Rory MacDonald vs. Gleison Tibau headlines 2021 PFL 5 on June 17

Rory MacDonald will serve as the headliner for his second straight PFL event.

[autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] will serve as the headliner for his second straight PFL event.

On Wednesday, PFL officials announced the lineup for the second round of 2021 regular-season bouts for welterweights and light heavyweights, which take place at 2021 PFL 5 on June 17.  In the main event, MacDonald (22-6-1) faces fellow ex-UFC fighter [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (35-15) at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

MacDonald made good in his promotional debut, when he submitted Curtis Millender in the first round at 2021 PFL 2. The win placed the former Bellator welterweight champion and UFC title challenger at the top of the season standings, alongside reigning PFL champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], who also notched six points when he choked out Jason Ponet in the co-main event.

Cooper (21-7-1) will serve as the co-main event once again when he takes on [autotag]Nikolay Aleksakhin[/autotag] (26-5-1). Also on the main card is 2019 PFL light heavyweight champ [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (23-8), who takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Dan Spohn[/autotag] (18-8). Finally, leader on the light heavyweight board [autotag]Cezar Ferreira[/autotag] (14-8) will look to build off his 37-second knockout over Nick Roehrick when he faces [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] (25-15).

A grapplers delight between [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (11-5-1), who submitted Tom Lawlor in his promotional debut, and 2018 light heavyweight finalist [autotag]Vinny Magalhaes[/autotag] (19-12-1) will serve as the featured prelim.

The full 2021 PFL 5 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 9 p.m. E.T.)

  • Rory MacDonald vs. Gleison Tibau
  • Ray Cooper III vs. Nikolay Aleksakhin
  • Emiliano Sordi vs. Dan Spohn
  • Cezar Ferreira vs. Chris Camozzi

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. E.T.)

  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Vinny Magalhaes
  • Marthin Hamlet vs. Cory Hendricks
  • Jason Ponet vs. Joao Zeferino
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Curtis Millender
  • Tom Lawlor vs. Jordan Young
  • Aleksei Kunchenko vs. Sadibou Sy

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2021 PFL 2 predictions: Can Curtis Millender upset Rory MacDonald?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the 2021 PFL 2 main card, featuring welterweights and light heavyweights.

MacDonald
vs.
Millender
Cooper
vs.
Ponet
Tibau
vs.
Zeferino
Camozzi
vs.
Sordi
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 50-34
macdonald2021
MacDonald
(84%)
cooper2021
Cooper
(91%)
tibau2021
Tibau
(56%)
sordi2021
Sordi
(66%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 53-31
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
sordi2021
Sordi
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 52-32
millender2021
Millender
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
camozzi2021
Camozzi
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 52-32
trophy copy 2018 Champion
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
sordi2021
Sordi
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 51-33
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 51-33
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 50-34
millender2021
Millender
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
sordi2021
Sordi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 50-34
trophy copy 2017 Champion
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 48-36
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 48-36
trophy copy 2020 Champion
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
sordi2021
Sordi
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 46-38
trophy copy 2014 Champion
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 46-38
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
tibau2021
Tibau
sordi2021
Sordi
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 44-40
macdonald2021
MacDonald
cooper2021
Cooper
zeferino2021
Zeferino
sordi2021
Sordi
BetMGM
Betting Favorites
macdonald2021
MacDonald -450
cooper2021
Cooper -650
zeferino2021
Zeferino -175
sordi2021
Sordi -350

The PFL is back for its second event of the 2021 regular season with welterweights and light heavyweights on the docket.

2021 PFL 2 takes place Thursday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] (21-6-1) makes his PFL debut against [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-6). MacDonald is a heavy favorite at -450 at BetMGM, and he’s got a big 10-2 lead in the picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, 2019 welterweight season winner [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (20-7-1) is back to go after his second $1 million prize. He’s the biggest favorite on the card against [autotag]Jason Ponet[/autotag] (20-12-1) at -650, and he’s our staff members’ only unanimous pick.

Our most contentious fight from a picking standpoint is between former UFC fighters [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (34-14) and [autotag]Joao Zeferino[/autotag] (24-9) at light heavyweight. Zeferino is a mild favorite at -175, but the picks are dead even at 6-6.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] (25-14) meets [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (22-8). Sordi, the 2019 light heavyweight season winner, is a -350 favorite and is a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, MacDonald (84 percent), Cooper (91 percent), Tibau (56 percent) and Sordi (66 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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