Tag: Kayla Harrison

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, Jan. 7: Kayla Harrison cracks women’s P4P list

She might not have the deepest pool of competition at lightweight, but it’s clear Kayla Harrison is the real deal.

If there’s anyone out there capable of beating [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] at 155 pounds, we haven’t heard from them yet.

Harrison, the two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, hasn’t been fighting all that long, but it’s already clear she’s the world’s best women’s lightweight. That’s in part due to the fact we really don’t have enough high-level 155-pounders competing to flesh out a full division. Heck, if we’re being fully honest, sometimes we’re stretching things a bit just to come up with a full slate of 145-pound competitors.

But with her convincing victory on New Year’s Eve over Larissa Pacheco at the PFL Championship in New York, it’s become just as clear the time has come to consider her spot in the overall women’s pound-for-pound list.

Harrison is 7-0 now. She’s steamrolled most of her opponents. Even when she hasn’t, no one has come close to stopping her. And while it’s too soon to put Harrison up there with the Amanda Nuneses of the world, she’s plainly earned a spot among the pound-for-pound bests.

With that, Harrison, who had previously been listed in our honorable mentions, makes her top 15 debut at No. 14.

We’ve got one more slow weekend before things kick back into high gear. In the meantime, if you want a refresher course on where your favorite — or least favorite — fighter stands, check out the new edition of the rankings above.

Kayla Harrison celebrates her PFL title, which she calls ‘her fourth kid’

Kayla Harrison added her PFL belt to a gold collection which includes two Olympic medals and a world judo championship.

NEW YORK — [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] has won so many gold trophies over the course of her career, she’s starting to view them like her children.

Harrison’s unanimous-decision victory over the always-tough Larissa Pacheco in the main event of the 2019 PFL Championship on Tuesday night at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden not only added $1M to her bank account, but also added to a list of remarkable accomplishments, which include a pair of Olympic judo gold medals and a judo world championship.

“Well, I won two Olympic gold medals so those are my first two kids,” Harrison told MMA Junkie after he fight. “I have a championship gold medal, so that’s maybe my third baby, so this is maybe my fourth kid.”

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Harrison, who has competed seven times in less than two years and won all seven fights, is her own toughest critic. But at the end of the day, she wasn’t about to complain about her performance after taking home a big check and a new belt.

“It’s the end of the year, I learned a lot about myself in this fight, I learned a lot about fighting in this fight, and I also got a beautiful payday and live a truly blessed life,” Harrison said. “More important than anything is I got to touch gold again and got to taste gold and become a world champion again. It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t necessarily, pretty but life is not always pretty and I’m happy with the result.”

Harrison knows that some think she doesn’t appreciate what she’s accomplished to date, but she also knows that her approach has led to great success on a worldwide stage.

“I’m always going to be my toughest critic, you know?” Harrison said. “I demand and expect nothing but the best from myself and that’s why I’ve climbed the mountain so many times. I don’t apologize for it. I think a lot of people misinterpret it for being a poor sport. Absolutely not. Hat’s off to Larissa she’s an amazing fighter but it’s just that I expect so much more for myself but for tonight, for right now, I’m going to try to be in the moment and enjoy it, I can’t wait to go back to the gym.”

At this point of the night, everything was a blur for Harrison after logging 25 minutes for the first time in her career. But while she hasn’t mentally broken down how the fight went just yet, she’ll leave New York knowing the win over Pacheco was an important moment in her MMA development. 

“I’m so in the moment that I don’t think I remember half the stuff that was going on in there, Harrison said. “But overall it was good, but I know for sure there’s a bunch of stuff I can get better at.  I feel like this time around I was a lot more composed, I took my time, I picked my shots better, every single time I am getting in that cage I am getting invaluable experience. Going five rounds, you don’t do any more than five, so it was a good test for me and it was important to use as a stepping stone to get even better.” 

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2019 PFL Championship results: Kayla Harrison claims first PFL women’s $1 million title

The PFL’ crowned six $1M champions Tuesday night, including the first women’s titleholder and two repeat champs.

NEW YORK — [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] has still yet to taste defeat.

