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Sport
Danny Segura

2023 PFL 5 results: Larissa Pacheco steamrolls, victorious Ante Delija eliminated from playoffs

Ante Delija Larissa Pacheco PFL 5 (Event) Amber Leibrock Maurice Greene ESPNESPN Julia Budd Marcelo Nunes Martina Jindrova Aspen Ladd

2023 PFL 5 took place Thursday and MMA Junkie provided live and official results throughout the entire card.

The event featured heavyweights and women’s featherweight bouts that took place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The main card aired on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

In the main event, 2022 heavyweight season winner Ante Delija (24-5) took on Maurice Greene (11-8). Delija competed for the first time in 2023 after withdrawing from his first scheduled bout of the season at 2023 PFL 2 in April. At the same event, Greene picked up a second-round stoppage win over Marcelo Nunes to earn five points in the standings.

In the co-feature, 2022 women’s featherweight season winner Larissa Pacheco (21-4) met Amber Leibrock (7-8). In her first fight of the season, Pacheco picked up a unanimous decision win over Julia Budd at 2023 PFL 2. Leibrock recorded a first-round finish of Martina Jindrova to earn six points, entering this event as the leader in the division.

Full 2023 PFL 5 results include:

Denzel Freeman vs. Isaiah Pinson

Records: Isaiah Pinson (3-0), Denzel Freeman (4-1)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Isaiah Pinson def. Denzel Freeman via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Points: N/A
Notes: It was a very close contest. It was clean that Pinson had taken the first round, given that he out struck Freeman and landed the harder shots. However, Freeman used his wrestling in the second and was able to get a good amount of control to win the round. The third was competitive, but it did seem like Pinson had the edge on the feet.

Patrick Brady vs. Jordan Heiderman

Records: Jordan Heiderman (7-1), Patrick Brady (5-1)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Rob Hinds
Result: Jordan Heiderman def. Patrick Brady via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 2:26
Points: 6
Notes: It was a low output fight that mainly involved leg kicks from both parties. In the finishing sequence, Heiderman kicked Brady’s right leg and he began hopping in pain from the opposite leg and went down. Immediately, the referee stopped the bout.

Heiderman now has six points after the first round finish, as he had zero entering the fight.

Yoko Higashi vs. Olena Kolesnyk

Records: Olena Kolesnyk (8-5), Yoko Higashi (8-3)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Result: Olena Kolesnyk def. Yoko Higashi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Points: 3
Notes: Kolesnyk dominated Higashi from start to finish. In the clinch, in the wrestling and on the striking, Kolesnyk seemed to be a step ahead. Kolesnyk earned three points with the win, totaling five points for the entire season. Higashi eliminated.

Julia Budd vs. Martina Jindrova

Records: Julia Budd (17-6), Martina Jindrova (6-5)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Julia Budd def. Martina Jindrova via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Points: 3
Notes: It was a close fight. Jindrova wobbled Budd and had her on skates in the first, making it a clear round for her. The second and third were much closer, as Budd upped her volume. The commentators scored the fight for Jindrova and the smart cage scored the fight for Budd.

Budd earned three points and totaling three points for the season. Jindrova eliminated from the competition, as she has zero.

Danilo Marques vs. Marcelo Nunes

Records: Marcelo Nunes (10-2), Danilo Marques (14-5)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Rob Hinds
Result: Marcelo Nunes def. Danilo Marques via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:40
Points: 6
Notes: Nunes put it on from the start. He was piecing up Marques on the feet and eventually was able to find home for two straight punches that connected clean on Marques. Once wobbled, Nunes followed up with two hooks that sent him down to the canvas.

Nunes now has six total points in the season, and Marques three.

Evelyn Martins vs. Marina Mokhnatkina

Records: Marina Mokhnatkina (10-3), Evelyn Martins (5-1)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Result: Marina Mokhnatkina def. Evelyn Martins via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Points: 3
Notes: Mokhnatkina jumps to the top of the table with 8 total points, and Martins was eliminated. Martins had three points entering the fight, but was penalized one after missing weight on Thursday, putting her at a total of two.

 

Yorgan De Castro vs. Denis Goltsov

Records: Denis Goltsov (31-7), Yorgan De Castro (9-5)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Denis Goltsov def. Yorgan De Castro via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 0:18
Points: 6
Notes: Goltsov landed a couple of jabs fight from the go and then threw a vicious right hand that sent De Castro to the canvas. A brutal KO win by Goltsov.

Goltsov now has 12 points, as he picked up two first-round finishes. De Castro is eliminated, as he lost both his season bouts.

Aspen Ladd vs. Karolina Sobek

Records: Aspen Ladd (11-4), Karolina Sobek (4-2)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Result: Aspen Ladd def. Karolina Sobek via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:57
Points: 5
Notes: Ladd got hit hard and stunned in the opening seconds of the fight. She would close the distance and survive, and from then on she began to take over the fight. She was finding success on the feet, but her grappling was the big key in the fight. In the second round, Ladd would take down Sobek, advance to mount, and score an armbar with seconds left on the clock.

Ladd entered with zero points, and the five-point finish tonight earned her a spot into the playoffs. Sobek went 0-2 and was eliminated.

Travell Miller vs. Biaggio Ali Walsh (amateur)

Records: Travell Miller (amatueur), Biaggio Ali Walsh (amateur)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Rob Hinds
Result: Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Travell Miller via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:27 
Notes: Ali Walsh completely overwhelmed Miller in this one, leaving him no chance. He closes the distance, walked him down, and began to land hard leg kicks and hooks that had Miller shook. They eventually added up and Miller went down to the canvas in less than two minutes.

Renan Ferreira vs. Matheus Scheffel

Records: Renan Ferreira (10-4), Matheus Scheffel (17-11)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Blake Grice
Result: Renan Ferreira def. Matheus Scheffel via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:50
Points: 6
Notes: Ferreira is a bad man. He walked down Scheffel and just basically began to throw bombs at a ridiculous speed. A left hook would connect clean on the chin and Scheffel went out. Brutal finish.

Ferreira advances to the PFL playoffs with nine points and Scheffel gets eliminated.

Amber Leibrock vs. Larissa Pacheco

Records: Larissa Pacheco (21-4), Amber Leibrock (7-5)
Division: Featherweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Rob Hinds
Result: Larissa Pacheco def. Amber Leibrock via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:45
Points: 6
Notes: It was an easy night for Pacheco. She rushed Leibrock and rocked her almost immediately. From there, she walked her down, dropping heavy shots until the referee saw enough.

With this result, both Pacheco and Leibrock advance to the playoffs. Pacheco advances as the No. 1 seed with nine points and Leibrock as No. 3 seed with six points. Leibrock picked up a first-round finish in the first fight of the season back in April.

Ante Delija vs. Maurice Greene

Records: Ante Delija (24-5), Maurice Greene (11-8)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
Referee: Gary Copeland
Result: Ante Delija def. Maurice Greene via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Points: 3
Notes: Delija and Greene fought a competitive first round. Delija seemed to land the bigger shots, but Greene wasn’t too far behind and did get a takedown with some control time. The second and third were all Delija.

Delija would drop Greene in the second and have Greene running away from shots. And in the third, Delija also tagged Greene while taking him down and landing ground-and-pound for a good portion of the final part of the round.

Delija earned three points with the win, but it wasn’t enough to get him into the playoffs. Greene was also eliminated.

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