Lance Palmer – Syndication Server

Global Fight League announces launch, roster includes giant list of former UFC fighters

GFL has arrived – and it’s bringing fairly massive names from UFC yesteryears with it.

A new player has entered the MMA landscape, and it has arrived with some big names.

Wednesday, Global Fight League (GFL) announced its official launch will come in the opening weeks of 2025. The GFL concept differs from that of UFC and PFL.

While it has a league format and playoffs, it is also team-based and has a draft. There will be six franchises (names and cities to follow). The draft is scheduled for Jan. 24, with an inaugural event to follow in April.

Who’s fighting?

Co-founder Darren Owen revealed on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday that the promotion has over 300 fighters under contract. Not all fighters will be drafted.

Of the 92 fighters posted to the promotion’s official website, 45 of them are former UFC fighters. Names include Tyron Woodley, Anthony Pettis, Benson Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Mir, Andrei Arlovski, Kevin Lee, Fabricio Werdum, and Junior Dos Santos among others.

Scroll below to see the released names:

[autotag]Marcel Adur[/autotag]
[autotag]Amirkhon Alikhuzhaev[/autotag]
[autotag]Andrei Arlovski[/autotag]
[autotag]Omar Arteaga[/autotag]
[autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag]
[autotag]Renan Barao[/autotag]
[autotag]Deberson Batista[/autotag]
[autotag]Raimundo Batista[/autotag]
[autotag]Stephen Beaumont[/autotag]
[autotag]Alan Belcher[/autotag]
[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]
[autotag]Claudeci Brito[/autotag]
[autotag]Will Brooks[/autotag]
[autotag]Yan Cabral[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexsandro Cangaty[/autotag]
[autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag]
[autotag]Rafael Carvalho[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexa Conners[/autotag]
[autotag]Kyle Daukaus[/autotag]
[autotag]Ayton de Paepe[/autotag]
[autotag]Patrizio de Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Robelis Despaigne[/autotag]
[autotag]Marcelo Dias[/autotag]
[autotag]Miao Ding[/autotag]
[autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Cameron Else[/autotag]
[autotag]Tonya Evinger[/autotag]
[autotag]Kalindra Faria[/autotag]
[autotag]Marciano Ferreira[/autotag]
[autotag]Chauncey Foxworth[/autotag]
[autotag]Glaico Franca[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag]
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]
[autotag]Andre Harrison[/autotag]
[autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag]
[autotag]Phil Hawes[/autotag]
[autotag]Guto Inocente[/autotag]
[autotag]Michael Irizarry[/autotag]
[autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag]
[autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
[autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]
[autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag]
[autotag]William Lima[/autotag]
[autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]
[autotag]Hector Lombard[/autotag]
[autotag]Ruan Machado[/autotag]
[autotag]John Makdessi[/autotag]
[autotag]Lucas Martins[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksandr Maslov[/autotag]
[autotag]Jordan Mein[/autotag]
[autotag]Dominick Meriweather[/autotag]
[autotag]Frank Mir[/autotag]
[autotag]Silvania Monteiro[/autotag]
[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]
[autotag]Killys Motta[/autotag]
[autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag]
[autotag]Bi Nguyen[/autotag]
[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]
[autotag]Ayinda Octave[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]
[autotag]Renan Oliveira[/autotag]
[autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag]
[autotag]Karolina Owczarz[/autotag]
[autotag]Oscar Ownsworth[/autotag]
[autotag]Denis Palancica[/autotag]
[autotag]Rousimar Palharaes[/autotag]
[autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag]
[autotag]Chiara Penco[/autotag]
[autotag]Markus Perez[/autotag]
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
[autotag]Jefferson Pontes[/autotag]
[autotag]Jimmie Rivera[/autotag]
[autotag]Luke Rockhold[/autotag]
[autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
[autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Cleiton Silva[/autotag]
[autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag]
[autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag]
[autotag]Julio Spadaccini[/autotag]
[autotag]Andre Soukhamthath[/autotag]
[autotag]Roggers Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Gabriel Souza Galindo[/autotag]
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]
[autotag]Mohamed Tarek Mohey[/autotag]
[autotag]Diego Teixeira[/autotag]
[autotag]Oli Thompson[/autotag]
[autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag]
[autotag]Austin Tweedy[/autotag]
[autotag]Feruz Usmonov[/autotag]
[autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Jozef Wittner[/autotag]
[autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]

What does GFL provide athletes that other promotions don’t?

