recorded another devastating opening round finish.

After hurting DeReese (8-4) with leg kicks and punches upstairs, Cappelozza closed in with a barrage of punches, causing his opponent to slump to the canvas after a slightly delayed reaction.

Cappelozza racked up 12 points in the regular season, which could earn the number one seed depending on how the remaining fights on Friday unfold.

Up-to-the-minute 2021 PFL 6 results are below:

  • Bruno Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:21
  • Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
  • Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
  • Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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2021 PFL 6 video: Larissa Pacheco absolutely flattens Helena Kolesnyk with knockout combination

Larissa Pacheco continues to shine during the 2021 PFL season.

[autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] is on fire in the 2021 PFL season.

With a playoff spot already clinched heading into Friday evening, Pacheco looked to secure a number one seed with a win over Helena Kolesnyk.

Pacheco (15-4) didn’t just win, she created a highlight knockout that could be one of the best of the weekend.

As Kolesnyk rushed in, Pacheco stayed focused on her opponent’s openings and landed a hard two-punch combination that sent her crashing to the canvas.

The first-round finish of Kolesnyk makes two opening frame finishes for Pacheco in this PFL season, earning a total of 12 points in the standings.

“You guys have seen me submit people throughout my career and now it’s time for me to show my hands,” Pacheco said in Portuguese through a translator during her post-fight interview.

A rematch with PFL champ Kayla Harrison is on the horizon in the playoffs, and the Brazilian believes she is ready for the challenge. “I want to take the belt from Kayla’s hands and become the bigger name in the division and the PFL,” Pacheco stated.

Up-to-the-minute 2021 PFL 6 results are below:

  • Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
  • Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
  • Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
  • Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
  • Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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2021 PFL 6 live and official results (6 p.m. ET)

“2021 PFL 6: Harrison vs. Dandois” takes place Friday, and you can join us for official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

“2021 PFL 6: Harrison vs. Dandois” takes place Friday, and you can join us for official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, 2019 PFL women’s lightweight champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (9-0) takes on UFC, Bellator and Invicta FC veteran [autotag]Cindy Dandois[/autotag] (16-6), while the co-main event sees former UFC and WEC champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-11) face [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag] (12-3).

Official 2021 PFL 6 results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Kayla Harrison vs. Cindy Dandois
  • Raush Manfio vs. Anthony Pettis
  • Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Lance Palmer
  • Denis Goltsov vs. Brandon Sayles

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Bruno Cappelozza vs. Muhammed DeReese
  • Helena Kolesnyk vs. Larissa Pacheco
  • Chandler Cole vs. Ante Delija
  • Genah Fabian vs. Julija Pajic
  • Renan Ferreira vs. Carl Seumanutafa
  • Taylor Guardado vs. Laura Sanchez
  • Mariana Morais vs. Kaitlin Young
  • Klidson Abreu vs. Jamelle Jones

2021 PFL 6 weigh-in results: Kayla Harrison, Cindy Dandois make main event official

Watch the weigh-ins for 2021 PFL 6, which features Kayla Harrison vs. Cindy Dandois in the main event.

The weigh-ins are complete for PFL’s sixth event of 2021, with heavyweights and women’s lightweights ready to close out their season after hitting the scales at Thursday’s official ceremony.

The event also features matchups in the men’s lightweight and featherweight divisions.

Lightweight stars own the evening on Friday, as 2018 and 2019 PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is set to meet [autotag]Cindy Dandois[/autotag] in the main event. The co-main features former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] against [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag].

2021 PFL 6 takes place Friday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

Check out the complete weigh-in results below and watch the full video above.

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Kayla Harrison (156) vs. Cindy Dandois (152.2)
  • Anthony Pettis (156) vs. Raush Manfio (156)
  • Lance Palmer (146) vs. Movlid Khaybulaev (145.4)
  • Denis Goltsov (246.4) vs. Brandon Sayles (264.4)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Bruno Cappelozza (233.4) vs. Muhammed DeReese (254.2)
  • Larissa Pacheco (156) vs. Olena Kolesnyk (157.6)
  • Ante Delija (239.2) vs. Chandler Cole (262)
  • Genah Fabian (155.6) vs. Julija Pajic (156)
  • Renan Ferreira (251) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (260)
  • Taylor Guardado (155) vs. Laura Sanchez (155.2)
  • Kaitlin Young (155.6) vs. Mariana Morais (154.2)
  • Klidson Abreu (258) vs. Jamelle Jones (245)

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Kayla Harrison hopes Claressa Shields’ MMA debut puts talks of fight between them to rest

Kayla Harrison thinks Claressa Shields’ performance in her MMA debut makes it clear that fighting her would make no sense.

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag]’ performance in her MMA debut makes it clear that fighting her would make no sense.

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in boxing and multiple time boxing champion, faced a bit of early adversity when she squared off against Brittney Elkin (3-7) in a non-regular season lightweight bout at 2021 PFL 4. She rallied to win by third-round TKO. Elkin was able to secure full mount multiple times on the ground, but Shields was eventually able to sprawl in Round 3, raining down punches until the referee stopped the fight.

While Harrison lauds Shields for showing heart in her successful MMA debut, she thinks the way the fight played out indicates that she still has ways to go.

“(She did) just a good job,” Harrison told MMA Junkie. “I know that she has talked about wanting to fight in the season next year and wanting to fight me in the future, so I don’t want to be, like, too big sister to her. I said, ‘Good job. Way to go. Watched you.’ I think we all knew that she was going to have holes. We all knew that she was going to struggle in some aspects of the game, which she did. But she’s a winner and she found a way to win, which is what winners do. So I applaud her for that.

“I think PFL’s job is a little bit tougher from this point on. Like, where do you go from here? And I think that hopefully now this whole Kayla fighting Claressa thing can be put to bed because it’s just like, it doesn’t make any sense. It would be like you guys saying, ‘Oh, Kayla should find Amanda (Nunes) after I had my first fight.’ Like, it doesn’t make any sense. No, that’s stupid. Stop.”

Shields is already booked for next MMA fight at a PFL event on Aug. 27, which will take place at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. Her opponent is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, two-time judo Olympic gold medalist and 2019 PFL women’s lightweight champion Harrison returns to action Friday when she takes on Cindy Dandois in the main event of 2021 PFL 6 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+. If Harrison is victorious and advances to the playoffs, she will share the card with Shields for her next fight.

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