Sadibou Sy must have seen something that told him Shane Mitchell was susceptible to his spinning wheel kick, because he kept looking for that same strike until it finally landed flush.
After nearly hitting the kick in the opening round, Sy launched another in the third round, but this time he blasted Mitchell on the side of his head. As soon as the heel connected, Mitchell crumbled to the canvas, with the referee rushing in to stop the contest at the PFL 6 card in Atlanta.
The end came at 1:35 in the third round, moving Sy into the 2023 PFL playoffs with the victory.
“I had to re-calibrate a little bit but we finally got it,” Sy said about throwing that same kick multiple times. “I pride myself on being the best and getting better. I’m a workhorse. I’m obsessed with this game.”
Sy was in complete control throughout the fight, although he seemed comfortable just throwing single strikes rather than really putting together many combinations. Still, Mitchell had no real answer to Sy’s size, speed, and striking prowess, as he spent the majority of the fight playing defense.
Then in the third round, Sy measured his kick for better accuracy after his first attempt ended with his foot essentially slapping Mitchell in the face. This time around, Sy saw the opening and unleashed a perfectly timed spinning wheel kick that that landed directly on the ear, and there was no doubt that Mitchell was done.
Sy returns to the playoffs after capturing the 2022 PFL championship, which earned him the $1 million grand prize. His next fight will be a rematch as he takes on Carlos Leal, who Sy defeated previously on his way to the welterweight title this past year.
