PFL San Diego: McKee vs. Isbulaev Recap: Full Results and Analysis
AJ McKee returned to the win column at Pechanga Arena on Friday night, working through three rounds to take a unanimous decision over unbeaten Salamat Isbulaev in the PFL featherweight main event in San Diego. All three judges scored it 30-27. McKee improves to 25-2 and positions himself at the front of the line in PFL's Summer Series featherweight contender pool. Isbulaev drops to 10-1 in his first professional loss.
McKee had identified Isbulaev's inexperience in championship-length fights as the opening before fight week. The Kazakh had never been past the second round professionally, and McKee built a pace-oriented game plan around that. Three rounds later, it was 30-27 across the board.
Full Results
| Fight | Winner | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. McKee vs. Salamat Isbulaev | McKee | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Liz Carmouche vs. Viviane Araújo | Carmouche | Submission (Guillotine Choke) | 2 | 2:07 |
| Alexandr Shabliy vs. Alfie Davis | Shabliy | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 5:00 |
| Abraham Bably vs. Rob Wilkinson | Wilkinson | TKO (Punches) | 2 | 3:23 |
| Khasan Magomedsharipov vs. Joshua Weems | Magomedsharipov | Submission (Arm Triangle) | 1 | 2:10 |
| Ariane Lipski da Silva vs. Jena Bishop | — | Result pending | — | — |
| Justin Wetzell vs. Sarvarjon Khamidov | Khamidov | Submission | 2 | 4:11 |
| Shannon Clark vs. Ilara Joanne | Clark | TKO (Knees and Punches) | 3 | 1:43 |
| Cobey Fehr vs. Daniel Bzdigian | Fehr | Submission (D'Arce Choke) | 1 | 2:00 |
Main Event: McKee Tests Isbulaev's Endurance
McKee entered the fight saying Isbulaev was "a little sus on the feet" and planned to exploit his unproven gas tank. The blueprint worked. McKee maintained activity through the later rounds when Isbulaev had no experience to draw on, and the judges were unanimous across all three cards.
The win matters beyond the record. McKee at 25-2, with former Bellator and PFL world title credentials, remains one of the most technically complete featherweights in the sport. His position in PFL's Summer Series now makes him the clear front-runner for the next featherweight title conversation.
Isbulaev will regroup. The 10-0 unbeaten run that brought him to this main event is real. The three rounds in San Diego show where his development needs to go next.
Co-Main Event: Carmouche Extends Streak
Liz Carmouche submitted Viviane Araújo with a guillotine choke in round two, extending her PFL winning streak to four. When Araújo shot for a double-leg takedown, Carmouche jumped guard and locked the choke tight. Araújo tapped at 2:07 of round two.
Carmouche is now 6-1 in PFL. In her post-fight interview, she called for PFL to establish a Women's Bantamweight division rather than name a specific opponent. Her argument was that creating more weight class options would bring more women into the organization. She is the top contender at flyweight by record, and her four-fight finish streak backs it up.
Bonus Awards
No performance bonuses were announced for the PFL San Diego card.
Notable Prelim Performances
Rob Wilkinson's second-round TKO of Abraham Bably was the most decisive finish on the main card outside the co-main. Wilkinson kept the pressure on and landed punches to close it at 3:23 of round two, continuing his run as one of PFL's more aggressive light heavyweights.
Khasan Magomedsharipov submitted Joshua Weems with an arm triangle in 2:10 of the opening round. The finish was clean and early in the featherweight prelims, adding to his credentials in a division where McKee now holds the top contender spot.
Shannon Clark stopped Ilara Joanne with knees and punches at 1:43 of round three in the women's flyweight prelims. Clark composed herself through two full rounds before finding the finish.
Sarvarjon Khamidov submitted Justin Wetzell in round two of their bantamweight bout but came in at 137.6 pounds for the 135-pound limit. He was fined for the weight miss. The submission result stands, but overweight entries in a season-format promotion carry tracking costs that compound.