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Matthew Wells

2023 PFL 4 results: Jesus Pinedo pulls off massive upset, finishes Brendan Loughnane in first round

PFL Cooper Neill Brendan Loughnane Atlanta PFL 4 ESPNESPN ESPNESPN Referee Georgia Jesus Pinedo Movlid Khaybulaev

2023 PFL 4 took place Thursday and MMA Junkie provided live and official results throughout the entire card.

The event featured featherweight and light heavyweight bouts and took place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The main card aired on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

In the main event, 2022 featherweight season winner Brendan Loughnane (26-5) was upset by Jesus Pinedo (21-6-1). Loughnane won his first fight of the season with a second-round stoppage of Marlon Moraes, earning five points in the standings. Pinedo played spoiler, keeping Loughnane out of the playoffs in a massive upset.

In the co-feature, undefeated 2021 featherweight season winner Movlid Khaybulaev (21-0-1) took on Tyler Diamond (12-3). Khaybulaev earned three points in his first fight of the season by winning a unanimous decision over Ryoji Kudo.

Full 2023 PFL 4 results include:

Akeem Bashir vs. Alexi Pergande

Records: Akeem Bashir (3-2), Alexei Pergande (3-0)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Alexei Pergande def. Akeem Bashir via submission (D’arce choke) – Round 1, 3:40
Notes: Pergande dominated this showcase fight from the start, coming out fast with hard strikes to put Bashir on the defensive. A head kick hurt Bashir, which led to the fight going to the ground, and Pergande eventually found his way into a D’arce choke submission to finish the fight in the opening round.

Brandy Hester vs. Abigail Montes

Records: Brandy Hester (0-1), Abigail Montes (4-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Result: Abigail Montes def. Brandy Hester via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:06
Notes: Montes made quick work of Hester in the second showcase fight of the night. Hester’s professional debut started off well on the feet, but when Montes got a takedown, the momentum quickly shifted. Montes took the back and began raining down hard punches until the referee stopped the action.

Taylor Johnson vs. Andrew Sanchez

Records: Taylor Johnson (9-4), Andrew Sanchez (15-7)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Result: Andrew Sanchez def. Taylor Johnson via split decision (29-27, 27-29, 29-27)
Points: 3
Notes: Late in a competitive first round, Johnson landed a clearly illegal knee to a downed Sanchez. The referee indicated the fight would have been a disqualification if Sanchez was unable to continue. After a brief recovery, Sanchez continued with the fight and Johnson was deducted a point.

Tim Caron vs. Impa Kasanganay

Records: Tim Caron (13-6), Impa Kasanganay (13-3)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Impa Kasanganay def. Tim Caron via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 3:52
Points: 5
Notes: Kasanganay smothered Caron with heavy top pressure when the fight hit the ground. In the second round, Kasanganay found his way into an arm triangle choke to get a quick tap and earn five points in the standings.

Ryoji Kudo vs. Chris Wade

Records: Ryoji Kudo (11-5-1) vs. Chris Wade (22-9)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Result: Chris Wade def. Ryoji Kudo via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:15
Points: 6
Notes: Another first-round finish on Thursday night in Atlanta, as Wade slapped on a slick guillotine choke in the first round. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Wade though, as Kudo cracked him with a hard punch early in the round to put him in danger. Wade gathered his wits though, and once he got under Kudo’s neck on the mat, he squeezed tight enough to leave his opponent asleep on the canvas.

Ty Flores vs. Dan Spohn

Records: Ty Flores (12-4), Dan Spohn (19-8-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Result: Ty Flores def. Dan Spohn via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Points: 2 (-1 point due to missing weight)
Notes: The story of this fight was told in the clinch and on the canvas, where Flores controlled position from the top. Flores needed at least a second-round finish to guarantee a playoff spot, but was unable to find a stoppage. Marthin Hamlet and Josh Silveira, who both fight later in the evening, were guaranteed playoff spots when the fight reached the third round.

Gabriel Braga vs. Marlon Moraes

Records: Gabriel Braga (11-0), Marlon Moraes (23-13-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Gabriel Braga def. Marlon Moraes via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:02
Points: 6
Notes: Moraes needed a finish faster than Wade (Round 1, 4:15) to ensure a playoff spot, while Braga needed a finish in any round. Fortunately for Braga, he found the punches he needed to put Moraes down and out in the opening round, guaranteeing himself a spot in the playoffs. After the fight, Moraes announced his retirement.

Josh Silveira vs. Delan Monte

Records: Josh Silveira (11-1), Delan Monte (9-5)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Result: Josh Silveira def. Delan Monte via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 1:30
Points: 6
Notes: The fight ended in the first round due to injury. Silveira shot for a takedown, and as Monte attempted to defend, his knee buckled and he began screaming in pain. The fight was immediately stopped, but the result is a six-point win for Silveira who currently holds the top spot with 12 total points. The result also allowed Impa Kasanganay to enter the playoffs.

 

Bubba Jenkins vs. Sung Bin Jo

Records: Bubba Jenkins (21-6), Sung Bin Jo (9-3)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Result: Bubba Jenkins def. Sung Bin Jo via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:25
Points: 6
Notes: Jenkins quickly got the fight to the ground with a beautiful suplex. Once on the ground, Jenkins slapped on a rear-naked choke and put Sung Bin Jo to sleep. Jenkins’ six-point finish puts him on the top of the current standings at featherweight.

Marthin Hamlet vs. Sam Kei

Records: Marthin Hamlet (12-4), Sam Kei (8-8)
Division: Light heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Marthin Hamlet def. Sam Kei via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Points: 3
Notes: Kei needed a finish in the first or second round to secure a playoff spot. Hamlet could have taken the number one position in the division with a first-round finish.

Tyler Diamond vs. Movlid Khaybulaev

Records: Tyler Diamond (12-2), Movlid Khaybulaev (20-0-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Kevin MacDonald
Result: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Tyler Diamond via submission (arm triangle) – Round 2, 4:23
Points: 5
Notes: Khaybulaev needed a finish in any round to reach the playoffs, while Diamond could have only remained in the race with a first-round finish. Khaybulaev nearly finished the fight in the closing seconds of the first, but Diamond was essentially saved by the end of the round. However, in the second round, Diamond was unable to escape an arm triangle submission and tapped out, placing Khaybulaev in the playoffs.

Brendan Loughnane vs. Jesus Pinedo

Records: Brendan Loughnane (26-5), Jesus Pinedo (21-6-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Keith Peterson
Result: Jesus Pinedo def. Brendan Loughnane via knockout (knee & punches) – Round 1, 1:34
Points: 6
Notes: Loughnane needed a win in any fashion to reach the playoffs, while Pinedo needed a first-round finish to take the final spot. Pinedo pulled off a massive upset by knocking out Loughnane in the first round with a knee up the middle and follow-up punches. The result knocks Chris Wade out of the playoffs.

The first round of the 2023 playoffs will see Pinedo take on Bubba Jenkins, while the other side of the bracket will be Gabriel Braga vs. Movlid Khaybulaev.

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