Natan Schulte – Page 4 – Syndication Server

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%)	Harrison (92%)	Cooper (64%)	Isaev (63%)	Schulte (75%)	Palmer (90%)	Sordi (59%)
Simon Head @simonhead 2019: 143-72 (66.52%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Sordi
Nolan King @mma_kings 2019: 136-74 (64.76%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2019: 230-127 (64.43%) 2018 Champion	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Sordi
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2019: 230-127 (64.43%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2019: 228-129 (63.87%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Sordi
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2019: 228-129 (63.87%) 2017 Champion	Harrison	Michaud	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Sordi
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2019: 224-133 (63%)	Harrison	Michaud	Isaev	Radzhabov	Palmer	Johnson
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2019: 223-134 (62.46%) 2014 Champion	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2019: 127-77 (62.25%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2019: 221-136 (61.9%)	Harrison	Cooper	Rosholt	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2019: 217-140 (61%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Sordi
Dave Doyle @davedoylemma 2019: 142-113 (57%)	Harrison	Cooper	Isaev	Schulte	Palmer	Johnson
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2019: 186-171 (52%)	Pacheco	Michaud	Rosholt	Radzhabov	Gilpin	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.

PFL Championship weigh-in results: All six title fights good to go

Check out the weigh-in results for PFL’s 2019 season finale, which goes down Tuesday in New York.

NEW YORK – The PFL Championship finals are good to go.

All fighters competing on Tuesday night successfully made weight for their title fights Monday morning. PFL officials provided the weigh-in results to MMA Junkie.

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.

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

Below are the 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: Title fighters face off ahead of end-of-season finale in New York

Recap the staredowns as the stars of the PFL Championship faced off for the media at the pre-fight press conference in New York.

The 2019 PFL season comes to a close on Dec. 31 as the organization hosts its end-of-year finale in New York, with six championship belts – and six $1 million prize checks – up for grabs.

The fighters sounded off, then faced off, at the recent pre-fight press conference ahead of their respective bouts at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, as the fighters set for action in the six title fights, plus one featured preliminary bout went eye-to-eye for the cameras.

Headlining the event is a battle for the PFL women’s lightweight title, with two-time Olympic judo champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (6-0, 6-0 PFL) looking to pick up her first championship gold as an MMA fighter when she takes on Brazil’s [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3, 2-1 PFL).

Their bout tops a seven-fight card that features five more championship matchups as the season-long PFL tournaments come to a conclusion with each division’s final championship bout.

Returning 2018 champions [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] both made it all the way through to their respective finals once again as they bid to become two-time PFL tournament champions. Schulte (19-3-1, 8-0-1 PFL) takes on [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-1-1, 2-1-1 PFL) for the 155-pound strap, while Palmer (21-3, 10-0 PFL) faces off against [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (14-3, 2-2 PFL) in the 145-pound final.

The heavyweight belt will be contested between Russian powerhouse [autotag]Ali Isaev[/autotag] (8-0, 4-0 PFL) and gritty American veteran [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (20-7, 6-3 PFL), while the 205-pound title will see Argentina’s [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (21-8, 5-1 PFL) take on America’s [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-1-1, 2-1 PFL). Also up for grabs is the PFL welterweight title, with former UFC veteran [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-5, 3-1 PFL) taking on 2018 runner-up [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (19-7-1, 6-2-1 PFL).

The six title fights will be preceded by a featured featherweight preliminary bout, as England’s [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (18-3, 1-0 PFL) takes on Brazil’s [autotag]David Valente[/autotag] (11-4, 0-0 PFL).

PFL Finals 2019 confirmed fight card includes:

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

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Lance Palmer and Natan Schulte not lacking motivation in attempts at PFL championship repeats

The prospect of winning $1 million never gets old.

Anyone who’s followed PFL knows the selling point and appeal of the organization’s format: there’s $1 million on the line for the champion in each weight class.

What about the fighters who have already won, whose lives have already been changed, and whose millionaire status is known to the world? Is there a sense of complacency?

Only two of last year’s six tournament winners have a chance to repeat at PFL 2019 Championship on Dec. 31: featherweight [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] and lightweight [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag].

According to these two men, motivation is not an issue. Neither feel complacent. After all, two (million) is better than one, right?

But money isn’t simply dollars and cents. It represents life improvements. That’s how the fighters differ. It’s likely their earnings will go toward different ventures, all with the same general purpose. For Palmer, a victory solidifies his financial future – and that of his future family as well.

“It cements more of a secure retirement,” said Palmer, who meets Alex Gilpin in the final. “A secure college fund set up for my future kids. It’s a lot of things. $1 million is a lot of money, but it doesn’t go as far as a lot of people think. This second million would definitely mean a lot to me from a family perspective and a future perspective.”

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Schulte, who will meet Loik Radzhabov, is also trying to lock down a secure future. The Brazilian fighter said he’s investing money in the hopes of making it reach even further.

“I’ve been learning how to invest my money and allocate it into stocks,” said Schulte. “I’ve been working with really top-notch people who have been able to help me have my money work for me. So that’s what I’ve done with the bulk of last year and what I intend on doing with this year’s earnings, as well.”

Money isn’t the only thing on the line Dec. 31. Legacies are at stake, too. It may seem cliche, but both fighters want to prove what they’re made of.

When Palmer reflects on his career, he’s proud of taking the road less traveled. A top competitor outside the UFC for years, Palmer is now reaping the benefits of sticking with PFL.

