After Kelvin Tiller stepped in to replace both Francimar Barroso and Alex Nicholson at PFL 9 2019, Jared Rosholt was able to get one up in their career series, and earn a spot in the heavyweight finale.
These things happen. That might be the tagline of Jared Rosholt versus Kelvin Tiller at PFL 9 2019. The heavyweight semifinal fight was supposed to have a different look. Two of them, in fact. Originally, Rosholt was expected to face Francimar Barroso. However, the Brazilian was ruled medically ineligible to continue in the tournament. And so, via the lucky loser rule, Alex Nicholson, who Barosso had defeated, was given the nod.
Guess what happened then? If you chose “Nicholson was also ineligible to continue,” you win the kewpie doll. And so Tiller, who was defeated by Ali Isaev in quarterfinal action, found himself back in the mix. Against another wrestler. One he’d faced twice in 2018.
Tiller opened with a leg kick, while Rosholt did everything he could to lock on with a body lock. Eventually, he’d force Tiller up against the fence. When the fight did go down, Tiller was in a rough patch, Rosholt on top, looking for an arm-triangle choke. Tiller would manage to escape the choke, but remained on his back, Rosholt in half-guard. Rosholt’s wrestling would be the story of the opening round, and Tiller was going to need to flip the script in round two.
Early on, that didn’t seem to happen. While Tiller worked the jab, Rosholt got him right down. But Tiller threatened with a choke, and that allowed him back to his feet. And inside trip put him on his back moments later, however. Rosholt moved to half guard, and had plenty of time to work from there. Rosholt then stepped over to mount, briefly, but ended up back in half-guard. At the end of the round, Tiller would escape to his feet, but something had to change in the third.
It didn’t. In the opening minute, Tiller found himself taken down. Rosholt landed a few hammerfists, and worked the body. He’d work to side control, ensuring he’d done enough for the ref not to stand them up. Tiller would throw up a hail mary triangle in the last minute, switch to the arm-bar, but when Rosholt pulled free, the winner was clear.
Rosholt now heads to the finals on New Year’s Eve.
Official Result: Jared Rosholt def. Kelvin Tiller by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
