PFL

PFL 5 matchups announced; Rory MacDonald – Gleison Tibau to headline

by

The PFL has announced their matchups for their fifth event of the 2021 season. This fifth event will feature the second matchups between the welterweights and the light heavyweights of the PFL.

In the main event of the evening, former Bellator champion and top UFC contender Rory MacDonald (22-6-1) will be taking on UFC veteran Gleison Tibau (35-15). The fifth PFL card of 2021 will take place on June 17th.

MacDonald will be making his second appearance with the Pro Fight League. He was the promotion’s biggest signing prior to the 2020 season, but last season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the PFL up and running in 2021, MacDonald made his debut at PFL 2 when he submitted Curtis Millender in the first round. MacDonald is being looked at as the favorite to become the Pro Fight League welterweight champion.

Standing in his way on June 17th is the tough Gleison Tibau. Tibau lost his opening matchup at PFL 2 by decision. That loss snapped a two-fight winning streak which included a victory over former Bellator champion Will Brooks.

At 37 years old, Tibau is now fighting in the welterweight division after spending the majority of his career at lightweight. He’s been in there with some of the best in the world and he’s looking to pull a massive upset at PFL 5.

Other matchups to watch at PFL 5

I’m incredibly excited to see the 2019 PFL champion Ray Cooper III (21-7-1) compete in a few weeks. Cooper had a dominant first round submission victory back in April to start his 2021 season.

Ray Cooper III made his PFL debut in the 2018 season. He started 4-0 which included two stoppage wins over former world champion Jake Shields. Cooper was then submitted in the finals. However, he bounced back to win the 2019 season and become welterweight champion.

He will be taking on Nikolay Aleksakhin (24-5, 1 NC) on June 17th. Aleksakhin had his first matchup of the season end in a No Contest after an accidental eye poke back in February. That was Aleksakhin’s second appearance in the PFL cage.

His first came back in 2019 when he scored a TKO win over Jesse Ronson. That No Contest snapped a seven-fight win streak. He should be a good test for the former PFL champion in a few weeks.

I’m also very excited to see the matchup between light heavyweights Vinny Magalhaes (19-12, 1 NC) and Antonio Carlos Jr (11-5, 1 NC). The two UFC vets are two of the best submission artists in the game. If you’re a fan of grappling this is definitely one to watch at PFL 5.

You can check out the full lineup for the Pro Fight League’s fifth event of 2021 below.

PFL 4 matchups announced: Anthony Pettis looks to bounce back against Alex Martinez

by

PFL has announced the card for their fourth event of 2021. The Pro Fight League posted on their official Twitter page today the matchups for the next round of the lightweight and featherweight seasons.

The fourth PFL event is going to take place on June 10th. In the main event, Claressa Shields will be making her MMA debut when she takes on Brittney Elkin (3-6). Shields is the best P4P boxer in the world and she’s a former Olympic Gold Medalist.

There will obviously be a lot of hype surrounding her PFL debut. In terms of the 2021 season, a lot of eyes are going to be on Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (24-11). Pettis will be taking on Alex Martinez (8-0, 1 NC) in the co-main event of the evening.

Showtime made his PFL debut just a few weeks ago. Pettis was a big signing for the Pro Fight League and they put him up against the popular Clay Collard (19-8, 1 NC) in his first matchup.

The former UFC lightweight champion was hurt multiple times throughout the first two rounds. However, Pettis was able to rally late and almost pulled off the victory. But, in the end, Collard got the win and spoiled the PFL debut for Pettis.

PFL 4

That night, Alex Martinez defeated Loik Radzhabov by split decision. This fight against Pettis at PFL 4 is the biggest fight in Martinez’s young career. This is also a huge fight for the former world champion.

If Pettis falls to Alex Martinez, it will raise a lot of questions about what’s left in the tank. The man who defeated Pettis back at PFL 1 is ready to get back to his winning ways. Clay Collard will be taking on Joilton Lutterbach (34-9).

Lutterbach lost his first fight by split decision and he’s looking to bounce back against Collard at PFL 4. To view the full list of matchups that were announced, see the PFL tweet below.

