Last night, the PFL had their final first round event in their first ever world tournament. The big boys took center stage as the light heavyweights and the heavyweights went to battle. In the main event, former Bellator light heavyweight champion Phil Davis (25-7) took on former PFL champion Rob Wilkinson (19-4).
Entering the bout, Wilkinson was the betting favorite. He was seen as the much better striker and his elite takedown defense would really play against the wrestler-first Davis. Wilkinson won the first round, but Davis looked good on the feet and he looked very long. That length helped him rock Wilkinson in the second round and then he dropped him with a big shot and that ultimately led to him getting his first knockout win in over six years.
The first light heavyweight matchup of the evening featured Sullivan Cauley (7-1) and Alex Polizzi (11-5). Cauley scored the first round stoppage which will put him in the semifinals against Phil Davis. Simeon Powell (11-1) scored a devastating finish when he stopped Karl Albrektsson (14-7) in the second round with a brutal combination against the fence. He’ll meet former PFL champion Antonio Carlos Jr (17-6) in the semifinals after Carlos Jr defeated Karl Moore (12-4) by split decision.
PFL World Tournament Semifinals
The light heavyweights will next compete on June 27th in Chicago at the Wintrust Arena. The semifinal matchups can be viewed below.
- Phil Davis vs. Sullivan Cauley
- Simeon Powell vs. Antonio Carlos Jr.