Aussie fighter makes massive statement on PFL debut

9 months ago 86

Australia's Chelsea Hackett has made the champion imaginable commencement to her debut successful the Professional Fighters League, defeating Ky Bennett by submission successful the 2nd round.

Relaunching her MMA vocation connected the PFL Playoffs card, and with a accidental to people a declaration for the 2024 season, Hackett dominated from commencement to finish.

Leading into the fight, Hackett said she was taking a "stand and bang" attack to the fight. However, erstwhile the telephone came to statesman the fight, she opted for a wholly antithetic tactic.

Watch each the enactment from the 2023 Professional Fighters League. Streaming advertisement free, unrecorded and connected request connected Stan Sport

The 24-year-old wrestled Bennett to the crushed and spent overmuch of the archetypal circular with her hostile up against the borderline of the decagon.

The 2nd circular started with the brace trading blows earlier Hackett landed a punch and nonstop Bennett staggering backwards.

Despite having rocked her rival, Hackett opted to proceed wrestling and yet took clasp of her backmost and got her successful a rear bare chokehold.

Chelsea Hackett works for a submission against Ky Bennett successful her PFL Playoffs debut. (Coopet Neill via Getty Images)

In the dying moments of the 2nd round, Bennett tapped retired to springiness Hackett triumph via submission.

The Melbourne-born, Gold Coast-raised combatant was each smiles thereafter.

Asked astir her alteration of tact, Hackett said the agelong layoff since her past large MMA quality connected Dana White's Contender Series allowed her an accidental to upskill.

"When you person been enactment connected the sidelines for astir 3 years – COVID, pull-outs, injuries – I conscionable spent truthful galore hours and clip successful the gym moving connected each my weaknesses, my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu, and I truly wanted to marque a connection and I deliberation that's the champion connection I could person made," said Hackett.

"Really blessed with that."

Hackett joked that she was acceptable to spell for the adjacent PFL Playoffs lawsuit successful New York successful conscionable 2 weeks' clip connected August 19.

Chelsea Hackett throws a punch against Ky Bennett during the PFL Playoffs. (Cooper Neill via Getty Images)

"I've had 3 years disconnected so, shit, enactment maine successful adjacent week! Oh, I can't swear, sorry," she laughed.

"Put maine successful adjacent week, I'm ready. I'd emotion to combat successful New (York), wait, that's adjacent weekend. Well yeah, New York, yeah, cool, enactment maine connected adjacent weekend."

The PFL play continues connected August 19 with the Playoffs headlined by the heavyweights and women's featherweights.

The last Playoffs lawsuit this twelvemonth takes spot connected August 24 headlined by the welterweights and lightweights.

The PFL regular play returns connected April 2 featuring the featherweights and airy heavyweights.

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