Stepping in on a day’s notice, Marcirley Alves outworked Leandro Higo to advance to the semi-final round of the bantamweight PFL World Tournament on Friday night.
Halfway through the opening round, Alves cracked Higo with a big left hand that knocked the former Bellator title challenger to the mat. Alves moved in quickly and started winging shots as Higo attempted to recover. That allowed Alves to score a takedown near the fence and get top control.
Higo reversed position and ended the round on top, but Alves likely walked away with the round in his pocket after scoring a knockdown.
Higo came out looking for a flying knee in the second stanza, but Alves was hip to it. Despite multiple takedown attempts, Higo was never able to get Alves down to the mat. Still, Higo appeared to have a slight edge on the feet, swinging the live odds into his favor.
The third round saw Higo desperately attempt to take Alves to the mat with repeated takedown attempts, but Alves sprawled and stayed upright every single time as Higo failed to properly set up his shots. The round ended with Higo catching a kick from Alves and putting him on the mat with a counter right hand.
Official Result: Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
