Movlid Khaybulaev fled in the victory of a closely contested division decision against Jeremy Kennedy in the first round of the PFL World Tournament held in Orlando.
Kennedy almost finished things in the opening round and caught Kaiblaev before unleashing a barrage of strikes against the fence. Khaybulaev’s nose spewed blood, the Russians fought back and clinched Kennedy for a breather before dropping another combination down on Kennedy.
Unable to get a finish, Kennedy chose to land the second half of the takedown, punctuating his dominant first-round performance.
But, as good as things first happened for Kendi, things quickly became miserable. Near the two-minute mark in the stanza, Kaiblaev was connected to the booming right hand where Canadians had wobbling legs. Khaybulaev was in a hurry looking for a finish on the highlight reel, but was unable to accomplish it.
In the third round, both fighters exhibited grappling and clinchwork, with neither of them gaining much greater advantages than the others.
Official Results: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Jeremy Kennedy (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Khaybulaev will move to face Tae Kyun Kim in the featherweight semi-finals.