Introducing to the day’s notice, Marcirley Alves surpassed Leandro Higo to advance to the semi-final round of the Bantamweight PFL World Tournament on Friday night.
Midway through the opening round, Alves cracked Higo with his big left hand, knocking the previous Bellator title challenger onto the mat. As Higo tried to heal, Alves quickly moved and began shooting the wings. That allowed Alves to get a takedown near the fence and gain top control.
Higo reversed position and finished the round at the top, but it’s possible that Alves left in the pocket in the round after earning a knockdown.
Higo came out looking for a flying knee in the second stanza, but Alves sat down on it. Despite multiple takedown attempts, Higo was unable to put Alves down on the mat. Still, Higo appeared to have a slight edge on his legs, swinging his live odds around his favor.
In the third round, Higo tried desperately to put Alves on the mat with repeated takedown attempts, but Alves spread out and remained upright every time as Higo couldn’t properly set up his shot. In the round, Higo caught a kick from Alves and put it on the mat with his right hand on the counter.
Official Results: Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) by split decision