Week 8 of the PFL’s Challenger Series offered prior competitors a second chance to earn a PFL contract, and it was Denzel Freeman who stood out from the pack to earn himself a PFL deal, thanks to a quickfire TKO victory at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.
On a night that featured second-chance bouts at lightweight, welterweight, heavyweight and women’s featherweight, heavyweight Freeman produced the only finish of the night to defeat Raiden Kovacs and earn his spot on the PFL roster.
Freeman’s finish, a head-kick, followed by a flurry of ground strikes, earned him a 27-second TKO victory and a PFL deal, while the rest of the night’s winners will have to return to their respective regional scenes to battle for future opportunities on the world stage.
The night kicked off with a split-decision win for welterweight Ali Omar, who edged Sanon Sadeck in the opening bout of the night.
Then, after Freeman’s show-stealing finish, undefeated Brazilian Evelyn Martins scored a unanimous decision over American Jackie Cataline in their women’s featherweight matchup.
The headline bout saw Kendly St. Louis defeat Paulo Henrique in their lightweight bout, but it was Freeman’s rapid-fire finish that caught the eye, as the celebrity panel of Randy Couture, Kayla Harrison and Wiz Khalifa unanimously selecting “Batman” to earn his second-chance PFL contract.
PFL Challenger Series: Week 8 results
- Kendly St. Louis def. Paulo Henrique unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Evelyn Martins def. Jackie Cataline via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Denzel Freeman def. Raiden Kovacs via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:27
- Ali Omar def. Sanon Sadeck via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
