FURY Professional Grappling 11 results: Pat Sabatini downs Herbert Burns with overtime golden score
Former two-time CFFC champ caps off special Air National Guard event at Virginia's Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
Fast-rising UFC featherweight Pat Sabatini moved to 4-0 under the FURY Professional Grappling banner with a crafty overtime win on Saturday over fellow Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Herbert Burns.
The matchup served as the headliner for FURY Professional Grappling 11, a special invitation-only event held in conjunction with the United States Air Force's Air National Guard at Virginia's Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
After a brief feeling-out process to open the match, it was Burns who pushed forward with a shot but then dropped to his back when Sabatini resisted the takedown. Once on top, Sabatini would enjoy the dominant position throughout the remainder of regulation, save for a brief period when Burns worked up to his knees but was forced to settle again on his back as he defended a guillotine attempt, as well as a late leg entanglement that saw each tease opportunities from a 50/50 position. However, with no submissions scored, extra time was needed.
In overtime, Sabatini changed his approach, immediately taking a seat and seemingly offering up his neck as bait, only to counter with a scrambling sweep and settling in top position to claim the victory with a golden score.
"Studying film, I knew I could get under his legs," Sabatini said after the victory. "I knew I'd get to the sweep. My coach over there, Cam (Scalio), I asked him right before overtime like, 'Should I pull?' He's like, 'It might be a good strategy,' because I couldn't past his guard. His guard's so good.
"Great opponent. Great jiu-jitsu black belt. Honored to share the mats with Herbert Burns."
Sabatini's win was his second for FURY Professional Grappling in 2024 alone and comes just three weeks after a first-round submission win in the UFC octagon, as well, and the 33-year-old featherweight said he's willing to step back into any form of competition as quickly as possible.
"I'm just going to stay ready," Sabatini said. "When you stay ready, you don't have to get ready."
Meanwhile, the afternoon's co-main event saw current UFC lightweight and six-time CFFC veteran Joe Solecki prove victorious with his own quick change of strategy, tapping out Canadian black belt Peter Fazekas in regulation.
After Fazekas pulled guard in the opening seconds, Solecki spent much of the early exchanges attacking the neck from top position, including an impressive guillotine choke that couldn't quite elicit a tap. A scrappy Fazekas would enjoy a bit of top position following a scramble as the round unfolded, but a beautiful Solecki sweep changed that with just under two minutes remaining. Once Solecki established position on top again, he dropped quickly back on his opponent's left leg and finished the match at the 4:34 mark with a lightning-fast straight ankle lock.
"I started pushing the pace heavy, and I felt him kind of defending very well and kind of coasting," Solecki explained. "I said 'He's probably going to wait to make an onslaught in overtime,' so I felt that kind of resistance, defensive gameplay toward the end, so I fell back on that ankle."
Following the win, Solecki – who has fought just once in the UFC thus far in 2024 – said he's hoping to get something booked as quickly as possible and urged the matchmakers to book him as soon as possible.
"Man, I'm ready to go," Solecki said. "We had a couple of short-notice opportunities. I hopped in camp. I'm in the middle of a fight camp right now, so Sean Shelby, give me a call. I'm ready to go."
Complete FURY Professional Grappling results include:
Pat Sabatini def. Herbert Burns via golden score (sweep) – Overtime, 0:20
Joe Solecki def. Peter Fazekas via submission (straight ankle lock) – Round 1, 4:34
Christian Bobe def. Dennis Buzukja via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:56
Alex Myers def. Leon Jackson via golden score (takedown) – Overtime, 2:00
Matt O'Donnell def. Guilherme Neves declared a draw
Tyler McBride def. Chris Martin via submission (D'Arce choke) – Round 1, 2:04
Matt Ferraiolo def. Will Loushin via submission (face crank) – Round 1, 4:21
Dennis Pressey Jr. def. Ethan Daily via golden score (takedown) – Overtime, 1:23
Vincent Morelli def. Chris Dramis via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 0:58
Cam Scalio vs. Derin Yusufi declared a draw