The lineup for the PFL’s second 2021 playoff event is set, and one of the sport’s biggest female stars will headline.
[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (10-0), the promotion’s 2019 women’s lightweight champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, will headline 2021 PFL Playoffs 2 in a semifinal fight against [autotag]Genah Fabian[/autotag] (4-1).
PFL officials announced the full lineup for the card Tuesday. The event features semifinals at women’s lightweight and heavyweight on the main card, plus additional fights on the prelims. 2021 PFL Playoffs 2 takes place Aug. 19, a Thursday, at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.
“PFL’s second playoff event will feature an incredible and action-packed card that only the PFL can deliver to the 550 million MMA fans worldwide,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated. “These athletes are putting it all on the line to secure a spot in the PFL championship. Nothing in sports compares to the intensity of a must-win scenario, and each of these fights are must-win.”
Harrison is the No. 2 seed behind top seed [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (15-4), who fights No. 4 [autotag]Taylor Guardado[/autotag] (2-1) at the event. Harrison and Pacheco each had 12 points in the regular season from two first-round finishes, but Pacheco got the top seed based on a lower overall cage time.
At heavyweight, top seed [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (12-5) takes on No. 4 [autotag]Jamelle Jones[/autotag] (12-6) in the co-main event, and No. 2 seed [autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] (27-6) meets No. 3 [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (18-4).
2021 PFL Playoffs 2 is the second of three events for the promotion in a 15-day stretch. The third playoff event takes place Aug. 27 with fights at featherweight and light heavyweight. The finalists will be set for the 2021 PFL title bouts, which will take place later this year. Each winner in six divisions becomes champion and earns $1 million.
The 2021 PFL Playoffs 2 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
- Kayla Harrison vs. Genah Fabian – women’s lightweight semifinal
- Bruno Cappelozza vs. Jamelle Jones – heavyweight semifinal
- Larissa Pacheco vs. Taylor Guardado – women’s lightweight semifinal
- Denis Goltsov vs. Ante Delija – heavyweight semifinal
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Stuart Austin vs. Renan Ferreira
- Marina Mokhnatkina vs. Kaitlin Young
- Muhammed DeReese vs. Carl Seumanutafa
- Zamzagul Fayzallanova vs. Mariana Morais
- Amanda Leve vs. Cynthia Vescan
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