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Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 official weigh-ins in Orlando, Fla.
Check out these photos from the 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 official weigh-ins and fighter faceoffs in Orlando, Fla. (Photos courtesy of PFL)
Eric Alequin may have high expectations for himself heading into his next fight, but there’s a reason.
[autotag]Eric Alequin[/autotag] may have high expectations for himself heading into his next fight, but there’s a reason.
As far as Alequin is concerned, the teammates around him at Kill Cliff FC in South Florida are some of the best in the world, and the depth of talent in the gym every day is making Alequin better all the time, he thinks.
“The pool is just insane,” Alequin recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “There are no easy rounds. I’ve got Dilano Taylor one round. I’ve got Jason Jackson one round. I’ve got Logan Storley two rounds. There are no easy rounds.”
Alequin (7-0) returns to action Friday at the PFL’s first Challenger Series event of 2023, which features welterweights. He takes on Thad Jean (4-0), and the winner will be hoping to impress the members of the PFL brass enough to get an invite into the regular season.
That happened for Alequin’s teammate Taylor in 2022. He fought in the Challenger Series, then reached the $1 million welterweight final, though he dropped a decision to Sadibou Sy.
The 32-year-old Alequin’s opponent, Jean, is eight years his junior and trains in South Florida, as well. He’s got about half the amount of experience, though, and fights someone in Alequin who won the CFFC welterweight title 10 months ago.
Alequin thinks the fight could have some fireworks.
“He’s young and he believes in himself and he’s tough … likes to come forward,” he said. “… I don’t think (it goes to the judges). We’re definitely coming in here to fight each other. We’re both coming forward.”
2023 PFL Challenger Series 1 takes place Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The card airs on fuboTV.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Challenger Series 1.
The PFL’s Challenger Series will return next month with eight events seeking new fighters for the 2023 regular season.
The PFL’s Challenger Series will return next month with eight events seeking new fighters for the 2023 regular season.
The Challenger Series debuted earlier this year with fights across all eight of the PFL’s divisions. At the end of each event, a PFL contract is awarded to one of the winners by a judging panel. This year, Dilano Taylor won a spot in the regular season and went on to reach the $1 million final.
The opening event of the 2023 Challenger Series will take place Jan. 27 and will feature welterweights. Subsequent events will air on Fridays through March 17 on Fubo Sports Network. A location and venue have not yet been announced; 2022 events took place in Orlando, Fla.
In the welterweight main event to kick off the 2023 Challenger Series schedule, [autotag]Lucas Barbosa[/autotag] (0-0), whose resume includes a grappling win over UFC standout Gilbert Burns, will take on [autotag]Itso Babulaidze[/autotag] (2-0).
“The 2023 PFL Challenger Series provides world-class talent a path to the PFL,” PFL president Ray Sefo said in a news release. “The Challenger Series continues the PFL’s commitment to finding the best talent in MMA around the world.”
Also on the card, unbeaten CFFC champion [autotag]Eric Alequin[/autotag] (7-0) takes on [autotag]Thad Jean[/autotag] (4-0), who has fought for LFA and CFFC. His career highlight is a win over Taylor, the aforementioned 2022 Challenger Series contract winner and eventual finalist.
Jungle Fights champ [autotag]Quemuel Ottoni[/autotag] (12-3), the only fighter with an MMA win over current UFC middleweight titleholder Alex Pereira, is set to take on [autotag]Jozef Wittner[/autotag] (16-2), who has won four straight. And [autotag]Mostafa Rashed Neda[/autotag] (7-3), a judo standout, meets [autotag]Nick Alley[/autotag] (7-5), who has five submissions in his seven wins.
The 2023 PFL Challenger Series welterweight lineup includes:
Martin Bravo has found a new home in his post-UFC career and is set to make his Combate Global debut on Friday.
[autotag]Martin Bravo[/autotag] has a home in his post-UFC career.
Bravo, who won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America,” has signed a multifight deal with Combate Global and is expected to make his debut in the main event of Friday’s event in Miami. Bravo (11-3) takes on [autotag]Andrew Whitney[/autotag] (16-9) in a featherweight contest. The card will stream on Paramount+ beginning at 11 p.m. ET.
Bravo has’t fought since September 2019 when his UFC run came to an end. The Mexican fighter showed plenty of promise as he won the “TUF: Latin America 3” lightweight season at 23, defeating Claudio Puelles by second-round TKO and extending his then-undefeated run to 11-0.
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However, since winning ‘TUF,’ Bravo went 0-3 in the octagon. Now 27, “Toro” looks to get back to his wining ways under the Combate Global banner.
Additionally on the card, a bantamweight bout pitting undefeated [autotag]David Solorzano[/autotag] (3-0) vs. Mexico’s [autotag]Ramon Vizcarra[/autotag] (3-2) will serve as the co-main event.
Below is the full fight card for Friday’s Combate Global event:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
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Check out the full lineup for Friday’s Combate Global: ‘Mexico vs. USA’ event in Miami.
Combate Global’s second event since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic is set.
The full card for Friday’s Combate Global: “Mexico vs. USA” event has been announced with a lightweight matchup between “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3” alumnus Pablo Sabori and Salvador Becerra headlining the card.
The event takes place at Univision’s studios in Miami and airs live on television in the U.S. on Univision and streams on TUDN USA at 12:30 pm ET.
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Sabori (10-6) trains out of Entram Gym in Tijuana, Mexico, along with UFC’s Brandon Moreno and Marcelo Rojo. The 29-year-old competed in the third and last installment of “TUF: Latin America” where he reached the quarterfinals. “El Gallo Negro” last fought in September at LUX 10 defeating Alejandro Marroquin via third-round KO. Sabori is 3-2 in his past five outings.
On the other side of the main event clash, Becerra (8-3) will compete in his first fight since December 2019. Becerra is 4-1 in his past five outings.
In the co-main event, Eduardo Alvarado Osuna (8-6) takes on Raymond Ramos (5-4) in a 140-pound catchweight.
Below is the full lineup for Friday’s Combate Global event:
