Canadian underdog Jeremy (JBC) Kennedy gave unbeaten Russian featherweight Movlid (Killer) Khaybulaev a scare but ended up on the wrong end of a split decision Thursday in the first round of the Professional Fighters League World Tournament.
The judges scored it 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 for Khaybulaev, the 2021 PFL 145-pound champion. Kennedy buried his face in his hands in disbelief after the scores were announced.
Despite not having fought since June 2023, the 34-year-old Khaybulaev (22-0-1 with one no contest) came into Thursday’s fight as a 7-1 favourite.
But it was Kennedy who took control early on the backlot of Universal Studios Florida.
The 32-year-old from Surrey B.C., who fights out of Las Vegas, dominated the first round while Khaybulaev held the upper hand in the second. The third round was close, spent mostly in a clinch at the fence.
Canadian Fred Dupras was submitted by Brazil’s Gabriel Braga at 4:37 of the first round in an earlier featherweight bout.
The single-elimination PFL tournament, spanning five months, features 64 fighters divided into eight weight-class brackets.
There are three more first-round cards — April 11, April 18 and May 1 — also at Universal Studios Florida. Aaron Jeffery, a 32-year-old from Tillsonburg, Ont., is slated to fight Russian middleweight Murad Ramazanov on the April 18 card.
After the first round, the tournament semifinals are scheduled for June in Nashville (June 12), Wichita (June 20) and Chicago (June 27). The finals are set for Atlantic City, N.J., (Aug. 11), Charlotte, N.C., (Aug. 15) and Hollywood, Fla. (Aug. 21).
The tournament carries US$20 million in total prize money, including a US$500,000 bonus for each champion.
The PFL previously operated a regular-season schedule followed by the playoffs with the champions earning a US$1-million prize. The promotion has now scrapped the group stage and opted for a single-elimination competition.
Canadian Olivier (The Canadian Gangster) Aubin-Mercier won the PFL lightweight title in 2022 and ’23.
The main event Thursday pitted Russian welterweight Andrey (Spartan) Koreshkov against Jamaica’s Jason (The Ass-Kicking Machine) Jackson in a battle of former Bellator champions.
Kennedy (19-6-0 with one no-contest) has fought in Bellator and the UFC and is in his second stint in the PFL. Thursday’s loss was his third straight after three wins in combined PFL/Bellator action.
Khaybulaev has won eight straight since a first-round knockout loss to American Daniel (The Pit) Pineda in October 2019 was turned into a no-contest after Pineda failed a drug test.
Pineda’s win over Kennedy that same night was also turned into a no-contest.
At 5-11, Kennedy was five inches taller but only had a one-inch reach advantage over Khaybulaev.
Khaybulaev will face South Korea’s Tae Jyun (Ares) Kim in the semifinal. Kim put Ireland’s Nathan Kelly to sleep with a rear-naked choke at 4:53 of the first round earlier Thursday.
Dupras (8-2-0) came close to submitting Braga (16-2-0) before the Brazilian, the 2023 PFL featherweight runner-up, turned the tables.
All eight of Dupras’ past wins were by submission and the 31-year-old from Laval, Que., looked for a takedown from the opening bell.
Dupras eventually got Braga down and looked for a guillotine choke with the 26-year-old Brazilian crunched against the fence. It was tight but Braga somehow got out and ended in top position. Braga ended up glued to Dupras’ back, looking for a submission — finally locking in a choke that forced Dupras to tap.
Dupras came in on a six-fight win streak dating back to November 2021. Originally an alternate, he moved into the bracket when France’s Yves (You Know) Landu could not take part.
Braga beat Kennedy last time out, by decision in November in PFL action.