The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist defeated [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] in the rematch to remain undefeated in her MMA career and win the 2019 PFL women’s lightweight championship and the $1 million prize that went with winning the season tournament.

Harrison’s performance against Pacheco (13-4 MMA, 2-2 PFL) was dominant. The former judoka player was able to take down and control the Brazilian there in all five rounds. Harrison won easily on the scorecard, outpointing Pacheco 50-43, 50-45, 50-45.

Despite looking dominant, Harrison (7-0 MMA, 7-0 PFL) did face some adversity in the fight.

Pacheco threatened with a knee to the head in the third round that seemed to connect clean on Harrison. She also came alive in the fifth, as she walked down Harrison for a good portion of the round while landing shots. Towards the end of the firth and final round Pacheco also threaten with standing ten-finger choke but Harrison eventually turned it into a takedown to finish the fight on top.

Harrison began her professional MMA career in mid-2018. Since she’s compiled seven wins, five via.

Ray Cooper III earns redemption, finishes David Michaud for welterweight crown

[autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] once again got to a PFL championship final, but this time he didn’t leave home the loser.

The Hawaiian fighter stopped [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] in the co-main event by using a nasty left hook to the body that shut down Michaud. The official stoppage came at 2:56 of round two.

Cooper (20-7-1 MMA, 7-2-1 PFL) came close to having a flawless performance. He controlled Michaud (18-6 MMA, 3-2 PFL) against cage early in the first, dropped him with a hook to the body and maintained top control for the rest of the round.

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In the second round, Cooper failed to get the fight to the ground so he engaged on the feet with Michaud, which got dicey for a bit. A couple minutes in, Michaud connected with some hard knees to the head and some solid hooks that appeared to hurt Cooper. Cooper responded with a takedown and while Michaud was working his way back to his feet, Cooper sat him down with a nasty shot to the liver followed up by punches.

Copper lost in the final of the 2018 PFL season. The win over Michaud marks his first PFL championship win.

Ali Isaev outwrestles Jared Rosholt, finishes for heavyweight crown

[autotag]Ali Isaev [/autotag]defeated [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] at his own game.

The Russian fighter outwrestled Rosholt (20-8 MMA, 6-4 PFL) over the course of four rounds to eventually get the finish and win the 2019 PFL heavyweight championship.

Rosholt landed good strikes throughout the fight and even threatened with a guillotine at the end of round one. However, Isaev’s pressure and takedowns proved to be the superior factor throughout the fight.

After three rounds of heavy grappling, Isaev (9-0 MMA, 5-0 PFL) was able to get Rosholt to the ground in round four and wear down the American. With less than a minute remaining, Isaev turned up the ground-and-pound and forced Rosholt to shell up. With Rosholt offering no answer to the strikes, the referee had no option but to stop the fight at the 4:09 mark.

Isaev is 36 years old and remains undefeated in his MMA career.

Natan Schulte bests Loik Radzhabov in thrilling throwdown

 

If there were “Fight of the Night” bonuses in PFL, [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] would’ve easily earned it.

Both Schulte (20-3-1 MMA, 9-0-1 PFL) and Radzhabov (13-2-1 MMA, 2-2-1 PFL) engaged in a non-stop action battle for 25 minutes. In the end, Schulte left with his hand raised, a $1 million in his pocket, and the 2019 PFL lightweight title. Schulte beat Radzhabov 49-44, 49-46, 48-47 on the scorecards.

Schulte started hot in the fight, wobbling and taking down Radzhabov to have the biggest impact of round one. Second round things took a turn. Radzhabov landed plenty of clean shots and at time seems to hurt Schulte.

From that point on, Rounds 3-5 were quite competitive. Both fighters had good moments on the feet and ground, but ultimately Schulte had the best highlights and control, mounting Radzhabov in rounds four and five. It was a grueling bout that had both fighters spent in the end.

Schulte remains unbeaten PFL, winning both the 2018 and 2019 lightweight championships.

Lance Palmer claims second straight featherweight title

[autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] has [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag]’s number.

