PFL Madrid ‘Van Steenis vs. Edwards 2’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Round 1

For the first time, a major MMA league will be planting its flag on
Spanish soil. The PFL beat the UFC and other heavies to the punch
with a fight card that is appropriately headlined by a local
champion. Before we get there, a bunch of fighters from the
European region will battle it out over the next few hours. The
action starts in a catchweight affair that was scheduled at
featherweight. Spain’s “Nacho” Campos (6-2, 0-1 PFL) made his
proper marks, but the same could not be said for Frenchman Duragrin
(4-2, 1-1 PFL), who eclipsed the limit by a half pound. The two
will meet with referee Jose Villar watching on, and they share a
fist bump to get things going.

Campos introduces himself with a few slapping low kicks, putting
Duragrin on his back foot early. He chambers and fires off one to
the body, and chants in favor of him start to rain down. Duragrin
crowds him, and he shoots for a takedown but ends up pushing Campos
to the wall after trading a few punches. Campos defends with
vicious elbows to the side of the head, and Duragrin wilts and
regains his footing to pressure the Spaniard against the wall.
Duragrin’s attempt to take the fight down leads to him getting
shoved to his back, and Campos snatches up a guillotine and slides
into full mount. Duragrin is able to fight out of the choke, but is
still under heavy pressure and stuck against the wall. The
Frenchman explodes to reverse his position, and this results in
both men working their way back to their feet. Duragrin grabs
Campos from behind while leaning him against the fencing, and he
elevates and slams Campos to the mat.

Campos bounces back up to his feet as if he had springs in his
shorts, and Duragrin tries and fails to attempt a throw. Duragrin
drops all the way down to pursue a double, and Campos rolls him
around thanks to a keylock attempt and positions himself on top.
Campos lowers himself down to hit an arm-triangle choke, but he is
on the wrong side and Duragrin is not overly concerned. Campos
imposes heavy shoulder pressure on Duragrin’s throat, and Duragrin
is flat on his back giving up side control but not in serious
submission danger. Campos repositions himself to half guard in
hopes of improving his leverage, smothering the French fighter all
the while. Duragrin pulls on his foe’s face and scrapes Campos’
eyes, but this all leads to the two fighting back to their feet.
Campos cracks his man with a heavy forearm strike to shake Duragrin
up, and he thumps up Duragrin with a knee to the body. Duragrin
falls to his seat in pain, and Campos tries to punch him out but
runs out of time. When the referee separates the two, Duragrin
complains that it was a groin strike and not a knee to the
midsection, and replay shows the knees were right on the belt
line.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Campos
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-8 Campos
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-8 Campos

Round 2

Duragrin tries to get the foul called between rounds to allow
himself a little more time to recover, but Villar is not hearing it
and clocks the two in. Duragrin starts off extremely aggressively,
swinging wildly to close the distance and get his hands on the
Spanish fighter. Duragrin slows himself down to pursue a takedown,
transitioning from a double to a body lock and throw, one in which
he is able to slip around and take Campos’ back. Duragrin gets his
hooks in but would rather shift around to get on top, and he
slithers over to full mount only to get pulled back to half guard.
Duragrin attempts his own arm-triangle choke, maintaining heavy
shoulder pressure until Campos bucks him to the side. Duragrin
rolls over to snag hold of a guillotine choke, and Campos wisely
presses forward to relieve the pressure on his neck by keeping
Duragrin’s back stuck on the cage wall. Campos sits comfortably in
the choke position while not overly concerned, looking to establish
himself on top. Duragrin responds with 12-to-6 elbows to the thigh,
striking any target with his free hand until Campos breaks out of
the choke entirely.

Duragrin attempts to reclaim the guillotine, and Campos is able to
get out of it and stand up. Duragrin immediately mat returns him
with a textbook double, scooping Campos up off the ground and
dumping him down. Duragrin hangs on when Campos stands up once
more, clinging to him from behind while kneeing his man in the back
so the thigh. When Campos turns around, Duragrin completes another
double. Campos scrambles like a madman, ultimately giving up his
back with Duragrin securing both hooks. Duragrin softs up Campos
from behind with strikes to both sides of the head, slowing only to
pursue a rear-naked choke that is nowhere close. Duragrin readjusts
his grip, and he cannot get it under the chin so the local is not
in danger. Campos uses his feet to push off the fencing, even
locking his toes in the cage illegally to leverage himself around
and sneak on top. Duragrin snags an armbar off his back, and he
releases it to belt Campos in the face with an upkick as the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Duragrin

Round 3

The two men touch gloves, and this time it is Campos who comes out
hot. Duragrin counters him smoothly with a hip toss, and Campos
bounds back up to press Duragrin back to the cage wall. Duragrin
defends himself by putting himself to the fence and snagging a
guillotine choke with one arm. Campos is solely focused on the
double-leg entry, ignoring the arm wrapped around his neck because
the other is not remotely fastened. Duragrin sprawls and is dragged
to his seat, and he finds himself looking for answers hacking away
with feeble elbows that have little effect. Campos controls and
smacks Duragrin on the side of the head with a fierce elbow,
prompting Duragrin to burst out of the position and counter with
his own level change.

