PFL MMA: San Diego McKee vs Isbulaev Break Down - Results
PFL MMA: San Diego main card breakdown featuring main event McKee vs Isbulaev in the Featherweight Division.
PFL MMA came to San Diego, CA, for an exciting night of MMA action featuring the main event as the number two ranked Long Beach, CA, native AJ “Mercenary” McKee(24-2) faces undefeated number four ranked Salamat Isbulaev (10-0) in a featherweight showdown airing live on ESPN 2. Both fighters successfully made weight at 145.6 lbs and 145.8 lbs respectively ahead of their highly anticipated bout.
The co-main event is also locked in, featuring a women’s flyweight clash between two top contenders. The number two ranked Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche (25-8) and number eight ranked Viviane “Vivi” Araujo (14-7) both hit their marks on the scale at 126 lbs and 125.8 lbs respectively.
Full main card breakdown and results of PFL MMA: San Diego:
Light Heavyweight Main Card: #6 (HW) Abraham Bably (205.6 lbs) vs. #6 (LHW) “Razor” Rob Wilkinson (205.8 lbs)
Round One: The fighters touch gloves, with the fighter out of the Ivory Coast landing a combination on the Aussie. Wilkinson is dazed but not out, slowing the pace, circling the cage, getting knocked down by a right hand before popping to his feet , leaning on Bably against the cage, who reverse position. Bably lands a right left combination that’s answered by Wilkinson before regaining cage control.
The crowd is displeased with the pace of the fight forcing the African to move, landing a few overhand punches, pressuring Wilkinson against the cage before a hip throw, landing in full mount, but Wilkinson escapes, pressing Bably against the cage as the round comes to an end.
Round Two: The two men meet in the center of the cage, circling with Bably landing the first punch combination that’s answered by Wilkinson. Bably grabs the Aussie pushing him back against the cage, Wilkinson escapes the position while they still clinch, turning it around and back to the cage, reversing positions yet again.
Wilkinson lands several knees drops Bably, who is holding on for dear life eating elbows and hammer fists while still looking for a double leg, spinning out and right back against the cage. The men are exhausting, Wilkinson drags Bably to the ground, takes his back, unleashes several unanswered punched and this one is over.
Your winner by TKO at 3:23 of the second round: “Razor” Rob Wilkinson!
Lightweight Main Card: #4 Alexander Shabliy (155.8 lbs) vs. #2 “The Axe Man” Alfie Davis (156 lbs)
Round One: The fighters touch gloves and it’s England versus Russia! The first minute has been a lot of feeling each other out with no real blows landed. A whole lot of nothing is going on as a third of the round has passed. Finally at the halfway point Shabliy lands a big right hand and push kick before both men throw overhand rights. The Russian attempts a spinning hammer first to no avail.
Shabliy takes Davis down against the cage then gets pushed off via a butterfly guard, the first round ends with a double leg by the Russian.
Round Two: The crowd is displeased with the fighters still feeling each other out, which may lead to the first decision of the night. Shabliy landed an overhand right that had little effect with Davis throwing a push kick. The two attempt a kick each where Shabliy splits the uprights, rattling Davis’ family jewels.
Referee Mike Beltran warns Shabliy with the fight resuming to its steady pace. It is now Shabliy who needs a cup adjustment. Eacch swings and misses. If this was baseball, we’d be at the top of the fifth inning with all the strike outs.
Shabliy throws a couple of spinning heel kicks and a Superman punch. Davis attempts a single leg, eating an elbow for his troubles. Davis is behaving like a taekwondo fighter in the Olympics, all abound and no strikes. The first double leg of the fight is by Shabliy, the Englishman bounces around a few times, rocked by a straight right hand following a failed spinning heel kick with his hands down and the Russian drops him.
Round Three: Saved by the bell as we thought the fight was over after Referee Mike Beltran checked on the Englishman, resuming the fight.
Now the Russian is making it interesting picking his strikes from push kicks to punches. Davis is leading with taekwondo head kicks, being more annoying than devastating. The Axe Man needs to sharpen his blade.
