2023 PFL 2 Results: Pacheco continues good run, Olena defeats Aspen Ladd

08 April 2023

The 2023 PFL Regular Season kicked off live from The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

The Heavyweight and Women's Featherweight divisions were represented on the ten-fight bill, with Larissa Pacheco, Bruno Cappelozza, Olena Kolesnyk, and Rizvan Kuniev scoring notable victories.

The night's main event pitted Pacheco against Julia Budd after she defeated previously unbeaten Kayla Harrison at the 2022 PFL World Championship. Pacheco, the 2022 Women's Lightweight Champion, won a unanimous decision over Budd to start the 2023 Regular Season, collecting 3 points and bringing her professional record to 20-4.

As the co-main event of the evening, Bruno Cappelozza, the 2021 PFL Heavyweight Champion, and Matheus Scheffel engaged in a hotly awaited rematch from the 2022 PFL Regular Season. At the 2:15 mark of the first round, Cappelozza defeated Scheffel with a single straight right hand to the jaw, winning by TKO. The 2021 Heavyweight Champion increased his career record to 16-6 and gained 6 points.

Olena Kolesnyk, a Ukrainian fighter who competed in the 2022 PFL Women's Lightweight Semifinal, faced Aspen Ladd, who aimed to improve on her PFL debut triumph. After a difficult three rounds of back-and-forth action, Kolesnyk defeated Ladd by a majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28). Kolesnyk's lack of weight cost her two of the victory's possible points.

ALSO READ | Aspen Ladd wants showdown with Kayla Harrison

Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali, fought Isaiah Figueroa in a Lightweight amateur match at the PFL SmartCage. After a stunning show of striking, Ali Walsh built on the momentum from his great debut, winning via first-round TKO at the 1:42 mark. With both victories coming through first-round stoppage, Ali Walsh scores his second triumph inside the SmartCage.