The Frenchman is able to ground Campos for a second, but he cannot
hold him there. Duragrin opens up a tiny cut on Campos’ right cheek
with one of his flailing strikes while asserting a position change,
and he keeps getting mat returns but Campos bounces up every time.
Campos fights his way out with a sharp elbow, and his follow-up
left hand drives Duragrin back. Duragrin ducks a big swing of a
left hand to clinch up, and Campos reverses him and jams him up
against the wall. Duragrin spins him around and starts working the
body, absorbing knees and elbows from the Spanish fighter until
Duragrin swings so wildly that he slips to the floor. Duragrin
climbs back upright and goes for a few punches, but he is met with
thudding elbows on the temple that rock him and send him to his
seat. Duragrin is able to survive the assault by shelling up, and
he steels himself and swings back with a vengeance. Campos knees
him in the guts, and Duragrin scoops him up and deposits him to the
floor with seconds to spare. Campos kicks him off and time expires,
with the local man walking off grinning as if he knows his hand is
about to get raised.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Campos (29-27 Campos)

The Official Result

Nacho Campos def. Mathys Duragrin via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

Spain is well-represented through this fight card, and that
includes this next scheduled 165-pound “contract weight” affair.
Black Panther Gym rep Mora (10-6, 2 NC; 0-0 PFL) makes his
promotional debut against Italian SBG Ireland product Pacella (6-3,
3-2 PFL), who is the far more experienced in the PFL cage of the
two. Gloves are touched before they are traded, as referee Jesus
Arjona stands by.

Pacella comes out firing, hoping to take the enthusiasm out of the
crowd, and the ensuing melee leads to Mora falling to his back
while launching a kick. Pacella lords over him slapping him with
low kicks until Arjona stands him up, and Pacella gets back to
chasing after the Spanish fighter. Mora skirts around the outer
edge of the cage, setting up a counter but getting popped by the
Italian with a big right hand. Mora quickly clinches up his man,
sliding his leg between Pacella’s to trip him up. Pacella regains
his footing and breaks off with an elbow, and he is quick to
pressure once separated. Pacella chases Mora down and nails him
with a low kick, ripping a left to the body and a right upstairs
shortly thereafter. Mora’s counters may be infrequent but they have
some pop on them, with Pacella’s midsection glowing red and his
nose leaking from a few shots up top.

Mora keeps strafing either direction, not falling into a pattern so
he can get cornered. This leads to Pacella swinging wildly to try
to pin him down, but Mora is leagues away in time. Mora counters
with a step-in knee to the abdomen, and he sticks out a jab as
Pacella wipes his nose several times. Pacella winds up with a huge
right hand that skims the temple, and he misses with a subsequent
windmilling swing. Mora connects with a stern calf kick, and
Pacella responds in kind. Mora slips and counters with a right hand
over the top, but Pacella is able to catch up with him and push him
to the wall. Pacella settles for a few knees to the body and a
quick elbow up top, and he scores a few more before breaking off.
Mora skirts away and pitches out a high kick that gets blocked, and
he gets on his bike away from Pacella. A missed front kick from
Mora is where the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella

Round 2

The second stanza picks up right where the two left off, with
Pacella chasing and Mora countering. Mora gets off a high kick and
ducks down with a responsive double, where he lifts the Italian up
but cannot deposit him on his seat. Pacella leans against Mora
while Mora frames off with knees, and Mora is able to break off and
scurry to the side. Pacella times a solid kick to the ribcage, and
he shrugs off a knee to blast the local man in the temple with a
right hand. Mora falls over and snatches up a leglock, but Pacella
wants nothing to do with it and stands up. Arjona allows Mora to
get up without being nailed on the way, and Pacella ducks the
overhand right that he sees coming from a mile away on the restart.
Pacella crowds Mora with elbows, and a huge right and left rock the
Spanish man and send him collapsing to the mat. Pacella fights off
a few upkicks to climb into the guard of his opponent, where he
thumps Mora up with a few more elbows.

The elbows from Pacella have busted up Mora’s nose, in the style of
“an eye for an eye” only involving snouts, and Mora can only look
to Arjona for a referee standup. Pacella stays busy while on top
smacking Mora around, dropping down punches and the occasional
slashing elbow. Mora responds with elbows from off his back, but
Pacella’s are much heavier and far more frequent. Mora looks to set
up an armbar when under fire, and he hooks his toes in the cage for
leverage but gets them slapped away by Arjona. While Mora is able
to push Pacella off of him for a moment, Pacella dodges the upkicks
flying at his melon to crowd Mora back down in his guard. Pacella
postures up and jackhammers Mora with punches and elbows, standing
up to let the rest of the round elapse. Mora surprises him with a
few tripping kicks, and the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella

