The PFL decided to bring back the 185 pound division this year, with some of the biggest names on their roster joining the Middleweight World Tournament. At PFL 3, former PFL Welterweight champion Sadibou Sy took on up and coming Bellator Powerhouse Dalton Rosta.
Sy was competing at 205-pounds last season, and called this weight class a “happy medium” in an exclusive interview with us here at Cageside Press. This was the biggest fight of Rosta’s career facing a former world champion for the first time.
Round one started with Rosta coming out pushing the pace. Sy decided to retreat and fight off the back foot, flicking a kick to the body and a jab up the middle. Rosta was loaded up like a spring, looking to pounce forward with a big right hand. Sadibou circled the cage and threw a knee up the middle that narrowly missed. Rosta was undeterred and came forward with a clubbing overhand right that missed, but he was able to push Sy up against the fence. After some solid knees in the clinch by Rosta, he controlled Sadibou for an extended period of time on the cage.
With under a minute in the round, Rosta landed a big knee to the body that made Sy wince in pain. Rosta put the pressure on looking for the finish, but Sy used a pletheria of kicks to make his way to the end of the round. Not before Rosta landed a takedown in the final ten seconds and big ground and pound as the bell rang.
A action packed first round that saw Rosta jump ahead in my opinion. In the second Rosta landed some kicks of his own early before pressuring Sy to the fence again. Sadibou answered with a kick to the body but got clipped with an overhand right. Rosta landed another two punches against the fence and dragged Sy to the floor. Landing flush ground and pound, Rosta worked his way into side control where he threatened an Americana submission. Sy was able to get out of that submission attempt but moments latter Rosta would work to the neck of Sadibou and lock in a D’arce Choke submission victory.
This was the biggest win of Rosta’s career and the first submission he has secured. From the beginning of the fight Rosta pressed forward and landed the more significant strikes on the feet and did great work on the ground. A statement win to the rest of the tournament with Dalton as confident as ever heading into the next round. He will face the only man to ever defeat him Aaron Jeffery in the second round. A bad blood matchup that fight fans will not want to miss.
Official Result: Dalton Rosta def. Sadibou Sy by submission (D’arce choke), Round 2, 3:29
