PFL Playoffs

PFL Playoffs continue tomorrow night with the Light Heavyweights and Featherweights

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Tomorrow night on ESPN, the PFL playoffs continue. For their ninth event of the 2021 season, the light heavyweights and featherweights will take center stage as we see another round of the PFL playoffs.

Opening up the card tomorrow night at PFL 9 is going to be the light heavyweight playoffs. The first matchup of the evening features UFC vet Cezar Ferreira (14-9) taking on the Norwegian, Marthin Hamlet (7-2).

Both men enter this playoff contest coming off losses in their last matchups. Ferreira lost a decision to Chris Camozzi while Hamlet was submitted by Cory Hendricks. Despite the losses, both men still had a spot in the PFL playoffs.

It’ll be an interesting battle tomorrow night. I’m expecting Ferreira to strike from range while Hamlet will be pushing the action looking to get takedowns. He can be successful if he can get Ferriera tired, but he really needs to watch out for the Brazilian’s submission game.

In the other light heavyweight contest we will see 2019 PFL champion Emiliano Sordi (23-8-1) take on Antonio Carlos Junior (11-5). Both men enter this contest coming off draws in their last fight. Sordi fought to a draw with Dan Spohn while Carlos Junior fought to a draw with Vinny Magalhaes.

To start the PFL season, Carlos Junior submitted Tom Lawler which snapped a losing streak dating back to his time in the UFC. Sordi is looking to punch his ticket to the finals for the second consecutive season. The draw with Spohn snapped a six-fight win streak.

PFL Featherweights and Predictions

The two featured playoff matchups for the PFL tomorrow night come from the featherweight division. In the co-main event, we will see a matchup between Bubba Jenkins (16-4) and Chris Wade (19-6).

Since making the jump to the PFL from the UFC, Wade has gone 7-3 with the promotion. So far, he’s 2-0 this season and in his last fight he secured a knockout win over Arman Ospanov in the second round.

Prior to his time with PFL, Jenkins spent the majority of his career with Bellator. 2021 is Jenkins’ first season with the Professional Fighters League and thus far he’s 2-0 with wins over Bobby Moffett and former champion Lance Palmer.

In the main event of PFL 9, we will see English striker Brendan Loughnane (21-3) take on the Dagestani grappler Movlid Khaybulaev (17-0-1, 1 NC). As you can see, Khaybulaev has never lost in his professional career in 19 fights.

In his career, he’s used that classic Dagestani style of wrestling to suffocate his opponents. He will look to do that to Loughnane tomorrow night. Loughnane got one shot in the UFC early on his career and loss.

He then appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series where he won, but still wasn’t brought into the UFC. Instead, Loughnane ended up with PFL where he’s gone 4-0 so far with the promotion. Tomorrow night, he’s going to look to keep things standing and avoid the takedowns of Khaybulaev.

Predictions: 

  • Brendan Loughnane vs Movlid Khaybulaev (Khaybulaev by Unanimous Decision)
  • Bubba Jenkins vs Chris Wade (Jenkins by Unanimous Decision)
  • Emiliano Sordi vs Antonio Carlos Junior (Sordi by TKO – Round 2)
  • Cezar Ferreira vs Marthin Hamlet (Ferreira by Submission – Round 1)

PFL women’s lightweight and heavyweight finals set

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MMA, PFL

Tonight, the PFL was back with their second playoff card of the 2021 season. The women’s lightweight division and heavyweight division took center stage this evening. In the main event, Kayla Harrison (10-0) took on Genah Fabian (4-1).

Harrison was the massive betting favorite heading into the 2021 PFL season and she made it look easy through her first two fights. She completely dominated her first two fights. Genah Fabian was looking to play spoiler by pulling off the massive upset.

However, it was not meant to be. Harrison did her thing and in the first round, she was able to take Fabian down. Once the fight was on the ground, it was simply a matter of time.

Harrison immediately transitioned to the mount and started brutalizing Fabian. Fabian gave up her back and Harrison rained down shots until the referee stopped the fight. Another dominant performance from Kayla Harrison.

In the other PFL lightweight semifinal, we saw Mariana Morais (17-11) take on Taylor Guardado (2-1). Originally, Larissa Pacheco was supposed to fight Guardado, but Morais stepped in after Pacheco missed weight.

