Carlos Leal has completely surpassed Ray Cooper III

Carlos Leal benefits from an unusually calm Ray Cooper III and scores a unanimous decision win at PFL 3

Carlos Leal continues his momentum and scores perhaps the biggest win of his MMA career to date by defeating two-time PFL Welterweight Champion Ray Cooper III in the co-main event of PFL 3.

Leal, who now has 11 consecutive wins, wasn’t in trouble for a second as he took advantage of a seemingly tired and injured Cooper, who lost more than five pounds in weight for the fight.

PFL 3: Carlos Leal scores a one-sided win over defending PFL Welterweight Champion Ray Cooper III

Leal – who won the Welterweight Grand Prix at LFA 112 and earned a PFL contract via the PFL Challenger Series – was the busier fighter in the opening round, with Cooper hardly throwing much.

This continued into the second frame, a lap where Leal heavily underpinned Cooper III’s attempts to struggle for success. Leal inflicted noticeable damage to Cooper’s head and body on the ground – and almost ended the fight with a chokehold.

Leal continued to smack Cooper’s feet in the third lap, but Cooper managed not to be stopped. With about a minute left in the fight, Cooper threw some desperate power shots that briefly stunned Leal, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

The judges scored the contest in Leal’s favor 30-26, 30-27, and 29-27.

PFL 2022 3: Kayla Harrison vs. Marina Mokhnatkina takes place live from Esports Stadium in Arlington, TX on Friday, May 6, 2022. Follow FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.