Tonight, the PFL returned for their second playoff event of the 2023 season. The heavyweight and women’s featherweight divisions took center stage with heavyweights Renan Ferreira (11-3) and Maurice Greene (11-9) headlining the show.
Starting with that matchup, Ferreira was able to pick up the victory. As the first round was getting ready to come to a close, Greene came in with a blitz and Ferreira caught him flush with a counter. One huge follow up shot put him out and booked Ferreira a spot in the finals.
Earlier in the evening, Denis Goltsov (32-7) was finally looking to breakthrough to the finals as he took on Jordan Heiderman (7-1). After coming up short in the last few seasons, Goltsov will finally get his moment. He was able to submit Heiderman in the first round with an arm triangle setting up a PFL championship bout with Ferreira.
PFL Playoffs
In the co-main event, the women’s featherweight division was on full display. 2022 lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco (22-4) was looking to continue her dominance as she took on Olena Kolesnyk (9-6). Pacheco had already defeated Kolesnyk twice before and this fight proved to be no different.
Just seconds into the first round, Pacheco pushed forward with powerful right hands. A couple landed flush and Kolesnyk went down. A few follow up shots landed against the fence and the fight was over. In less than 20 seconds, Larissa Pacheco punched her tickets to the PFL women’s featherweight finals.
Earlier in the evening, Marina Mokhnatkina (11-3) was able to submit Amber Leibrock (7-6) in the first round. That submission win was Mokhnatkina’s fifth straight win and she’s a perfect 3-0 this season. Now, she’ll have the tall task of taking out arguably the most dominant force in women’s MMA right now in former PFL champion Larissa Pacheco.