THE SCOTTISH TWISTER RETURNS!
Stevie Ray stops Lewis Long via submission in front of his family and his home crowd! #PFLGlasgow | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/J5oxpXNQIq
— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) September 28, 2024
PFL Europe 3 determined the 2024 playoff finals and saw several Scottish fighters compete in Glasgow.
Headlining the 14-fight Professional Fighters League event was a welterweight fight between hometown favorite Steven Ray and Lewis Long. There was immediate drama as Long (19-8) went for a takedown and got stuck in a tight guillotine choke attempt by the Scottish fighter. Ray (26-13) would later get an extended armbar put on Long, who showed incredible heart by battling out of it. The third time was the charm, though, as Ray would counter a takedown attempt by securing up a twister submission.
The tap officially came at 4:24 of Round 1.
Whiteford Outstrikes Huerta
The co-main event saw Roger Huerta return to mixed martial arts after three years away.
Looking to spoil the night for the “El Matador” was Scotland’s Robert Whiteford, who is also 41 years old. The American came out swinging, and Whiteford (17-5) wasn’t afraid to swing back. Huerta (24-14-1) found success with a stiff jab throughout the fight, although “The Hammer” lived up to his nickname and generally was able to land the harder strikes. The Scottish fighter would end the fight by getting a takedown before spending the final 10 seconds trading punches.
After three contested rounds, the judges gave a unanimous decision win to Whiteford with one 30-27 scorecard and two 29-28 verdicts.
Related » PFL Europe 2024 Playoffs Round-by-Round Scoring
PFL Europe Bantamweight Final Determined
Alexander Luster and Lewis McGrillen-Evans will meet in December to determine the best bantamweight in PFL Europe.
Luster (9-1) survived an early scare to submit Julien Lopez in the first bantamweight semifinal. After being knocked down early on, Luster showed resolve as he stayed composed. Shortly afterward, Luster would stun Lopez (7-4-1) with a right hand and then sink in a rear-naked choke. The tap came at 1:15 of the first round.
Meanwhile, Dean Garnett vs. McGrillen-Evans (10-1) lived up to the hype after both men weren’t shy with words prior to the fight. Garnett (12-3-1) would come close to submitting McGrillen-Evans with a guillotine choke near the end of a wild first round that saw Garnett nearly finished several times. The second frame would see McGrillen-Evans land an illegal knee to a grounded Garnett and get a point deducted as a result. Leaving nothing to the judges, McGrillen-Evans would sleep Grillens with a brutal left hook at 1:45 of the final round.
Miceli vs. Zendeli Welterweight Final Set
The welterweight semifinals began with Ibrahima Mane taking on Daniele Miceli. It didn’t last long as Miceli (13-5) shocked Mane (14-5) with a series of uppercuts that floored him. Taking advantage of the situation, Miceli kept throwing punches to secure a TKO victory. The stoppage came at 1:26 of Round 1.
Jack Grant vs. Florim Zendeli was the other welterweight semifinal. The first frame saw Grant (20-9) get a near knockout as he clocked Zendeli (9-1-1) with a right hook. Grant was unable to finish, though, and spent a lot of energy while trying to do so. This allowed Zendeli to be the fresher fighter in the second and third rounds. In a close fight, Zendeli would advance via split decision as two of the three 29-28 scorecards were for him.
The Macedonian fighter will now meet Miceli in the PFL Europe welterweight final in what should be an intriguing striking matchup.
Kaszuba Looks to Repeat at Lightweight
The first lightweight semifinal was a striking showcase for Connor Hughes. Using sharp jabs and thudding low kicks, Hughes (10-1) was able to safely outstrike his opponent. Ignacio Capella, who was never able to find his rhythm on the feet, secured a takedown in the final frame. After three straightforward rounds, Hughes took a unanimous decision win over Capella (8-2) with a trio of 29-28 scorecards for the Englishman.
The second semifinal saw 2023 PFL Europe lightweight champion Jakub Kaszuba attempt to stay undefeated against Daniele Scatizzi. On the inside, Kaszuba was able to land some sneaky power shots that kept Scatizzi (13-8) from being able to fully unleash. The Italian fighter had his moments, including a guillotine choke attempt in Round 2, but it wound up being too little in the grand scheme of things. Ultimately, Kaszuba took home a unanimous decision win with scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
Now 13-0, Kaszuba will face Hughes in the PFL Europe lightweight final in his attempt to win back-to-back years.
Wisniewska, Dyer Advance to Flyweight Final
Paulina Wisniewska and Shanelle Dyer will meet in the PFL Europe 2024 women’s flyweight final.
The first playoff semifinal of the night was an all-Poland battle as Wisniewska (4-0) took on Karolina Wojcik. However, it was Wisniewska’s night, as she was better than Wojcik (12-6) both on the feet and on the ground. After 15 minutes of action, the three judges awarded 30-27 scorecards in favor of the 25-year-old.
The other flyweight semifinal was much closer. Dyer (6-0) and Valentina Scatizzi went back and forth over 15 minutes of action. Largely contested on the feet, it was some well-timed knees from Dyer that made the difference as she was able to repeatedly hurt Scatizzi (3-3). After three rounds, Dyer took two of the three judges’ 29-28 scorecards.
More PFL Europe 3 Results:
In other action, Mark Ewen (6-1) was able to submit Yassin Chtatou (12-3-1) with a brabo choke at just 2:30 of the first round; Lorenzo Parente (4-0) used an armbar to submit Stefano Catacoli (8-3) just a minute and 45 seconds into the fight; Matiss Zaharovs (7-3) managed to submit Brian Hyslop (6-4) with a rear-naked choke at 4:18 of Round 2; and Gemma Auld (1-0) pounded out Weronika Pietruszka (0-1) with an onslaught of punches en route to a TKO win at 4:50 of the first round.