According to Owen, GFL offers fighters a 50-50 split in revenue sharing. Additionally, the promotion provides comprehensive support for training and medical bills, retirement benefits, insurance coverage, and more.

Who is behind GFL and where is the money coming from?

Owen is listed as the co-founder and commissioner for GFL and serves essentially as the public face for the promotion. He served as COO of PFL vs. October 2015 to May 2020 and was the founder and CEO of World Series of Fighting Canada, according to his LinkedIn page.

Also listed on the promotion’s website are Arun Parimi (co-founder and COO), Scott Parker (CMO), and Jeffrey Pollack (senior advisor).

Owen declined to identify the source of the funds behind the operation, but did say it’s a silicon valley investor.

How does the regular season work?

Similarly to PFL, GFL has a point system for regular season fights.

A finish victory notches a fighter’s team four points. A decision win earns three points. A draw earns two points. A decision loss earns one point. If a fighter loses by finish, he or she walks away with zero points.

2022 PFL salaries from Atlanta: Anthony Pettis tops disclosed payouts despite loss; Kayla Harrison second

This marks the first time that PFL salaries have been revealed in 2022.

The back half of the 2022 PFL regular season recently took place in Atlanta with three cards in three weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.

Each card spotlighted two specific divisions. PFL 4 took place June 17 and featured men’s lightweights and light heavyweights. One week later, PFL 5 featured featherweights and heavyweights. Last Friday, PFL 6 consisted of welterweights and women’s lightweights.

On Wednesday, MMA Junkie acquired a list of disclosed show and win purses from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, the regulatory body that oversaw the events.

Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] ($750,000) led all paydays despite a submission loss to [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag]. Two-time PFL season winner [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] ($500,00) was second on the list, followed by former UFC title challenger and Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] ($250,000).

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag], [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag], [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag], and [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag] also received six-figure disclosed payouts.

It’s important to note that the figures given do not reflect potential “locker room” bonuses, streaming points, or promotional sponsorship payments.

Scroll below to see the complete payouts for the most recent three PFL events.

PFL 2022, Week 2 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks in Texas?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL’s second event of the 2022 regular season, which features featherweights and heavyweights in Texas.

	Austin vs. Cappelozza	Palmer vs. Wade	Kudo vs. Loughnane	Ferreira vs. Jones	Goltsov vs. Goodale
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 59-30	Cappelozza (94%)	Palmer (55%)	Loughnane (90%)	Ferreira (89%)	Goltsov (85%)
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 67-36	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 67-36	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 66-37 2018 Champion	Cappelozza	Wade	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Simon Samano @SJSamano 65-38	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 65-38 2014 Champion	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Brian Garcia @thegoze 64-39 2017 Champion	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Jones	Goltsov
Nolan King @mma_kings 64-39	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Jones	Goltsov
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 63-40	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Jones	Goltsov
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 62-41	Cappelozza	Wade	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 59-44	Cappelozza	Wade	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 49-54	Cappelozza	Palmer	Loughnane	Ferreira	Goltsov

The PFL is back for the second week of its 2022 season with featherweights and heavyweights on the bill.

PFL 2022, Week 2 takes place Thursday at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas. 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, 2021 heavyweight season champion [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (14-5) takes on [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (15-7). Cappelozza is a heavy betting favorite to start the season out with a win, and all 11 of our editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have him as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

In the co-feature, two-time season champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-5) will try to get back on the right track at featherweight against [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (20-7). Wade came up short in the 2021 final. But Palmer has not won a fight since his 2019 title; he lost both his fights in 2021. Wade is a slight betting favorite, but it’s Palmer with a big 8-3 lead in the picks.

The second biggest favorite on the card is [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (21-4), who takes on [autotag]Ryoji Kudo[/autotag] (10-2-1) in a featherweight bout to open the regular season. Loughnane is one of our three unanimous picks.

