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PFL 2, 2023 offered some good knockouts from the promotion’s mixture of Featherweight and Heavyweight expertise.
Amongst the batch of finishes, none had been higher than the cracking first-round head kick landed by Hayward, California’s Amber Leibrock (7-4). The bout in opposition to Czech hanging sensation, Martina Jindrova, was Leibrock’s first in PFL and led her to the highest of the Featherweight season’s leaderboard with six factors.
Because of Jindrova’s hanging acumen, Leibrock, 35, was anticipating displaying a wrestling-oriented recreation plan, which was one thing she hasn’t typically gotten to do in her profession. As an alternative, the kick she’d been searching for early into the spherical ultimately discovered a house and put a bow on one hell of a debut.
“Truthfully, I simply wish to get again to work,” Leibrock informed MMA Mania. “I’m so excited to have momentum for the primary time in a very very long time, however it does really feel superb. I’m attempting to not be like, ‘Oh, I’m on the prime of the leaderboard,’ however it does really feel actually cool. Particularly as a result of I used to be the underdog of the season just about. I’m fairly certain I’ll nonetheless be the underdog of the season.
“It feels good to point out individuals that is who I’m. Don’t sleep on me,” she concluded.
Leibrock was simply one in every of two Featherweights within the match to attain finishes on the night time. Proper behind her was Russia’s Marina Mokhnatkina, who defeated Deep Jewels champion, Yoko Higashi, through a second-round technical knockout (floor and pound punches).
Mokhnatkina’s win awarded her 5 factors and second place, leaving solely her and Leibrock forward of final 12 months’s Light-weight champion, Larissa Pacheco, who has three. The Brazilian knockout artist had a hard-fought battle with the previous Bellator champion, Julia Budd, however finally got here out on prime through a unanimous determination.
“Contact ‘Em Up” was solely extra excited and motivated to proceed onward after seeing all of the motion play out. After all, Pacheco nonetheless stands out because the one everybody desires to look at and doubtlessly get their fingers on.
“I used to be actually excited to look at all of the fights,” Leibrock stated. “I feel all the ladies got here out and actually did their factor and watching all of them week, seeing a few of them minimize weight. It was a brilliant dope expertise.
“I feel Larissa is simply feisty. When you wanna cease Larissa, you actually gotta cease Larissa. As a result of whether or not she’s on her again or no matter, I really like Larissa Pacheco. I’m a fan. I feel that was a terrific battle. I assumed that they counted Julia Budd method out although. Among the odds and stuff like that. After all, Larissa has earned her proper because the queen, however Julia Budd’s a vet. She’s a pioneer. She’s been doing this for years. Put some respect on her identify, too.
“It’s gonna be enjoyable to enter the cage with a few of these girls,” she concluded.
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