PFL 2021: Week 1 – Syndication Server

PFL 2021, Week 1 weigh-in results: Main card fighters on mark, but Mikhail Odintsov heavy on prelims

Check out the results from the official PFL 2021, Week 1 fighter weigh-ins.

The weigh-ins are in the books for PFL’s return to action after missing all of 2020.

The eight fighters on the main card all hit their marks at Thursday’s official weigh-ins, but one fighter on the prelims missed weight – which is a costly misstep in the PFL’s standings system.

In the main event, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (24-10) makes his promotional debut against Clay Collard (18-8). Pettis came in at 156 pounds. Collard was 154.5.

In the co-feature, two-time lightweight PFL season winner Natan Schulte (20-3-1) meets Marcin Held (26-7). Schulte weighed in at 156. Held was 155.75.

On the prelims, [autotag]Mikhail Odintsov[/autotag] (18-2) was 156.5 pounds for his fight against Akhmed Aliev (19-6). In the PFL’s points system in the regular season, missing weight means a fighter is not eligible to win any points in the fight. And additionally, Odintsov loses a point for the weight infraction. So no matter what his result is against Aliev, Odintsov will be at -1 points in the standings, giving him a steep uphill climb to make the postseason.

The complete PFL 2021, Week 1 weigh-in results included:

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

Anthony Pettis (156) vs. Clay Collard (154.5)
Marcin Held (155.75) vs. Natan Schulte (156)
Movlid Khaybulaev (145.5) vs. Lazar Stojadinovic (145.75)
Bubba Jenkins (146) vs. Lance Palmer (145.5)

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

Brendan Loughnane (146) vs. Sheymon Moraes (146)
Joilton Lutterbach () vs. Raush Manfio (156)
Akhmed Aliev (155.25) vs. Mikhail Odintsov (156.5)*
Anthony Dizy (145.5) vs. Chris Wade (146)
Tyler Diamond (145.75) vs. Sung Bin Jo (145.5)
Alex Martinez (156) vs. Loik Radzhabov (155.5)

*Odintsov missed the lightweight limit. He cannot earn points in his fight against Aliev, and loses a point in the standings.

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	Pettis (78%)	Schulte (66%)	Khaybulaev (80%)	Palmer (82%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 49-26	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 48-27 2018 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 45-30	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 45-30 2017 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 44-31 2020 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 43-32	Pettis	Held	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 42-33	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 41-34 2014 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 39-36	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Pettis -600	Schulte -400	Khaybulaev -650	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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MMA Junkie Radio #3151: Calvin Kattar; previewing UFC 261 and PFL 2021, Week 1

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode 3,151, the fellas previewed a couple of big weekend events, with UFC 261 and PFL 2021, Week 1. Additionally, they talked to UFC featherweight contender [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] about his future plans, as well as recapped the action from Wednesday’s ONE on TNT III event.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Ex-UFC champion Anthony Pettis: ‘I definitely have a target on my back’ entering PFL lightweight season

Anthony Pettis knows the spotlight is on him entering PFL’s lightweight season.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] thinks he’s the man to beat in the upcoming PFL lightweight season.

The former UFC and WEC champion makes his promotional debut Friday whenn he headlines the PFL’s Week 1 event in Atlantic City, N.J., against Clay Collard. The main card airs on ESPN 2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The 34-year-old Pettis (24-10) knows he’s now among the most notable names on the roster and still one of the most popular fighters at 155 pounds, and thinks that’s made him a mark for the rest of the division.

“Just the resume I have puts a target on my back,” Pettis told reporters at the PFL 2021, Week 1 media day. “These guys know who I am and they have watched me in this sport, so I definitely have a target on my back.”

With the spotlight on him, Pettis recognizes he’s in a dangerous position, but embraces the attention and has fully prepared to stop any opponent from handing him his first defeat in PFL.

“I was the champion in every organization, so I’ve always had a target on my back,” Pettis said. “I know what these guys are looking forward to. The scary part about it is that (Collard has) got nothing to lose. He can just go out there, bite on his mouth piece and go – and that’s what I’m not trying to get caught up in. It’s another fight. These guys, there’s some good talent in this organization, and I have to be sharp and on my game.”