[autotag]Renan Ferreira[/autotag] (8-2) meets [autotag]Jamelle Jones[/autotag] (12-7) in a heavyweight bout. Brazil’s Ferreira is as much as an 8-1 betting favorite, but he’s not a unanimous pick. Still, he’s got a sizable 8-3 lead from our staff pickers.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] (27-7) is our third unanimous pick against heavyweight late-notice replacement [autotag]Cody Goodale[/autotag] (8-5). Goltsov is the biggest favorite on the card.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Cappelozza (94 percent), Palmer (55 percent), Loughnane (90 percent), Ferreira (89 percent) and Goltsov (85 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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How to watch 2022 PFL 2: Who’s fighting, lineup, start time, broadcast info

Here’s how you can watch PFL 2, which features featherweights and heavyweights in action this week.

[mm-video type=video id=01g1k292vkdnn8784jep playlist_id=01eqvpne7c1q486dvv player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1k292vkdnn8784jep/01g1k292vkdnn8784jep-b60dcbc9bf0c7f646a2f6260aae07f83.jpg]

The PFL regular reason rolls on this week with 2022 PFL 2, which features featherweights and heavyweights in action for the first time this year.

Here’s how to watch PFL 2, with a complete lineup and breakdown by division.

Brendan Loughnane, Lance Palmer among fighters set for 2022 PFL 2 card on April 28

PFL has announced the featherweight and heavyweight matchups for their second regular season show.

PFL has announced the featherweight and heavyweight matchups for its second regular season show.

2022 PFL 2 takes place April 28 at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas and streams on ESPN+ and ESPN, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

The event will be headlined by reigning heavyweight tournament winner [autotag]Bruno Cappelozza[/autotag] (14-5), who meets England’s [autotag]Stuart Austin[/autotag] (15-7). In the co-headliner, breakout star [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (21-4) will take on Japan’s [autotag]Ryoji Kudo[/autotag] (10-2-1).

The ESPN+ prelims will feature a matchup between former back-to-back featherweight tournament winner [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-5) and 2021 PFL finalist [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (20-7). Due to injury, reigning PFL featherweight champion Movlid Khaybulaev will not participate in the 2022 PFL season.

The 2022 PFL 2 lineup includes:

Bruno Cappelozza vs. Stuart Austin
Brendan Loughnane vs. Ryoji Kudo
Ante Delija vs. Matheus Scheffel
Renan Ferreira vs. Jamelle Jones
Lance Palmer vs. Chris Wade
Bubba Jenkins vs. Jo Sungbin
Denis Goltsov vs. Sam Kei
Ali Isaev vs. Klidson Abreu
Sheymon Moraes vs. Boston Salmon
Alejandro Flores vs. Saba Bolaghi

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Triple Take: Highlights and lowlights of the 2021 PFL regular season

Our Triple Take panel looks at the PFL’s six regular season events to examine the highs – and lows – on the way to the $1 million playoffs.

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The 2021 PFL regular season is in the books, and after taking a one year hiatus from live events due to the coronavirus pandemic, the promotion has rebounded and reasserted itself as a top player in MMA.

From putting on live events on ESPN2 to signing a number of key free agents to seeing some of those free agents getting upset in the cage, there have been many twists and turns in what arguably has been PFL’s breakout year.

With the playoffs and $1 million championship rounds up next, there’s more to come from PFL before the year is out. With six regular season events complete, we thought it was a good time to examine the good and the bad from PFL this year.

In the latest edition of MMA Junkie’s “Triple Take,” the panel of Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun and Nolan King offer up their highlights and lowlights from the 2021 PFL regular season.

2021 PFL 6 results: Movlid Khaybulaev wins decision, eliminates Lance Palmer from playoffs

Lance Palmer and Movlid Khaybulaev met in a high-stakes battle on Friday to earn a playoff spot and keep their 2021 PFL season alive.

Two-time PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] was eliminated from the 2021 season on Friday after failing to finish [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag].

In Friday’s bout to finalize the featherweight playoffs bracket, Palmer needed to record a finish before the end of the second round in order to advance, but Khaybulaev didn’t let that happen.

Palmer (22-5) dropped his season opener to Bubba Jenkins by unanimous decision at 2021 PFL 1, whereas Khaybulaev (17-0-1) won against Lazar Stojadinovic by unanimous decision that same evening to earn three points.

2021 PFL 6 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The first round started off methodically, with both fighters trying to find the range without leaving openings for counters. As the round wore on, both men began to let the strikes fly a little more frequently. Khaybulaev landed a nice lunging left hook on Palmer for one of the best strikes of the opening round.

