2022 PFL Playoffs 2 predictions: Will Rory MacDonald roll into the $1 million welterweight final?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2022 PFL Playoffs 2 semifinals in the welterweight and heavyweight divisions.

MacDonald
vs.
Taylor
Delija
vs.
Ferreira
Adams
vs.
Scheffel
Sy
vs.
Leal
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
131-79
macdonald2022
MacDonald
(76%)
ferreira2022
Ferreira
(52%)
adams2022
Adams
(51%)
leal2022
Leal
(67%)
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
143-72
trophy copy 2018 Champion
macdonald2022
MacDonald
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
139-76
macdonald2022
MacDonald
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
137-78
trophy copy 2014 Champion
macdonald2022
MacDonald
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
135-80
macdonald2022
MacDonald
ferreira2022
Ferreira
adams2022
Adams
sy2022
Sy
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
132-83
macdonald2022
MacDonald
ferreira2022
Ferreira
adams2022
Adams
sy2022
Sy
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
131-84
macdonald2022
MacDonald
ferreira2022
Ferreira
adams2022
Adams
leal2022
Leal
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
130-85
macdonald2022
MacDonald
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
Nolan King
@mma_kings
127-88
taylor2022
Taylor
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
126-89
trophy copy 2017 Champion
macdonald2022
MacDonald
delija2022
Delija
scheffel2022
Scheffel
leal2022
Leal
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
117-98
macdonald2022
MacDonald
ferreira2022
Ferreira
adams2022
Adams
leal2022
Leal
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
104-111
macdonald2022
MacDonald
ferreira2022
Ferreira
adams2022
Adams
leal2022
Leal

The PFL is back for the second of three sets of playoff semifinals. This week, welterweights and heavyweights are on the docket.

The 2022 PFL Playoffs 2 event takes place Saturday at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+ and ahead of post-lim qualifiers on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, No. 1 welterweight seed and former Bellator champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] (23-9-1) meets late replacement [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (9-2). Taylor stepped in for Magomed Umalatov on Thursday after Umalatov had visa issues. MacDonald is -205 at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Taylor is +155. All but one of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are siding with MacDonald to move on to the final.

At heavyweight, No. 2 [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (21-5) takes on No. 3 [autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (9-3). It’s a pick’em fight at the betting window, and it’s close with our staff members, as well. Delija has the slimmest possible 6-5 lead in the picks.

In the other heavyweight semifinal, [autotag]Juan Adams[/autotag] (10-4) stepped in Thursday as a late replacement for No. 1 seed Denis Goltsov. He’ll take on [autotag]Matheus Scheffel[/autotag] (16-8), who himself was an alternate. Adams is a big -250 favorite, despite his late notice, but it’s Scheffel with a 6-5 narrow edge from our staff members.

And in the second welterweight semifinal on the main card, No. 2 seed [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] (11-6-2) takes on [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (17-3). Sy is a slim favorite at -120, but Leal has a major lead in the picks at 9-2.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, MacDonald (76 percent), Ferreira (52 percent), Adams (51 percent) and Leal (67 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2022 PFL Playoffs 2.