Bruno Miranda secured a contract in the 2022 PFL Season as part of their lightweight roster on Friday night. This came from a win he earned on the PFL “Challenger Series,” where he was selected as a winner out of the four victorious MMA fighters from the episode.
Miranda was picked over fellow finalist Damir Ferhatbegovic, as well as fighters Michael Dufort and Yanal Ashmoz.
Miranda’s contract-winning performance came in the main event against Carson Frei, who he stopped in the third round with punches.
The finish came from a strong flurry of shots that backed Frei up against the cage. Miranda connected with an uppercut to the wobbled Frei, dropping him to end the bout eventually.
Earlier rounds in the fight saw the lightweights maintain a fast-paced striking battle.
Miranda was appearing for the first time since 2019. However, he was returning on a four-fight winning streak from previous years as a pro.
Frei had won three of his previous five bouts and had a submission win in his prior bout.
Ferhatbegovic Puts Bland Away Early
Damir Ferhatbegovic scored the quickest win on the episode, stopping BJ Bland in the first round with a slick combination of punches.
Ferhatbegovic hurt Bland as he was charging in, scoring with an uppercut to the head. He followed this up with a right cross, connecting with the shot before Bland dropped to the canvas. The referee stopped the fight after Ferhatbegovic landed a few hammerfist strikes on the ground.
Ferhatbegovic’s previous fight was a finish win over Nathan Williams on a Valor Fighting Championship card.
Bland, a veteran with more than 25 wins as a pro, had three consecutive wins before Friday.
Dufort Submtis Pogosjan With Armbar
Slick grappling from Michael Dufort earned him a submission win on Friday night, catching Arut Pogosjan in the second round with a rear naked choke.
Dufort was able to get Pogosjan to the mat many times, eventually finding an opening for a submission win to end the fight in the second round. Dufort attempted an armbar in the previous round, although he wasn’t able to fully extend the hold.
The fight on Friday put Dufort back into the win column after losing a bout to former UFC fighter Kyle Prepolec last year.
Pogosjan was on a three-fight winning streak before the weekend, including two wins in Fury FC from 2021.
Undefeated Ashmouz Earns Win Over Hughes
Undefeated Yanal Ashmouz opened the night with a win, using a strong mix of wrestling and striking to defeat Dennis Hughes via unanimous decision.
Hughes was able to open the fight with a takedown in the opening round, but later frames saw Ashmouz have the better performance on the feet and on the ground.
Ashmouz now has a flawless record of six wins and no losses since he turned pro in 2017. His previous fight was a victory over Ryan Rizco on a CFFC card.
Hughes took the PFL opportunity after scoring three wins in regional promotion XFC last year.
Quick Results
Main Card (9:00PM EST) (FuboTV)
Bout 4: Bruno Miranda def. Carson Frei via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 3:40)
Bout 3: Damir Ferhatbegovic def. BJ Bland via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:41)
Bout 2: Michael Dufort def. Arut Pogosjan via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 4:02)
Bout 1: Yanal Ashmouz def. Dennis Hughes via Decision, Unanimous
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