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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)
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:
The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.
The lineup is set for the PFL’s first set of playoff fights next month in New York.
[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (25-13) remained the top lightweight seed despite an upset loss to [autotag]Stevie Ray[/autotag] (24-10) two weeks ago. Ray’s win made him the No. 4 seed – which set up a rematch with Pettis in the four-man playoff field.
On the other side of the lightweight playoff bracket, No. 2 seed [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (15-5) takes on No. 3 [autotag]Alexander Martinez[/autotag] (10-2). The winners of those two fights will meet in the $1 million lightweight season final in October.
In the light heavyweight playoffs, there’s been a significant shakeup. No. 3 seed [autotag]Antonio Carlos Jr.[/autotag] (15-5) is out of his fight against American Top Team teammate and No. 2 seed [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (23-7-1), the PFL announced Friday. Stepping in for Junior is another one of Akhmedov’s teammates at American Top Team, [autotag]Josh Silveira[/autotag] (9-0), who finished the regular season in fifth place and was an alternate.
Top light heavyweight seed [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (15-2) will take on No. 4 [autotag]Delan Monte[/autotag] (9-2) on the other half of the bracket.
The PFL’s first set of playoff fights take place Aug. 5 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The four-fight main card of playoff matchups airs on ESPN. A two-fight set of prelims and four fights after the main card stream on ESPN+.
The playoffs continue later in August with welterweights and heavyweights on tap Aug. 13 in Cardiff, Wales, and women’s lightweights and featherweights set for Aug. 20 in London.
The PFL 2022 Playoffs 1 card includes:
POSTLIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
MAIN CARD (ESPN)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
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Jarrah Al-Silawi will lead a list of surging welterweight prospects in the second episode of PFL’s new Challenger Series.
[autotag]Jarrah Al-Silawi[/autotag] will lead a list of surging welterweight prospects in the second episode of PFL’s new Challenger Series.
Al-Silawi (16-3), a former BRAVE CF super welterweight champion, will take part in PFL Challenger Series 2, which features welterweights including NCAA wrestling standout [autotag]Mark Martin[/autotag] and LFA 170-pound champion [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (14-3).
Also taking part in the welterweight episode is returning Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace [autotag]Lucas Barbosa[/autotag] (2-1), [autotag]Dilano Taylor[/autotag] (7-1), [autotag]Michael Lilly[/autotag] (7-6), [autotag]Troy Green[/autotag] (4-1) and [autotag]Socrates Pierre[/autotag] (12-6).
PFL’s new Challenger Series officially kicks off Feb. 18 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., with light heavyweights on tap for Episode 1. The second episode takes place a week later.
The new series airs exclusively on Fubo Sports Network and sees athletes gunning for a PFL contract that could either serve as a developmental deal or see them enter directly into the promotion’s regular season and its $1 million prize. One fighter each week will earn the contract.
Jordan’s Al-Silawi headlines the welterweight talent. Winner of 11 of his past 12, two-time BRAVE CF champ Al-Silawi holds notable wins and finishes over UFC welterweight Carlston Harris, French prospect Abdoul Abdouraguimov and ex-UFC welterweight Ismail Naurdiev.
Al-Silawe explained he wanted to get his feet wet before entering the 2022 season and the PFL Challenger Series is the perfect opportunity for him to do that.
“I’m excited to compete for the PFL before the season,” Al-Silawi told MMA Junkie. “The plan was to join the season right away, but this fight in February, I wanted to take. I’m very excited for my first fight in the PFL. I prepared very well for the fight. I’ve been training for a while, so God willing, this fight will be different.
“It’s my first time to go to America and fight there, so I’m very excited for that. It’s a different place. I’m also excited to show everyone the level in the Middle East. I always say we don’t have too many fighters in the Middle East, but we carry a message. We want to prove to the world that we can compete at the highest level, and this is a big opportunity for me to prove this point.”