Shabliy lands a left hook because the Englishman keeps dropping his hands. These psychological games don’t work on the Russians the way they do on Western Europeans and Americans. Shabliy lands an overhand right, this is his fight to lose. Shabliy lands in Davis’ butterfly guard, gets pressed out then on to the cage, takes the Englishman down, dropping elbows as the fight comes to an end.
Your winner by unanimous decision: Alexander Shabliy.
Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: #2 Liz Carmouche (126 lbs) vs. #8 Viviane Araújo (125.8 lbs)
Round One: It is time for the co-main event, Carmouche the current PFL tournament flyweight champion and hometown hero, faces off against former pancrase, Araújo as the only female fighters on the main card.
The chants of U-S-A being, the fighters touch gloves, gage their distance and the Marine leads with and overhand right followed by a low kick. Araújo presses Carmouche to the cage trying to tire out the American. Carmouche is scoring points, peppering strike against Araújo.
Carmouche takes down Araújo, pressing her shoulder into the Brazilian’s neck and chin. The two get band to their feet, hang and bang, before Carmouche closes out the round with a double leg.
Round Two: Araújo lands a big strike forcing the crowd to reacting with more U-S-A chants. Carmouche is chopping away at the Brazilian’s lead leg before eating a big jab. The Marine uses a jumping guillotine to finish Araújo with a choke in the second round!
Your winner by guillotine choke at 2:07 of the second round: Liz Carmouche!
Featherweight Main Event: #2 AJ McKee (145.6 lbs) vs. #4 Salamat Isbulaev (145.8 lbs)
Round One: Isbulaev comes in with a record of 10-0 with 9 finishes in the first round, with McKee coming in with a record of 24-2, with 14 finishes. On paper, this will be a contender for fight of the year.
The Kazakhstani is the first to land a punch combination. McKee leads with a head kick followed by a lower leg kick. Isbulaev is a big ball of pent up energy looking for another first round finish, but may tire himself out before getting there.
These fighters respect each other’s skills, but that does not diminish their desires to win. McKee takes Isbulaev with a double leg and his his back, looking for a submission off the cage. Isbulaev slips out into McKee’s guard, the two scramble, allowing Isbulaev to catch McKee in a front face lock, putting pressure on the American’s back trying to cut off his breathing. McKee escapes as the two stand in the middle of the decagon.
McKee throws Isbulaev down with a waist lock as the round comes to an end.
Round Two: This is only the second time Isbulaev has gone to the second round, speaking to the skill level of McKee. The two touch gloves at the start of the round.
The crowd is clearly behind McKee with chants of U-S-A, drowning out the six gentlemen seated in front of me chanting for Kazakhstan. The two exchange punches to the delight of the crown. McKee throws a spinning back kick but is quickly taken down by Isbulaev. Isbulaev turns McKee looking for a submission from his back, with the American slipping out.
McKee has Isbulaev’s back putting pressure on him against the cage before taking him down yet again. McKee has the cage pressure on Isbulaev, pulling him to the canvas every time he tries to stand up. This looks to be the toughest test of Isbulaev has McKee drops elbows on the Kazakhstani from side mount ending the round.
Round Three: Third and final round. Isbulaev has never been this deep in a fight in his professional career, we are eager to see if his stamina holds.
They hug in the center of the ring, a sign of great respect as the crowd is clearly behind McKee who after eating a back fist, sloppily shoots for a double leg before the two stand up.
The pace as slowed as a mouse is developing under McKee’s left eye. Both fighters are giving it their all, with a cut next to Isbulaev’s left eye. The two exchange hooks and kicks in the center of the cage to the crowds’ delight.
No one is willing to give an inch and the crowd as woken up following McKee’s double leg to side control, though his arm is trapped, allowing Isbulaev to look for a keylock. McKee takes side mount, looking for a head and arm chock, pulling out dropping elbows on the Kazakhstani from the full mount position. After 15 seconds of total bombs dropped on the face of Isbulaev, this one goes to the judges.
Your winner by unanimous decision and handing his Salamat Isbulaev first loss: AJ McKee!
Concluding tonight’s fight card visit PFL MMA’s YouTube Page for the post show scrum at: https://www.youtube.com/pflmma.
PFL MMA’s next card takes place on Saturday, July 18, 2026 with PFL Austin from the Moody Center in Austin, TX.