PFL Austin: A Beginner’s Guide to the Fights

Welcome! This article explains a mixed martial arts (MMA) event called PFL Austin in super simple terms—like you’re five years old. MMA is like a supervised playground fight where two people use punches, kicks, and wrestling moves to win. The PFL is a league where fighters compete.

What Is PFL Austin?

• PFL stands for Professional Fighters League, a group that runs MMA fights.
• PFL Austin happened on Saturday, July 18.
• Live reporting started at 5:30 p.m. ET (Eastern Time).
• The main TV broadcast began at 8 p.m. ET on a channel called ESPN.
• The big headline fight was for a middleweight title (a pretend belt for winners in the 185-pound group) at the end of the night.

Important Point: A middleweight title fight headlined PFL Austin. You could watch it on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on July 18.

How Does a Fight Work? (ELI5)

• Fighters are weighed before; numbers like “125 pounds” mean their weight class.
• A fight has rounds (like chapters). Judges give each round a score, usually 10–9 to the person doing better.
• Ways to win:
  • TKO: One fighter gets hit so much the referee stops it.
  • Submission: One fighter gives up or taps because of a choke or lock.
  • Decision: Judges pick the winner after all rounds.

Early Fights (Before the Main Card)

Victoria Alba vs. Borena Tsertsvadze (Women, 125 lbs)

This was the first fight. Alba (from Mexico, record 6 wins–2 losses) fought Tsertsvadze (from Georgia, 6–1).

Round 1

• Alba kicked Tsertsvadze’s legs a lot. Tsertsvadze tried to grab her but couldn’t.
• Alba was busier and won the round 10–9.

Round 2

• Tsertsvadze landed a big punch and won this round 10–9.

Round 3

• Alba kicked legs again; Tsertsvadze’s thigh turned purple.
• Alba kicked her body, then punched and kicked until Tsertsvadze could not continue.
• Result: Victoria Alba won by TKO (front kick and punches).

Ashley Thiner vs. Mia Grawe (Women, 125 lbs)

Thiner (2–0) vs. Grawe (3–0).

Round 1: Thiner used knees and punches, won 10–9.
Round 2: Grawe did better with a takedown (wrestling to floor), won 10–9.
Round 3: Thiner kicked and punched, won 10–9.

• Result: Ashley Thiner won by unanimous decision (all judges said 29–28).

Andrea Vazquez vs. Aleksandra Savicheva (Women, 125 lbs)

Vazquez (8–3) vs. Savicheva (7–2, from Russia).

Round 1: Savicheva punched well, won 10–9.
Round 2: Savicheva still better, won 10–9.
Round 3: Vazquez almost choked her but ran out of time, won 10–9.

• Result: Aleksandra Savicheva won by split decision (judges disagreed, but majority said Savicheva 29–28).

Main Card Fights

Jesus Pinedo vs. Joey Ruquet (Men, 145 lbs)

Pinedo (25–8–1) vs. Ruquet (11–4).

Round 1

• They circled; Ruquet kicked legs.
• Pinedo backed him to the fence and punched until Ruquet sat down and covered up.
• Referee stopped it.
• Result: Jesus Pinedo won by TKO (punches and elbows) at 4:50 of Round 1.

Caolan Loughran vs. Julio Arce (Men, 145 lbs)

Loughran (11–3, from Ireland) vs. Arce (21–7, from USA).

Round 1: Loughran wrestled and pressed, won 10–9.
Round 2: Arce punched and kneed, won 10–9 (Loughran bled from a cut).
Round 3: Arce kept winning, won 10–9.

• Result: Julio Arce won by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 29–28).

Rafael do Nascimento vs. Lewis McGrillen-Evans (Men, 135 lbs)

This was the co-main event (second biggest). Do Nascimento (12–3, Brazil) vs. McGrillen-Evans (12–1, England).

Round 1

• Nascimento took him down (wrestled to floor) and tried leg locks; won 10–9.

Round 2

• McGrillen missed a jump knee.
• Nascimento took him down, choked him from behind (rear-naked choke) until he tapped.
• Result: Rafael do Nascimento won by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:07 of Round 2.

Main Event: Interim PFL Middleweight Title Fight

Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay (Men, 185 lbs)

This decided a temporary champion. Eblen (17–1) vs. Kasanganay (20–6).

Round 1

• Eblen kicked legs and jabbed; Kasanganay cut near eye. Eblen won 10–9.

Round 2

• Eblen kept jabbing and clinching (holding). Won 10–9.

Round 3

• Kasanganay bled from eyebrow.
• Eblen landed a big elbow, punched him to the floor, and referee stopped it.
• Result: Johnny Eblen won by TKO (punches) and became interim champ.

Important Point: Johnny Eblen beat Impa Kasanganay to win the interim PFL Middleweight Title by TKO in Round 3.

Summary

PFL Austin was a night of MMA fights:

• Alba beat Tsertsvadze by TKO (kicks/punches).
• Thiner beat Grawe by decision.
• Savicheva beat Vazquez by split decision.
• Pinedo beat Ruquet by TKO (Round 1).
• Arce beat Loughran by decision.
• Do Nascimento beat McGrillen-Evans by submission (choke).
• Eblen beat Kasanganay by TKO for the interim middleweight title.

All fights were at the Moody Center, with referees like Rexroad and Montalvo making sure it was fair.

FAQ

Q: What does “TKO” mean?
A: TKO means “technical knockout.” The referee stops the fight because one person is getting hurt too much, even if they haven’t fallen asleep.

Q: What is a submission?
A: It’s when a fighter makes the other give up by choking them or locking a limb, and they tap their hand to say “I quit.”

Q: Why do they say “10–9”?
A: Judges score each round. The winner usually gets 10 points, loser 9. It’s like a gold star for the better fighter that round.

Q: What is an “interim title”?
A: It’s a temporary belt given when the real champ is unavailable, like a substitute trophy.

Q: How can I watch PFL?
A: Events like this air on ESPN and the PFL website at listed times.