Bryan “The Butcher” Battle gave his hometown fans exactly what they came for on Friday night, grinding out a split decision win over top-five contender Dalton “Hercules” Rosta in the main event of PFL Charlotte. The victory sent the Bojangles Coliseum into a frenzy and capped an action-packed card that arrived just days after the seismic news of the MVP and PFL merger.

Battle Delivers for the Hometown Crowd

Battle (13-3), a Charlotte native, put constant pressure on Rosta (11-4) throughout the fight, outpointing the top-five contender to secure his first win under the PFL banner. The judges scored it 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29 in Battle’s favor, capping a hard-fought headliner that had the local crowd on its feet.

The co-main event delivered another statement performance, as Simeon “Smooth” Powell (13-2) outworked former PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Dovlet “Wolfhound” Yagshimuradov (26-9-1) across all three rounds to claim a split decision. The win moved Powell a step closer to title contention and served notice that he belongs in the championship conversation.

Aaron Jeffery (17-6) turned in the most dominant performance of the night, battering Josh “Coninha” Silveira (15-6) for three full rounds en route to a unanimous decision. Jeffery stayed the aggressor throughout, punishing Silveira with strikes and coming close to a finish on multiple occasions before the fight went to the scorecards.

Brutal War, Second-Round KO Round Out Main Card

Former PFL Europe Bantamweight Champion Lewis “The McGrizzla” McGrillen (13-2) survived a brutal three-round battle with Brandon Lewis (7-4), edging out a unanimous decision in a fight that had Charlotte fans roaring throughout. Both men traded their best shots and mixed in takedowns, but it was McGrillen who left the cage with his hand raised.

The main card opener saw Josh Fremd (13-6) overcome a slow start to knock out Jhony Gregory (11-5) in the second round. Gregory came out strong early but faded as the fight wore on, opening the door for Fremd to mount a comeback. Fremd capitalized with a brutal combination of punches that put the gassed-out Gregory away for good.

Full PFL Charlotte Main Card Results:

• Middleweight Main Event: #8-Bryan Battle (13-3) defeated #4-Dalton Rosta (11-4) via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
• Light Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #6-Simeon Powell (13-2) defeated #2-Dovlet Yagshimuradov (26-9-1) via split decision (28-29, 30-27 x2)
• Middleweight Bout: #7-Aaron Jeffery (17-6) defeated #6-Josh Silveira (15-6) via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
• Bantamweight Bout: Lewis McGrillen (13-2) defeated Brandon Lewis (7-4) by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
• Middleweight Bout: #9-Josh Fremd (13-6) defeated #10-Jhony Gregory (11-5) via TKO (Punches) at 1:44 of round two

Full PFL Charlotte Preliminary Card Results:

• Heavyweight Bout: #3-Denis Goltsov (37-9) defeated Hasan Mezhiev (14-1) via KO (head kick and punches) at 0:52 in round one
• Featherweight Bout: Cheyden Leialoha (12-3) defeated Robbie Ring (9-2) by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Women’s Flyweight Bout: Cheyanne Bowers (8-3) defeated Elora Dana (8-3) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:26 in round one
• Lightweight Bout: Landry Ward (11-3) defeated Michael Boylan (6-1) via split decision (30-27 x2, 28-29)
• Light Heavyweight Bout: Bruno Cappelozza (16-7) defeated Valentin Moldavsky (15-5) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
• Catchweight Bout (160 lbs): Jonathan Martin (9-3) defeated Wilson Lopshire (7-1) via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-27)
• Heavyweight Bout: #6-Maxwell Djantou Nana (9-2) defeated Eduardo Neves (9-4) via TKO (body punch) at 2:01 of round three
• Welterweight Bout: Trey Waters (10-2) defeated Trukon Carson (6-2) via TKO (punches) at 4:37 in round one