Movlid Khaybulaev escaped with a closely contested split decision win over Jeremy Kennedy in the first round of the PFL World Tournament in Orlando.
Kennedy nearly finished things in the opening round, catching Khaybulaev early before unleashing a barrage of strikes up against the fence. With Khaybulaev’s nose gushing blood, the Russian fought back, forcing Kennedy to clinch up and take a breather before unloading another combination.
Unable to get the finish, Kennedy opted to land a late takedown, putting a punctuation mark on his dominant first-round performance.
But as good as things went for Kenndy in the first, things quickly turned disastrous in the second.