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Pettis has found plenty of past MMA success and remained a top contender in the UFC for years after he lost the lightweight title in 2015.

But despite being close to 40 fights deep in his MMA career, Pettis thinks he can still shape and add to his legacy if he wins PFL’s 2021 lightweight season.

“My legacy is kind of already written, (but) I’m still going,” Pettis said. “I’m 34 years old. This camp was amazing. I felt so good. The structure and the motivation is everything that came along with this. Before, when I was up and coming, I wanted to be remembered as the guy who fought anyone, anywhere, any time while I was fighting at 145, 155 and 170.

“And now I have an opportunity to become a three-organization champion, and that can be done in a year. Im very exited about the opportunity that’s in front of me.”

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Two-time PFL champion Natan Schulte hopes for finals showdown against Anthony Pettis

As Natan Schulte gears up for another PFL season, he already has his eyes on one of the sport’s big names.

As [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] gears up for another PFL season, he already has his eyes on one of the sport’s big names.

Two-time PFL lightweight champion Schulte (20-3), will be entering the 2021 season against some new but certainly familiar faces, which include a few UFC veterans.

Most notable among them is former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10), whom Schulte hopes to cross paths with, preferably in the $1 million championship fight at the end of the playoffs.

“I want to fight against Anthony Pettis because he’s ex-UFC,” Schulte told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s a good fighter, a good name, but I can fight with other guys. Maybe a rematch with Loik (Radzhabov) or other guys. (But) I prefer to fight in the finals against Anthony Pettis.”

Schulte’s first test of the 2021 season sees him take on Marcin Held in the co-main event of PFL 2021, Week 1, which takes place April 23. Pettis will take on Clay Collard in the main event.

Although Schulte has taken on some tough-level competition during his eight-fight winning streak, he faces a unique challenge in Held. The Polish fighter is a leg-lock specialist with finishes by heel hook, kneebar and even a toe hold.

Having rolled with him on the mats before, Schulte is familiar with Held and is wary of the threats he brings to the table.

“I know Marcin Held is a tough opponent,” Schulte said. “I trained with him in American Top Team, but it was a little time. He’s a good opponent for my first fight in PFL.

“I prefer to defend the leg locks against Marcin Held, but I can put my pressure, my striking game, in this fight.”

Schulte already has won the PFL title and banked a $1 million prize twice, but the Brazilian grappling ace said his love of the game is what keeps him coming back for more.

“My motivation is fighting because I love to fight,” he said. “I fight because I wake up every day (and) I love training. I love training in jiu-jitsu, wrestling, muay Thai. My motivation is never for money – my motivation is because I love to fight.”

https://youtu.be/uLxFIwhtWQs

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Anthony Pettis says less sparring will benefit him in PFL’s season format: ‘We can’t risk injuries’

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, Anthony Pettis has found a successful recipe for his training – fewer hard sparring sessions.

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] has found a successful recipe for his training.

Pettis (24-10), who will be taking part in PFL’s upcoming 2021 lightweight season, finds himself in a unique position in his career. For the first time, “Showtime” will have his schedule mapped out and already knows which opponents are on his radar.

Through the strenuous nature of the tournament format, Pettis sees perks in his recent effort of reducing sparring, which he expects to pay dividends at this point in his career.

“I’ve been pulling back from sparring lately,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “My last couple of camps my sparring was very strategic and my opponents were very strategic. I go in there, and I play, and I do my drills, and I work with the lesser guys. I feel like there I get more work in that’s safe, then I do my hard rounds when I need to. So I think with this tournament format we can’t risk injuries, so we’ll definitely be doing a lot of pad work.”

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Pettis will face Clay Collard in the main event of PFL 2021, Week 1, which takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion will look to add another belt to his collection, something he didn’t necessarily think would be an option for him down the line.

“Nah, not really, but now that you say that, that’s awesome!” Pettis said. “To be able to be champion, and I have the opportunity to do it in one year where I don’t have to work my way up the ladder. I just gotta win these fights, so it’s pretty dope, actually.

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career. Now it’s the next chapter, the next version of myself and this tournament format is already weird to think about. I’m already thinking about who’s next, but you gotta concentrate on who’s in front of you so it’s gonna be fun this year.”

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