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Check out the best photos from Bubba Jenkins’ unanimous decision win over Chris Wade at 2023 PFL 1 in Las Vegas.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag]’ unanimous decision win over [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] at PFL 2023, Week 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of PFL)
Check out the ceremonial faceoffs from the first PFL event of 2023.
LAS VEGAS – The 2023 PFL season kicks off Saturday and the promotion held its first ceremonial faceoffs Friday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels.
2023 PFL 1 features the first of two regular season fights for its featherweight and light heavyweight fighters with a main card on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN+.
In the main event, 2022 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) returns against former UFC bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1).
Also on the card, 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion [autotag]Robert Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2) takes on former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11).
Check out the ceremonial faceoffs above and the full fight card below.
MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL 2023, Week 1 main card in Las Vegas, which features featherweights and light heavyweights.
| Loughnane vs. Moraes |
Santos vs. Wilkinson |
Fleury vs. Jotko |
Khayvulaev vs. Kudo |
Jenkins vs. Wade |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 35-24 |
 Loughnane (88%) |
 Wilkinson (56%) |
 Jotko (88%) |
 Khaybulaev (88%) |
 Wade (61%) |
| Matt Erickson @MattE 37-22 |
Loughnane |
 Santos |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 37-22 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 37-22 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 35-24 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 34-25 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
 Jenkins |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 34-25 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 33-26  2018, 2022 Champion |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Jenkins |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 33-26 |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Jenkins |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 32-27 2014 Champion |
Loughnane |
Santos |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 32-27 |
Loughnane |
Santos |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Wade |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 31-28 2017 Champion |
Loughnane |
Wilkinson |
Jotko |
Khaybulaev |
Jenkins |
The PFL is back for its 2023 regular season, and featherweights and light heavyweights are up first.
PFL 2023, Week 1 takes place Saturday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. 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.)
In the main event, 2022 featherweight season winner [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) takes on [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1), a former WSOF bantamweight champion and ex-UFC interim title challenger who has fallen on rough times with five straight losses, including in his PFL debut this past November. Loughnane is the biggest favorite on the card at -750 at BetMGM; the comeback on Moraes is +500. Not surprisingly, our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Loughnane as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.
The co-main event also features a former UFC title challenger in [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11), who takes on 2022 light heavyweight season winner [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2), who has six straight wins by stoppage. Wilkinson is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and he has a big 8-3 lead in the picks from our staff members.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (24-6) will fight outside the UFC for the first time in nearly 10 years when he steps in on short notice to take on [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (11-3) at light heavyweight. Jotko, who is moving up after years at middleweight, is a -250 favorite and the second of our unanimous picks at 11-0.
Our third unanimous pick is [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (19-0-1), who is a 7-1 favorite in his featherweight season opener against [autotag]Ryoji Kudo[/autotag] (11-4-1). Khaybulaev won the 2021 featherweight season, but was out of action all of 2022.
And to open the main card, the man Loughnane beat this past November to win the $1 million featherweight season, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-6), returns to take on 2021 finalist [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (22-8). Wade is a slight favorite at -175, and he has the narrowest possible edge in the picks at 6-5.
In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Loughnane (82 percent), Wilkinson (56 percent), Jotko (88 percent), Khaybulaev (88 percent) and Wade (61 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 1.
Bubba Jenkins is ready to make another run at the PFL featherweight championship in 2023.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] still has a sour taste in his mouth over how his 2022 PFL season ended.
Last year, Jenkins (19-6 MMA, 5-2 PFL) had an impressive run, racking up three wins to reach the featherweight championship bout. The only man standing in his way of the title and the $1 million prize was Brendan Loughnane.
It was a competitive bout early, but Loughnane (26-4 MMA, 8-1 PFL) invested in leg kicks from the start, which paid huge dividends by hindering Jenkins’ movement. In the fourth round, the fight was over after a flurry of strikes, and Jenkins’ hopes of becoming PFL champion were crushed.
“I was winning a race and tripped at the finish line, so to speak,” Jenkins told reporters at Tuesday’s PFL media day at Xtreme Couture. “I feel like he did his best job to best me, in that round. I’m just excited for the season to start again to get that opportunity again. Six months of hard focus, I believe we can not only be back in the same seat, but be holding the belt at the end of the year. That’s the goal.
“… He put on a hell of a performance, it was definitely worth a million dollars for him, because I’m no easy feat to beat. I was in the right place, right time, I felt great, conditioning – everything was beautiful. We just didn’t come away with the victory as we wanted.”
In his first fight of the new season at 2023 PFL 1 on April 1, Jenkins will share the cage with a familiar face in Chris Wade. The pair fought in August 2021, when Jenkins was riding hot on a five-fight win streak. Wade (22-8 MMA, 10-5 PFL) halted the momentum, and it’s a fight Jenkins can’t wait to get back.
“It’s a fight that’s gotta happen, we gotta run it back, you know?” Jenkins said. “I don’t believe I was the same Bubba Jesse “Bad Man” Jenkins. Any names that those were, I was not that guy the first time me and Wade fought. A little part of me believes he believes that I was. … That’s just not the case. I’m hoping to show him a new and better and improved Bubba Jenkins.”
Despite getting rematch he wanted, Jenkins feels he has been given no favors throughout his PFL career when it comes to his first fights of the regular season.
“I kind of see it as, ‘Damn PFL, y’all don’t give your boy a break at all,'” Jenkins said. “‘Hey, welcome to the PFL. Why don’t you take on our two-time champion in Lance Palmer? Hey, welcome to the PFL. Why don’t you take on ex-(UFC) veteran Kyle Bochniak on an eight-day notice randomly as you’re getting ready to take on the tall Korean guy?’
“… The thing about Chris Wade is, I just have to get back to that place of staying composed. He has a haircut and a smile that makes me angry, so I’m not too fond of the fact that I know I’ll have to temper my emotions.”
Two of the PFL’s 2022 season winners will take their first steps toward hope of a repeat in April.
Two of the PFL’s 2022 season winners will take their first steps toward hope of a repeat in April.
The promotion’s first event of the 2023 regular season is set for April 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels (the former Hard Rock Hotel Casino) in Las Vegas. Featherweights and light heavyweights will be on the card for their first matchups of the two-fight regular season. The event will have a main card on ESPN and ESPN Deportes following prelims on ESPN+.
[autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4), the 2022 featherweight winner, will be at the top of the bill in a matchup against [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1), the PFL announced Thursday. In the co-feature, 2022 light heavyweight winner [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2) will take on [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11).
Other matchups on the main card include 2021 season winner [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (19-0-1) vs. [autotag]Ryoji Kudo[/autotag] (11-4-1) at featherweight; 2022 runner-up [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-6) vs. former finalist [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (22-8) at featherweight; and [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (24-8-1) vs. [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (11-3) at light heavyweight.
“The 2023 PFL regular season is shaping up for our best season yet, and I’m excited to watch our featherweight and light heavyweight divisions compete on April 1,” PFL president Ray Sefo said in a news release. “From returning PFL world champions to league debuts from MMA stars, fight fans across the world are in for a treat starting with PFL 1 in Las Vegas.”
The PFL’s second and third events of the 2023 regular season take place April 7 and April 14 from Las Vegas, as well.
Loughnane knocked out Jenkins in the fourth round this past November to win the 2022 featherweight season. He beat Kudo and Ago Huskic in the regular season, then beat Wade in the postseason semifinals. He has won 11 of 12 overall, including his $1 million finish of Jenkins.
Moraes will be looking to turn his career around. The former UFC bantamweight lost a vacant title shot against Henry Cejudo in June 2019, but rebounded with a win over former UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo later that year. After that, though, it’s been a struggle. He was knocked out in four straight fights by Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font, Merab Dvalishvili and Song Yadong and found himself outside the UFC by mid-2022. In his PFL debut this past November in a move to featherweight, he was stopped in the third round by a Sheymon Moraes TKO in a showcase fight.
Wilkinson hasn’t lost in five years – and it happened to be the UFC debut of future middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who knocked him out in the second round in Wilkinson’s native Australia. Since then, Wilkinson has won six straight, including his first four in the PFL in 2022 on his way to a TKO over Akhmedov to win the light heavyweight title this past November. All four of his PFL wins came by knockout or TKO.
Santos, a former UFC title challenger, has dropped five of his past six starting with his 205-pound title shot against Jon Jones in July 2019, which he lost by split decision. After that, he lost to eventual champion Glover Teixeira, then Aleksandar Rakic. He rebounded with a win over Johnny Walker in October 2021 before a loss to Magomed Ankalaev in March 2022 and a fourth-round TKO setback to new champ Jamahal Hill in August 2022. His fight with Wilkinson will be his PFL debut after nearly 10 years and 24 fights with the UFC.
The 2023 PFL 1 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
Check out the results from the 2022 PFL Championships, where six $1 million champs will be crowned in New York.
The final event of the 2022 PFL season takes place on Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York, and MMA Junkie will keep you updated with live results throughout the event.
The 2022 PFL Championships event features 12 fights, including all six divisional finals for a $1 million grand prize.
In the main event, undefeated two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (15-0) goes for a title three-peat at women’s lightweight when she clashes with [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (18-4), whom Harrison has already defeated twice before.
The co-headliner will see [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (24-4) and [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-5) clash for the featherweight championship, while elsewhere on the card [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-3) makes her promotional debut vs. former Bellator titleholder [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (16-4) at women’s featherweight, plus much more.
Full results of 2022 PFL Championship include:
At long last, Brendan Loughnane is a PFL $1 million champion after a fourth-round knockout of Bubba Jenkins in New York.
At long last, [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] is a PFL champion.