The 2018 PFL featherweight champion defeated Gilpin (14-4 MMA, 2-3 PFL) for a third time to win the 2019 PFL featherweight belt and his second $1 million dollar prize in the company. Palmer (22-3 MMA, 11-0 PFL) was favored 50-43, 50-44, 50-44 on the judge’s scorecards.

Palmer’s strong wrestling and dominant top control was the protagonist of the fight. Through out the entire five rounds of the 145-pound contest, Palmer took down Gilpin and controlled top position.

Palmer was able to avoid referee stand-ups with his constant advancement in position and ground-and-pound. Gilpin had some threatening moment in rounds one and two with some choked that seemed to catch Palmer’s attention. But despite the admirable efforts, Gilpin was out-grappled the entire fight.

Palmer had beaten Gilpin twice prior to the final, first in May and then again in October.

[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] stops [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] to win light heavyweight championship

Emiliano Sordi’s quick stoppage claims light heavyweight gold

Argentina now has a champion in a major North American promotion.

[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] used heavy ground-and-pound to stop [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] and earn himself $1 million plus the 2019 PFL light heavyweight title.

Sordi (22-8 MMA, 6-1 PFL) and Johnson (12-2-1 MMA, 2-2-1 PFL) traded heavy shots early, but it was Sordi landed the better shots. About halfway through the round, Sordi dropped Johnson with a big straight right hand. Johnson tried to takedown Sordi with a low single once on the ground, but the Argentinian followed up with ground-and-pound to force the referee to waive off the fight.

The official stoppage came at 2:01 mark of the first round.

[autotag]Brendan Loughnane [/autotag] cruises to a decision, outpoints [autotag]David Alex Valente [/autotag]

Brendan Loughnane decisions David Valente

[autotag]Brendan Loughnane [/autotag] remains unbeaten inside the PFL cage.

The Englishman had a seamless decision win over Brazil’s [autotag]David Valente[/autotag] to kick off the PFL championship finals. Loughnane (19-3 MMA, 2-0 PFL) controlled most of the fight using his range and leg kicks.

In the first round, Loughnane took control of the center of the cage and picked apart Valente (11-5 MMA, 0-1 PFL) with leg kicks. Round two was a similar story, as Loughnane used distance and avoided many of the strikes Valente threw. Valente was bit trigger shy and was switching stances to alleviate the leg kicks being absorbed.

Third round Loughnane took down Valente early. Valente got up not long after the takedown. With a sense of urgency, Valente walked down Loughnane but didn’t land anything flush. Loughnane would score another takedown where he landed good ground-and-pound until the final bell rang.

Loughnane defeated Valente 30-27 on all three judge’s scorecards.

The 2019 PFL championships went down on Dec. 31 from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Graden in New York. The entire main card, which hosted six championship bouts, aired live on ESPN 2. Harrison vs. Pacheco headlined the event.

Full PFL 2019 championship results:

Full 2019 PFL Championship results:

2019 PFL Championship live and official results (6 p.m. ET)

Follow along as the PFL concludes its 2019 season with six $1 million title fights in New York.

NEW YORK – The 2019 PFL Championship finale takes place Tuesday night, and MMA Junkie is on the scene with live results.

The PFL Championship takes place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The main card airs on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET following an ESPN+ prelim at 6 p.m.

In the women’s lightweight main event, Kayla Harrison takes on Larissa Pacheco in one of six division finals with $1 million on the line. Lance Palmer (featherweight) and Natan Schulte (lightweight) both look to repeat as champions, while Ray Cooper III (welterweight) looks for redemption after losing last season’s final.

2019 PFL Championship results include:

  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] – women’s lightweight championship
  • [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] – welterweight championship
  • [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] – heavyweight championship
  • [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] – lightweight championship
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] – featherweight championship
  • [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] – light heavyweight championship
  • [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] vs. [autotag]David Alex Valente[/autotag]

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Spinning Back Clique: Was Fedor’s win over ‘Rampage’ meaningful in any way?

MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and Dan Tom unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 9 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, “Gorgeous” George, “Goze” and Dan Tom react to what went down at Bellator 237, the promotion’s debut in Japan, preview the PFL Championship, and more.

