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PFL 4 (2024): Moldavsky vs. Vassell Takeaways and Thoughts
June 17, 2024
The Professional Fighters League returned to its 2024 season last Thursday with a fun night that gave us the playoff matchups in the Heavyweight and Women’s Flyweight Divisions. Let’s take a look at how we got to those matchups…
Main Card
Linton Vassell def. Valentin Moldavsky via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Dakota Ditcheva def. Chelsea Hackett via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 3:22
Denis Goltsov def. Thiago Santos via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 2:22
Liz Carmouche def. Kana Watanabe via submission (armbar) — Round 3, 4:52
Preliminary Card
Taila Santos def. Jena Bishop via unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Oleg Popov def. Davion Franklin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Tyrell Fortune def. Marcelo Golm via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Ilara Joanne def. Shanna Young via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Tim Johnson def. Danilo Marques via TKO (punches) — Round 1, 3:14
Juliana Velasquez def. Lisa Mauldin via TKO (punches) — Round 2, 1:30
Sumiko Inaba def. Saray Orozco via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The Prelims
As usual, the PFL Prelims were both fun and played a big part in how the standings ended up. Let’s take a look at what stood out to me…
With Liz Carmouche in her rearview mirror, Juliana Velasquez got a big win to get herself back in the W column. After three straight losses to Carmouche, Juliana was able to utilize her all-around game effectively again and got a big finish over Lisa Mauldin. Although Velazquez didn’t get into the playoffs, she looked good enough to show that she can still be a force in the division.
Tim Johnson managed to knock Danilo Marques out while also getting kicked in the no-no parts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a situation like that before. The KO didn’t stand, as Johnson wasn’t able to capitalize on the knockdown due him going down to take care of his bits. He did end up with the TKO later in the first round, though, which gave him the points needed to make it into the playoffs. Quite the whirlwind of a round.
Taila Santos continues to look good in the PFL. Although she dropped a round on all of the scorecards, two rounds clearly went to her and she got a clear path to the playoffs.
Liz Carmouche vs. Kana Watanabe
This was a hell of a fight that, if you didn’t, you should go out and seek. It was back and forth and highly entertaining from start to finish. Liz Carmouche had her moments, but Kana Watanabe had her number in all the rounds - both on the feet and on the ground, where she did most of her damage. Of course, she had Carmouche’s number until the last round when Liz was able to slip on an armbar and crank it for the submission finish. Liz Carmouche will now move into the playoffs.
Denis Goltsov vs. Thiago Santos
It’s hard to take on Denis Goltsov to begin with, but doing so on relatively late notice is even tougher. Goltsov did what he often does - finished his opponent in the first round with a vicious TKO. He looked strong, yet again, and is in a good position as he heads to the playoffs.
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Chelsea Hackett
The hype train continues! Dakota Ditcheva got another impressive finish over the tough Chelsea Hackett. Dakota used her length and power to get the TKO in the first round to get into the playoffs and get a chance to continue her impressive streak.
Linton Vassell vs. Valentin Moldavsky
It wasn’t a clear win, but Linton Vassell got the upset victory over the very tough Valentin Moldavsky. Moldavsky was first in the standings going into this fight and will still make the playoffs despite this loss. However, he didn’t get to ride into the playoffs in first place and this fight exposed some things that Vassell was able to take advantage of. It’ll be interesting to see what work Moldavsky puts in to help his attempt at claiming the season’s title. This was a big win for Vassell, but he didn’t do enough in the season to make the playoffs.
The Playoff Matchups
After Thursday’s fights, the playoff matchups look like the following:
Golstov vs. Johnson
Popov vs. Moldavsky
Ditcheva vs. Bishop
Santos vs. Carmouche
Assuming nothing crazy happens, these are some fun matchups that will provide an interesting end to the 2024 season. The Heavyweights will be head-hunting bangers, Ditcheva gets a favorable matchup, and Santos vs. Carmouche will be a war. I’m looking forward to the card already!
My Picks
I ended up going 9-2 for this card, which is much better than what I did last week with the UFC show. My two losses were upsets, so I’ll take the strong week!
Overall, this ended up being a fun night of fights. Some strong fighters ended up not making the playoffs, so it goes to show how important it is to obtain those points! The playoffs for these divisions should be fun, though. I’m looking forward to them!
What did you think of the fights on Thursday? Do the playoff matchups get you excited? Who do you think will fight each other in the finals? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. I will be back later this week to take a look at the busy weekend of MMA that includes the PFL, Bellator, and the UFC. See you then!
