Chicago, IL – April 11, 2026 – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) delivered an electrifying night of fights at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. The highly anticipated main event saw undefeated Mitch McKee (11-0) utilize a potent wrestling strategy to overcome the highly-ranked Sergio Pettis (25-8) via unanimous decision.
McKee, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, successfully stifled Pettis’ offensive game plan, consistently threatening with submission attempts and demonstrating significant striking power against the former Bellator champion. This pivotal victory is expected to propel McKee into the bantamweight division’s Top 10 rankings.
In the co-main event, a compelling clash of elite grapplers unfolded between two-time NCAA Division II Champion Raufeon Stots (21-4) and the undefeated No. 6-ranked Renat Khavalov (12-0). The bout was a hard-fought affair, with both competitors showcasing their grappling prowess and inflicting damage from dominant positions.
The pivotal moment occurred in the third round when Stots landed a forceful knee that momentarily stunned Khavalov. Despite this, the judges ultimately scored the fight in favor of Khavalov, who maintained his undefeated record.
A women’s bout featured a competitive showdown between UFC veterans, the No. 10-ranked Viviane Araujo (13-7) and Shanna Young (11-8). After a closely contested fifteen minutes, Araujo’s consistent offensive pressure earned her a unanimous decision victory (30-27) in her PFL debut.
The main card kicked off with a featherweight contest between the No. 4-ranked Gabriel Braga (17-3) and Cheyden Leialoha (11-3). Leialoha initially relied on his strong grappling to counter Braga’s striking. However, Braga weathered the early storm and asserted control through the second and third rounds, ultimately securing a unanimous decision win.
The middleweight bout between No. 5-ranked Jordan Newman (8-0) and No. 6-ranked Josh Silveira (15-5) was canceled due to Newman’s withdrawal.
PFL Chicago Main Card Results:
- Mitch McKee def. #1-Sergio Pettis via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- #6-Renat Khavalov def. #2-Raufeon Stots via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- #10-Viviane Araujo def. Shanna Young via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- #4-Gabriel Braga def. Cheyden Leialoha via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
PFL Chicago Preliminary Card Results:
- #7-Jena Bishop def. Borena Tsertsvadze via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:21 of round one
- #9-Omar El Dafrawy def. James Vake via KO at 1:12 of round one
- #6-Paulina Wisniewska def. #8-Kana Watanabe via TKO (strikes) at 3:15 of round two
- Alexandr Romanov def. #6-Rodrigo Nascimento via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:10 of round two
- Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Dash Harris via TKO (punches) at 0:44 of round one
- Valanti Atsas def. Nate Jennerman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
