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NEW YORK — (The Canadian Gangster) Olivier Aubin-Mercier received a unanimous resolution over Paraguay’s Alex Martinez on Friday to maneuver into the light-weight remaining of the Skilled Fighters League.

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The 33-year-old from Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que., will face Scotland’s Stevie (Braveheart) Ray for the 155-pound title and a US$1-million payday.

Aubin-Mercier (16-5-0) knocked Martinez down seconds into each the second and third rounds, controlling him on the bottom as soon as they received there.

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The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-26, 30-26 for Aubin-Mercier.

Fourth-seeded Ray (25-10-0) superior with an upset unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over former UFC champion Anthony (Showtime) Pettis within the different light-weight semifinal at Madison Sq. Backyard’s Hulu Theatre. Pettis (25-14-0) was the highest seed within the division.

The Hulu Theatre seats between 2,000 and 5,600 versus the 20,000-capacity Backyard.

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Not like different MMA promotions, the Skilled Fighters League contains a common season, playoffs and championship. The 4 fighters in every division who earn probably the most common season factors advance to the playoffs with the 2 semifinal winners assembly for the title and a US$1-million payday.

Aubin-Mercier, the No. 2 seed, weighed in at 155 kilos Thursday, whereas Martinez, the third seed, was 156 kilos.

The 2 fighters had educated collectively up to now in Montreal and contemplate themselves mates. Martinez, now combating out of Grande Prairie, Alta., walked to the cage Friday with a mix Canadian/ Paraguayan flag.

Aubin-Mercier took the centre of the cage from the beginning whereas Martinez regarded to attach with kicks from the skin. When Aubin-Mercier lunged in, Martinez (10-3-0 with one no-contest) was content material to counter-punch and kick. Martinez was the aggressor because the spherical ended.

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Aubin-Mercier cracked Martinez with a left to the chin early within the second. Martinez went down with Aubin-Mercier following him down and touchdown in his guard. Martinez tried to lock in an armbar from under however Aubin-Mercier resisted after which took his again.

Martinez, caught in a physique triangle, tried to battle off the choke however Aubin-Mercier had loads of time within the spherical to enhance his place. In some way, Martinez survived the spherical.

Aubin-Mercier crunched Martinez’s jaw with a left some 15 seconds into the third, dropping him once more. Again in management on the bottom, Aubin-Mercier took his again once more whereas making use of a physique lock and searching for the choke.

Aubin-Mercier received each his regular-season fights this 12 months, successful a unanimous resolution over Brazil’s Natan (Russo) Schulte at PFL 1 on April 20 and a break up resolution over Brazil’s Raush Manfio at PFL 4 on June 17. Manfio was the 2021 champion.

Martinez superior to the playoffs with a unanimous resolution over Ray at PFL 1 and a break up resolution over (Cassius) Clay Collard at PFL 4.

Aubin-Mercier, who trains at each H2O MMA and Tristar in Montreal, has received all 5 of his PFL bouts since leaving the UFC the place he was 7-5-0.

Canadian welterweight Rory (Purple King) MacDonald can be within the PFL playoffs. He’s scheduled to fulfill Russian (Prince) Magomed Umalatov within the 170-pound semifinals on Aug. 13 in Cardiff, Wales.