Brazil has long been a powerhouse in the MMA world. They proved it in the PFL playoffs last night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Brazilian fighters stamped their authority on the competition with superior performances, going 4-0 on the card. Two of them grabbed coveted spots in the finals in November. The winners will be fighting for a chance to cash in a million bucks and the championship belt.
Larissa Pacheco following her dominance over Olena Kolesnyk (Photo by Peter Maiorano/Belly Up Sports)
The Trilogy
2022 champ Larissa Pacheco took on Olena Kolesny for the third time. Pacheco already dominated Kolesny in the first two and no one thought this would be any different. It was just a matter of how long it would take to complete the trifecta. As the Octagon lights illuminated, it was clear that the Olena Kolesny did not want to be there. She missed weight by 2.5 pounds, but Pacheco still agreed to fight despite the infraction. 14 seconds into the fight, Pacheco knocked out Kolesnyk. She advances to the finals again and will face Marina Mokhnatkina in an attempt to grab the back-to-back strap and money. Mokhnatkina submitted Amber Leibrock in the first round in her playoff match earlier in the evening to move forward to the November championship. Pacheco will most likely dominate in that fight, but it hopefully will last a little longer than her semi-final match.
Denis Goltsov walks proudly following his submission victory over Jordan Heiderman (Photo by Peter Maiorano/Belly Up Sports)
The Heavies
Top seeded heavyweight Denis Goltsov def. Jordan Heiderman with an arm triangle deep into the first round. Heiderman held his own early in the round on the feet, but had no answer when Goltsov took him to the ground.
Second seeded Renan Ferreira had “no problema” beating up lower seeded Maurice Greene as the fight was stopped with 14 seconds to go in the first. The 6’8” Brazilian will be a tough test for Goltsov when they meet in November. This will be something to look forward to.
Two Down, One to Go
Next Wednesday, the PFL returns to MSG to complete the semis. The spotlight will be on men’s lightweights and welterweights, who will showcase their skills in pursuit of their respective belts and the milly.
Thank you for reading my PFL article. Head to my Belly Up Sports Page. Follow me on Twitter. For more articles on the PFL and all other sports go to Belly Up Sports.
Featured image credit Cooper Neill/Getty Images.
