LAS VEGAS – Marthin Hamlet beat Mohammad Fakhreddine with a first-round submission Friday on the preliminary card at 2023 PFL 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Hamlet, who picked up 6 points in the light heavyweight standings with the 65-second neck crank.
Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. Marthin Hamlet
Result: Marthin Hamlet def. Mohammad Fakhreddine via submission (neck crank) – Round 1, 1:05
Updated records: Hamlet (11-4), Fakhreddine (15-5)
Key stat: Hamlet now has back-to-back wins for the first time in two years.
Hamlet on the fight's key moment
“I had written in different scenarios, but my coach and me discussed if you see this guy standing with his back foot, you shoot and take him down and try to submit him. So that was the game plan. I saw directly, OK, he’s standing flat foot. What’s the deal? OK, we’re shooting and we’ll submit him.”
Hamlet on rebounding in Vegas
“I had a bad experience with Las Vegas, so it was good to come back. I actually tried to qualify for the Olympics here in wrestling, and I was like five seconds from the Olympic qualifications, and that kind of made me flash back a little bit. It’s good to turn that around and to get this finished. … It’s mixed emotions because I’m grateful also for my losses. All my losses in MMA can’t compare to that Olympic qualification disappointment. That was actually my original dream. So it’s good to be back and try to compete and to win a world championship. That’s my ultimate goal.”
Hamlet on what he wants next
“I’m not a stickler. Let’s see what Ray (Sefo) comes up with”
To hear more from Hamlet, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 1.
