Tag: Carlos Leal

PFL names its top 10 knockouts of the 2023 season

Relive the PFL’s best knockouts of the year with this video ranking the top 10.

Some nasty knockouts were on display this year in the PFL.

From [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag]’s masterful spinning wheel kick in the playoffs to [autotag]Cedric Doumbe[/autotag]’s PFL debut, there were plenty of quality finishes in the smart cage. And now with the season over, the promotion ranked its best knockouts as the following:

1. Sadibou Sy def. Shane Mitchell
2. Cedric Doumbe def. Jordan Zebo
3. [autotag]Amber Leibrock[/autotag] def. Martina Jindrova
4. [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] def. Brendan Loughnane
5. [autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] def. Yorgan De Castro
6. [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] def. Maurice Greene
7. [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] vs. Dilano Taylor
8. [autotag]Lewis McGrillen[/autotag] def. Salih Culucan
9. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] def. Olena Kolesnyk
10. [autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] def. Marthin Hamlet

You can watch the replay of the top 10 PFL knockouts in the video above.

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Sadibou Sy def. Carlos Leal at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3: Best photos

Check out these photos from Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal, a welterweight semifinals bout at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 in New York.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag]’s victory over Carlos Leal in a welterweight semifinal bout at 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

2023 PFL Playoffs 3 weigh-in results: Carlos Leal heavy, deducted scorecard point

Check out the full weigh-in results for Wednesday’s 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 event in New York.

The 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 card stayed intact after Tuesday’s official weigh-ins, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any hiccups.

Two fighters competing on the event missed weight – one from a showcase bout on the preliminary card and the other from a playoff bout on the main card.

[autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] missed weight by 1 pound for his welterweight semifinal bout against [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag], while [autotag]John Caldone[/autotag] missed weight by 2.6 pounds for what was supposed to be a featherweight bout against [autotag]Nathaniel Grimard[/autotag].

Both fighters will be fined 20 percent of their purse, and Leal will receive a point deduction if his fight goes to the judges.

The rest of the 18 fighters, including the other seven in the playoffs, all made weight for their respective bouts.

2023 PFL Playoffs 3 takes place Wednesday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Below are the 2023 PFL Playoffs 3 weigh-in results:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Clay Collard (155) vs. Shane Burgos (156) – lightweight semifinal
  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.6) vs. Bruno Miranda (154) – lightweight semifinal
  • Sadibou Sy (170.8) vs. Carlos Leal (172.0)* – welterweight semifinal
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov (170) vs. Solomon Renfro (170) – welterweight semifinal
  • Biaggio Ali Walsh (155.2) vs. Ed Davis (155.6) – amateur bout

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

  • Alexei Pergande (145.6) vs. Shawn Stefanelli (144.8)
  • Mostafa Rashed Neda (184.8) vs. Korey Kuppe (184.8)
  • Abigail Montes (145.6) vs. Michelle Montague (145.4)
  • Abdullah Al-Qahtani (145.8) vs. David Zelner (145.8)
  • John Caldone (148.6)** vs. Nathaniel Grimard (145.8)

*Leal fined 20 percent of his purse and deducted 1-point from the final scorecards for missing weight

**Caldone fined 20 percent of his purse for missing weight

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Playoffs 3.

2023 PFL 6 fighter pay: Shane Burgos pockets six-figure purse after move from UFC

Check out the disclosed 2023 PFL 6 fighter pays, including what Shane Burgos is making after jumping over from the UFC.

PFL returned to Atlanta this past Thursday for the third of three shows in three consecutive weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.

2023 PFL 6 featured final regular season bouts at lightweight and welterweight, as well as three showcase fights. In the main event, 2022 PFL lightweight champion [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] knocked out Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag].

Other names on the card included former UFC fighters [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] and [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag], as well as past PFL championship winners [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag], [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag], [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] and [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired a list of the 24 fighters’ disclosed payouts Monday from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission. The amounts do not include bonuses, sponsorships or any other discretionary payments.

Five fighters topped the list at $100,000, while all other fighters received five-figure or four-figure payouts. Among them was Burgos, who left the UFC as a free agent to sign with the PFL. Friday, Burgos pocketed a six-figure flat purse against [autotag]Yamato Nishikawa[/autotag].

Scroll below to see the disclosed pay for each 2023 PFL 6 fighter.

Carlos Leal def. Dilano Taylor at 2023 PFL 6: Best photos

Check out these photos from Carlos Leal vs. Dilano Taylor at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag]’s victory over Dilano Taylor at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

2023 PFL 6 video: Carlos Leal puts Dilano Taylor out on his feet before walkoff knockout

Carlos Leal put Dilano Taylor down and out with vicious strikes in the second round at 2023 PFL 6 to clinch a playoff spot.

[autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] punched his 2023 PFL playoff ticket in an impressive fashion.

Entering the cage at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Leal (19-4) needed a win in any fashion, or even a draw, to clinch his spot in the playoffs. At 1:13 of Round 2, Leal put last season’s finalist Dilano Taylor (10-5) out on his feet before dropping him to the canvas.

