All of PFL’s biggest stars were out in Washington to watch Brendan Loughnane progress to his second championship final last nihgt.
Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira faced off again in the cage as a capacity crowd at The Anthem cheered on. And Jake Paul stole the show with his first appearance at one of the promotion’s live events, drawing quite a reaction from the Capital city crowd.
After a few early knockouts on the prelims, it was a night of decisions for the fast-rising promotion as they decided their welterweight and featherweight finalists. And the big winner of the night was Loughnane, who punched his ticket to another big playoff.
Brendan Loughnane beats Kai Kamaka III in star-studded PFL Washington showdown
Brendan Loughnane was the star of the night as he continued his impressive return to action following last year’s shock elimination. He faced Kai Kamaka III, a UFC veteran whose striking nullified his rival at times in a plucky main event.
It seemed that a knockdown at the end of the first had the Brit on his way to landing yet another stoppage. But after running out of time, Kamaka was able to compose himself and give a solid second that left many in doubt.
With Loughnane perceived to be two rounds up, the third was done at a faster pace as Kamaka went in search of a rare finish. However, this allowed for both men to offer up openings as they headed to the final bell, with the scorecards ultimately split as the Manchester native moved on to the finals.
All-Russian final confirmed for PFL welterweight championships
The entire main card on ESPN last night was filled with playoff fights at featherweight and welterweight. Loughnane’s opponent for his second finals bout was decided as Timur Khizriev continued his unbeaten run with a tight split decision win over Gabriel Braga.
Then at welterweight, both fights ended in Russian victory, as Shamil Musaev and Magomed Umalatov both punched their respective tickets. The former rematched Murad Ramazanov, whom he had stopped last time out, while the latter defeated Bellator veteran and late-notice step-in Neiman Gracie.
Musaev’s win was a dominant one, but there were times that Umalatov seemed in trouble against renowned grappler Gracie. The pair stood and traded a lot, and appeared to be fairly even on the feet, with the Brazilian coming close to landing some surprise submission.
Renan Ferreira and Francis Nganou face off again in Washington
One of the most exciting parts of the night saw the two star heavyweights of PFL face-off inside the Smart Cage ahead of their meeting in Riyadh this October. Lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and the gigantic 2023 PFL tournament winner Renan Ferreira struck a chord in The Anthem.
The pair had competed in a major press conference at the venue the previous day, but they gave the capacity crowd a big show as they squared up again within the cage. They were kept apart by Jake Paul, who was received with hostility by the crowd in the capital.
Fans chanted “f*** Jake Paul” as he entered the cage to join the two heavyweights, who were otherwise lauded by the audience. They got into it briefly but showed general respect as they gave fans a solid show before the night’s main and co-main events.
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