Aside from dictating which featherweights and light heavyweights would move on to the million dollar finals, PFL Playoffs 3 was very much about providing a star turn for headliners Brendan Loughnane and Movlid Khaybulaev.
Loughnane, entering the night on a seven fight win streak, was a TUF veteran who had really hit the radar on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2019. But after riding out the dying seconds of a fight in which he dominated, and going to the scorecards, Loughnane was criticized by UFC President Dana White, and denied a UFC contract in one of the more egregious snubs in DWCS history.
Stuck with the moniker “10 second Brendan” thereafter, Loughnane went on to sign with the Professional Fighters League while Dana White went full Dana White, doubling down on his criticism of the fighter.
History has now proven White wrong on Loughnane. The British featherweight has done nothing but win since his Contender Series victory, joining the PFL in a non-tournament capacity in 2019, and entering the regular season this year. Along the way to the semifinals, Brendan Lougnane has defeated former UFC fighters Sheymon Moraes and Tyler Diamond — in essence beating guys who did fight for the promotion that wouldn’t sign Loughnane himself.
Should he manage to defeat Movlid Khaybulaev on Friday night, “10 Second Brendan” will be just one step away from becoming “Million Dollar Brendan.”
Of course, Khaybulaev will be no easy out. Technically undefeated (a loss to Daniel Pineda in 2019 was overturned when the American failed his drug test), Khaybulaev is a killer among killers, a tough Dagestani fighter who trains alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and a host of other formidable names.
On the opposite side of the featherweight bracket, there was some real heat brewing between Chris Wade and Bubba Jenkins. At light heavyweight, meanwhile, defending champ Emiliano Sordi had a tough test in UFC vet Antonio Carlos Jr. Cezar Ferreira faced Marthin Hamlet in the other 205lb semifinal.
Full results from the PFL Playoffs 3 card, airing live on ESPN+ and ESPN 2 (TSN in Canada) can be found below. The action gets underway at 6:30 PM ET.
PFL Playoffs 3: Khaybulaev vs. Loughnane Results
Main Card
Movlid Khaybulaev def. Brendan Loughnane by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) – featherweight semifinal
Chris Wade def. Bubba Jenkins by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) – featherweight semifinal
Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Emiliano Sordi by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) – light heavyweight semifinal
Marthin Hamlet def. Cezar Ferreira by TKO (injury), Round 1, 0:13 – light heavyweight semifinal
Preliminary Card
Sheymon Moraes def. Lazar Stojadinovic by TKO, Round 2, 4:45
Chris Camozzi def. Cory Hendricks by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Anthony Dizy def. Jesse Stirn by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bobby Moffett def. Jason Knight by unanimous derision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Alejandro Flores def. Carl Deaton by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Brandon Jenkins def. Jacob Kilburn by KO (flying knee), Round 1, 2:56