The first five minutes of the fight was competitive, but Leal had the advantage going into the second round after a late flurry. He kept the pressure high early in Round 2, and found home for a hard right hand that rocked Taylor. As he retreated backward, Taylor did his best to avoid taking further damage, but he was out of sorts. Leal landed a series of clean shots that knocked Taylor’s mouthpiece out. With the referee watching closely and ready to step in, one more clean punch put Taylor on the canvas, and the celebration was on for Leal.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

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The finish was the second of the season for Leal, who recorded a first-round finish of David Zawada at 2023 PFL 3 in April. He has clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.

2023 PFL 6 official weigh-in results: Main card set, two prelim fighters heavy

Check out the full weigh-in results for 2023 PFL 6, which saw 24 fighters record their offical weight for Saturday’s competition.

All 24 fighters competing at 2023 PFL 6 stepped on the scale, but a couple of preliminary fighters missed their mark.

At Thursday’s official weigh-ins, the entire main card successfully made weight, including 2022 lightweight season winner [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag], who weighed in at 155.6 pounds. His opponent, [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag], came in at 155.4. The other 2022 season winner competing in the co-main event, [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag], made the welterweight limit by stepping on the scale at 170.6. He faces [autotag]Shane Mitchell[/autotag], who weighed 170.8.

[autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] came in heavy, initially weighing 171.4 for his welterweight bout against [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag], who weighed 170.6. On his second attempt, Taylor stepped on the scale slightly lighter at 171.2. Due to the miss, Taylor forfeits 20 percent of his purse and will lose one point in the welterweight standings, but the fight against Leal will proceed.

Brahyan Zurcher also missed weight for his featherweight showcase bout against Mike Bardsley. Zurcher weighed 146.8 pounds and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Bardsley, who made weight at 144.4.

2023 PFL 6 takes place Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+

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Below you can find the full results from the weigh-ins:

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.6) vs. Anthony Romero (155.4)
  • Shane Mitchell (170.8) vs. Sadibou Sy (170.6)
  • Shane Burgos (155.8) vs. Yamato Nishikawa (155.8)
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov (171) vs. David Zawada (170.2)
  • Nayib Lopez (170) vs. Magomed Umalatov (170.4)
  • Clay Collard (155.1) vs. Stevie Ray (155.6)

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

  • Carlos Leal (170.6) vs. Dilano Taylor (171.2)*
  • Raush Manfio (156) vs. Natan Schulte (156)
  • Alexander Martinez (156) vs. Bruno Miranda (155.8)
  • Jarrah Al-Silawi (170.8) vs. Solomon Renfro (169.4)
  • Mike Bardsley (144.4) vs. Brahyan Zurcher (146.8)**
  • Abdullah Al-Qahtani (144.8) vs. Lamar Brown (146)

* Taylor weighed in at 171.4 on the first attempt. Due to the miss, he will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Leal.
** Zurcher missed weight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Bardsley.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.

2023 PFL 3 video: Carlos Leal runs through David Zawada in vicious first-round KO

Carlos Leal scored a brutal KO at Friday’s 2023 PFL 3 event.

[autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag]’s start to the 2023 PFL 3 season couldn’t have gone any better after quickly putting away [autotag]David Zawada[/autotag] in the first round to earn six points in the welterweight season.

The Brazilian clipped Zawada (18-8) with a right hand and then swarmed him with a combination that sent him towering down to the canvas. Leal (17-4) just needed a few follow-up punches to get the referee to stop the action. The official stoppage came at the 2:25 mark of Round one.

You can watch Leal’s finish in the video below:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 3.

Clay Collard, Raush Manfio, more booked to complete 2023 PFL 3 card

The lineup for the third PFL event of this season is now complete.

The lineup for the third PFL event of this season is now complete.

The promotion announced on Monday the full lineup for 2023 PFL 3, which is set to go down April 14 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

These newly announced fights, which include fan favorites and two former champions, join the previously announced matchups that make up the main and co-main event in Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos and Sadibou Sy vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi.

2019 PFL lightweight champion [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] takes on former UFC veteran and 2022 PFL runner-up [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] in a matchup at 155 pounds. Schulte is on a two-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory being a submission over Jeremy Stephens this past November. Ray also competed in November, where he lost to Aubin-Mercier in the 2022 PFL lightweight final.

The other former champion added to the card is [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag], who won the 2021 PFL lightweight season. He’ll be taking on [autotag]Alexander Martinez[/autotag]. Manfio last fought in June, also losing to Aubin-Mercier – a result that snapped a five-fight winning streak.

Additionally, [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag], one of PFL’s most exciting fighters, will take on [autotag]Yamato Nishikawa[/autotag] to close out the preliminary card.

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Below is the full lineup for 2023 PFL 3:

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 9 p.m, ET)

  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos
  • Sadibou Sy vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi
  • Natan Schulte vs. Stevie Ray
  • Raush Manfio vs. Alexander Martinez
  • Shane Mitchell vs. TBA
  • Abdelaziz Abdulvakhabov vs. Ahmed Ami

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Clay Collard vs. Yamato Nishikawa
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Don Madge
  • Carlos Leal vs. David Zawada
  • Magomed Umalatov vs. Dilano Taylor

Sadibou Sy def. Carlos Leal at 2022 PFL Playoffs 2: Best photos

Check out these photos from Sadibou Sy’s unanimous decision win over Carlos Leal in the 2022 PFL welterweight playoffs.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] in the welterweight semifinals at the 2022 PFL Playoffs 2 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photos courtesy of PFL)