Tag: Thad Jean

2024 PFL 3 video: Thad Jean uppercut faceplants Romain Debienne for brutal knockout

A massive knockout by 25-year-old Thad Jean kicked off Friday’s PFL event in Chicago.

[autotag]Thad Jean[/autotag] continues to pass each PFL test with flying colors.

At 2024 PFL 3 on Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Jean (7-0) brutally knocked out [autotag]Romain Debienne[/autotag] (10-5) in the card’s opening prelim. The stoppage came at 2:07 of Round 1 with Debienne face down on the canvas.

Jean hurt Debienne with a series of punches, but it was a massive uppercut that was the final blow. Debienne’s knees hit the canvas as flopped onto his stomach, unconscious.

[lawrence-related id=2735268]

The up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL 3 results include:

  • Thad Jean def. Romain Debienne via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:07

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 3.

2023 PFL Playoffs 1 results: Jesus Pinedo dominates Bubba Jenkins to reach featherweight final

Check out he full results of 2023 PFL Playoffs 1, which features featherweight and light heavyweight semifinal bouts in San Antonio.

2023 PFL Playoffs 1 took place Friday and MMA Junkie provided live and official results throughout the entire card.

The event featured featherweight and light heavyweight semifinal bouts at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio. The main card aired live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

In the main event, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (21-7) took on [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] (22-6-1) in a featherweight semifinal bout. Pinedo entered the contest with a one-point deduction due to missing weight Thursday morning. Jenkins won both of his regular season bouts by picking up a unanimous decision over Chris Wade and a submission against Sung Bin Jo. Pinedo went 50/50 in his regular season outings, starting off with a split decision loss to Gabriel Alves Braga, but rebounding nicely with a first-round finish over 2022 champion Brendan Loughnane.

In the co-feature, [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (12-1) faced [autotag]Ty Flores[/autotag] (13-5) in a light heavyweight semifinal.  Silveira’s regular season run did not see a second round, as he submitted Sam Kei and picked up a TKO win against Delan Monte due to injury in the opening frame. Flores picked up unanimous decision wins over Monte and Dan Spohn in his regular season fights.

Full 2023 PFL Playoffs 1 results include:

Photos: 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 weigh-ins and faceoffs

Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 official weigh-ins in Orlando, Fla.

Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Orlando, Fla. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

PFL Challenger Series 1’s Thad Jean recalls big amateur lesson from a Bellator standout

Thad Jean had a two-year amateur career that gave him plenty of experience and lessons before he turned pro.

[autotag]Thad Jean[/autotag] had a two-year amateur career that gave him plenty of experience and lessons before he turned pro.

In 2018, in his third fight as an amateur, Jean took out Dilano Taylor. Taylor went on to the PFL, and after he got a shot at the 2022 welterweight season through the PFL Challenger Series, he reached the $1 million final.

So it’s perhaps a perfect little coincidence that Jean (4-0) now has the biggest opportunity of his pro career when he takes on Eric Alequin (7-0) on Friday at the PFL’s first Challenger Series event of 2023, which features welterweights.

The winner will be hoping to impress the members of the PFL brass enough to get an invite into the regular season.

But it was a different amateur fight that Jean says helped him turn the corner in his career: a loss to current Bellator rising standout Roman Faraldo.

“When I went against Roman Faraldo – he’s in Bellator now and just suffered his first loss – going against him was the greatest lesson I’ve ever learned,” Jean recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I was on a good streak. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m untouchable. I don’t need to work on anything.’

“I underestimated him. I thought, ‘He’s not going to be able to do anything. He can’t stand with me. He can’t strike with me. He’s not going to be able to keep walking me down like I’m going to try to walk him down.’ (I was) just getting in my head …

“Since that fight, I’ve been able to keep myself humble in preparation for each fight.”

Jean is eight years younger than Alequin, who is unbeaten, as well.

2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 takes place Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The card airs on fuboTV.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1.

PFL’s 2023 Challenger Series debuts Jan. 27 with welterweights, including CFFC and Jungle Fight champs

The PFL’s Challenger Series will return next month with eight events seeking new fighters for the 2023 regular season.

The PFL’s Challenger Series will return next month with eight events seeking new fighters for the 2023 regular season.

The Challenger Series debuted earlier this year with fights across all eight of the PFL’s divisions. At the end of each event, a PFL contract is awarded to one of the winners by a judging panel. This year, Dilano Taylor won a spot in the regular season and went on to reach the $1 million final.

The opening event of the 2023 Challenger Series will take place Jan. 27 and will feature welterweights. Subsequent events will air on Fridays through March 17 on Fubo Sports Network. A location and venue have not yet been announced; 2022 events took place in Orlando, Fla.

In the welterweight main event to kick off the 2023 Challenger Series schedule, [autotag]Lucas Barbosa[/autotag] (0-0), whose resume includes a grappling win over UFC standout Gilbert Burns, will take on [autotag]Itso Babulaidze[/autotag] (2-0).

“The 2023 PFL Challenger Series provides world-class talent a path to the PFL,” PFL president Ray Sefo said in a news release. “The Challenger Series continues the PFL’s commitment to finding the best talent in MMA around the world.”

Also on the card, unbeaten CFFC champion [autotag]Eric Alequin[/autotag] (7-0) takes on [autotag]Thad Jean[/autotag] (4-0), who has fought for LFA and CFFC. His career highlight is a win over Taylor, the aforementioned 2022 Challenger Series contract winner and eventual finalist.

Jungle Fights champ [autotag]Quemuel Ottoni[/autotag] (12-3), the only fighter with an MMA win over current UFC middleweight titleholder Alex Pereira, is set to take on [autotag]Jozef Wittner[/autotag] (16-2), who has won four straight. And [autotag]Mostafa Rashed Neda[/autotag] (7-3), a judo standout, meets [autotag]Nick Alley[/autotag] (7-5), who has five submissions in his seven wins.

The 2023 PFL Challenger Series welterweight lineup includes:

  • Lucas Barbosa vs. Itso Babulaidze
  • Eric Alequin vs. Thad Jean
  • Quemuel Ottoni vs. Jozef Wittner
  • Nick Alley vs. Mostafa Rashed Neda