Round 3

The athletes touch gloves, and Mora hops right on his bike to
circle away as Pacella plods towards him. Mora goes left and right
to stay away from Pacella’s big swings, but Pacella is able to
catch up with him and drive home a left to the liver that would
make Bas Rutten smile. Mora’s reply of a high kick careens off the
guard harmlessly, but his body kick gets under the elbows and
pauses Pacella. Pacella gathers his thoughts with his right hand a
bit lower to protect his vital organs, and he starts jabbing the
body of his opponent. Mora constantly moves until he stops to
strike, and this opens Pacella up to kick him and chase with a pair
of hooks. Mora keeps moving, but he does not throw very often and
usually commits to single strikes. Mora puts his back to the cage
and stumbles, and Pacella is able to clip him with a hook or two.
Pacella pressures him back to the chain links, squeezing him with
his shoulder and offering an elbow up close.

Arjona intervenes when Mora is found to have grabbed the inside of
Pacella’s gloves, and he resets them rather than potting them back
in the position Pacella held. Pacella takes advantage of this by
clinching again, and Mora turns him around and grabs the cage.
Arjona yells at him to knock off all the fouling, and Mora gathers
all his remaining strength to throw Pacella on the floor. Both of
them hit the deck on their faces, and they have to take a second to
shake out their collective cobwebs before climbing back up. Pacella
swings his way after Mora, bullying him to the wire and kneeing him
a few times in the side. Mora grabs the fence a few more times to
hold Pacella in place, and Arjona calls time to give Mora a hard
warning with a couple seconds left in the match. Nothing happens on
the restart, and both men raise their hands in the air when it is
over.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Pacella (30-27 Pacella)

The Official Result

Claudio Pacella def. David Mora via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-26, 30-27)

Round 1

On paper, this appears to be another matchup of Spain vs. Italy
like the bout preceding it. This one will have fans a bit more
conflicted, however, as while Giordano (4-2, 0-0 PFL) is a Spanish
fighter through and through, foe Schisano (5-1, 0-0 PFL) trains in
the “The Bull Skin.” Look it up. The bantamweights will have
referee Bryan Miner watching over them for as long as this one
lasts, as these two PFL newcomers would like to make a splash in
the next 15 minutes or fewer. With nine stoppages in nine combined
wins, it might not make it to the final bell.

They clap hands, and both men lay claim for the center of the age.
Giordano peels off first, pitching out a body kick and swinging
with a pair of hooks out of range. Schisano replies with a chopping
kick that sends Giordano off-balance, and he walks through a head
kick to punch his way in. Schisano bullies Giordano to the cage
wall, where a clinch ensues with multiple knees from the Italian.
Giordano is able to break free and offer a high kick on the break,
but it is his one-two that actually lands cleanly. Giordano ducks
in to deliver an uppercut to the jaw, and Schisano responds with a
pair of punches that knock “El Humilde” back. Schisano loads up
with his heavy right hand, and he follows one with a quick left
that makes Giordano have to retreat. Giordano sets up and whiffs
with a spinning back kick, and he darts away from the counters only
to spring forward with his own swings. Schisano backs him off
further with a left hook on the chin, and he keeps Giordano honest
with his power.

Giordano potshots him as he circles away, looking to pepper the
Italian man with jabs and the occasional body kick. Schisano keeps
powering forward with wide swings, working the body when planting
his foot and cracking Giordano with a left hand. Giordano beats on
the front leg with a kick, and Schisano looks at him with a
frustrated expression. Schisano connects when working his way in,
but Giordano beats him to the punch figuratively and literally with
a speedy left hand. Schisano rings his bell with a huge right hand,
and Giordano replies with a jump knee that grazes the cheek.
Giordano connects with a calf kick, and Schisano shrugs at him and
throws fire. Both men spin with strikes, with Schisano’s kick
landing while he ducks the back fist soaring at him shortly
thereafter. The round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Schisano

Round 2

The two touch gloves, and Schisano goes right to chasing down his
opponent. Every time he gets hit back, he showboats or motions to
his opponent, even going so far as to put his hands on his hips to
motion that they should just brawl. Giordano stays on his bike, not
biting on the offer and instead sticking to his strategy of
countering with distance strikes on the outside. This leads to
Giordano putting up numbers while Schisano largely hits air as he
loads up. Schisano spins for a back fist, and his momentum pushes
him close enough to allow him to grab hold and throw Giordano to
the floor. Giordano works his way up and pops Schisano with a few
short shots to back him off, and he gets back to his preferred
kickboxing range.

