Tag: Movlid Khaybulaev

PFL 2021, Week 1 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks on the main card?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL 2021, Week 1 main card, which includes Anthony Pettis, Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer.

Pettis
vs.
Collard		 Held
vs.
Schulte		 Khaybulaev
vs.
Stojadinovic		 Jenkins
vs.
Palmer
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2021: 46-29		 pettis2021
Pettis
(78%)		 schulte2021
Schulte
(66%)		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev
(80%)		 palmer2021
Palmer
(82%)
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2021: 49-26		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2021: 48-27
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2021: 47-28		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2021: 47-28		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2021: 47-28		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2021: 45-30		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2021: 45-30
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2021: 44-31
trophy copy 2020 Champion		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2021: 43-32		 pettis2021
Pettis		 held2021
Held		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2021: 42-33		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2021: 41-34
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2021: 39-36		 pettis2021
Pettis		 schulte2021
Schulte		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev		 palmer2021
Palmer
BetMGM
Betting Favorites		 pettis2021
Pettis -600		 schulte2021
Schulte -400		 khaybulaev2021
Khaybulaev -650		 palmer2021
Palmer -350

The PFL returns Friday after missing 2020, and lightweights and featherweights kick off the 2021 season.

PFL 2021, Week 1 takes place 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 UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10) makes his PFL debut in a lightweight regular season bout against [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8). Whittaker is a heavy favorite at -600 at BetMGM, and he’s one of three unanimous picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, two-time PFL lightweight season winner [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (20-3-1) returns to take on [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7). Schulte is a 4-1 favorite, and only one of our pickers is taking submission specialist Held to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) will try to stay unbeaten in a featherweight season bout against [autotag]Lazar Stojadinovic[/autotag] (14-7). Khaybulaev is a -650 favorite and another of our unanimous picks.

And to open the main card, two-time featherweight season winner [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-3) takes on [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4). Palmer is a -350 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Pettis (78 percent), Schulte (66 percent), Khaybulaev (80 percent) and Palmer (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard to headline PFL 2021 season opener

It’s showtime for the PFL’s 2021 season beginning April 23.

After a full 2020 season hiatus due to COVID-19, the PFL makes its long-awaited return with its first event of the year.

PFL 2021, Week 1 will see the first matchups at featherweight and lightweight, including the promotional debut of former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag].

Pettis (24-10) will feature in the night’s main event against two-sport athlete [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8), while the organization’s lightweight and featherweight champions from 2019, [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], also are scheduled for action.

Brazilian grappling ace and two-time lightweight champ Schulte (20-3-1) will take on Polish mat specialist [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7) in the co-main event, while two-time featherweight champ Palmer (22-3) will line up against former Brave CF featherweight champ – and former collegiate wrestling rival – [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4) on the main card.

[lawrence-related id=578932,572639]

The main card also will feature a featherweight bout between [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) and undefeated promotional newcomer and former Titan FC featherweight champion [autotag]Jason Soares[/autotag] (14-0).

PFL 1 takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The event will air on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+. Further regular season events will follow on April 29, May 6, and June 10, 17, and 25.

The full PFL 1 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard
  • Marcin Held vs. Natan Schulte
  • Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares
  • Bubba Jenkins vs. Lance Palmer

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

  • Johnny Case vs. Loik Radzhabov
  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Joilton Lutterbach
  • Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
  • Tyler Diamond vs. Jo Sungbin
  • Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes