The UFC’s subtraction seems to have been quite the addition for PFL.
At 2024 PFL 1 on Thursday, former UFC title challenger Taila Santos made her promotional debut and dispatched Ilara Joanne with a rear-naked choke for the stoppage at 3:57 of Round 1.
The flyweight fight took place on the event’s prelims at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio and earned Santos six points in the regular season standings.
Check out video of the finish below (via X):
THIS IS OVER! Taila Santos gets the Quick 6️⃣FINISH!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/NRbDSeXuMq— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 5, 2024
Santos (20-3) snaps a two-fight skid that included losses to Valentina Shevchenko and Erin Blanchfield. Her UFC departure surprised many, as she was months removed from a near-successful title challenge.
Joanne (11-9) falls into a three-fight skid. She was short-notice replacement for Denise Kielholtz, who withdrew days before the fight.
The up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL 1 results include:
- Taila Santos def. Ilara Joanne via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:57
- Oleg Popov def. Steve Mowry via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 3:47
- Jena Bishop def. Chelsea Hackett via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:15 – regular season bout
- Dmitre Ivy def. Lucas Brennan via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – showcase bout
- Bryce Meredith def. Ty Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – showcase bout
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 1.
