AJ McKee defeated Salamat Isbulayev by unanimous decision (30-27 across all three cards) in the main event of PFL San Diego. Liz Carmouche submitted Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke in round two, while Alexander Shabliy returned from a lengthy layoff to beat Alfie Davis by unanimous decision. Rob Wilkinson stopped Abraham Bably by TKO in round two, and Hasan Magomedsharipov submitted Joshua Weems with an arm-triangle choke in the first round.
PFL San Diego delivered a night of finishes and dominant decisions on June 28, with AJ McKee headlining and several notable performances across the card.
McKee claimed the main event by unanimous decision over Salamat Isbulayev, sweeping all three judges' scorecards 30-27 in a commanding showing.
One of the night's most significant results came in the women's flyweight division, where Liz Carmouche submitted Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke in the second round. Carmouche, a 42-year-old veteran out of The Arena in the United States, carries a 13-7 record and brings a polished all-around game to every fight, averaging 2.57 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 54 percent of her significant strikes. Araujo, a 39-year-old Brazilian ranked eighth at women's flyweight with a matching 13-7 record, had been an active striker herself, averaging 3.84 significant strikes per minute with 47 percent accuracy, and had also demonstrated grappling threat with 1.72 takedowns per 15 minutes. Carmouche's finishing instinct proved the difference.
In a first-round submission finish, Hasan Magomedsharipov tapped Joshua Weems with an arm-triangle choke. Weems, a 32-year-old American out of Black Sails MMA who came in at 11-3, had been an elite striker on paper, connecting at a 64 percent accuracy rate and producing 5.25 significant strikes per minute, but he registered zero submission attempts per 15 minutes in his career — a defensive grappling gap Magomedsharipov exploited quickly.
Alexander Shabliy made a successful return from a lengthy layoff, outpointing Alfie Davis by unanimous decision, while Rob Wilkinson stopped Abraham Bably by TKO in the second round.
Why it matters
- Carmouche's finish over a ranked flyweight keeps her relevant in a division where finishing power is rare
- Magomedsharipov's first-round submission showcases submission grappling as a decisive equalizer against high-volume strikers
- Shabliy's winning return signals he remains a factor in his division after an extended absence
