The PFL made its long-awaited return to France on Saturday, touching down at the LDLC Arena, with PFL Lyon two-time champions after 10 games. Whenever the PFL comes to Europe, the stars shine and this was proven once again when Vadim Nemkov and Cris Cyborg notched dominant wins to capture and defend their respective titles.
Former Bellator light heavyweight champion turned heavyweight destroyer, Nemkov (19-2, 1 NC), passed his high test against Renan Ferreira (13-4, 3 NC) in the night’s main event.
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Nemkov measured his distance early in the fight but missed his opponent, simply lunging in and knocking his 6-foot-8 giant opponent down. From there, he choked through ground and pound strikes and position switches to secure a first-round arm-triangle choke submission and win his first PFL Heavyweight Championship.
Aside from Ferreira getting a hammerfist opportunity in a brief tussle, Nemkov avoided any danger and continued to prove that he is arguably the best fighter on the entire PFL roster.
This matchup feels like an appetizer for a pairing with Francis Ngannou, a possibility that has been around since Nemkov moved up to heavyweight. Whether Ngannou will stick with such a fight remains to be seen, but Nemkov did his part after the win by calling out the former UFC heavyweight champion.
In Saturday’s co-main event, Cyborg (29-2, 1 NC) showed that an old dog can still learn new tricks as she notched only her second submission victory in her illustrious 32-fight career.
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Robot’s challenger, the previously undefeated Sarah Collins (6-1), put in a valiant effort against the all-time great champion and found the most success with her powerful counterattacks.
Ultimately, it was her undoing as a failed head and arm throw nearly sent Collins into an armbar, only for Cyborg to escape from behind her before grabbing Collins’ back and locking in a brutal vice-style face crank to force the tap.
The 40-year-old legend’s performance was generally a slow burn. Cyborg uses her patented tracking pressure to set the pace, constantly firing missiles and other offensive weapons at the target.
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Now the question turns to the robot and how long she can compete. The champ’s plan appears to be to have another MMA fight, and she has even floated the idea of ​​a match against 135-pound PFL flyweight superstar Dakota Ditcheva.
The full results for PFL Lyon can be seen below.
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Vadim Nemkov Renan Ferreira submitted (triangle choke) in R1 4:00
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Cris Cyborg Submitted by Sara Collins in R3 2:55 (face curve)
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Patrick Habilola def. Kevin Jousset in R1 2:42 KO (boxing) | Watch Complete
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Taylor Lapilus over Liam Gittins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Barris Adiguzel Def. Dean Garnett TKO (boxing) at 0:44 of round 1
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Boris Mbarga Atangana def. Guilherme Soares submitted (rear naked choke) in R2 2:35
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Aleksandr Chizov vs. Connor Hughes in R3 0:50 KO (boxing)
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Gustavo Oliveira def. Movsar Ibragimov via TKO (boxing) R2 0:34
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Sabrina de Sousa Paulina Wiśniewska via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
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Rayan Balbali over Levi Batchelor via split verdict (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