Body kicks are traded, with Schisano frustrated and mocking
Giordano when he connects. Schisano spurs into action with a few
spins, and then puts his hands back on his hips dismissively.
Giordano is able to potshot him, staying out of the range of the
huge hurled hands and prodding Schisano with attacks. Schisano
smiles at him after taking a clean punch upstairs, and Giordano
makes that grin grow larger as he busts him in the chops a few more
times. Schisano keeps his hands on his hips to welcome Giordano in,
and Giordano cracks him with a right hand that busts open his
cauliflower ear. Schisano chambers and fires kicks from both sides,
with the sheer impact off the guard giving Giordano some pause.
Schisano marches forward fearlessly, taking a one-two on the chin
and laughing it off. This allows Giordano to work him a few more
times, and the round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Giordano

Round 3

The third round opens with a half-hearted hug and a clap of hands,
and Giordano reintroduces himself with a left hand and takedown
shot. Giordano presses his foe to the wall and throws him to his
knees, but Schisano powers his way back to his feet quickly even
with Giordano behind him. Giordano looks to yank Schisano to the
floor and strip away his footing, and the shorter, stockier man
keeps himself upright despite the efforts. Schisano breaks out, and
Giordano fires off a pair of elbows that blow the hair back.
Schisano sits down on a clubbing right hand to the temple, and he
uses his momentum to tie the Spanish fighter up and hold him on the
wall.

Giordano separates and chops down the front leg, blocking a body
kick that comes his way. The pace slows between the two, with both
men flagging after their exchanges. Schisano punches his way into a
level change, and Giordano puts his back to the wall and leans
against it to stay on his feet. Giordano is able to get free thanks
to a sharp left hand, and he tries a jump knee and lands to pitch
two punches that miss the mark. Schisano ducks into a straight
right hand, leaning back to watch a high kick soar past him but not
largely waiting. Schisano ducks a spin and swarms his man with two
punches, and Giordano grabs him from behind to take the fight down.
Schisano grabs the fence to stay upright as Miner admonishes him,
and the horn blares to conclude the match.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (30-27 Giordano)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (30-27 Giordano)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Giordano (29-28 Giordano)

The Official Result

Mattia Giordano def. Ernesto Schisano via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

While these two men both sport matching pro records of 7-2, the
similarities largely end there. Setting the table for his big
brother in the headliner later on, van Steenis (7-2, 1-1 PFL) hopes
to get his namesake on the board and pump up the champion. Looking
the spoil the party is the hyper-aggressive Ewen (7-2, 2-2 PFL),
who has never needed more than two rounds to record a stoppage win.
Referee Blake Grice takes charge of the cage, standing back as the
lightweights touch ‘em up.

The lightweights are jittery to get going, largely parrying and
throwing out single range-fighting strikes. Van Steenis offers a
number of low kicks to the front leg of the Scottish fighter,
beating his leg up early as he assaults it from both sides. Ewen
misses the mark when swinging his way in, and van Steenis batters
his lead leg again. Ewen pump-fakes with his hips to threaten but
not actually offer much offense, and he finally pitches out a
single low kick. Van Steenis’ calf kick sets up a left hand on the
temple, and Ewen gathers himself and attacks the body. Van Steenis
stays composed, aiming his calf kick to Ewen’s forward leg again
and again to decent success. Ewen tries to get his own going, but
his foe is out of the way.

Round 1

The lone Spain-on-Spain display of violence comes at 125 pounds
between two upstarts from rival Spanish promotions. Garcia (6-2, 1
NC; 0-0 PFL) grew up through the World Athlete Radical MMA league,
while Calderon (6-2, 0-0 PFL) made his bones out of The Way of
Warrior. Local pride and bragging rights go to the victor, who will
have their hand raised by referee Kevin MacDonald in the next three
rounds or fewer. The countrymen touch gloves before getting down to
business.

Calderon quickly assumes control of the center of the cage, as
Garcia circles around him several times. Calderon lashes out with a
single low kick, and Garcia whiffs on a front kick as Calderon
parries it and throws Garcia briefly off-balance. Garcia gathers
himself and offers out a few jabs, sticking the shorter Calderon a
few times. Both men briefly engage in an exchange, and Calderon
gets the better of it with a right hand before splitting off.
Garcia fights behind his jab, not offering much else behind it thus
far. Calderon methodically attacks the front calf, while Garcia
pokes out his jab. Garcia follows one jab with a straight right
down the pipe, and Calderon shoulder rolls to take some of the
sting out of it. Calderon eventually reaches out with a swatting
right hand after a lull in action, and they both jab at one
another.

Garcia tries to set up another overhand right after his jab, but it
is Calderon who lands cleanly with a chopping kick. Calderon ducks
a punch to scoop up with a clean left hand on the jaw, and Garcia
takes a quick count of his teeth. Calderon shoots forward and
tackles Garcia to the mat, and even though Garcia scrambles to get
back up, Calderon slugs him in the side of the dome a few times.
Garcia stands and pulls on the fencing to find a better position
with Calderon’s hands wrapped around his waist, and MacDonald sees
it and tells him to stop. Calderon doggedly pursues the takedown,
inadvertently pulling Garcia’s shorts down but not completing the
takedown he seeks. This results in a stalemate as Calderon switches
from double-leg entry to that of a single leg, and Garcia keeps his
balance but is otherwise nullified. The tepid round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Calderon
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Calderon
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Calderon

Round 2

The bell rings to start off the round, but the broadcast elects to
instead keep the camera on a few local sports celebrities,
resulting in about 10 seconds of fight that only people in the
building can see. When we do get back to the fights, it is Garcia
who has attacked first, going after a single to drag the shorter
man down. Calderon gets away with a few cheeky fence grabs to keep
himself on his feet, and Garcia tries to trip him up from behind
but the stocky Calderon has his weight pressed on the cage to stop
himself from going down. Garcia succeeds in hitting a trip, and
Calderon bounces back up so quickly that it may not be counted as a
takedown on the stats. Garcia knees and heel strikes Calderon on
the back of his calf and ankle, and Calderon is confused as few
train to take strikes to that low target. The strikes are starting
to welt up Calderon’s lower calf, who has no way to defend it, and
a new meta may be coming.

