Jesus Pinedo vs Gabriel Braga Featherweight Semifinal Showdown

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00:00Then, the other co-main event is going to be a featherweight semi-final between Jesus Pinedo and Gabriel Braga.

00:06These guys know each other well. This is the third time they're going to be fighting each other.

00:10Pinedo, the 28-year-old from Peru, now 25-6-1 in his MMA career, the 2023 PFL featherweight champion.

00:17He beat Borch by first-round KO in his first matchup, going against Braga, the 26-year-old Brazilian,

00:22who is now 17-2, beat Dupras by first-round submission.

00:25So both these guys are making quick work of their opponents in their first round.

00:29Of course, Braga got the late replacement in his opponent.

00:32They're 1-1 against each other. Braga won a split decision in April of 23.

00:36Pinedo won by third-round TKO in November of 23 for the title.

00:40Both those were part of that PFL season. First one, of course, was a matchup in the regular season.

00:44Then in the finals, they found each other again, and Pinedo got that one.

00:47That's how he got that aforementioned 2023 title that we talked about.

00:51But, you know, if you listen to Pinedo and see what he's saying, he doesn't agree that it is 1-1.

00:55You know, in his mind, he is up 2-0.

00:57He doesn't see this as, you know, he says it's not a trilogy.

01:00I mean, it is a trilogy. It's a third fight either way, no matter what the record is.

01:04But to him, he's 2-0. He thinks that split decision went the wrong way.

01:07He thinks that he is clearly the better fighter, and he thinks he will be so once again when these guys match up.

01:13I think, I kind of agree with him. Braga is a tough guy, a young guy.

01:17Both these guys are young, both under 30, but, you know, of course, Pinedo a little bit older, slightly at 28.

01:22But I think that that little extra experience, that championship pedigree that he has shown, he has fought some of the best of the best.

01:29I think that he still holds a little bit advantage in this with a little bit more of a well-rounded, you know, game in his fight, in his arsenal.

01:37I think that Braga is great. I think he's going to be tough. I think he's going to be a contender.

01:41I think these guys might match up a fourth or fifth time if they both stay in the PFL.

01:46But, at this point, with what we saw in that first round, I lean towards Pinedo with what he did to Boric early on.

01:53Then, another one on the main card is the welterweight semi between Logan Sturley and Masayaka Kikuri.

01:59We talked to Logan Sturley earlier on the show.

02:00Kikuri is a 29-year-old Japanese fighter, 11-2-1, 8-by-KO, TKO in his career, his wins.

02:05Most of his fights were in Pancreas, had two in Belcher, which were both TKO wins before,

02:09beating Bashar by retirement after round two in his first-round matchup,

02:14kind of just overwhelmed his opponent, especially into that second round,

02:16and made him just decide it was not worth continuing into that final round.

02:20Sturley, a 32-year-old from the U.S., 12 fights in Belator, now three in the PFL, 17-3,

02:28for his career, 9-by-KO, TKO, 8-by-decision, beat Luciano by unanimous decision

02:33to get himself into the semifinal matchup.

02:35This one, I'm leaning towards Logan Sturley.

02:38Kikuri's a good striker.

02:39You know, he's a tough guy.

02:40We saw what he did to his first-round opponent.

02:42We saw how he, you know, started to pick him apart and get more comfortable as the fight went on.

02:45But Logan Sturley doesn't let you get comfortable.

02:47Logan Sturley is in your face the whole time.

02:49He's pushing you against that cage.

02:51He's getting you on the ground, putting you on your back.

02:53I think that he is going to do the same thing to Kikuri here and make it a long fight for him.

02:59Then the other semifinal we have on this main card, again, involves the featherweights this time,

03:03Movlet Habibulayev versus Taekyeon Kim.

03:06Kim, the 30-year-old from South Korea, 11-1 in his MMA career, three wins by KO, four by submission, four by decision.

03:13A very well-rounded skill set on this fighter.

03:16His last fight was the biggest promotion he had fought in when he won his first-round matchup over Kelly by first-round rear naked choke.

03:23Now he continues on into the semifinals of this tournament against Habibulayev, the 34-year-old Russian, 22-0-1 in MMA.

03:31Then at the other featherweight semifinal on the main card, we have Movlet Habibulayev versus Taekyeon Kim.

03:36Kim, the 30-year-old from South Korea, 11-1 in MMA career, three by KO, four by submission, four by decision.

03:43So obviously a well-rounded skill set for this fighter.

03:47His last fight was the biggest in the promotion when he beat Kelly by first-round rear naked choke in the opening round of this tournament.

03:54Now he is going to fight Kabibulayev, the 34-year-old Russian, who is 22-0-1 in his MMA career, 13 by decision.

04:01So he likes to smother you, likes to take you down but six by KO, TKO.

04:04You can still throw some fists here and make you pay for that.

04:07He has won the 2021 PFL featherweight tournament, so he's got championship experience as well.

04:13He beat Jeremy Kennedy by split decision, 29-28 on two cards, 28-29 the other way.

04:18So he could easily not be in this semifinal if things had gotten slightly different for him in that fight and on those judges' scorecards.

04:26Now he'll fight Kim, the South Korean, 30-year-old.

04:29I think this one, even though he made it by split decision, even though that would make you maybe lean the other way

04:35and think that this guy maybe isn't at the top level, I think he gets by Kim, being that he is very good

04:40but still a little unexperienced as far as these big fights.

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