The fight was very competitive between these two. Guardado did a good job with her pressure and landed some really solid shots in the first couple of rounds. Morais was able to use her judo to secure top position in the first and the third round.

The last two rounds were very easy to score with Guardado taking the second and Morais taking the third. The first round was incredibly close. Guardado landed the better shots while Morais secured a takedown. Ultimately, two of the three judges gave the fight to Guardado and she will now take on Kayla Harrison in the PFL finals.

PFL Heavyweight Finale Set

In addition to the women’s lightweight playoffs, we also saw the heavyweights battle it out for a spot in the PFL finals. In the first heavyweight semifinal matchup we saw the 2 and 3 seed go head-to-head as Russia’s Denis Goltsov (27-6) took on Croatia’s Ante Delija (18-4).

Heading into this matchup, Goltsov was a significant favorite. Delija was just 1-1 leading into the playoffs, and nobody was giving him much of a chance. However, he came to play spoiler tonight at PFL 8.

In the first two rounds, Goltsov was really controlling the first half of the round. However, Delija ended up on top to finish both rounds. In the first round, he controlled Goltsov for a significant portion of the round.

The third round was all Delija as he got an early takedown and controlled Goltsov. In the end, all three judges gave the fight to Delija as he pulled the upset and clinched a spot in the PFL finals.

Delija then sat back and watched Bruno Cappelozza (12-5) take on Jamelle Jones (12-6) in the other semifinal matchup. Cappelozza was another big favorite as the top overall seed after scoring two first round finishes. Jones was going to look to be the spoiler in this one.

However, it was evident from the opening minute that he was going to have his hands full. Cappelozza controlled the striking at range and showed off a big speed advantage in his matchup with Jones.

In the second round, a stiff left straight from Cappelozza put Jones down and he followed up to end the fight. Bruno Cappelozza will not take on Ante Delija in the PFL finals.

PFL Playoffs Preview: Heavyweights and Women’s Lightweight take center stage

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Tonight, the PFL returns for the second playoff event of 2021. Last week, we saw the men’s lightweight and welterweight playoffs with two finale matchups booked. Tonight, it’s the women’s lightweight division and the heavyweight division that will take center stage.

Before previewing tonight’s PFL playoff action, there is one important note. The top seed in the women’s lightweight bracket has been pulled from the event. Larissa Pacheco (15-4) started her PFL season with two first round knockouts. She appeared to be on a collision course with Kayla Harrison (10-0).

However, Pacheco missed weight by two pounds and was pulled from the PFL playoffs. Mariana Morais (17-11) now steps in for Pacheco and will take on Taylor Guardado (2-1) in the first semifinal matchup. Of course, all eyes are going to be on the main event and the second lightweight semifinal matchup.

That matchup features the two-time PFL champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Kayla Harrison. Harrison has stormed through all of her competition in her ten professional fights. Standing across from her tonight is Genah Fabian (4-1). Fabian is 2-0 with one finish thus far in the 2021 season.

PFL Heavyweights and Predictions

The other PFL playoff matchups feature the promotion’s heavyweight. The featured semifinal matchup pairs together Bruno Cappelozza (12-5) and Jamelle Jones (12-6). Cappelozza earned the top seed with two first round knockouts this year.

Jones was able to get into the playoffs while only having competed once in the 2021 PFL season. In his one performance, he was able to score a first round stoppage over Klidson Abreu back in June.

In the other PFL semifinal we have a matchup between two European heavyweights. Russia’s Denis Goltsov (27-6) takes on Croatia’s Ante Delija (18-4). Delija went 1-1 this season with a loss to Cappelozza while Goltsov went a perfect 2-0.

We should be in for a tremendous night of fights in the PFL playoffs.

Official Predictions: 

  • Kayla Harrison – Genah Fabian – Harrison by TKO (Round 1)
  • Bruno Cappelozza – Jamelle Jones – Cappelozza by TKO (Round 2)
  • Taylor Guardado – Mariana Morais – Morais by Decision
  • Denis Goltsov – Ante Delija – Goltsov by TKO (Round 1)