Former UFC fighter Boston Salmon secured a contract in the 2022 PFL Regular Season, getting selected on the fourth week of the “Challenger Series.”
Salmon beat finalist Brahyan Zurcher as well as other victorious fighters Edwin Cooper Jr. and Reinaldo Ekson for the contract. The contract came after Salmon picked up the sole finish win on Friday’s card.
Salmon prevailed in a striking battle against Lee Do-gyeom, defeating him after two rounds of action. The fight concluded after the second round, as a cut on the face of Lee caused the fight to end just before the final round kicked off.
Salmon was succeeding in the striking exchanges against Lee, landing the better shots consistently.
The victory gave Salmon a solid win after a disastrous recent few years as a pro. His UFC run in 2019 came to an end after just two appearances, getting stopped within a round in each fight. After that he won an LFA bout, although that was due to a brutal knockout he suffered that included an illegal knee.
Salmon then remained inactive throughout 2021 due to four different bookings falling through. The win on Friday finally turned things around for him.
“I never gave up on myself. A lot of people would have taken that damage and just gave up on the sport,” said Salmon on Friday after securing a PFL contract.
Lee, a former UAE Warriors Champion, was beaten by Ali AlQaisi in his previous bout.
Ekson Earns Decision Nod Over Barnett
Reinaldo Ekson won in the main event of the card, using his striking and grappling skills to defeat Mike Barnett via unanimous decision.
Ekson had the better striking on the feet and was also able to threaten Barnett with submissions on the ground. He took all three rounds on two of the scorecards.
Ekson and Barnett were the two most experienced fighters on Friday’s card.
Ekson has now won four consecutive fights since 2019.
Barnett was riding the momentum of a finish win that he scored against Clarence Brown last year.
Cooper Jr. Dominates Lamson For Decision Win
Edwin Cooper Jr. had a one-sided victory over Troy Lamson, winning a unanimous decision after three rounds
Cooper Jr. nearly closed out the fight in the opening minute, taking Lamson down and unloading with ground and pound from a crucifix position. While he couldn’t secure a finish, the round became a lopsided performance from Cooper Jr. by the end.
Cooper Jr. continued to control on the ground in the second round, landing a steady pace of ground and pound shots. He closed out the fight with a slow-paced stand-up battle in the final round.
Cooper Jr. was given this PFL opportunity after scoring three consecutive wins in notable promotion LFA.
Lamson is now on a three-fight losing streak.
Zurcher Utilizes Grappling For Third Pro Win
Brahyan Zurcher used grappling skills to keep his undefeated record alive on Friday night, securing a unanimous decision win over Scottie Stockman.
After getting past a close opening round on the feet, Zurcher’s grappling skills later on secured him a win.
Zurcher had an incredibly dominant second round, taking the back of Stockman early and using that position to search for a rear naked choke. While Zurcher wasn’t able to submit Stockman in this round, he had him defending for numerous minutes.
Zurcher seemed visible fatigued in the final round when on the feet. Stockman succeeded with striking on the feet, although Zurcher was able to slow his attacks late by scoring takedowns.
The fight on Friday was the third win of Zurcher’s rookie year as a pro. His two previous wins came via submission.
Stockman entered the weekend on a three-fight winning streak.
Quick Results
Main Card (9:00PM EST) (FuboTV)
Bout 4: Reinaldo Ekson def. Mike Barnett via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Edwin Cooper Jr. def. Troy Lamson via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Boston Salmon def. Lee Do-gyeom via TKO, Corner Stoppage (RD 2, 5:00)
Bout 1: Brahyan Zurcher def. Scottie Stockman via Decision, Unanimous
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