PFL’s Kayla Harrison has her eyes set on GOAT status in the final year of her contract

by
MMA, PFL

Make no mistake about it, the best female fighter in PFL is Kayla Harrison (9-0). The two-time Olympic Gold Medalist in Judo is an extremely special talent and she’s completely destroyed every opponent that’s been put in front of her.

In her nine professional wins, only two of them have gone the distance. Both of those fights were against arguably the second best PFL female fighter Larissa Pacheco (14-4). Pacheco and Harrison are likely going to meet again during this PFL season.

Harrison made a statement after her last performance and she said after the fight that she’s the baddest woman in any room. She wants the world to see her as the greatest of all time once she’s done competing.

Harrison’s contract with PFL is set to expire after this season. PFL is already having a dream scenario where Harrison ultimately fights Claressa Shields, but that probably will not play itself out.

Assuming Harrison runs through the other PFL lightweights this season and captures another title, she’s going to be the hottest free agent on the market. Harrison will have the UFC and Bellator knocking at her door to take her away.

PFL, Bellator, or the UFC?

The Olympian has been vocal that she does actually believe in the PFL format with seasons and rankings. However, she does recognize that there are big fights out there outside of PFL that could cement her legacy.

Of course, the biggest show in town is the UFC which is the home of the greatest of all time in Amanda Nunes (21-4). Nunes is the UFC’s two-division champion and she’s actually a teammate of Harrison’s at American Top Team.

Dana White recently commented about the PFL champion saying, “I don’t know if she’s ready. I just don’t know if her people think she’s ready. It’s a whole other level when you get here (the UFC).”

The PFL champion fired back on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show stating, “I think that if Dana is ready to pay me a lot of money, I’ll make him a lot of money. I’m ready to face the best in the world.”

Harrison is likely going to win her third PFL championship this year. After the year is over, The Pro Fight League, Bellator, and the UFC will all be calling. My guess is that she ultimately winds up in the UFC especially considering her ability to make 145 pounds. This will definitely be a story to follow at the end of the year.

PFL 3 Results: Controversy as Renan Ferreira appears to tap, but gets TKO win over Fabricio Werdum

by

Tonight at PFL 3, the heavyweights got their opportunity to kick off the 2021 season. In the main event of the evening, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (24-9-1) was making his PFL debut.

Standing in his way tonight was the massive Renan Ferreira (6-2). While a lot of attention was on the main event, there was one name that was missing from tonight’s card. That man is the defending PFL heavyweight champion Ali Isaev (9-0).

Earlier this week, PFL announced that Isaev’s fight would not happen tonight although a reason was not given. Isaev and his opponent Hatef Moeil both recieved -1 point for their fight not happening. That said, the heavyweights still put on a show in their season opener.

A fight I was incredibly intrigued by was the matchup between Mohammed Usman (7-2) and Brandon Sayles (6-1). Usman is the younger brother of current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Mohammed Usman looks like a top prospect and I was incredibly excited to watch him debut with PFL. However, Brandon Sayles looked incredibly prepared and was ready to give Usman a challenge in his debut with the promotion.

PFL 3 Heavyweight Results

Mohammed Usman was a huge betting favorite heading into PFL 3. However, it was evident from the opening bell that the odds were off. Brandon Sayles looked sensational tonight in a fight that turned out to be a lot of fun.

Sayles was incredibly light on his feet and just seemed to beat Usman to the punch all night. In the second round, Sayles dropped Usman a couple of times before getting his back. Once there, he choked Usman out to get the five-point finish. Incredible performance at PFL 3 from Brandon Sayles.

The main event between Ferreira and Werdum started out crazy as both men started with flying kicks. After the kicks, the two men ended up on the ground. The former UFC champion started out on top.

However, Ferreira was able to reverse the position and end up on top. Once Ferreira was on top, Werdum was able to lock in a triangle choke. It was incredibly deep, but Ferreira was dropping bombs on Werdum while defending.

