Gabriel Braga competed in the 2024 PFL 3 for the first time since the death of his father and came away victorious.
As time expired in the first round, Braga (13-1) grounded his opponent Justin Gonzalez (14-4) with a clean punching combination, stopping the bout at 4 minutes, 59 seconds. With the win at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena, Bulaga gains six points in the 2024 featherweight regular season standings.
Braga, the 2023 runner-up, had not competed since his father Diego was killed in Brazil in January. According to reports, he killed Diego while the drug gang was searching for a stolen motorbike.
Gabriel felt the impact both personally and professionally, as Diego served as his son’s head coach and mentor throughout his career. In February, he withdrew from a fight against Bellator champion Patricio Freire on the day of the weigh-in, deciding he was not mentally ready for the fight.
Gabriel Braga! ! ! 6 points!
A big win for him, and the emotional moment of winning without his father in his corner for the first time.#PFLregularseason live now
🇺🇸ESPN
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/UesYOjzNkW
— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 20, 2024
With the win, Braga improves to 5-1 in the PFL with two strike finishes.
Gonzalez, an import from Bellator, lost his PFL debut, losing heavily in three fights.
Latest results for 2024 PFL 3 include:
Gabriel Braga def. Justin Gonzalez via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:59 Goiti Yamauchi def. Neiman Gracie unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Kai Kamaka III def. Baba Jenkins (by unanimous decision) (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Adam Borix def. Enrique Barsola by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Timur Khizuriyev def. by unanimous decision Brett Johns (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Murad Ramazanov def. Laureano Staropoli via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) – Round 1, 4:07 Don Mudge def. Submission (Rear Naked) Brennan Ward via knockout (choke) – Round 1, 1:02 Thad Jean def. Romain Dubienne via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:07
For more information on this card, check out MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL 3.
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