Oh, Paris! The city of love! And last night, it was the city of punches, chokes, and takedowns, as the Professional Fighters League (PFL) continued its 2023 Europe season live from Zenith Paris La Villette.
Topping the bill, the crowd got their money’s worth – and then some. Cedric Doumbe made quick work of Jordan Zebo, dropping him in a staggering 9 seconds. Doumbe’s stock keeps rising, now sporting a respectable 5-0 streak, and we can’t wait to see who dares step into the PFL SmartCage with him next.
Not to be outdone, ‘The Lazy King’ Abdoul Abdouraguimov wasn’t feeling too lazy last night, dominating Brad Wheeler with a slick rear-naked choke just under 3 minutes into the fight. With 8 wins in a row, Abdoul’s record stands strong at 18-1.
Crossing the channel, UK’s Simeon ‘Smooth Operator’ Powell and Dakota ‘Don’t Call Me Dangerous’ Ditcheva kept their records spotless, with both advancing to 9-0. Ditcheva put Cornelia Holm to rest with a third-round TKO, while Powell punched his ticket to the championships with a clean-sweep decision over Daniel Ladero. The two are set to duke it out at the 3Arena for the coveted PFL Europe title and a sweet $100,000.
In a great night for the Irish fans, John Mitchell and Frans Mlambo both secured the bag with victories. Mitchell scored a clean unanimous decision over Geisym Derouiche, while Mlambo managed a tight split decision win against Mokhtar Benkaci. With those wins in their pockets, they’re all set to fight on home ground in Dublin.
Shanelle Dyer? Remember the name. She stamped her mark on PFL Europe with a unanimous decision over Luisa Cifuentes. Watch out 2024, Dyer’s here and she means business.
Fight Highlights:
- Main Event: Cedric Doumbe turns off Jordan Zebo’s lights with a KO (left hook) in R1, at 0:09.
- Co-Main Event: Abdoul Abdouraguimov sinks in a rear-naked choke, taking out Brad Wheeler in R1, at 2:43.
- Light Heavyweight: Simeon Powell smoothly sails to victory against Daniel Ladero, unanimous decision (30-27 all around).
- Women’s Duel: Dakota Ditcheva puts Cornelia Holm on the mat with a TKO (body punch) in R3, at 2:55.
- Another Bantamweight Scuffle: Frans Mlambo edges out Mokhtar Benkaci, split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
- Lightweight Tussle: John Mitchell schools Geisym Derouiche with a unanimous decision (all cards reading 30-27).
- Debut Diva: Shanelle Dyer makes her mark, outpointing Luisa Cifuentes for a unanimous decision (30-27 all around).