Scottish Twister is back! 🏴 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Stevie Ray stops Lewis Long with submission in front of his family and home crowd!
#PFLGlasgow | Live stream now on DAZN pic.twitter.com/J5oxpXNQIq
— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope)
September 28, 2024
PFL Europe 3 has decided the 2024 play-off final, with several Scottish fighters competing in Glasgow. The highlight of the 14-fight Professional Fighters League event was a welterweight bout between local favorites Stephen Rea and Lewis Long. Drama soon ensued as Long (19-8) went for a takedown but fell into a tight guillotine choke attempt by the Scottish fighter. Ray (26-13) then had Long put on an extended armbar, but Long showed tremendous heart as he got out of it. However, the third time was the charm, with Rey securing a twister submission to counter a takedown attempt.
The tap was officially made at 4:24 of round one.
Whiteford defeats Huerta
In the co-main event, Roger Huerta made his return to mixed martial arts for the first time in three years.
Also trying to liven up the night at El Matador is Robert Whiteford, also 41, from Scotland. The American came out swinging, but Whiteford (17-5) wasn’t afraid to swing back. Huerta (24-14-1) found success with a stiff jab throughout the fight, but “The Hammer” lived up to his nickname and was able to land more power. The Scottish fighter would score a takedown to end the fight before spending the final 10 seconds exchanging punches.
After three rounds of contested action, the judges awarded Whiteford the victory by unanimous decision, with the scorecards reading 30-27 and the verdict 29-28.
PFL European bantamweight finals decided
Alexander Laster and Lewis McGrillen-Evans will meet in December to determine the best bantamweight in PFL Europe.
Luster (9-1) overcame an early scare to submit Julian Lopez in his first bantamweight semifinal. Even after going down early, Luster remained calm and showed determination. Moments later, Luster stunned Lopez (7-4-1) with a right hand and then submerged him with a rear-naked choke. The tap happened at 1:15 of the first round.
Meanwhile, Dean Garnett vs. McGrillen Evans (10-1) lived up to the hype with both men shamelessly exchanging words before the fight. Garnett (12-3-1) nearly submitted McGrillen Evans with a guillotine choke near the end of a wild first round in which Garnett nearly ended the fight several times. In the second frame, McGrillen Evans hits a grounder with a foul knee to Garnett, resulting in a point deduction. Leaving nothing to the judges, McGrillen Evans would put Grillen to sleep with a brutal left hook at 1:45 of the final round.
Miceli vs Zendeli welterweight final set
The welterweight semi-finals began with a match between Ibrahima Mane and Daniele Miceli. That didn’t last long, as Miceli (13-5) shocked Mane (14-5) with back-to-back uppercuts. Miceli took advantage of the situation and landed a flurry of punches, earning him a TKO victory. The stoppage occurred at 1:26 of the first round.
The other welterweight semifinal was Jack Grant vs. Florim Zendeli. In the first frame, Grant (20-9) clocked Zendeli (9-1-1) with a right hook that nearly knocked him out. However, Grant was unable to follow through and expended a great deal of energy trying to do so. This allowed Zendeli to be a fresher fighter in the second and third rounds. In a close fight, two of the three scorecards at 29-28 favored Zendeli, leading to a split decision for Zendeli.
The Macedonian fighter will now face Miceli in the PFL European welterweight final, which should be an interesting matchup.
Kazuba has a chance of repeating at lightweight
The first lightweight semi-final was an impressive showing from Connor Hughes. Using a sharp jab and powerful low kicks, Hughes (10-1) was able to safely defeat his opponent. Ignacio Capela was unable to find a rhythm on his feet, but secured a takedown in the final frame. After three straight rounds, Hughes defeated Capela by unanimous decision (8-2), with the trio scorecard reading 29-28 for the Englishman.
In the second semi-final match, 2023 PFL European Lightweight Champion Jakub Kasbah looked to remain undefeated against Daniele Scatizzi. Inside, Kazuba was able to land some sneaky power shots, but Scatizzi (13-8) couldn’t quite get them off. The Italian fighter had some highlights, including a guillotine choke attempt in the second round, but overall the result was too little. In the end, Kasbah won a unanimous decision with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.
Kazuba, who is currently 13-0, will face Hughes in the PFL European lightweight finals, aiming for a back-to-back title.
Wisniewska, Dyer advance to flyweight final
Paulina Wisniewska and Chanel Dyer will meet in the PFL Europe 2024 Women’s Flyweight Final.
The first playoff semifinal of the night was an all-Polish battle as Wisniewska (4-0) faced Karolina Wojcik. But it was a night for Wisniewska, where she was better on the feet and on the ground than Wojcik (12-6). After a 15-minute bout, the three judges gave the scorecards 30-27 in favor of the 25-year-old.
The other flyweight semifinal was pretty close. Dyer (6-0) and Valentina Scatizzi engaged in a back-and-forth battle over the course of 15 minutes. It was mostly fought on the feet, but it was a well-timed knee that made the difference, as Dier was able to hurt Scatizzi again and again (3-3). After three rounds, Dyer had the three judges’ scorecards 29-28.
Other results from PFL Europe 3:
In other action, Mark Ewen (6-1) was able to submit Yasin Chatu (12-3-1) with a Bravo choke just 2:30 into the first round. Lorenzo Parente (4-0) defeated Stefano Catacoli (8-3) with an armbar just 1:45 into the bout. At 4:18 of the second round, Matis Zakharovs (7-3) defeated Brian Hyslop (6-4) with a rear-naked choke. Gemma Auld (1-0) defeated Weronika Pietruszka (0-1) with an onslaught of punches, earning a TKO victory at 4:50 of the first round.
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