Loughnane (26-4) took out [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-6) with a fourth-round TKO to win the PFL’s 2022 featherweight season and $1 million. Loughnane stopped Jenkins at the 2:38 mark of the round.
Loughnane used leg kicks throughout the fight to soften Jenkins up. His kicks to Jenkins’ increasingly compromised leg typically would be followed up by a quick punch combination. Loughnane especially dominated Jenkins in the second.
But in the fourth, Loughnane landed a straight right hand. Jenkins stumbled backward, and Loughnane kept the pressure on. With Jenkins against the fence, Loughnane landed punches and eventually a final knee.
Loughnane upset Chris Wade in the semifinals after a pair of regular season decisions to reach the final against Jenkins.
BRENDAN LOUGHNANE HAS DONE IT! HE IS THE 2022 PFL FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION!!!!!! #ANDNOW
[#PFLWorldChampionship | BUY NOW https://t.co/9tors6rrKk | LIVE ON ESPN+ PPV] pic.twitter.com/vyEH5jPlus
— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 26, 2022
The 2022 PFL finals took place Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2022 PFL Championships.
[vertical-gallery id=2599726]
Check out the best photos from Brendan Loughnane’s fourth-round TKO win over Bubba Jenkins to win the 2022 PFL featherweight title.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag]’s fourth-round TKO win over [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] at the 2022 PFL Championships at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos courtesy of the PFL)
Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2022 PFL Championships, which feature six $1 million playoff finals.
| Harrison vs. Pacheco |
Jenkins vs. Loughnane |
Delija vs. Scheffel |
Budd vs. Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier vs. Ray |
Sy vs. Taylor |
Akhmedov vs. Wilkinson |
|
| MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 186-109 |
 Harrison (81%) |
 Jenkins (51%) |
 Delija (77%) |
 Budd (57%) |
 Aubin-Mercier (81%) |
 Sy (56%) |
 Wilkinson (56%) |
| Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 196-104 2018 Champion |
Harrison |
 Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
 Akhmedov |
| Matthew Wells @MrMWells 187-113 |
Harrison |
Jenkins |
Delija |
 Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier |
 Taylor |
Wilkinson |
| Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 186-114 |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Taylor |
Akhmedov |
| Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 183-117 |
Harrison |
Jenkins |
Delija |
Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Taylor |
Wilkinson |
| Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 183-117 2014 Champion |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Akhmedov |
| Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 181-119 |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Taylor |
Wilkinson |
| Simon Samano @SJSamano 178-122 |
 Pacheco |
Jenkins |
Delija |
Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Wilkinson |
| Nolan King @mma_kings 173-127 |
Harrison |
Jenkins |
Delija |
Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Taylor |
Wilkinson |
| Brian Garcia @thegoze 172-128 2017 Champion |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Ladd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Wilkinson |
| George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 163-137 |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Wilkinson |
| Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 146-154 |
Harrison |
Loughnane |
Delija |
Budd |
Aubin-Mercier |
Sy |
Akhmedov |
The PFL closes out its 2022 season with six $1 million playoff finals this week.
The 2022 PFL finals take place Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, two-time women’s lightweight season winner [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (15-0) goes after her third crown when she meets [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (18-4) for the third time. Harrison is 2-0 against the Brazilian. Harrison is a massive 8-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Pacheco is +470. But not all of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Harrison. One of our pickers has Pacheco in a big upset.
In the co-feature, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-5) takes on [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (25-4) in the featherweight final. Loughnane is a -180 favorite and has a 7-4 lead in our picks.
Also on the main card, [autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (22-5) is a heavy -350 favorite in the heavyweight season final against [autotag]Matheus Scheffel[/autotag] (17-8). Delija, the 2021 runner-up, is one of our two unanimous picks at 11-0.
In a non-playoff showcase fight, former Bellator women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] (16-4) takes on [autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-3), who recently was released by the UFC and signed with the PFL. Ladd is a -230 favorite at the betting window, but it’s Budd who has a narrow 6-5 edge from our pickers.
In the lightweight season final, [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (16-5) is a big -420 favorite against [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] (25-10) and is our second unanimous pick.
[autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] (12-6-2) takes on [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (10-2) in the welterweight final. Sy nearly is a 2-1 favorite, but he has just a slim 6-5 picks lead.
And to open the main card, [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (24-7-1) meets 2-1 favorite [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (16-2) in the light heavyweight final. Australia’s Wilkinson has a 7-4 lead from our staff pickers.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harrison (81 percent), Jenkins (51 percent), Delija (77 percent), Budd (57 percent), Aubin-Mercier (81 percent), Sy (56 percent) and Wilkinson (74 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2022 PFL Championships.
[vertical-gallery id=2599490]
Check out these photos from the 2022 PFL Championships news conference faceoffs in New York, including Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco.
Check out these photos from the 2022 PFL Championships news conference in New York, including [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag], [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag], [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag]. (Photos courtesy of PFL MMA)
