After a full 2020 season hiatus due to COVID-19, the PFL makes its long-awaited return with its first event of the year.
PFL 2021, Week 1 will see the first matchups at featherweight and lightweight, including the promotional debut of former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag].
Pettis (24-10) will feature in the night’s main event against two-sport athlete [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8), while the organization’s lightweight and featherweight champions from 2019, [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], also are scheduled for action.
Brazilian grappling ace and two-time lightweight champ Schulte (20-3-1) will take on Polish mat specialist [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7) in the co-main event, while two-time featherweight champ Palmer (22-3) will line up against former Brave CF featherweight champ – and former collegiate wrestling rival – [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4) on the main card.
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The main card also will feature a featherweight bout between [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) and undefeated promotional newcomer and former Titan FC featherweight champion [autotag]Jason Soares[/autotag] (14-0).
PFL 1 takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The event will air on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+. Further regular season events will follow on April 29, May 6, and June 10, 17, and 25.
The full PFL 1 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)
- Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard
- Marcin Held vs. Natan Schulte
- Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares
- Bubba Jenkins vs. Lance Palmer
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
- Johnny Case vs. Loik Radzhabov
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Joilton Lutterbach
- Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
- Tyler Diamond vs. Jo Sungbin
- Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes