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Check out these photos from 2022 PFL 3 which took place at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Check out these photos from 2022 PFL 3 which took place at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL)
Watch the pre-fight staredowns and check out the photo gallery from the 2022 PFL 3 weigh-ins.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Fighters competing at 2022 PFL 3 went face-to-face at ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their bouts on Friday.
The 2021 PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] (12-0) squared off with [autotag]Marina Mokhnatkina[/autotag] (6-2) Thursday. The two competitors are set to meet in the main event of Friday’s event, capping off the first event of the season including the women’s lightweight division.
In the co-main event, 2021 welterweight champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] (24-7-1) will face PFL Challenger Series newcomer [autotag]Carlos Leal[/autotag] (16-3) to close out the first event featuring 170-pound fighters.
With a spotlighted free agency behind her, Kayla Harrison (@KaylaH) is set to welcome Marina Mokhnatkina to her house tomorrow. 🏠#2022PFL3 | https://t.co/nF3L5ocZob pic.twitter.com/FxmGu84PCX
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) May 6, 2022
The main card for PFL Championship airs on ESPN2 and streams on ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET following the prelims on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET.
Check out the pre-fight faceoffs in the video above and the photo gallery from the weigh-ins below.
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Check out these photos from the 2022 PFL 3 ceremonial weigh-ins.
Check out these images from the 2022 PFL 3 ceremonial weigh-ins and faceoffs at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photos by Matthew Wells, MMA Junkie)
While the PFL’s playoff structure has been set since June, the full lineup for the promotion’s upcoming events is now nearly complete.
While the PFL’s playoff structure has been set since June, the full lineup for the promotion’s upcoming events is now nearly complete.
Promotion officials today announced additional bouts for 2021 PFL Playoffs 1, which takes place Aug. 13 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The night’s playoff bouts air on ESPN2 and stream on ESPN+, while the non-playoff matchups will stream exclusively on ESPN+.
“Not only will 550 million MMA fans around the world witness win-or-go-home playoff action, but they will see some of the best fighters the PFL has to offer showcased,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated.
Featured additions includes a lightweight contest include two-time PFL champion [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (21-4-1) taking on 12-time UFC veteran [autotag]Olivier Aubin-Mercier[/autotag] (12-5), as well as Swedish PFL vet [autotag]Sadibou Sy[/autotag] (9-5-2) facing 28-time UFC veteran [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (35-15).
2021 PFL Playoffs 1 marks the first of three events for the promotion in a 15-day stretch, where the finalists will be set for the 2021 PFL world championship bouts, which will take place later this year.
“The excitement of the Professional Fighters League’s final four is unmatched in sports,” Murray stated. “The stakes for the fighters could not be higher as they compete for spots in the $1 million world championship bouts.”
The 2021 PFL Playoffs 1 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
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Check out the video highlights from Thursday’s 2021 PFL 5, where the postseason was cemented at welterweight and light heavyweight.
The PFL returned Thursday with postseason spots on the line in the welterweight and light heavyweight divisions.
There was a big surprise in the 2021 PFL 5 main event when [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] upset former Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] with a split decision. MacDonald derided the result as a robbery after the fight – but courtesy of a first-round finish in his first fight of the season, he still had enough points to reach the playoffs despite the loss. Tibau’s win was worth 3 points, which wasn’t enough to make the postseason.
[autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag] found himself in an interesting situation, too. He took a unanimous decision from [autotag]Nikolay Aleksakhin[/autotag] in the welterweight co-main event – but couldn’t earn any points in the standings because he missed weight. In fact, he was docked a point for that infraction. But because not enough fighters below him in the standings did enough to pass him, he still will fight in the four-man bracket to go after a second $1 million prize.
Joining MacDonald (6 points) and Cooper (5) in the welterweight postseason will be top seed [autotag]Joan Zeferino[/autotag] (8) and No. 4 seed [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag] (5).
In light heavyweight fights on the main card, [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] upset [autotag]Cezar Ferreira[/autotag]. But Ferreira’s 6-point finish in his first fight remained enough to get him to the postseason, and Camozzi’s 3 points from his unanimous decision wasn’t enough to get him in after a loss in his opening fight. And [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] fought to a draw with [autotag]Dan Spohn[/autotag], worth just 1 point each. But that was enough to give Sordi 4 points – and a tiebreaker over Cory Hendricks, who had a 4-point finish of [autotag]Marthin Hamlet[/autotag] on the prelims.
Despite the loss, Hamlet still made the playoffs with 5 points. Joining him are [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (7) atop the 205-pound table, Ferreira (6) and Sordi (4).
Check out the highlights from 2021 PFL 5Â in the video above.
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Check out the full results of 2021 PFL 5, headlined by a welterweight matchup between Rory MacDonald vs. Gleison Tibau.
[autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] will miss the 2021 PFL playoffs, but that didn’t stop him from creating drama with a huge upset win over [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag].
