AJ McKee defeated Salamat Isbulayev by unanimous decision (30-27 across all three judges) in the main event of PFL San Diego. Liz Carmouche submitted Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke at 2:07 of round two, while Alexander Shabliy returned from a lengthy layoff to beat Alfi Davis by unanimous decision. Hassan Magomeddsharipov submitted Joshua Weems with an arm-triangle choke in round one, and Rob Wilkinson stopped Abraham Bably by TKO in round two.
PFL San Diego delivered a packed card on June 28, with AJ McKee headlining a night that featured finishes up and down the card and a notable submission win for a veteran contender.
McKee earned the main event victory over Salamat Isbulayev by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27. In the co-main event, Liz Carmouche submitted Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke at 2:07 of round two. Alexander Shabliy returned from a lengthy layoff and defeated Alfi Davis by unanimous decision, Hassan Magomeddsharipov submitted Joshua Weems with an arm-triangle choke in round one, and Rob Wilkinson stopped Abraham Bably by TKO in round two.
Carmouche, known as "Girlrilla," improved to 13-7-0 with the finish. The 42-year-old American, who trains out of The Arena, brings a grinding, clinch-heavy style to the cage. She lands significant strikes at a rate of 2.78 per minute with 54 percent accuracy, and averages 2.57 takedowns per 15 minutes — a pace that sets up the kind of submission opportunities she cashed in on Saturday night.
Araujo, the ranked number eight women's flyweight out of Brazil, falls to 13-7-0 with the loss. The 39-year-old orthodox fighter from Cerrado MMA had been a reliable volume striker, averaging 3.84 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, and had shown takedown ability at 1.72 per 15 minutes.
Weems, a 32-year-old American from Black Sails MMA, dropped to 11-3-0 after the first-round submission loss to Magomeddsharipov. The fighter nicknamed "Wide Open" had posted eye-catching numbers heading into the bout, landing 5.25 significant strikes per minute at an impressive 64 percent accuracy, while averaging 4.77 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Carmouche's finish over a ranked flyweight keeps her name firmly in divisional conversations at 42 years old
- Shabliy's return from a long absence is a storyline worth monitoring as he re-establishes himself in the lightweight picture
- Weems's submission loss raises questions about his ground defense despite elite offensive output
