Kayla Harrison celebrates during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England. MCT

Two-time Professional Fighters League women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison was dominant once again, but her performance in the PFL 3 Regular Season main event on Friday wasn’t up to snuff and she was blunt about it.

Still, Harrison won virtually every second of her contest against Marina Mokhnatkina (6-3) and took home three points in the PFL women’s lightweight season bracket, winning a lopsided unanimous decision along the way. Harrison landed a few takedowns in the fight and dished out more than enough punishment on the feet, but Mokhnatkina was slick and continuously tried rolling the two-time Olympic gold medal-winning judoka into various leg locks.

Harrison never truly had Mokhnatkina in any serious peril, but she nullified every attack the Miami-based fighter tried. As the fight wore away, it was obvious that Harrison was frustrated and tried scoring a stoppage late, but Mokhnatkina was hip to her attacks and survived. All three judges saw it 30-27 for Harrison, who improved to 13-0 in her MMA career.

Ray Cooper III has won the PFL’s welterweight crown and was hoping to add to his legacy with a win to begin 2022. Unfortunately, he ran into a buzzsaw in Carlos Leal Miranda, who took it to the Hawaiian for three rounds. Cooper III (24-8-1) never got anything going offensively and seemed to be sleepwalking for much of the bout, even after Miranda cracked him with thunderous punches and kicks. Miranda (17-3) had “Bradda Boy” hurt badly with punches in the second, but the Brazilian couldn’t put him away. It wasn’t until the final minute or so of the third before Cooper III woke up and let his hands go, but it was too little too late; Miranda already more than enough damage. Miranda won via tallies of 30-26, 30-27 and 29-27 to nab three points in the PFL welterweight season.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Anthony Pettis was disgusted with how his 2021 campaign in the PFL unfolded and has been determined to turn back to the clock to his glory days in 2022. On Friday, “Showtime” looked like his old self with a textbook performance and submission of Ireland’s Myles Price, ending the fight late in the first. Price (11-8) missed a takedown attempt moments into the fight and Pettis dominated him from that point forward. The majority of the contest took place on the canvas and that’s where it ended, as Pettis seized momentum and locked in top-side triangle choke. Price bowed out at the 4:17 mark and the first-round submission finish gave Pettis (25-12) the full six points in the PFL’s lightweight bracket.

Former Bellator MMA welterweight champion and UFC welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald barely broke a sweat against Brett Cooper as he subbed the Tennessee-based fighter in the opening round. MacDonald (23-8-1) ducked under a left hook and scored a textbook single-leg takedown and from there, “The Red King” moved from side control to mount and then to Cooper’s back. Cooper (28-16) couldn’t escape and once the Canadian sunk in the rear-naked choke, he tapped out. The end came officially at the 2:23 mark of the first, giving MacDonald six points in the PFL welterweight division.

Larissa Pacheco has been obsessed with getting a third match with defending PFL lightweight queen Harrison and she took the proper steps in achieving that goal on Friday to kick off the main card. Pacheco (16-4) absolutely hammered the overmatched Zamzagul Fayzallanova in just 85 seconds as the Brazilian landed a plethora of right hands to the head. Fayzallanova (7-2-1) tried to fend her off, but Pacheco was on fire and kept punching until Fayzallanova collapsed and had to be rescued by referee Kerry Hatley. Pacheco nabbed the maximum six points for her first-round TKO win.

Veteran Joao Zeferino (26-10) was upset on Friday as last-minute replacement Dilano Taylor was awarded a split decision win over three rather uneventful three rounds. Taylor (9-1) stuffed several takedown attempts from the Brazilian and landed a few decent punches on the feet, but it appeared as though Zeferino did enough to win. However, two of the cage side judges felt that Taylor’s tactical approach was the difference and gave him the fight 29-28 while the third official turned in the same score for Zeferino. The win gave Taylor three points in the PFL welterweight division.

GenahFabian scored one of the biggest wins of her MMA career by taking a unanimous decision win over longtime veteran Julia Budd (16-4). After a very close opening two rounds, Fabian (5-2) wound up on top near the end of the fight after a clinch and scramble, and landed several punches from the position. The transition and attacks were more than enough to seal the Canadian’s fate as Fabian, from New Zealand, won via scores of 29-28 across the board. While Fabian did get the win, she received no points in the PFL’s lightweight bracket because she missed weight on Thursday. Conversely, Budd, while she didn’t win, was given three points automatically because her opponent came in too heavy on the scale.

Sweden’s Sadibou Sy (10-6-2, 1 NC) did just enough to slip past Nikolay Aleksakhin over three rounds. Sy used a very cautious, counter-striking attack to keep Aleksakhin (24-7, 1 NC) at bay, leaving much to be desired in terms of action. Sy won via tallies of 30-27, 29-28 and 28-29 to earn three points in the PFL’s welterweight bracket.

Longtime veteran Gleison Tibau was upset by Jarrah Al-Silawi in a welterweight encounter via split decision. Tibau (38-15) was the aggressor throughout, throwing punches from all angles when he could, but Al-Silawi countered him regularly with jabs and low kicks. However, it was a takedown in the third for the Brazilian as he landed several punches from on top to close out the fight that nearly turned the tables on the scorecards. Tibau’s late surge wasn’t enough, though, as the Jordanian was awarded the judges’ nod with scores of 29-28 (twice) and 27-30. The win garnered three points for Al-Silawi (18-3) in the PFL welterweight bracket.

Lightweight Helena Kolesnyk improved to 6-4 (1 NC) with a skin-tight split decision win over Abigail Montes. Kolesnyk landed arguably the better strikes throughout their contest, but Mexico’s Montes (3-1) was slightly more aggressive and accurate with her punches. The fight was as close as they come, but two judges favored the Ukrainian 30-27 and 29-28, while the odd judge out saw it 29-28 for Montes. The win gives Kolesnyk three points in the PFL lightweight bracket.

The Czech Republic’s Martina Jindrova opened the event with an impressive and dominant unanimous decision win over Brazil’s Vanessa Melo. Jindrova (5-2) used her size and reach to keep Melo (11-9) at bay and picked her apart with jabs, right crosses and scattered kicks to the body and legs. Jindrova won via lopsided unanimous decision via tallies of 30-27 across the board to earn three points in the PFL women’s lightweight division.

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