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Check out these photos from Magomed Umalatov vs. Nayib Lopez at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Magomed Umalatov[/autotag]’s victory over Nayib Lopez at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Check out these photos from Clay Collard vs. Stevie Ray at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag]’s victory over Stevie Ray at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Check out these photos from Carlos Leal vs. Dilano Taylor at 2023 PFL 6 in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag]’s victory over Dilano Taylor at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Clay Collard turned in an impressive performance against Stevie Ray in Atlanta, getting the stoppage he needed to clinch a playoff spot.
[autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] is heading to the 2023 PFL playoffs thanks to his crisp striking.
At 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Collard (23-10) escaped the grappling attempts of Stevie Ray (25-13) to secure his spot in the playoffs. Collard’s striking became too much for Ray to handle in the second round, leading to a stoppage at 1:04.
Ray needed a finish in the first round to clinch a spot in the playoffs, whereas Collard needed a finish in any round to lock in his. Ray came out on fire in the grappling game, and quickly took Collard’s back. Remaining calm, Collard worked free and confidently got to work in the striking department while trying his best to turn away the ground game of his opponent.
In the second round, Collard’s punching stunned Ray, and the swarm was on. Ray dropped to the ground and attempted to grab a leglock, but Collard was wise to it and kept raining down hard punches until the referee stopped the fight.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
CLAY COLLARD UNLOADS! He is heading back to the #PFLPlayoffs!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+
🌎https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/PMpfplIin1— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 24, 2023
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Collard won both of his 2023 regular season bouts. At 2023 PFL 3, he won a unanimous decision over Yamato Nishikawa to earn three points in the lightweight standings. Paired with his five-point stoppage of Ray, Collard clinched his spot in the 2023 playoffs.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
Carlos Leal put Dilano Taylor down and out with vicious strikes in the second round at 2023 PFL 6 to clinch a playoff spot.
[autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] punched his 2023 PFL playoff ticket in an impressive fashion.
Entering the cage at 2023 PFL 6 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Leal (19-4) needed a win in any fashion, or even a draw, to clinch his spot in the playoffs. At 1:13 of Round 2, Leal put last season’s finalist Dilano Taylor (10-5) out on his feet before dropping him to the canvas.
The first five minutes of the fight was competitive, but Leal had the advantage going into the second round after a late flurry. He kept the pressure high early in Round 2, and found home for a hard right hand that rocked Taylor. As he retreated backward, Taylor did his best to avoid taking further damage, but he was out of sorts. Leal landed a series of clean shots that knocked Taylor’s mouthpiece out. With the referee watching closely and ready to step in, one more clean punch put Taylor on the canvas, and the celebration was on for Leal.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
THE LION!! Carlos Leal puts Taylor on Ice Skates and gets the finish!
Carlos Leal is going back to the #PFLPlayoffs!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/8bmUEfQtzD— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 24, 2023
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The finish was the second of the season for Leal, who recorded a first-round finish of David Zawada at 2023 PFL 3 in April. He has clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL 6 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL 6 ceremonial weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2023 PFL Week 6 card, which features welterweights and lightweights.
| Aubin-Mercier vs. Romero |
Mitchell vs. Sy |
Burgos vs. Nishikawa |
Magomedkerimov vs. Zawada |
Lopez vs. Umalatov |
Collard vs. Ray |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 95-59 |
 Aubin-Mercier (86%) |
 Sy (88%) |
 Burgos (85%) |
 Magomedkerimov (88%) |
 Umalatov (90%) |
 Collard (65%) |
| Matt Erickson @MattE 98-56 |
Aubin-Mercier |
 Mitchell |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
 Ray |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 96-58 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 96-58 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Ray |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 94-60 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 92-62 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Ray |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 90-64  2014 Champion |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Ray |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway -89-65 2018, 2022 Champion |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 88-66 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 87-67 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 85-69 2017 Champion |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 81-73 |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Burgos |
Magomedkerimov |
Umalatov |
Collard |
The PFL’s regular season wraps up this week with the third of three straight events in Atlanta.
