09 June 2023 , 04:30
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Brendan Loughnane is out of the PFL season after being brutally knocked out by underdog Jesus Pinedo on a night of finishes in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Manchester native's 145lb. belt wasn't up for grabs on the night, but he had marked it as his second defence after dispatching of Marlon Moraes in the second round last time out. But he faced a stiff test from the bigger UFC veteran Pinedo, who was in desperate need of a stoppage after losing a razor-close decision to Gabriel Braga during week one.
It was a star-studded night at the OTE Arena in Downtown Atlanta, with former heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder watching from cageside. He was joined by former WWE superstar Dean 'Mojo Rawley' Muhtadi and social media star NDO to watch an exciting night of fights.
Bubba Jenkins, Movlid Khaybulaev, Gabriel Braga and Chris Wade all landed stoppage victories to render Loughnane's initial victory over Moraes moot, eliminating him from the tournament. Pinedo looked the sharper of the two despite a difficult cut to 145lb, and appeared to have his rival's number in the early exchanges.
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And within minutes he had landed a vicious knee that rendered the champion completely unconscious, landing himself neck-and-neck with Chris Wade. The American faces heart-break, however, and will be eliminated due to the promotion's tiebreaker rules that worked out in favour of Pinedo.
The night was filled with finishes from top to bottom, with every playoff spot being earned with a stoppage. Jenkins choked Sung Bin Jo unconscious within a minute-and-a-half, while Braga got a first round knockout to send Moraes into retirement and Khaybulaev landed a second round submission.
What did you make of Brendan Loughnane's stunning knockout loss? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
In the light-heavyweight portion of the night, Josh Silveira, Marthin Hamlet, Impa Kasanganay and Ty Flores all punched their tickets into the playoffs with wins. The division has proven controversial, with a number of fighters including last year's champion Rob Wilkinson, being disqualified from the tournament after testing positive for banned substances after the first round of fights.
Elsewhere on the card, Abigail Montes landed her first win since a 2021 victory over Claressa Shields when she submitted kickboxer Brandy Hester within a round. She is keen for a rematch with the boxing icon, should the American ever venture back into the PFL smart cage.