Khaybulaev switched up the plan of attack early in the second round as he quickly secured a takedown on Palmer. Knowing the playoff window was closing quickly, Palmer did everything he could to stifle the heavy wrestling attack of his opponent. With just over a minute remaining, he was able to separate from Khaybulaev and he began to throw heavy left-hand strikes.

Movlid Airlines ✈️#2021PFL6
🇺🇸 ESPN2
🌎 https://t.co/WfOt9XBfzk pic.twitter.com/2F8xMea1n5

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 26, 2021

Palmer couldn’t land a punch to hurt his opponent and his playoff hopes were ended as the round concluded.

For the first time in PFL History, Lance Palmer will not be part of the #PFLPlayoffs! We are crowning a new featherweight champion in 2021!

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 26, 2021

While the playoffs were no longer an option for Palmer, winning the fight was still a possibility, but he would need a statement third round.

Khaybulaev would have his say on how the final round would play out as he stayed patient and landed a nice flurry midway through. In the closing moments of the round, Palmer landed a nice left hand to get his opponent’s attention, but the Russian was able to prevent any further damage before the fight concluded.

Final seconds of the 3rd round!#2021PFL6
🇺🇸 ESPN2
🌎 https://t.co/WfOt9XBfzk pic.twitter.com/4B9yS4lJHO

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 26, 2021

The judges scored the bout in favor of Khaybulaev unanimously with matching scores of 29-28.

The third and fourth seeds of the featherweight bracket have come down to Khaybulaev and Bubba Jenkins, who are tied in the featherweight standings. A coin flip will determine their placement to finalize the bracket.

Up-to-the-minute results of 2021 PFL 6 are below:

Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lance Palmer via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Denis Goltsov def. Brandon Sayles via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:24
Bruno Cappelozza def. Muhammed DeReese via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:21
Larissa Pacheco def. Helena Kolesnyk via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:48
Ante Delija def. Chandler Cole via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:39
Genah Fabian def. Julija Pajic via TKO (Punches) – Round 2, 4:16
Renan Ferreira def. Carl Seumanutafa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Taylor Guardado def. Laura Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mariana Morais def. Kaitlin Young via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Jamelle Jones def. Klidson Abreu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:43

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2021 PFL 6 weigh-in results: Kayla Harrison, Cindy Dandois make main event official

Watch the weigh-ins for 2021 PFL 6, which features Kayla Harrison vs. Cindy Dandois in the main event.

The weigh-ins are complete for PFL’s sixth event of 2021, with heavyweights and women’s lightweights ready to close out their season after hitting the scales at Thursday’s official ceremony.

The event also features matchups in the men’s lightweight and featherweight divisions.

Lightweight stars own the evening on Friday, as 2018 and 2019 PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] is set to meet [autotag]Cindy Dandois[/autotag] in the main event. The co-main features former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] against [autotag]Raush Manfio[/autotag].

2021 PFL 6 takes place Friday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

Check out the complete weigh-in results below and watch the full video above.

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 10 p.m. ET)

Kayla Harrison (156) vs. Cindy Dandois (152.2)
Anthony Pettis (156) vs. Raush Manfio (156)
Lance Palmer (146) vs. Movlid Khaybulaev (145.4)
Denis Goltsov (246.4) vs. Brandon Sayles (264.4)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

Bruno Cappelozza (233.4) vs. Muhammed DeReese (254.2)
Larissa Pacheco (156) vs. Olena Kolesnyk (157.6)
Ante Delija (239.2) vs. Chandler Cole (262)
Genah Fabian (155.6) vs. Julija Pajic (156)
Renan Ferreira (251) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (260)
Taylor Guardado (155) vs. Laura Sanchez (155.2)
Kaitlin Young (155.6) vs. Mariana Morais (154.2)
Klidson Abreu (258) vs. Jamelle Jones (245)

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Anthony Pettis to headline 2021 PFL 4 as lightweights, featherweights get second fights

PFL 4 also will feature the MMA debut of boxing champion Claressa Shields.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] didn’t walk away victorious in his first PFL fight, but the former UFC lightweight champion will still headline his next time around.

On Thursday, the promotion announced the second set of 2021 regular-season bouts for lightweights and featherweights, with Pettis (24-11) taking on Canada’s [autotag]Alex Martinez[/autotag] (8-0) in a lightweight main event for 2021 PFL 4 on June 10 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the co-main event, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (15-4) looks to continue his momentum after an upset win over Lance Palmer last time out. He’ll take on [autotag]Anthony Dizy[/autotag] (13-4) at featherweight.