Garcia keeps kicking the back of the leg, and the commentators
audibly say “ow” and “ouch” as the strikes continue to connect.
MacDonald pauses the action to split them up, telling Garcia he
needs to pursue a finish and not just irritating, big-brothering
shots. Garcia is able to pursue a takedown again, and he gets back
to his unorthodox position where he is beating on Calderon’s lower
right calf. The welting is beginning to show as the back of
Calderon’s glows red, and Garcia is targeting them again and again.
Calderon does not know what to do, and he picks that leg up to stop
them from hitting him. Calderon spins around to smack Garcia with
an elbow, and Garcia turns him about again to keep slamming his
heel and instep into Calderon’s calf. Garcia wraps punches around
the sides of the head, and Calderon thumps him with a partially
spun elbow as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Garcia
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Garcia

Round 3

Between rounds, MacDonald tells Garcia that he has to do more, and
then goes to Calderon to tell him to stop grabbing the fence. Both
men hug it out to start off the round, and Calderon attacks with
one single calf kick before Garcia shoots in on his hips.
Stunningly, Calderon turns himself to put his forehead on the fence
to take some of the weight off of him, and Garcia is behind him
once more clubbing him on the back of the calves with surprisingly
effective strikes. MacDonald suggests that Garcia do more with his
position, and Calderon answers with elbows to the forearm. Garcia
gets off the occasional punch on the side of the head, and
MacDonald breaks them up and restarts the match. Garcia matches
forward behind his jab, and Calderon times a perfect double to
scoop Garcia up off his feet and down to the floor. Garcia works
his way up, and he tries his own takedown. They go back to the same
position with Calderon leaning on the fence and Garcia behind him
smacking his calf around. Calderon lifts his leg up to try to
protect himself from these unusual strikes, so Garcia knees him
repeatedly in the backside. Calderon grabs the fence when trying to
reposition himself, and Garcia is not about to stop…whatever it is
he is doing.

MacDonald watches closely as Garcia controls with this standing
back take and low kicks from behind, and Garcia puts a little more
mustard on his kicks to stave off intervention. Fighters should
take note of this situation, as Calderon is almost totally
nullified while Garcia is landing strikes that are not overly
destructive but compounding fast. The kick total is off the charts
because of these short smacks, and Calderon is completely out of
ideas and tries to punch Garcia with undercuts beneath his own
armpit. MacDonald breaks them up as Garcia landed with a strike or
two behind the head, and they reset in a neutral position. Garcia
shoots in for a single, and instantly repositions himself behind
Calderon leaned on the cage. The fight ends in this position, and
Calderon complains and mocks the celebrating Garcia. This was a
strange one, a bout that might need to be either studied or totally
forgotten.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Garcia (29-28 Garcia)

The Official Result

Borja Garcia Heres def. Rafael Calderon via Unanimous Decision
(29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Round 1

The prelims wrap up with an unplanned catchweight contest when
Spain’s Cordero (15-5, 0-0 PFL) missed the bantamweight limit by
half a pound. He likely surrenders a portion of his purse to
once-beaten Samurai Fight House product Pereira (15-1, 0-0 PFL),
who has seen 13 of his 15 wins coming before the final bell.
Referee Kevin MacDonald will receive back-to-back assignments as he
is in charge of this prelim headliner, and the combatants still
clap hands despite the weight miss.

Round 1

The first fight on the main card does not represent Spain, as
instead it is a classic matchup pitting England against Brazil.
Former heavyweight and a svelte 243 pounds at 42 years young,
Vassell (25-10, 1 NC; 1-2 PFL) wants to even his PFL record to
.500. Instead of facing Denis Goltsov again, he fights late
replacement Augusto (11-5, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL), who also swam in the
same Bellator pond as his opponent. Referee Blake Grice will handle
the big men, and those big men tap their equally big gloves
together before getting started.

Vassell moves to the middle of the cage to offer out kicks from his
lead leg, going from low to high in a hurry. Augusto takes
advantage of the naked kicks by unloading a huge right hand over
the top, and “The Swarm” has to shake it off before advancing
again. Vassell pitches kick from both sides, sliding away from the
counter right hand he is now expecting. Augusto has a kick land
just beneath the cup on the inner thigh, and they fight on. Vassell
strikes the body with his foot, jabbing behind it as the Brazilian
nods at him. Augusto whiffs on a haymaker of a right hand, and he
slides back as Vassell jabs at his body. The Brit follows with a
kick to the ribs, and he dances away from a pair of counters.
Vassell crowds Augusto back to the cage without getting too close,
allowing him to set up kicks with Augusto unable to back up.