“It’s always been to do things people haven’t done yet,” Palmer said. “In PFL, there hasn’t been a (repeat). I was the first 145-pound champ in PFL and I’m going to try to be the first two-time champ in PFL history. I’m just trying to cement myself and make more firsts. I want to be the one to do these firsts in this organization.”

As for Schulte, another tournament championship would further validate his faith. He’s always trusted in God and as he continues to win, it confirms he’s been following the correct path.

“I just always knew all I needed was an opportunity,” Schulte said. “I’m a man of God and I’ve had faith God was going to open these doors for me. The moment is this opportunity. It came to life. I knew that I was ready, it was just a matter of someone granting me this chance.”

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There’s further evidence these two men aren’t solely participating for the lucrative prizes. $1 million is life-changing money, no doubt. But while both men talk about securing financial futures with a win in New York, that doesn’t mean they’re going to be hanging the gloves up even if they win.

“That’s not really on the table for me,” Palmer said. “I’m a competitor and until I don’t feel I have that competitive drive or the physical or mental health to be able to do it any more. I really feel like I’m just now hitting my prime. I’m getting better every day. It’s hard for me to say it’s time to hang it up right now.

“That’s a question I’ve asked myself before,” Schulte said. “I just love doing this and do it because I love it. Even when we were on the off-season when we didn’t have fights scheduled, this is what I do for joy. It’s a hobby for me as well as it is my profession. It’s what I know how to do.”

PFL 2019 Championship takes place Tuesday, Dec. 31 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The card airs on ESPN2.

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PFL Playoffs 2019: Make your predictions for six $1 million division finals

We want your predictions for the 2019 PFL playoff finals in New York.

We want your predictions for next week’s 2019 PFL playoff finals in New York.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Sunday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the PFL 2019 playoff finals staff predictions we release Monday ahead of the event. The 2019 PFL playoff finals take place Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The card airs on ESPN2.

Make your picks for all six playoff finals inside.

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PFL 2019: Check out the finishes that powered the last 12 to the New York finale

Check out the best finishes as the stars of the PFL secured their places in the end-of-year finale in New York.

The PFL’s sophomore season comes to a close in just 30 days’ time, as New York’s Madison Square Garden plays host to the 2019 season finale, with six end-of-season titles up for grabs.

The main event will see two-time Olympic judo gold medalist [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 6-0 PFL) look to secure the first major title of her MMA career when she takes on Brazil’s [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-1 PFL) in the women’s lightweight final.

While Harrison is looking to claim her maiden MMA title, reigning PFL champions [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 9-0 PFL) and [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (19-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 PFL) return to finals day looking to successfully repeat their season one finishes.

Featherweight Palmer takes on replacement finalist [autotag]Alex Gilpin[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 2-2 PFL) after his original opponent, Daniel Pineda, was pulled from the card following notice of a potential anti-doping violation.

And Brazilian lightweight Schulte will bid to successfully repeat his season one victory when he takes on Tajikistan’s [autotag]Loik Radzhabov[/autotag] (13-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1 PFL).

Also familiar with competing in the season finale is welterweight [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (19-7-1 MMA, 6-2-1 PFL), who lost out to Magomed Magomedkerimov in last year’s welterweight final. This time he’ll look go one step further and capture the 170-pound title against [autotag]David Michaud[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-1 PFL).

Also set for finals action are [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] 21-8 MMA, 5-1 PFL) and [autotag]Jordan Johnson[/autotag] (12-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1 PFL), who face off for the light heavyweight title, while undefeated [autotag]Ali Isayev[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 4-0 PFL) and [autotag]Jared Rosholt[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 6-3 PFL) will battle for the 2019 heavyweight championship.

Each finalist had to book their place in the Madison Square Garden finale by progressing through back-to-back bouts at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas back in October and, as the video above shows, the playoffs produced a feast of finishes in Sin City as the PFL’s best did battle in a bid to punch their ticket to New York.

Now they each stand just one victory away from a PFL title, and a cool $1 million prize.

PFL 2019 Finale championship bouts include:

Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco – women’s lightweight final
Ray Cooper III vs. David Michaud – welterweight final
Lance Palmer vs. Alex Gilpin – featherweight final
Natan Schulte vs. Loik Radzhabov – lightweight final
Emiliano Sordi vs. Jordan Johnson – light heavyweight final
Ali Isayev vs Jared Rosholt – heavyweight final

PFL, American Top Team deliver Thanksgiving meals to families in need

PFL officials partnered with American Top Team to help make Thanksgiving a little better for some Southern Florida families.

On Wednesday, PFL CEO Peter Murray and PFL 2019 season finalists [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] joined other American Top Team staff and fighters to help give back as part of the PFL’s “PFL Fights for Community” program.

“On the steps to the PFL cage is the question, ‘What do you Fight For?'” Murray stated. “Our elite athletes fight for honor, respect and family. At the PFL, we all fight for our community.

“American Top Team is home to elite MMA fighters, including several of our own, such as Kayla Harrison and Natan Schulte. Kayla and Natan are preparing for their championship fights on ESPN2 on New Year’s Eve at Madison Square Garden, where they’ll have a shot at a title and million-dollar prize, but took time out of their busy schedules to give back. As an organization, we place an emphasis on getting out, making a difference and bringing the fight to the community each and every day.”

Turkeys were distributed outside ATT’s famed Coconut Creek headquarters, as well as at Florida’s Gateway Community Outreach, an organization committed to preventing homelessness and restoring self-sufficiency.

Previous “PFL Fights for Community” partners include the Atlantic City Rescue and Randy Couture’s GI Foundation.