Pro Fighters League

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)

PFL 7 Preview: Welterweight and Lightweight playoffs begin tonight

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Tonight the PFL is back with their seventh event of 2021 and the playoffs begin tonight. It will be the welterweights and lightweights that will take center stage tonight as four men look to punch their ticket to the finals and one step closer to one million dollars.

In the main event of the evening, former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald (22-7-1) will be taking on former PFL champion Ray Cooper III (22-7-1). This is the welterweight matchup we were hoping to see out of this PFL season.

That said, nobody thought we’d see it in the semifinals. MacDonald was the victim of a horrific decision against Gleison Tibau back at PFL 5 which robbed him of a higher seed. Had MacDonald won that fight, he could’ve met Cooper III in the finals.

Instead, we see it in the semis. Cooper III has been dominant so far with two wins including a first round submission thus far in the 2021 PFL season. Whoever wins this matchup tonight could be the favorite heading into the finals.

The other semifinal matchup features former PFL champion Magomed Magomedkerimov (28-5) taking on Sadibou Sy (9-5-2, 1 NC). Magomedkerimov has never lost under the PFL banner and he’s the big favorite to get it done tonight against Sadibou Sy. Sy is just 3-3, 1 NC in seven career PFL bouts.

PFL Lightweight Playoffs

Opening up the featured card on ESPN is the two lightweight semifinal matchups. The popular Clay Collard (20-8) takes on Raush Manfio (13-3) in one of the matchups. Both of these men have shared the same two opponents thus far in the 2021 season.

Collard and Manfio have decision wins over Anthony Pettis and Joilton Lutterbach. Both of Manfio’s wins were by split decision while Collard was able to get a unanimous decision over Anthony Pettis.

This is a tremendous matchup and is likely to gain a lot of attention at PFL 7. The other lightweight semifinal actually features a rematch from the first PFL event of 2021.

Alex Martinez (8-1) will be taking on Loik Radzhabov (14-3-1). Martinez picked up the split decision back at PFL 1 and Radzhabov bounced back to defeat Akhmed Aliev by first round knockout at PFL 4.

Alex Martinez lost his first professional fight in his last appearance by dropping a split decision to Natan Schulte. That said, despite both men being 1-1, they’ve both secured a spot in the semifinals tonight.

Playoff Predictions

  • Rory MacDonald vs Ray Cooper III – Cooper III by Unanimous Decision
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs Sadibou Sy – Magomedkerimov by Unanimous Decision
  • Clay Collard vs Rausch Manfio – Collard by Unanimous Decision
  • Alex Martinez vs Loik Radzhabov – Martinez by Split Decision