Vassell starts hammering the midsection with kicks, and when he
gets the attention of “Gugu” with them, he strings together a few
punches upstairs. Augusto hurls back single overhand rights, but it
is his uppercut that sneaks through and rocks the 42-year-old.
Augusto gets poked in the eye, and he tells Grice to back off, but
Grice tells him that he is the one who will call time and not the
fighter. Vassell gets right back to chasing around Augusto with a
steady diet of kicks, with his most effective blow the one to the
liver. Augusto is calm as a cucumber, but he appears stuck in first
gear swinging his big right hand and not too much else. When it
lands, it matters, but Vassell is able to potshot him and chip away
with kicks to any target. Augusto drops his hands and offers up a
right hand over the top, and he scores another effective uppercut.
Vassell works the body with two kicks before the round
concludes.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vassell
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Vassell
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Vassell

Round 2

Round 1

While the undercard was littered with Spanish athletes, most of the
main card contains foreigners. This is the case for Austin (8-2,
0-0 PFL) vs. van Rooij (7-1, 0-0 PFL), who rep Australia and the
Netherlands, respectively. Combined, these strawweights have never
landed a knockout while performing seven of their 15 wins by
submission. Referee Bryan Miner knows he may be in this one for the
long haul, but the two women show plenty of respect by offering a
glove touch.

Round 1

In one of the most lopsided matches on the betting lines,
Spanish-trained former BKFC champ Tenaglia (5-2, 0-0 PFL) will come
in as a hefty favorite around -550. He takes on “live by the sword,
die by the sword” submission grappler Najid (9-6, 1 NC; 0-1 PFL),
who holds all of his stoppage wins by tapout but has lost two in a
row via first-round sub. Referee Kevin MacDonald will serve as the
cage commander for this welterweight bout, and the men share a
swift fist bump to introduce one another.

Tenaglia comes out of his corner a man possessed, throwing wild
punches and kicks until he crashes into Najid. The bare-knuckle
boxer ends up dragging his foe to the ground, and when they bounce
back up, Najid turns the corner on him and trips up Tenaglia to put
him on his back. Najid lands on top and considers dropping down
strikes, but instead sets up a brabo choke by wrapping his lower
arm beneath the neck to set it up. Tenaglia breaks it out of it
before long, and they get back upright, only for Najid to take him
down again. Tenaglia bursts upright once more with Najid clinging
to him, and he is warned for grabbing the fence in hopes of
improving his position. Najid drags Tenaglia down in a mat return,
and does so again as he is tossing the striker around at this
point. Tenaglia grabs the fence and rolls for a leglock, and Najid
also pulls on the fencing to get out of it. MacDonald shouts at
both fighters to stop tugging on the fence links, and Tenaglia
tries to isolate a kneebar but cannot keep it.

Najid strips his leg out of danger and pounces down to slam
Tenaglia in the face with an elbow, and he threatens with another
brabo choke before electing to slug away with punches and elbows.
Najid winds up in the half guard position, and the crowd starts
chanting “Franco” to psyche up the man on his back. Najid sits up
and drills Tenaglia in the face with a big right hand, and Tenaglia
rolls around again to go for a leg. Najid punches his way out of it
and appears to hurt Tenaglia while busting him in the face, and he
considers setting up a rear-naked choke before Tenaglia turns out
of it. Tenaglia keeps twisting and turning to set up some sort of
submission, but Najid sees them all coming and bludgeons the
Argentinian in the process. Najid gets away with elbowing Tenaglia
in the spine, and the grueling round ends.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Najid
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Najid
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Najid

Round 2

This round, Tenaglia approaches far more cautiously, while Najid
keeps a bladed karate stance so he can fire off kicks. Najid boots
the BK fighter in the face with his shin and spins with a perfect
back kick in the guts, and Tenaglia reels and explodes forward to
throw hands. Tenaglia ends up tackling Najid to the floor rather
than swing further, and he takes Najid’s back as Najid stands up
with the wall at his side. Tenaglia drags the Frenchman away from
the fence to put him on his back several feet away from it. Najid
keeps his butterfly hooks in hopes of sweeping or setting up
something, and he turns to snag hold of Tenaglia’s neck but does
not have anything with it. Najid tries to hit a reversal, and
Tenaglia lowers himself flat down to stop him from succeeding.