It appeared that Ferreira tapped, but the referee never stopped it and Werdum appeared to loosen the choke. Ferreira landed bombs as he did and the fight was stopped. Ferreira gets the TKO win, but it looks like he should’ve lost by submission. Crazy finish to the third PFL event of 2021.

PFL 3 Results: Kayla Harrison and Larissa Pacheco dominate in 2021 season opener

by
MMA, PFL

Tonight at PFL 3, we saw the women’s lightweight division kick off their season. All eyes were on the two-time defending champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kayla Harrison (8-0).

Harrison took on Mariana Morais (16-10) in the co-main event of the evening. Another matchup I was really looking forward to was the matchup between the 2019 runner-up Larissa Pacheco (14-4) and Julija Pajic (2-1).

Pacheco has only lost to Kayla Harrison and former UFC champions in her career. She’s extremely dangerous and I think she’s the one lightweight in this tournament that can hang with Kayla Harrison.

She proved that tonight at PFL 3. It was clear that Pajic had no business being in there with Pacheco. Pacheco dropped Pajic just seconds into the fight with a beautiful left hook. From there, Pacheco was methodical in beating Pajic up on the ground.

Finally, just about a minute into the round, the referee called a stop to the action. A dominant six-point finish for Larissa Pacheco at PFL 3. As mentioned, many people think she can be a threat to Kayla Harrison and she showed why tonight.

Harrison continues PFL dominance

As mentioned, the co-main event of the evening featured the two-time PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison. In eight professional fights, nobody has been able to stop Kayla Harrison. Harrison is hoping to pick up her third PFL championship in 2021.

Standing in her way was Mariana Morais who has been in there with UFC caliber talent. While Harrison was the massive favorite at PFL 3, Morais was expected to provide a little bit of a challenge.

However, like all of the opponents before her, Morais had no answer for Harrison. Harrison immediately pressured Morais and was able to get a body lock. Once she got the body lock, she was able to take Morais down and she immediately got the mount.

After Harrison got the mount, it was over in seconds. The two-time PFL champion makes her 2021 season debut in incredibly impressive fashion with a first round TKO.

PFL 3 Preview: Fabricio Werdum makes his debut and Kayla Harrison returns

by

Tomorrow night, PFL will host their third event of their 2021 season. The event will feature the promotion’s heavyweights and the women at lightweight. There is a lot of good action happening at PFL 3.

Kayla Harrison (8-0) is returning for her third PFL season tomorrow night. The former Olympic Gold Medalist has won the previous two Professional Fight League seasons in 2018 and 2019.

Harrison is the massive favorite to retain her PFL crown this year. Her first opponent of the 2021 season is Mariana Morais (16-10). Morais does have a lot of experience and she’s competed with some big names in the past.

Some of the names Morais has been in there with includes Jennifer Maia, Roxanne Modafferi, and Ariane Lipski. Morais is going to be very undersized at PFL 3 as she normally competes at 135 pounds. However, all the attention is going to be on Harrison and I’m expecting a dominating performance.

Larissa Pacheco (13-4) is the other lightweight to watch tomorrow night. She’s taking on Julija Pajic (2-0). Pacheco competed in the 2019 season and only lost twice. Both of those losses came to Kayla Harrison.

Outside of those two PFL losses, her other two losses came in the UFC against former champions Jessica Andrade and Germaine de Randamie. If anyone is going to give Harrison a challenge this season, it will be Pacheco.

PFL Heavyweights

The main attention tomorrow night is going to be on the PFL heavyweights. Former UFC heavyweight champion and all time great Fabricio Werdum (24-9-1) headlines the card tomorrow night. He will be making his Professional Fight League debut.

Standing across from Werdum is Renan Ferreira (6-2). Ferreira is a massive man standing 6’8 and weighing around the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds. Werdum is the massive favorite, but the size of Ferreira should give the former UFC champion a challenge.

I’m also incredibly excited to see the debut of Mohammed Usman (7-1). Usman is the younger brother of UFC champion Kamaru Usman. Mohammed Usman comes in with a lot of hype and he’s taking on Brandon Sayles (5-1).

