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, Bubba Jenkins (21-7) took on Jesus Pinedo (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, Josh Silveira (12-1) faced Ty Flores (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:
Chuck Campbell vs. Billy Elekana
Records: Chuck Campbell (5-3), Billy Elekana (6-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jeff Rexroad
Result: Billy Elekana def. Chuck Campbell via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Ky Bennett vs. Chelsea Hackett
Records: Ky Bennett (3-3), Chelsea Hackett (4-1-1)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Result: Chelsea Hackett def. Ky Bennett via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:42
Notes: The win was Hackett’s first career submission and Bennett’s first finish defeat.
REAR NAKED CHOKE! SUCCESSFUL DEBUT FOR CHELSEA HACKETT!#PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/kHp6lbtyUk— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 4, 2023
Carson Hardman vs. Anthony Ivy
Records: Carson Hardman (12-4), Anthony Ivy (12-7)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jeff Rexroad
Result: Anthony Ivy def. Carson Hardman via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:34
Notes: Following his UFC departure, Ivy lost three straight. Since that skid, he’s won four fights in a row. Hardman has a three-fight winning streak snapped.
The HOMETOWN KID gets it done via a Rear Naked Choke! Congrats Anthony Ivy!#PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/NTDTloNycx— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 4, 2023
Lisa Mauldin vs. Desiree Yanez
Records: Lisa Mauldin (6-3), Desiree Yanez (7-5)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Result: Lisa Mauldin def. Desiree Yanez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:08
Notes: Mauldin picks up her second career submission win and extends her winning streak to two. Yanez, a Bellator alum, has a two-fight streak snapped.
3 REAR NAKED CHOKES IN A ROW! Lisa Mauldin takes home the W!#PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/0EgC6OvnJ4— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 5, 2023
Thad Jean vs. Ali Omar
Records: Thad Jean (6-0), Ali Omar (5-3)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jeff Rexroad
Result: Thad Jean def. Ali Omar via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:54
Notes: Thad Jean pressed forward from the moment the fight began, and eventually found Omar’s chin with a right hand to setup the TKO finish. Jean remains undefeated and picks up his first win under the PFL banner after entering the promotion through the PFL Challenger Series.
EASY WORK FOR THAD JEAN 👊#PFLPLAYOFFS LIVE NOW ON @ESPNPLUS pic.twitter.com/UgiLd1t3fb
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 5, 2023
Keoni Diggs vs. Elvin Espinoza
Records: Keoni Diggs (10-3), Elvin Espinoza (9-0)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Result: Elvin Espinoza def. Keoni Diggs via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Notes: Espinoza remained undefeated behind a relentless grappling approach, taking Diggs off his game through the first two rounds. The bout was Espinoza’s first win after recording a second-round stoppage at PFL Challenger Series in February.
Marthin Hamlet vs. Impa Kasanganay
Records: Marthin Hamlet (12-5), Impa Kasanganay (14-3)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Jeff Rexroad
Result: Impa Kasanganay def. Marthin Hamlet via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:24
Notes: Hamlet did his best to get the fight to the ground, but when Kasanganay got back up and found some space, he unleashed a devastating combo, punctuated with a clean right hand to send Hamlet crashing to the canvas. With the win, Kasanganay advances to the light heavyweight finals and a shot at $1 million after starting his year with an appearance in the PFL Challenger Series.
Impa Kasanganay drops 💣💣💣 #PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/AEtFAdMgzn— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 5, 2023
Gabriel Braga vs. Chris Wade
Records: Gabriel Braga (12-0), Chris Wade (23-10)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Result: Gabriel Braga def. Chris Wade via split decision (27-30, 30-27, 29-28)
Notes: This fight was a close one, as the official scorecards would indicate. The judges had a tough job on their hands as one judge saw all three rounds for Braga, while another saw each frame for Wade. Braga gets the nod on the third scorecard to remain undefeated, and is another PFL Challenger Series start to advance to the featherweight championship for a shot at $1 million.
Gabriel Braga books his ticket to the 2023 #PFLWorldChampionship#PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/F4rt8GtiLZ— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 5, 2023
Josh Silveira vs. Ty Flores
Records: Josh Silveira (12-1), Ty Flores (13-5)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Jeff Rexroad
Result: Josh Silveira def. Ty Flores via TKO (knees) – Round 1, 4:46
Notes: Silveira was just a step ahead of Flores all the way up to the moment where he caught him in a Thai clinch and began unleashing brutal knees for the first round finish. Silveira has won all three of his 2023 PFL bouts in the first round, and now finds himself in the finals to take on Impa Kasanganay for $1 million.
JOSH SILVEIRA IS GOING TO THE SHIP! #PFLWORLDCHAMPIONSHIP#PFLPlayoffs LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/zbdTqLj0xk— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 5, 2023
Bubba Jenkins vs. Jesus Pinedo
Records: Bubba Jenkins (21-7), Jesus Pinedo (22-6-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Result: Jesus Pinedo def. Bubba Jenkins via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:40
Notes: Perhaps fueled by the point deduction due to missing weight, Pinedo came out of the gates on fire. The first round was a one-sided beating, which was a borderline 10-8 round. The second was more of the same, as Pinedo’s sharp striking kept Jenkins in survival mode until the referee saw enough. Pinedo gets his crack at $1 million in the finals in a rematch with Gabriel Braga, who he defeated by split decision in April.
JESUS PINEDO DEFEATS BUBBA JENKINS IN ROUND 2 😱 #PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RVjzhR2G90
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 5, 2023
