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USA Today Sports Media Group
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MMA Junkie Staff

2023 PFL 1 results: Brendan Loughnane kicks Marlon Moraes to sixth straight loss

PFL 1 Brendan Loughnane Marlon Moraes Rob Wilkinson Thiago Santos ESPNESPN Referee Alejandro Flores Bubba Jenkins Chris Wade Cory Hendricks

LAS VEGAS – PFL 2023, Week 1 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for a live and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, 2022 season winner Brendan Loughnane (26-4) starts the season against Marlon Moraes (23-11-1), a former WSOF bantamweight champion and ex-UFC interim title challenger. The co-main event also features a former UFC title challenger in Thiago Santos (22-11), who takes on 2022 205-pound season winner Rob Wilkinson (17-2).

Full 2023 PFL 1 results include:

Cory Hendricks vs. Impa Kasanganay

Result: Impa Kasanganay def. Cory Hendricks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Impa Kasanganay (12-3), Cory Hendricks (9-6)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Notes: Although light heavyweight regular season fights were on the bill, the Hendricks-Kasanganay bout was a showcase fight and was not for points in the season. A few weeks after a first-round TKO win in PFL’s Challengers Series, Kasanganay got another win for the promotion, which was his third straight. Hendricks lost for the second straight time.

Ty Flores vs. Delan Monte

Result: Ty Flores def. Delan Monte via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Updated Records: Ty Flores (12-4), Delan Monte (9-4)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Points: Flores 3
Notes: Monte had a good first round, but Flores turned things around in the second and third and turned in a mostly dominant performance to pull off an upset of Monte, who was nearly a 2-1 betting favorite. Flores picked up 3 points in the light heavyweight standings.

Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo

Result: Gabriel Braga def. Jesus Pinedo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Gabriel Braga (10-0), Jesus Pinedo (20-6-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Points: Braga 3
Notes: Braga took the fight on just a day’s notice. He came to Las Vegas to weigh in as a backup and found himself put right into the season opener.

Alejandro Flores vs. Daniel Torres

Result: Alejandro Flores def. Daniel Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Alejandro Flores (22-4), Daniel Torres (14-6)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Points: Flores 3
Notes: In a largely uneventful fight that seemed plenty cautious on both ends, Flores eked out a decision to pick up 3 points in the featherweight standings.

Sam Kei vs. Josh Silveira

Result: Josh Silveira def. Sam Kei via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:46
Updated records: Josh Silveira (10-1), Sam Kei (8-7)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Points: Silveira 6
Notes: Silveira picked up the first finish of the night and the 2023 regular season with a quick submission for 6 points in the light heavyweight division, ensuring he’ll be at worst tied atop of the standings heading into his second regular season fight later this year. Silveira took Kei down midway through the first round with a trip. When Kei tried to get up, Silveira took his back and got his neck with ease for a rear-naked choke. Silveira now has nine of his 10 wins by stoppage, including six submissions.

Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. Marthin Hamlet

Result: Marthin Hamlet def. Mohammad Fakhreddine via submission (neck crank) – Round 1, 1:05
Updated records: Marthin Hamlet (11-4), Mohammad Fakhreddine (15-5)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Points: Hamlet 6
Notes: Hamlet came straight after Fakhreddine as soon as the bell rang. He took the fight to the canvas quickly, and once he settled in there, Fakhreddine was in trouble. Hamlet took Fakhreddine’s back and though he didn’t have a true choke, Fakhreddine had to tap to a neck crank even though he was trying to work from within a tight body triangle.

Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade

Result: Bubba Jenkins def. Chris Wade via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Bubba Jenkins (20-6), Chris Wade (22-9)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Points: Jenkins 3
Notes: Jenkins did what he had to do in order to in order to avenge a loss to Wade from 2021. Jenkins used a pair of takedowns and a lot of top control to stifle any meaningful offense from Wade to grind out a unanimous decision for 3 points in the featherweight standings.

Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Ryoji Kudo

Result: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Ryoji Kudo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Updated records: Movlid Khaybulaev (20-0-1), Ryoji Kudo (11-5-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Points: Khaybulaev 3
Notes: Khaybulaev used the famed Dagestani wrestling to grind out a decision sweep on the scorecards against Kudo, who never could get any offense started each time Khaybulaev put him on the canvas.

Will Fleury vs. Krzysztof Jotko

Result: Will Fleury def. Krzysztof Jotko via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Will Fleury (12-3), Krzysztof Jotko (24-7)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kerry Hatley
Points: Fleury 3
Notes: After nearly 10 years in the UFC, Jotko couldn’t make good on his PFL debut. In a close fight, particularly the second round, Ireland’s Fleury took a split call. Both fighters mostly played it safe with a lot on the line, but Fleury got the nod.

Rob Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos

Result: Rob Wilkinson def. Thiago Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Rob Wilkinson (18-2), Thiago Santos (22-12)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Points: Wilkinson 3
Notes: Wilkinson put on a solid all-around performance, and while Santos had moments when it looked like he might be able to land a Hail Mary, and he left Wilkinson with a big hematoma over his left eye, he never got truly started. Santos inched closer in the third with his striking, but Wilkinson dominated the first two rounds and landed seven takedowns on his way to 3 points in the light heavyweight standings on his quest to repeat as a $1 million winner.

Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes

Result: Brendan Loughnane def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (leg kick) – Round 2, 1:11
Updated records: Brendan Loughnane (27-4), Marlon Moraes (23-12-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Points: Loughnane 5
Notes: Loughnane spent much of the first round attacking Moraes’ lead leg. When the Brazilian switched stances, Loughnane stayed on the new leg. It was clear both Moraes’ legs were compromised between the first and second round. It seemed up in the air if he’d answer the bell for Round 2, but he did and came out with a pep in his step and threw big punches. But eventually, Loughnane caught him with a kick that took him off his feet, and referee Keith Peterson waved off the fight with Moraes on the canvas in pain. Of the 22 strikes Loughnane landed, 18 were to Moraes’ legs and he picked up a big 5 points on his quest for a second straight $1 million win. Those 5 points to close the event have Loughnane at the top of the featherweight standings.

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