Kayla Harrison is in touching distance of becoming a three-time PFL champion as she submitted Martina Jindrova in London to reach this year's finals.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Harrison, 32, wasted no time in taking Jindrova down as the fight got underway, taking side control and searching for a submission at any chance she could. Harrison worked her way into full mount and started to land some heavy pucnhes before eventually locking in an arm-triangle choke to force the tap from Jindrova and reach her third consecutive PFL final.
Harrison will face Larrisa Pachecho in a trilogy fight at the PFL finals later this year. Pachecho has been outpointed by Harrison twice in their previous meetings, with the Brazilian missing out on the 2019 title in their rematch. Pachecho banked herself a spot in the finals by knocking out Olena Kolesnyuk with a devastating left hook. All but one of Pachecho's seven PFL wins have now come by first-round stoppage.
Brendan Loughnane secured himself a spot to fight for $1million as he outpointed bitter rival Chris Wade in the co-main event of the London card. The Mancunian outclassed Wade on the feet by landing the better shots over three rounds, with the judges seeing it 30-27 in his favour after the final bell.
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Lougnane will now face Bubba Jenkins for the $1million prize at 145lb. Jenkins secured himself in a place in the final by submitting Ryoji Kudo before Loughnane's win. Jenkins tossed Kudo around with some highlight-reel suplexes at the start of the fight before eventually taking his opponent's back and sinking in the rear-naked choke.
Elsewhere on the London card, light-heavyweight standout Simeon Powell remained unbeaten as he left Joao Paulo Fagundes unable to get back to his feet with a series of vicious leg kicks. Muay thai star Dakota Ditcheva lived up to the hype of her PFL debut as won by knockout in less than a minute. Ditcheva qualified for the inaugural season of PFL Europe next year with the win.
