Earlier this month, the Professional Fighters League kicked off its 2019 season with a lineup full of lightweight ladies and welterweight men. In the league’s second effort of the season, the featherweight and lightweight men take to the cage in an effort to make a big first impression.
The featherweight division returns all four of its semifinalists from 2018: Lance Palmer, Steven Siler, Alexandre Almeida and Andre Harrison. Alexandre “Popo” Bezerra also returns from last season’s field. These men will be joined by Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series alum Alex Gilpin and Peter Petties, UFC veterans Jeremy Kennedy and Damon Jackson, Fight Nights Global vets Movlid Khaibulaev and Gadzhi Rabadanov, and 33-1 Brazilian fighter Luis Rafael Laurentino.
The lightweight division also welcomes back the majority of its 2018 semifinalist field. Season champion Natan Schulte returns alongside fellow finalist Rashid Magomedov and semifinalist Chris Wade. Other 2018 season participants among this field include UFC veteran Ramsey Nijem and World Series of Fighting vet Islam Mamedov. The weight class also features a number of fresh faces, including CES MMA lightweight champion Nate Andrews, FNG vet Akhmet Aliev, Shooto Brazil lightweight kingpin Carlao Silva, Frenchman Ylies Djiroun, Loik Radzhabov and China’s Bao Yincang.
As with the promotion’s first 2019 show, this event takes place at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, N.Y. The show kicks off on Thursday, May 23, at 7 p.m. ET with four fights on ESPN2. The remaining eight contests air live on ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET.
Chris Wade def. Nate Andrews by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Andre Harrison def. Peter Petties by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Akhmed Aliev def. Carlao Silva by KO (strikes). Round 1, 2:24
Islam Mamedov def. Ylies Djiroun by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Rashid Magomedov def. Loik Radzhabov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Natan Schulte def. Bao Yincang by submission (rear-naked choke). Round 1, 3:03
Luis Rafael Laurentino def. Jeremy Kennedy by TKO (strikes). Round 1, 0:23
Movlid Khaibulaev def. Damon Jackson by KO (flying knee). Round 1, 0:10
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Steven Siler by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)