Tenaglia gets off some strikes on top, but he is labored with them
and places his hand on Najid’s mouth to smother him. Tenaglia
grinds down with his left elbow, advancing his way to half guard as
Najid is stuck on his back. Najid has scooted his way to put his
side against the fence, and he attempts to wall-walk and gets to a
knee. Tenaglia tries to drag Najid down when Najid stands, and he
holds on kneeing Najid in the back of the thigh before turning
around to go for a double. The round ends before he can complete
it. A wounded, exhausted Najid slowly meanders back to his corner,
favoring his left side as he can barely walk. It appears that he
might have suffered at least one injury in the ensuing 10 minutes,
and it is his shoulder that has been dislocated and is visibly out
of place. As the fight is waved off from the injury at the
conclusion of the round, Najid slumps back and almost passes out
from the pain, and has to be caught by his brother.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 Tenaglia

The Official Result

Franco Tenaglia def. Yassin Najid R2 5:00 via TKO (Shoulder
Injury)

Round 1

Despite a whopping 33 total bouts in the Bellator cage, Borics
(20-3, 2-1 PFL) and McKee (23-2, 2-1 PFL) never crossed paths. That
all changes when these two featherweights vie for a title
eliminator spot for the vacant featherweight strap. The excitement
is palpable. The third man in the cage for this co-main event will
be referee Kevin MacDonald. The Bellator staples touch gloves
before trying to punch the other’s lights out, and Borics winks at
his opponent.

McKee opens up with a step-in side kick, and he chambers and fires
a body kick with his other leg to catch Borics unaware. McKee
stomps at the knee with a kick, and he rifles off a one-two and a
looping right hand that Borics dodges in time. McKee goes to the
knee again with a strike to hyperextend the limb, and he sells out
with a head kick and topples to his back. Borics lords over him
slapping his legs with kicks, and he motions for MacDonald to stand
him up. They reset, and McKee darts forward with a flurry of
punches. The two featherweights trade low kicks, taking turns to
throw them until Borics breaks up the pattern with a jab. McKee
rushes forward swinging two punches and crashes a knee to the body,
and he hops back and lets go with a kick to the liver. Both of
these featherweights are engaging with blazing speed and little
regard for their well-being. McKee shoots in for a double, and
Borics tosses him aside and buzzes the tower with a right hand.

McKee jabs with a front kick to the sternum, and he is reached with
a left hand and an overhand right. McKee keeps feeding Borics a
steady diet of kicks when at kickboxing range, switching up a low
kick to one up high in the blink of an eye. Borics tosses out a
one-two too far away, but his low kick does connect. McKee
continues to hammer away at the knee with his kick, and he ducks
away and spins with a back fist to threaten and not allow Borics to
chase him down after an exchange. A head kick is blocked from the
Hungarian, who has to slide back to defend against the counters.
They continue to beat the other’s leg down, with McKee firing off
his stomp kicks and mixing in one to the face. Borics sits down on
a looping right hand to the breadbasket, and he stands firm rather
than backing off to catch McKee with a combo. Borics goes to the
body again, and he takes a left hand before the horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee

Round 2

Between rounds, McKee complains to his father that he dislocated
his toe throwing kicks, who informs him that he should just keep
fighting. They appear to reset it to a degree, and the second round
opens with furious offense just like they left off. Borics pushes
the pace a bit more, forcing McKee to fight off his back foot, but
he still absorbs plenty that comes back his way like a thudding
body kick. Borics replies with one to the pectorals, and he is
forced to deal with chopping kicks aimed at his lead leg shortly
thereafter. McKee nearly sweeps the leg with his low calf kick, and
Borics recovers and lets fly a body kick. McKee steps in with a
side kick to the chest, and he stays in the pocket a bit too long
and gets caught with a pair of hooks. McKee goes to the well with
another kick, this time aiming it a bit higher but Borics crowds
him so it hits the body. Borics throws back so hard, he nearly
topples over, and McKee dances back and immediately sets up a low
kick from each leg.

Borics just misses with a big right hand, and he walks forward in a
few jabs and bites down on his mouthpiece to fire off two punches
upstairs. McKee shakes Borics up with a sneaky left hand, and he
keeps doing work on the left leg of the Hungarian. Borics uses his
jab to measure out his range, and McKee bounces off the cage and
attacks with a straight left hand. Feet and fists fly in a rapid
exchange, with McKee setting up a body lock takedown attempt thanks
to a crisp left hand on the jaw. Borics puts his back to the fence
to defend the takedown effort, and McKee drills him in the solar
plexus with a hard knee. McKee redoubles his effort for a double,
transitioning to a single in hopes of landing it before the round
ends. He cannot get it, and Borics hammers in with elbows to the
side of the head. When the bell sounds, McKee badly limps back to
his corner.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee

Round 3

The featherweights hug it out, and Borics shoves McKee back to get
psyched up for five minutes of combat. McKee keeps a stiff upper
lip about the pain in his foot, and he proceeds to throw kicks with
his wounded limb as if nothing had happened to it. The action slows
as Borics aims single strikes, while McKee is occasionally getting
off low kicks. Borics goes to the body with his right hand, and he
ducks a huge right hand that would knock the ears off a gundark.
Borics strikes the body and transitions to a few punches up top,
and he checks a kick coming his way. McKee misses with another big
punch, and he is countered on the way back.