PFL 2023, Week 6 takes place Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Week 6 features welterweights and lightweights looking to punch their tickets to the postseason. The main card includes Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Anthony Romero, Shane Burgos vs. Yamato Nishikawa and Clay Collard vs. Stevie Ray at lightweight, plus Shane Mitchell vs. Sadibou Sy, Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. David Zawada and Nayib Lopez vs. Magomed Umalatov at welterweight.
Check out all the picks above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL 6 offical weigh-ins in Atlanta.
Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL 6 official weigh-ins ahead of the event taking place at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)
Check out the full weigh-in results for 2023 PFL 6, which saw 24 fighters record their offical weight for Saturday’s competition.
All 24 fighters competing at 2023 PFL 6 stepped on the scale, but a couple of preliminary fighters missed their mark.
At Thursday’s official weigh-ins, the entire main card successfully made weight, including 2022 lightweight season winner [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag], who weighed in at 155.6 pounds. His opponent, [autotag]Anthony Romero[/autotag], came in at 155.4. The other 2022 season winner competing in the co-main event, [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag], made the welterweight limit by stepping on the scale at 170.6. He faces [autotag]Shane Mitchell[/autotag], who weighed 170.8.
[autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] came in heavy, initially weighing 171.4 for his welterweight bout against [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag], who weighed 170.6. On his second attempt, Taylor stepped on the scale slightly lighter at 171.2. Due to the miss, Taylor forfeits 20 percent of his purse and will lose one point in the welterweight standings, but the fight against Leal will proceed.
Brahyan Zurcher also missed weight for his featherweight showcase bout against Mike Bardsley. Zurcher weighed 146.8 pounds and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Bardsley, who made weight at 144.4.
2023 PFL 6 takes place Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+
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Below you can find the full results from the weigh-ins:
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
* Taylor weighed in at 171.4 on the first attempt. Due to the miss, he will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Leal.
** Zurcher missed weight and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Bardsley.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 6.
Rob Wilkinson offered a lengthy explanation about his failed drug test, and vows to learn from his mistakes.
[autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] has addressed the drug test failure that led to his removal from the remainder of the 2023 PFL season.
Wilkinson (17-2 MMA, 4-0 PFL), the 2022 PFL light heavyweight season winner, was among double-digit fighters on the promotion’s roster who received sanctions from Nevada for failed drug tests.
“Razor” competed in the co-main event of the first event of the season, winning a unanimous decision against former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos at 2023 PFL 1. However, due to his failed drug test, that result has since been overturned to a no contest.
Wilkinson issued a lengthy statement on Instagram Wednesday, addressing the issues. He takes full responsibility for the drug test failure and promises to get better mentally and physically as he prepares to return for the 2024 season.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtxHavuOUHv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your support over my career and I want to provide you all with an explanation for my nonattendance in the 2023 PFL season.
After my last fight on April 1st, I failed an in-competition drug test, which has resulted in my suspension for the rest of the 2023 PFL season.
I have and will continue to reflect on all the reasons that led me down this path, but regardless of these reasons, I am extremely disappointed in myself. I want to emphasize that I wholeheartedly accept full responsibility for the choices I have made and the consequences that have come with it.
To my family, friends, team, fans, and the PFL, I’ve let you down and for that I am sorry. All I can do now is learn and grow from my mistakes, as I’ve always tried to do. I will take this time to improve my mentality and skill set and will be back better than ever. Through every set back, is an opportunity for a stronger come back.
To all of those who have reached out and shown unwavering support during this challenging time, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to you all. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.
I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting back to what I love. I promise you that I will be bringing the PFL 2024 LHW belt back to Australia.
Wilkinson’s 2022 championship run included four straight stoppage victories. He stopped Bruce Souto, Viktor Pesta, Delan Monte and Omari Akhmedov in succession to become the season winner.
