The UFC was on the other side of the world this past Saturday, and the PFL stayed close to home.
And while there weren’t a lot of highly ranked fighters in action between the two events, UFC Fight Night 280 in Baku, Azerbaijan, and PFL San Diego both delivered some thrilling finishes – and some mildly consequential results in a few divisions.
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In the women’s flyweight division, former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche (26-8) may have ensured that a PFL title shot will be her next fight when she submitted fellow former UFC fighter Viviane Araujo in the co-main event in San Diego, where she lived and trained for years prior to a recent move to Florida.
In Baku, Rafael Fiziev (14-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) delivered a thrilling finish for his home fans when he got Manuel Torres (17-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) into the second round for the first time in eight years, then had him out of there 15 seconds later after a head kick and some follow-up on the canvas. And that will mean movement for both at lightweight – but just how much?
Take a look at all the latest moves in every division in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings – including a decent jump up at flyweight for Asu Almabayev after a thrilling and rare submission in Baku.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 30: Fiziev, Carmouche move