In the main event of 2021 PFL 5, MacDonald (22-7-1) found himself on the wrong end of a split decision to Tibau (35-15). 2021 PFL 5 took place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card aired on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.
For most fighters on the card, this event was all about securing the most points possible to lock in their spot for the playoffs. Entering the cage on Thursday with six points on the board and a spot in the playoffs already clinched, MacDonald did not share that concern. His opponent Tibau, however, needed a first or second-round finish to earn a spot in the playoffs.
Tibau started the first round aggressively, looking to land hard strikes, knowing his playoff life was on the line with time against him. MacDonald stayed light on his feet and circled on the outside while landing strikes of his own.
An accidental eye poke from MacDonald occurred in the middle of the opening round, but Tibau continued after a short break to recover.
When the action resumed, Tibau continued to swing for the fences, but MacDonald wanted to bring the action to the mat to slow his opponent down. He would end up on Tibau’s back and attempt a rear-naked choke, but Tibau defended it well before the round ended.
Rory closes out the 1st round in dominant fashion!#2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/QwtW85JCZP
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2021
Perhaps liking the success in the closing moments of the first, MacDonald immediately went for the takedown at the beginning of the second round. Tibau would break free and the pair exchanged strikes in the center of the cage.
Uppercut for Tibau!#2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/qHeh442mJl
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2021
MacDonald continued to look for takedown attempts, but Tibau’s defense held strong. Both fighters found the mark for hard strikes, with Tibau blitzing forward with a nice combination to end the round.
Even though he couldn’t secure a finish within the first two rounds, Tibau continued to throw heavy punches in the third. MacDonald controlled the action early by controlling the center of the cage, while landing quick strikes of his own.
MacDonald accidentally poked Tibau’s eye for the second time, halting the action briefly. When the action resumed, Tibau continued to pressure forward and a few strikes were exchanged, but nothing too significant before the fight came to an end.
Two judges scored the bout in favor of Tibau with scores of 29-28, while one judge scored the fight 29-28 for MacDonald, giving Tibau the huge upset victory by split decision.
🇧🇷 Gleison Tibau pulls off the upset!!#2021PFL5 pic.twitter.com/xDQqijC7jq
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 18, 2021
Tibau was on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Joao Zeferino at 2021 PFL 2 in April, but on Thursday, the judges were on his side.
In the co-main event of the evening, 2019 PFL champion Ray Cooper III ground out a hard-fought decision victory over Nikolay Aleksakhin to clinch a playoff spot, despite losing a point for missing weight.
Thursday’s event featured fights between welterweights and light heavyweights to determine who would advance to the playoffs.
Full results of 2021 PFL 5 are below:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
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Check out the full weigh-in results ahead of Thursday’s 2021 PFL 5 event.
The weigh-ins are in the books for PFL’s fifth event of 2021, with welterweights and light heavyweight ready to close out their season after hitting the scales at Wednesday’s official ceremony.
Welterweights take center stage on Thursday, as [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] is set to face [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] in the main event. The co-main event will see [autotag]Nikolay Aleksakhin[/autotag] take on 2019 PFL champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag].
2021 PFL 5 takes place Thursday 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:
MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
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Rory MacDonald will serve as the headliner for his second straight PFL event.
[autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] will serve as the headliner for his second straight PFL event.
On Wednesday, PFL officials announced the lineup for the second round of 2021 regular-season bouts for welterweights and light heavyweights, which take place at 2021 PFL 5 on June 17. In the main event, MacDonald (22-6-1) faces fellow ex-UFC fighter [autotag]Gleison Tibau[/autotag] (35-15) at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.
MacDonald made good in his promotional debut, when he submitted Curtis Millender in the first round at 2021 PFL 2. The win placed the former Bellator welterweight champion and UFC title challenger at the top of the season standings, alongside reigning PFL champion [autotag]Ray Cooper III[/autotag], who also notched six points when he choked out Jason Ponet in the co-main event.
Cooper (21-7-1) will serve as the co-main event once again when he takes on [autotag]Nikolay Aleksakhin[/autotag] (26-5-1). Also on the main card is 2019 PFL light heavyweight champ [autotag]Emiliano Sordi[/autotag] (23-8), who takes on Dana White’s Contender Series alum [autotag]Dan Spohn[/autotag] (18-8). Finally, leader on the light heavyweight board [autotag]Cezar Ferreira[/autotag] (14-8) will look to build off his 37-second knockout over Nick Roehrick when he faces [autotag]Chris Camozzi[/autotag] (25-15).
A grapplers delight between [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] (11-5-1), who submitted Tom Lawlor in his promotional debut, and 2018 light heavyweight finalist [autotag]Vinny Magalhaes[/autotag]Â (19-12-1) will serve as the featured prelim.
#2021PFL5 MATCHUPS ARE OFFICIAL!
Welterweights and Light Heavyweights make their final push towards the 2021 PFL Playoffs! pic.twitter.com/pRppWGHvOh
— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 19, 2021
The full 2021 PFL 5 lineup includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 9 p.m. E.T.)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. E.T.)
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