These four fights have all my attention tomorrow night and I’m incredibly excited to see how they play out. PFL has some heavy hitters in their 2021 season and I’m very excited about this third card.

PFL 2 Recap: MacDonald and Cooper shine in 2021 season opener

by

Last night, PFL held their second event of 2021. Last week, the promotion held their first event and it was a night filled with upsets. Two former champions lost and Anthony Pettis lost his highly anticipated PFL debut.

Last night, Rory MacDonald (22-6-1) was set to make his PFL debut. MacDonald signed an exclusive deal with the Pro Fight League just before 2020. He was a massive signing and he was expected to make his debut during the 2020 season.

Of course, the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID. With that, MacDonald has sat on the sidelines waiting to get back into the cage. Well, he got that chance last night.

Meeting him in his PFL debut was Curtis Millender (18-7). Like MacDonald, Millender is a veteran of both the UFC and Bellator. He was a recent signing for PFL after MacDonald’s original opponent fell through for last night’s second event.

When the fight got underway, it didn’t take long for MacDonald to get the fight to the ground. Given MacDonald’s overall skillset, his path to victory in this one was on the ground and he didn’t take long to get it there.

MacDonald was able to get Millender’s back, but he was struggling to lock in a rear-naked choke. The Red King started working heel kicks to the thighs and opened up his hooks to do so.

Millender saw this as an opportunity and he tried to get up. However, in doing so, he went right into MacDonald’s trap. MacDonald locked in the choke when Millender stopped fighting the hands and he got the submission win in his PFL debut.

PFL Champion Impresses

In the co-main event of the evening, previous PFL champion Ray Cooper III (21-7-1) returned to take on Jason Ponet (20-13-1). The fight didn’t last very long and Cooper was incredible impressive.

In the first round, the two men found themselves in a clinch along the fence. Ponet attempted a knee but it was caught by the former PFL champion. Cooper slammed Ponet to the ground and started working on the floor.

It didn’t take long before Cooper locked up an arm-triangle for the submission victory. Both MacDonald and Cooper were incredibly impressive at PFL 2 with their first round submission victories.

I, along with many fight fans, am very excited about the potential matchup between MacDonald and Cooper. Whenever it does happen during the 2021 season, it will definitely be one to watch.

PFL 2: What to watch for

by

Tonight, PFL will return for the second event of 2021. Last week, the promotion made it’s return after taking 2020 off due to the global pandemic. It was an extremely eventful first night back for the Pro Fight League. The night was filled with big upsets.

Former PFL champions Lance Palmer and Natan Schulte both lost by unanimous decision last week. The two former champions were sizable favorites in their first fights of the 2021 season. In the main event, PFL‘s biggest signing of 2020, Anthony Pettis (24-11), made his debut.

Pettis took on the incredibly popular Clay Collard (19-8). Collard spent last year in the professional boxing ring, but he returned to PFL for the 2021 season. The first two rounds of their fight was all Collard who nearly finished Pettis a couple of times.

In the third round, Pettis almost pulled off the comeback when he landed a beautiful head kick that he transitioned into a big knee. However, Collard survived and went on to win a decision. Probably wasn’t exactly what PFL executives were thinking for their first night back, but this is MMA where anything can happen.

PFL 2 – Fights to Watch

Tonight, PFL will host their second event of 2021. Of course, all of the attention is going to be on former UFC and Bellator welterweight, Rory MacDonald (21-6-1). MacDonald was a massive signing for PFL and was expected to compete in the 2020 season.

However, the pandemic shut things down so he is just now getting set for his promotional debut. He’s had an opponent switch and he is taking on Curtis Millender (18-6) in the main event. Like MacDonald, Millender is a veteran of both the UFC and Bellator.

This is expected to be a very good matchup for PFL’s second main event of 2021. I’ve also got my eyes on Ray Cooper III (20-7-1) tonight. Cooper was the 2019 welterweight PFL champion and he’s taking on Jason Ponet (20-12-1) in the co-main event.

