BRITISH MMA star Brendan Loughnane fell victim to an upset knockout loss following a brutal flying knee.
Loughnane returned to The Professional Fighters League season this year defending his featherweight crown.
Jesus Pinedo knocked out Brendan Loughnane
But his campaign ended in heartache after he was stopped in the first round by underdog Jesus Pinedo.
Pinedo came out of the traps fast hunting down Loughanne around the PFL cage.
And after the pair clinched up, the Peruvian landed a sneaky knee which floored Loughanne.
Pinedo followed up with a barrage of ground and pound strikes until the referee waved off the contest, sealing the shock result.
The PFL consists of qualification and knockout stages where $1million is up for grabs.
Points are earned per method of victory in the two regular season bouts, with the top four in each division progressing to the semis.
Loughnane, 33, came into the second qualifier on five points having scored a second-round finish in his PFL 2023 opener.
But his loss meant he failed to qualify in the top four, meaning a new 145lb champ will be crowned.
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Pinedo now progresses into the semi-final and will be one win away from the finale fight, where the $1m cash prize and title belt lay await.
He said: “I told everybody, I told all the media that I was going to come here and I was going to get the win and I got the job done tonight.
“Yes, the game plan was to hunt him down and be aggressive and get the job done as early as possible.”
Jesus Pinedo celebrates his shock win Read More