Marcirley Alves versus Justin Wetzell for the bantamweight World Tournament championship was up first on Friday among PFL Charlotte’s tournament finals, featuring two fighters who had very much been flying under the radar to start the season.
An active first round saw both men looking to puzzle out the other, with Alves firing his right hand, and Wetzell working in kicks. Alves was able to hold center through much of the round, keeping Wetzell on the outside. He appeared to have the power advantage, while Wetzell was slightly longer, slightly taller, though Alves would find his way inside by the end of the round.
The calf kicks of Wetzell continued in round two, and at times threatened to take Alves off his feet. In all other aspects of the striking battle, however, Alves appeared to be ahead. With about 90 seconds to go, Alves landed a right to the body, which had Wetzell feinting a takedown, though he quickly pulled back. For the most part, wrestling had been a non-factor through the opening 10 minutes.
Round three played out in similar fashion, with Alves almost certainly up 3-0, likely 30-27, by the end of it. Wetzell continued with his calf kicks, but was looking tired after 15 minutes. To put a stamp on the third round, Alves landed a well-timed takedown just seconds ahead of the horn.
Wetzell went back to his calf kicks, landing a pair, early in the fourth. Taking a page from Alves’ book, he landed a key takedown, not at the end of the round but just a minute in, giving him time to work. Or, it would have given him time, had Alves not quickly escaped. After some more back-and-forth they’d finish the round grappling up against the fence.
The final frame saw Wetzell come close to turning the tables, landing a knee then pouncing with a D’arce choke. Alves somehow survived both the knee and the choke, escaping back to his feet. Wetzell tried another knee strike but wound up slipping to his back momentarily. They’d end up going the distance, with Marcirley Alves rarely in danger outside of the fifth round.
Marcirley Alves, who stepped into the PFL World Tournament on a single day’s notice to face Leandro Higo, is your bantamweight tournament winner! Another feelgood story for the PFL, which has produced a couple of those this year.
Official Result: Marcirley Alves def. Justin Wetzell by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47)
