Olivier Aubin-Mercier needed a win in any fashion to reach the 2023 PFL playoffs, and a highlight-reel finish did the trick.
At 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Aubin-Mercier (19-5) took on Anthony Romero in the main event (12-2), where both fighters were hunting for their spot in the playoffs. It would be “The Canadian Gangster” who punched his ticket by putting Romero out from a brutal knee at 0:28 of Round 3.
The first round was wild to start. In one of the opening exchanges, Aubin-Mercier rocked Romero with a hard right hand. Romero was able to recover quickly and started to return fire. A few moments later, he landed a slick crescent kick to wobble Aubin-Mercier.
In the second round, the fighters struggled to get a solid read on their opponent’s movement, as a series of head clashes due to the open stances caused brief pauses in the fight. Regardless, the fight continued without any point deductions.
With just five minutes to go on the clock, Aubin-Mercier ended things in less than 30 seconds in the final round. While looking for a left high kick, Romero changed levels, resulting in a quick adjustment by Aubin-Mercier to connect with the knee. The result was devastating for Romero, who instantly crashed to the canvas.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
OLIVIER!!! MAIN EVENT FINISH FOR THE CANADIAN GANGSTER!#PFLRegularSeason pic.twitter.com/K65tciByAv
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 24, 2023
Aubin-Mercier has recorded arguably two of his best finishes in his last three fights. In November, he knocked out Stevie Ray with a punch worth $1 million in the second round to win the 2022 lightweight season.
The Canadian lightweight won his first bout of the season, picking up a unanimous decision win over fellow UFC veteran Shane Burgos at 2023 PFL 3.
Aubin-Mercier now heads to the playoffs, where he will face Natan Schulte in the first round. The other side of the bracket will see Clay Collard take on Bruno Miranda.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
