September is a great time to be a sports fan every year. You’ve got so much to look forward to and so much content to consume. College football is now in full swing, with week two of the season taking place Friday and Saturday and the NFL season kicks off on Thursday with the Ravens and the Chiefs on NBC.
However, the first full weekend of the year’s ninth month is a big one for the sport of MMA. If you have any plans between Friday night and Saturday night, call your friends or family members to cancel them. If you’ve got an empty schedule for this weekend, consider your plans made.
The West Coast of the United States is the place to be for competitive violence this weekend after Labor Day. While ONE Championship holds ONE 168 and a Muay-Thai rematch in the ONE 168 main event of the evening, Sacramento is the spot for another event from Urijah Faber‘s A1 Combat, A1 Combat 24: Night of Champions.
It’s titled as such because absent of any 11th-hour postponements between now and fight night, the professional portion of the show features four title fights from Hard Rock Live in Wheatland, CA.
Championship Quadrupleheader Begins with Women’s Featherweight Clash
Live coverage begins Friday evening on the official A1 Combat YouTube channel at 7:30 pm ET/ 4:30 pm PT with the prelims, before transitioning over to UFC Fight Pass at 10 pm ET/ 7 pm PT for main card action. All told, the final version of the card is slated to feature 17 bouts.
Your four-pack of championship clashes begins at 145 lbs. Incumbent A1 Combat Women’s Featherweight Champion Carlene Chandler (1-2 MMA, 1-1 A1 Combat) meets challenger Joy Pendell (2-1 MMA, 2-1 A1 Combat) for the third time. As per California State Athletic Commission policy regarding championship fights on regionally-based shows, this one is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, all locally-based MMA shows in California have three-round lengths for fights. No exception was made for title bouts.
The Series So Far
Heading into the trilogy bout, the all-time series stands at 1-1. Pendell took the original bout in 2020 when both contestants were amateurs, while Chandler got revenge last November in a rematch. How will chapter three play out
Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Going into the women’s featherweight championship, Pendell stands as the taller fighter at 5-foot-11, with Chandler countering at 5-foot-9. No reach advantage information was accessible at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Joy Pendell installed as a -400 favorite on the money line, while Carlene Chandler counters as a +275 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Chandler Seeks Return to Win Column in Defense of Title
Champion Carlene Chandler enters A1 Combat 24 on Friday having posted a mark of 2-2 dating back to her lone amateur fight in 2020. Back in May of this year, she dropped a unanimous decision at the hands of Jaleen Robledo (2-1 MMA, 1-0 A1 Combat) in a nontitle affair at featherweight during A1 Combat 20 on UFC Fight Pass.
She’s still in the early stages of her MMA career and has the distinction of winning a title in her first professional bout in the sport. Not many MMA fighters can say that they won a championship the first time that they were in the cage as a pro.
With Chandler and Pendell already having fought twice since early 2020, these two women have some history with one another. Will Carlene Chandler gain the upper hand in the rivalry this Friday night?
Pendell Looks to Run Winning Streak to Three
In the other corner, Joy Pendell has gone 2-1 so far in her professional MMA career. Counting her grappling appearances, she has a record of 3-3.
As far as MMA is concerned, she’s currently on a two-fight winning streak. Most recently, she bested Khaya MacKillop (1-1 MMA) by way of second-round knockout on July 20 during A1 Combat 22 on YouTube.
That fight was to have taken place on July 27 in Idaho during MTF 42, but the contest was moved up one week to allow it to take place in A1 Combat. She’ll be facing a quick turnaround in the run-up to A1 Combat 24. By the time the cage door shuts on Friday, Pendell will only have had 48 days, one day shy of seven weeks, between bouts.
How much of a training camp has she been able to have and is the brief hiatus going to be detrimental? Tune in and find out.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With this being a trilogy bout, expect both women to bring every last ounce of energy to the cage.
Watch Chandler’s Ground Game
Carlene Chandler may be in the early days of her career, but if she displays the same ground game that she showed in her original fight versus Pendell, it’ll be a successful defense of the belt.
During the third and final round, Pendell and Chandler were in the clinch until the latter went to work on a standing rear-naked choke, dropping her down to the mat. Once they reached the canvas, Pendell had no choice but to tap out.
If Carlene Chandler can apply the torque again, the A1 Combat 24 main event will be a wrap.
Pendell Has Great Ground and Pound
In the other corner, Joy Pendell can punch her way to a win on Friday. Just watch the tape of the second round in her last fight against MacKillop.
Upon dropping her opponent in round two, Pendell began pouring it on with nasty elbow shots and just wouldn’t let up. Mike Beltran had no other option but to call off the fight.
All it’ll take for Joy Pendell to become the new champ is for her to land a single takedown of Charlene Chandler.
Final Thoughts
This is only the beginning of a four-pack of title fights. Don’t miss it.
Prediction: Joy Pendell by Second-Round TKO.
