The first lightweight quarterfinal at PFL 8 2019 saw returning champ Natan Schulte put Ramsey Nijem to sleep, after surviving an early scare himself.
Lightweight quarterfinal action at PFL 8 2019 opened with 2018 champ Natan Schulte taking on UFC alum Ramsey Nijem. The event, going down at the Mandalay Bay Event Center in Las Vegas, would see all four quarterfinal winners compete a second time later in the evening — with this first fight being two rounds or less.
Schulte entered the playoffs as the first seed, Nijem the eighth at 155lbs.
On a night full of shocks and big finishes, Ramsey Nijem dropped Natan Schulte almost right off the opening bell! A stiff jab put him down, and Nijem pounced with a guillotine attempt. Schule, however, survived! And quickly took Nijem’s back, locking in a rear-naked choke! What a reversal. Nijem, who went through a grueling weight cut and even shaved his head to ensure he made the lightweight limit, refused to tap, but looked trapped. And he was. Soon enough, Nijem went out!
The second technical submission of the night, Schulte improved his undefeated streak to eight straight. The season one champion now moves on to face the winner of Akhmet Aliev vs. Rashid Magomedov in the semifinals.
Official Result: Natan Schulte def. Ramsey Nijem by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 0:52
