Jean stops late fill-in Rodriguez to win PFL welterweight title

Thad Jean needed to endure an extended wait and an sudden ultimate twist however persevered to change into PFL welterweight champion Saturday, ending Ernesto Rodriguez in a rugged predominant occasion of PFL Washington D.C. to seize the vacant title and stay undefeated.

It was a back-and-forth battle full of damaging punch combos and shut submission makes an attempt by each fighters, and there have been a number of stretches the place one or the opposite appeared in full management.

Jean largely had the sting within the first spherical along with his quick arms and Rodriguez the second along with his aggressive ahead motion.

Each got here out swinging in Spherical 3. After a Rodriguez takedown, Jean (12-0) shortly reversed place and, from on prime of an immobilized opponent, began dropping punches and elbows till referee Mario Yamasaki waved off the battle at 2 minutes, 44 seconds.

“I knew this present day would come. I knew it could come in the present day,” stated Jean, 28, who fought for the primary time since August. “However I did not understand how laborious it was going to be to get it.”

If that was sudden, it was as a result of Rodriguez (11-2), 28, was a late alternative in simply his second PFL battle. He gained his debut in March and was initially scheduled to battle on Saturday’s undercard towards Magomed Umalatov. After Umalatov withdrew, Rodriguez was rescheduled for a prelim bout towards Aaron McKenzie. And when Shamil Musaev dropped out of the principle occasion towards Jean on Thursday with what the PFL termed weight lower issues, Rodriguez was elevated to the title battle. He fell brief in a bid for a tenth straight win.

“Truthfully, man, what an opponent,” Jean stated. “He actually introduced it to me.”

The welterweight championship had been vacant since February, when Ramazan Kuramagomedov gained the belt with a victory over Musaev however retired instantly after the battle.

Musaev, the 2024 PFL season event champion, then was booked in a title bout towards 2025 champion Jean.

Jean in the end needed to take care of an opponent change to succeed in his objective — though he won’t be executed with Musaev.

“Shamil, if he will get wholesome once more, I would like to go towards him, to submit myself as champion,” Jean stated. “I’ve bought the {hardware}, so I’m the champion, however you bought that chip in your shoulder that you just’d prefer to do away with as a fighter.”