I’m very excited about the possibility of Cooper and MacDonald meeting at some point during this PFL season. It will be very interesting to watch how they both look tonight in their first fight of the season. The event is filled with solid fights and it should be a good watch for MMA fans.

Claressa Shields PFL debut is set

by

The best female boxer in the world is set for her MMA debut in PFL. Claressa Shields (11-0 boxing) has a date for her debut in mixed martial arts. It was announced on Good Morning America that Shields will make her debut with PFL on June 10th.

At this time, the promotion hasn’t announced an opponent for the boxing superstar. At the end of November last year, PFL made waves when they announced that they had agreed to a deal with Claressa Shields. 

Shields is ranked number one pound for pound in women’s boxing. She’s also a two-time Gold Medalist in the Olympics. Simply put, she’s the absolute best that boxing has to offer.

Shields had expressed interest in potentially crossing over to MMA over the last couple of years. She even attended UFC events, but nothing serious materialized until late in the year last year when PFL offered her a deal.

The deal allows Shields to compete in MMA under PFL as well as continue her boxing career. Shields last boxed last month. She defeated the previously unbeaten Marie Eve Dicaire by unanimous decision to win two more super welter world titles in boxing.

What to expect from Shield’s PFL debut

After it was announced that PFL had signed Shields, she revealed that she would be training under Greg Jackson. Shields is just 26 years old and has plenty of time to develop her MMA skills and she wanted to do it with the best camp.

Friendships with Jon Jones and Holly Holm also played a role in Shields moving to Jackson’s. She was working exclusively at Jackson’s, but went back to her boxing coaches to prepare for the Dicaire fight.

Now, with her MMA debut set, Shields will be spending her time at Jackson’s to prepare. So what should we expect from her PFL debut? I honestly don’t know. However, I do believe that the Pro Fight League will give her a layup of an opponent.

Shields is the type of athlete who wants to be tested, but I expect the promotion to play it slowly here. This will be Shields first MMA match period and she’s doing it on a big stage.

Expect PFL to give her someone that has decent skills but nothing to write home about. It will definitely be interesting to see how the boxing superstar does in her MMA debut and I’m very intrigued by the entire situation.

David Michaud out of PFL headliner with Rory MacDonald; heart condition could force retirement

by

PFL is getting ready to kick things off this month. After having 2020 off due to the pandemic, the Pro Fight League has been gearing up for a major 2021 season. One of the division’s generating the most buzz has been the welterweight division.

The welterweight season is set to kick off on April 29th and PFL was putting forth a phenomenal main event to kick things off. One of the big storylines in 2020 was the PFL signing of former UFC and Bellator fighter, Rory MacDonald (21-6-1).

MacDonald didn’t get to compete last year, but many have been anxious to see him back. PFL was throwing a great fight at him right away by having him take on the 2019 runner-up in David Michaud (18-6).

However, we now know that the fight is not taking place. It’s not just that the fight isn’t taking place, but David Michaud might never compete in PFL and mixed martial arts ever again.

Today, Michaud took to Twitter to announce that he wouldn’t be competing at PFL‘s event on April 29th due to a heart condition. The heart condition is severe enough where Michaud may never compete again.

PFL’s Next Steps

David Michaud had a three-fight run in the UFC back in 2014/2015. However, it was his run in PFL that saw him really find himself in the sport of mixed martial arts.

When Michaud made his debut in the 2019 season, he was finished in the first 20 seconds. While it was certainly not the way he wanted to start his PFL journey, Michaud didn’t give up.

He went on to win three consecutive fights. That landed him with a shot at Ray Cooper III and one million dollars in the PFL finals. Ultimately, Michaud came up short and Cooper got the second round TKO win.

However, Michaud had been working extremely hard and wanted to show off his skills this season. PFL gave him the biggest fight possible, but due to this condition, we may never see him compete again.

Your heart has to feel for Michaud. At this time, there is no word from PFL on what they are planning on doing. They will likely add another welterweight to their season, but we could see a shifting in the opening matchups to keep MacDonald in the main event slot on April 29th.