Show rundown:

  • In the heavyweight main event of Bellator 237, [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] defeated [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag] by first-round knckout at Saitama Super Arena. For his part, Emelianenko, 43, looked pretty good in the first fight of his retirement tour. The same cannot be said for “Rampage,” who came in a career-high 265 pounds for the fight, and it showed with his lackluster performance. Even he admitted just how overweight and out of shape he was. So, with that in mind, what can we really take away from this fight between legends?
  • Bellator went all out for its debut in Japan, with great production value and booking some of its biggest names on the card, while partnering with Rizin FF. It’s all part of company president Scott Coker’s plan of doing things outside of the norm in MMA. What do we think of this?
  • The PFL Championship takes place Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, which will feature [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] vs. Larissa Pacheco in the headliner as one of six fights set to make millionaires. Which final are we most looking forward to?
  • 2019 was a big year for comebacks. Looking ahead to 2020, who could be on the comeback trail?
  • To conclude the decade in MMA, we ranked the top 10 fighters of the 2010s. As we look forward to the next decade, who could be among the best of the decade?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 9 of “Spinning Back Clique.”

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Kayla Harrison ‘probably won’t be happy’ – even with $1 million – unless she finishes Larissa Pacheco

“If she does last five whole rounds, I’ll tip my hat to her and say, ‘Damn, that’s a tough b*tch.'”

NEW YORK – Safe to say [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] has high expectations for her upcoming fight.

The two-time judo Olympic gold medalist returns to action Tuesday night to headline the 2019 PFL Championship finale at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Her opponent is a familiar foe and one that left a sour taste for Harrison last time they met.

Back in May, Harrison (6-0 MMA, 6-0 PFL) out-pointed seasoned veteran Larissa Pacheco in a dominant decision win to improve her MMA record to 4-0. But despite the victory, Harrison was distraught that she didn’t finish Pacheco and cried on the broadcast. She looked very upset, which left many fans watching at home confused.

Now, heading into the rematch, which has a championship belt on the line paired with a $1 million grand prize, the mentality is still the same for Harrison. And despite the extra bonuses, Harrison won’t be satisfied unless she stops the Brazilian.

“I probably won’t be happy again,” Harrison said. “It’s not the million dollars. It’s about being the best possible version of myself. I want to win by knockout, TKO or submission. I’ve prepared mentally and physically for five grueling rounds, but I want to break her. I want to go out there and show everybody I’m not to be trifled with. And if she does last five whole rounds, I’ll tip my hat to her and say, ‘Damn, that’s a tough b*tch.'”

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A young talent in the fight game who is still very much developing, Harrison sees herself having an even more dominant performance this time around against Pacheco. It’s been only a few months since the two last fought, but Harrison believes there will be a noticeable difference.

“I’m not an expert by any means, but the ground that I’ve covered in the last six months, it feels really good,” Harrison explained. “It feels like I’m finally getting comfortable and finally feeling like a fighter instead of a judo player in the cage. I think the Kayla that I am today would demolish that Kayla (from the first Pacheco fight), so I think everyone can look forward to that.”

Harrison, unbeaten in her young MMA career, is regarded as blue-chip prospect who could go far given her world-class background in judo. With high expectations and with a recent win over Pacheco, many would assume the pressure is high for Harrison, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“There is no pressure,” Harrison said. “You can’t compare it to the pressure that I put on myself. Obviously, adjustments have been made by both of us, and it will probably be a little bit different looking fight this time around, but there is no pressure. It’s time to go have fun and do what I do.”

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PFL Championship ceremonial weigh-ins faceoff video

Check out the final faceoffs for all six title fights at the PFL Championship finale in New York.

NEW YORK – The PFL 2019 Championship finale ceremonial weigh-ins are in the books, and MMA Junkie was on the scene for the festivities.

All fighters competing on Tuesday night successfully made weight earlier Monday morning before stepping on the scale for ceremonial weigh-ins in the evening.

Fighters competing in the six championship bouts on the main card will look to take home $1 million.

The PFL 2019 Championship finals takes place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The lone preliminary bout will stream on ESPN+, while the main card airs on ESPN2.

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You can watch highlights of the final faceoffs in the video above.