The four-fight main card will be rounded out by popular U.K.-based fighter [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (20-3) taking on [autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag] (12-1), and the MMA debut of boxing champion [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag], who was previously announced to meet Brittney Elkin in a non-regular season matchup.

On the prelims, [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (19-8), who defeated Pettis in their first regular-season matchup, fights [autotag]Joilton Lutterbach[/autotag] (34-9). Additionally, 2019 PFL lightweight champion Natan Schulte (20-4-1) looks to rebound against [autotag]Mikhail Odintsov[/autotag] (18-3) and 2019 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-4) fights [autotag]Lazar Stojadinovic[/autotag] (14-8).

#2021PFL4 Featherweight and Lightweight matchups are OFFICIAL! pic.twitter.com/bFNqftIOZh

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 13, 2021

The full 2021 PFL 4 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 10 p.m. E.T.)

Anthony Pettis vs. Alex Martinez
Anthony Dizy vs. Bubba Jenkins
Tyler Diamond vs. Brendan Loughnane
Brittney Elkin vs. Claressa Shields

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. E.T.)

Clay Collard vs. Joilton Lutterbach
Mikhail Odintsov vs. Natan Schulte
Lance Palmer vs. Lazar Stojadinovic
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Marcin Held
Akhmed Aliev vs. Loik Radzhabov
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Sheymon Moraes
Arman Ospanov vs. Chris Wade

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Upsets galore at 2021 PFL 1, but season format doesn’t close door on the defeated

Underdogs cashed in three of the four main card fights at 2021 PFL 1, but the defeated aren’t out of it yet.

Upset, upset, upset.

Underdogs cashed in three of the four main card fights Friday at 2021 PFL 1 against three of the promotion’s most notable names.

First, it was seasoned MMA veteran [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag], who pulled off an improbable unanimous decision victory over two-time featherweight champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] in the main card opener.

Two fights later, two-time lightweight champion [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] added a loss to his resume for the first time since 2017 when he was defeated via unanimous decision by former Bellator and UFC fighter [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag].

“Next time, you can’t expect that I will only go to the ground and try to finish the fight on the ground,” Held said at the post-fight news conference. “I can punch. I can win in the striking. I can win on the ground. I’m a complete MMA fighter. I hope I showed that I’m one of the best fighters in this division here in PFL.”

The main event continued the theme when 2020 breakthrough boxing star [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] spoiled the promotional debut of former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]. Collard pummeled Pettis in the first two rounds before he survived a late onslaught to notch the unanimous decision win.

“Those are the kind of guys we’ve been chasing since we started this,” Collard said at the post-fight news conference. “He was a (WEC) champion and a UFC champion. It’s a dream come true. To get a win over a guy like that, I think says a lot in this division. I think it made a statement and that’s what I came here to do is make a statement and let everybody know. This is my coming-out party.”

[lawrence-related id=605643,605621,605590]

The celebration is warranted, but only transpires for so long. In the PFL format, victories aren’t measured by momentum, buzz, or card placement. Despite the three wins being high-magnitude victories over big names, the points remain the same. PFL is perhaps the most open field in mixed martial arts. A single loss is a big blow, but the defeated aren’t damned.

“(Brendan Loughnane) was awarded six points tonight,” PFL senior vice president of corporate communications Loren Mack said at the post-fight news conference. “He is the man to beat in this division now (with) six points. The rest of the points that were allocated were three points for the winners, for everybody that won tonight, and zero points for everybody else. The opportunities are still there for the fighters who lost to advance and get to the playoffs, but their backs are against the wall.”

The format makes PFL unique in the MMA space. Not only does it, in theory, play into fighters’ aggression and urgency, but it also winds into the psyche of the competitors having to fight the same opponents multiple times. For example, Jenkins expects Palmer to come back with a vengeance for a rematch that in his estimation is very likely.

“(Palmer) being a two-time champion and such a formidable opponent and such a great athlete for the last five or six years associated with these people and associated with this organization,” Jenkins said at the post-fight news conference. “We figured that after we take this dub, he was going to come back and we’d see him later in the tournament. We knew that after the dub, he’s going to have some people to come back for.”

The promotion returns Friday, April 29 with 2021 PFL 2, which features the welterweight and light heavyweight divisions. The card is headlined by former UFC welterweight title challenger and former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald as he takes on Curtis Millender.

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