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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

2023 PFL 2 results: Larissa Pacheco successful against Julia Budd in return to featherweight

PFL Bruno Cappelozza Julia Budd Larissa Pacheco Matheus Scheffel Amber Leibrock Aspen Ladd Biaggio Ali Walsh Danilo Marques Evelyn Martins

LAS VEGAS – PFL 2023, Week 2 took place Friday, and MMA Junkie provided live and official results.

The event took place at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, 2022 women’s lightweight season winner Larissa Pacheco (20-4) started the first PFL women’s featherweight season against Julia Budd (16-6), a former Bellator champion. The co-main event also featured a past season winner at heavyweight. Bruno Cappelozza (16-6), who won the 2021 season, took on Matheus Scheffel (17-10), who beat him in the 2022 regular season.

Full 2023 PFL 2 results include:

Yoko Higashi vs. Marina Mokhnatkina

Result: Marina Mokhnatkina def. Yoko Higashi via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:29
Updated records: Yoko Higashi (8-3), Marina Mokhnatkina (9-3)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Points: Mokhnatkina 5
Notes: Mokhnatkina set the tone with takedowns, preventing Higashi from mounting any significant offense in the first round. She searched for a rear-naked choke late and nearly ended the fight in the closing seconds of the opening frame. In the second, Mokhnatkina brought the fight right back to the mat, and ended it with punches from a crucifix.

Evelyn Martins vs. Karolina Sobek

Result: Evelyn Martins def. Karolina Sobek via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Evelyn Martins (5-0), Karolina Sobek (4-1)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jerin Valel
Points: Martins 3
Notes: This was a close bout, with a lot of time spent in the clinch and on the mat. Both fighters had their moments throughout the fight. Sobek’s controlled from top position in the first, but Martins got the better of Sobek in the second and third rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory to remain undefeated, while handing Sobek her first loss.

Martina Jindrova vs. Amber Leibrock

Result: Amber Leibrock def. Martina Jindrova via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 2:19
Updated records: Martina Jindrova (6-4), Amber Leibrock (7-4)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Points: Liebrock 6
Notes: Simply an incredible PFL debut for Liebrock. Just as the action started to ramp up in the first round, Liebrock unleashed a left head kick that caught Jindrova clean on the chin. The connection echoed throughout the arena as Jindrova crashed to the mat. Liebrock rushed in, but the referee was right there to stop the action after a couple of hammerfists.

Yorgan De Castro vs. Danilo Marques

Result: Danilo Marques def. Yorgan De Castro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Yorgan De Castro (9-4), Danilo Marques (14-4)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Points: Marques 3
Notes: The fans weren’t happy with this one when the final bell sounded. According to the strike totals shown on the broadcast, Marques landed 33 strikes, while De Castro landed 16 over the course of 15 minutes. Both heavyweights did their best to avoid the power shots of their opponent, but the result was a lackluster fight.

Maurice Greene vs. Marcelo Nunes

Result: Maurice Greene def. Marcelo Nunes via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:20
Updated records: Maurice Greene (11-7), Marcelo Nunes (9-2)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Mark Smith
Points: Greene 5
Notes: The first round was about the grappling approach from Nunes versus Greene’s striking at range. Nunes was able to get the fight to the ground in the opening round, but couldn’t keep Greene there. In addition, Greene’s striking was on point. In the second, Greene poured on the strikes, overwhelming Nunes to get the five-point TKO stoppage.

Renan Ferreira vs. Rizvan Kuniev

Result: Rizvan Kuniev def. Renan Ferreira via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Renan Ferreira (9-4), Rizvan Kuniev (13-2-1)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Points: Kuniev 3
Notes: Kuniev brought the fight to Ferreira early by closing the distance with strikes to open up his wrestling attack. In the second, Ferreira found space for a reversal to score some top control, and threatened a deep armbar, but Kuniev finished the round in top position landing strikes. Kuniev dominated the third by keeping Ferreira on his back, completely nullifying his height and reach advantage.

Isaiah Figueroa vs. Biaggio Ali Walsh

Result: Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Isaiah Figueroa via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:42
Updated records: Isaiah Figueroa (1-2), Biaggio Ali Walsh (3-1)
Division: Lightweight (amateur)
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Mark Smith
Notes: This was a fast-paced bout for as long as it lasted. Ali Walsh showed solid takedown defense before letting his hands go. Once Ali Walsh began putting his punches together, Figueroa had no answers. Considering this was an amateur fight, the referee kept a short leash for damage, and a laser of a right hand led to the standing TKO stoppage before Ali Walsh could drop his opponent from further strikes.

Olena Kolesnyk vs. Aspen Ladd

Result: Olena Kolesnyk def. Aspen Ladd via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Olena Kolesnyk (8-5), Aspen Ladd (10-4)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Chris Tognoni
Points: Kolesnyk 2 (-1 for missing weight)
Notes: Ladd consistently moved forward in the first two rounds, but appeared frustrated with Kolesnyk’s ability to evade her offense. Ladd pumped out feints, but a good number of her genuine efforts to land completely missed, while Kolesnyk landed nice counters. In the third, Ladd changed the course of the fight by taking Kolesnyk to the mat, where she hunted for submissions and ground and pound until the fight ended.

Bruno Cappelozza vs. Matheus Scheffel

Result: Bruno Cappelozza def. Matheus Scheffel via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:15
Updated records: Bruno Cappelozza (16-6), Matheus Scheffel (17-10)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Herb Dean
Points: Cappelozza 6
Notes: Cappelozza found himself on the defensive early from Scheffel’s forward pressure and sharp combinations. However, Cappelozza perfectly timed a right hand straight down the pipe to sit Scheffel down. A few follow-up punches later and the referee called a stop to the fight in the first round, as Cappelozza avenged a prior loss to Scheffel.

Larissa Pacheco vs. Julia Budd

Result: Larissa Pacheco def. Julia Budd via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Larissa Pacheco (20-4), Julia Budd (16-6)
Division: Women’s featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Jason Herzog
Points: Pacheco 3
Notes: Pacheco slowly stalked forward, landing clean strikes on Budd without rushing things. Budd was able to get the fight to the ground and controlled from top position, but had to fend off a couple of submissions late in the round.

Action picked up in the second round as Pacheco turned up the intensity. Budd was game and landed some nice counters before the fight went back to the mat. Pacheco controlled from the top after reversing Budd’s takedown, but not much occurred on the ground before a close second round ended.

Pacheco rocked Budd with hard punches early in the final round, and then brought the fight to the ground to hunt for submissions. Budd reversed position momentarily, but Pacheco regained control on top, and rained down punches until the horn sounded.

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