PFL 10 weigh-in results:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2):

  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (154.8) vs. [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (153.6) – women’s lightweight championship
  • [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (169.6) vs. [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (168.6) – welterweight championship
  • [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (258.8) vs. [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (250.6) – heavyweight championship
  • [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (153.6) vs. [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (154.8) – lightweight championship
  • [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (144.6) vs. [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (144.4) – featherweight championship
  • [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (204.4) vs. [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (202.2) – light heavyweight championship

PRELIMS (ESPN+)

  • [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (146) vs. [autotag]David Alex Valente[/autotag] (145.8)

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PFL Championship predictions: Who takes home $1 million each?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the six 2019 PFL playoff finals, where $1 million is up for grabs in each division.

No. 2 Harrison
vs.
No. 4 Pacheco		 No. 4 Michaud
vs.
No. 6 Cooper		 No. 5 Isaev
vs.
No. 7 Rosholt		 No. 1 Schulte
vs.
No. 7 Radzhabov		 No. 1 Palmer
vs.
No. 4 Gilpin		 No. 1 Sordi
vs.
No. 7 Johnson
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 227-130 (64%)		 harrison2019
Harrison
(92%)		 cooper2019
Cooper
(64%)		 isaev2019
Isaev
(63%)		 schulte2019
Schulte
(75%)		 palmer2019
Palmer
(90%)		 sordi2019
Sordi
(59%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 143-72 (66.52%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 sordi2019
Sordi
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 136-74 (64.76%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 230-127 (64.43%)
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 sordi2019
Sordi
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 230-127 (64.43%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 228-129 (63.87%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 sordi2019
Sordi
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 228-129 (63.87%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 harrison2019
Harrison		 michaud2019
Michaud		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 sordi2019
Sordi
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 224-133 (63%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 michaud2019
Michaud		 isaev2019
Isaev		 radzhabov2019
Radzhabov		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 223-134 (62.46%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 127-77 (62.25%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 221-136 (61.9%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 rosholt2019
Rosholt		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 217-140 (61%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 sordi2019
Sordi
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 142-113 (57%)		 harrison2019
Harrison		 cooper2019
Cooper		 isaev2019
Isaev		 schulte2019
Schulte		 palmer2019
Palmer		 johnson2019
Johnson
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 186-171 (52%)		 pacheco2019
Pacheco		 michaud2019
Michaud		 rosholt2019
Rosholt		 radzhabov2019
Radzhabov		 gilpin2019
Gilpin		 johnson2019
Johnson

After debuting its season points and playoff format in 2018, the PFL is back for its second set of playoff finals this week.

The 2019 PFL playoff finals in six weight classes take place Tuesday at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The card airs on ESPN2.

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

At the top of the card, No. 2 women’s lightweight seed [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (6-0) takes on No. 4 [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3). Harrison, a two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, is a massive 14-1 favorite from the oddsmakers, and only one (gee, guess who?) of our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers is picking an upset.

In the welterweight final, No. 4 [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-5) meets No. 6 [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (19-7-1), who will try to do what he couldn’t pull off in the 2018 final. Cooper is a slight favorite around -150, and he’s got a big 10-3 lead in the picks.

At heavyweight, No. 5 [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (8-0) is more than a 5-1 favorite against No. 7 [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (20-7), and he’s got a big 11-2 advantage in the picks.

Three No. 1 seeds made their divisions’ finals, and two of them have big picks leads. No. 1 lightweight [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (19-3-1) goes after a second straight title when he takes on No. 7 [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-1-1). Only two of our pickers are taking Radzhabov to pull the upset.

And No. 1 featherweight [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (21-3) tries for his second straight crown, as well, when he meets No. 4 [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (14-3). Palmer is a 10-1 favorite, and only one of our pickers is going against him.

The only truly contentious fight among our pickers is the light heavyweight final between No. 1 [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (21-8) vs. No. 7 [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-1-1). It’s a pick’em fight with the oddsmakers, but it’s Johnson with just a slight 8-5 edge in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harrison (92%), Cooper (64 percent), Isaev (63 percent), Schulte (75 percent), Palmer (90 percent) and Sordi (59 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.