McKee kicks the body again, and he shoots for a double and
completes it the moment that Borics commits to a hard swing. Borics
employs a butterfly guard in hopes of sweeping, but he has to close
it up when McKee starts hammering him with ground-and-pound. Borics
throws back, and an elbow or two bangs into the back of McKee’s
dome. Borics appears irritated as he scoots his way to the fencing
to put his back to it, and he gets to a knee and takes a flush knee
to the belly on the way up. Borics tries to fire back with a right
hand, but McKee is out of range. Borics swings for the fences, and
McKee is elusive and taking little more than leg kicks. McKee snaps
out a jab, and he absorbs a heavy right hand to the ribs. Borics
kicks the chest back and scores a right hand, with both men trading
big fists and not slowing down. Borics asks for a brawl, and McKee
obliges him as they swing and kick their way right to the bitter
end.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 McKee (30-27 McKee)

The Official Result

A.J. McKee def. Adam Borics via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27,
29-28)

Round 1

Some five-plus years ago, van Steenis (17-3, 2-0 PFL) and Edwards
(16-4, 3-1 PFL) met in the main event of a Bellator card in Milan.
The former picked up the split decision win, setting the table for
a future rematch down the line. That rematch has the highest of
stakes possible in their current promotion, as they will be vying
for the middleweight throne. Van Steenis won it last July by
putting Johnny Eblen to sleep with a rear-naked choke with nine
seconds left on the clock, and he gets a rematch—just not with
Eblen. Instead, the Brit has worked his way towards PFL gold,
winning three in a row to pick up the last tournament victory in
the company’s 185-pound division. Referee Blake Grice brings the
combatants to the center of the cage to issue final instructions
and elicit a glove touch, and they oblige. It’s on with the
show.

Van Steenis lands an early inside calf kick, and he targets the
same spot a second time. Edwards fires back with a front kick to
find his space, and van Steenis hammers that leg with another kick
that sweeps Edwards’ leg back. Van Steenis commits to that inner
calf, and Edwards opens up with a flurry of punches on the sides of
the head that may have shaken up “The Spaniard.” Van Steenis wraps
his arms around Edwards and considers a body lock takedown or at
least a tight clinch, potentially to get his bearings back, and he
leans heavily on the Brit against the wire. Grice asks for more
activity from the fighters, and van Steenis answers by offering up
a few high knees that do not find their target. Edwards fights his
way out, scoring an elbow on the forehead of the champ. Edwards
pushes out a front kick, and he strikes with a calf kick shortly
thereafter.

Van Steenis goes upstairs with his shin, and Edwards blocks it and
is greeted with a right hand on the chin. Edwards responds with a
few punches before they clash heads, and a small cut is opened on
the side of van Steenis’ left eye. Edwards shoots in for a double,
and van Steenis puts his back to the fence and hacks down at
Edwards’ arms with elbows. Van Steenis hangs on with a guillotine
choke that is more to maintain his vertical posture than actually
threaten, and he rolls his eyes as Edwards clings to him. Edwards
knees him a few times before breaking off, and he takes a hard leg
kick and gives one back. Edwards winds up a pair of left hands
before shooting low for a double, and van Steenis responds with a
guillotine that is so suddenly tight that Edwards has to fall to
his back to relieve the pressure. Van Steenis lowers himself down
in half guard and sets up an arm-triangle choke, but he runs out of
time.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis

Round 2

The first strike of this round comes from the champ, aiming a head
kick and switching to his other leg to sweep his foe’s leg. Edwards
hits the floor and jumps back up, where he shoots for a double. Van
Steenis puts his back to the wire and wraps his arms around the
shoulders before hunting for underhooks to thwart the attempt
altogether. Short knees are traded on the inside, with Edwards
largely grinding without doing much more in the offensive clinch
position. The Brit stomps the foot once before van Steenis swings
his way out, and the champion kicks high and falls to his back.
Edwards happily climbs into the guard, with van Steenis scooting
his back to the fencing so he can start the wall-walking process.
Edwards sucks van Steenis’ hips out to keep him stuck on his seat,
and he takes van Steenis’ back when van Steenis tries to stand.

Van Steenis bucks and shakes to get Edwards to fall off of him, so
Edwards answers by clutching onto a kimura that he has to release
when he falls off. Van Steenis gives him a taste of his own
medicine by taking his back standing, and he complains about glove
grabs as Edwards is hooking his finger on the inside of it. Van
Steenis opens up with punishing right hands and looks to cinch up a
rear-naked choke with his right arm, but Edwards hand-fighting
prevents the locking arm from getting hold of the limb to set the
choke. Edwards is warned once more for grabbing inside of van
Steenis’ gloves, and van Steenis starts belting Edwards in the face
until Edwards shoots for a desperate double. The champion smothers
Edwards flat on his chest and keeps his hand pressed on the back of
Edwards’ neck to keep him stuck, and Edwards explodes out of the
position and goes wild with punches and elbows. Edwards lets him
have it right to the bell and slightly beyond.

Sherdog Scores

Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
J.L. Kirven scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis
Mike Pendleton scores the round: 10-9 van Steenis

Round 3