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PFL 2022 World Championship Finals Preview
This Friday, live from the Hulu Theatre in Madison Square Garden, the PFL 2022 finals go down in New York. With six million dollars on the line for the six fighters who emerge victorious in their weight class, it’s sure to be another night of fireworks that produces some incredible stories.
Fans in the UK can watch the event on Channel 4 for free with the action scheduled to start at 1AM. This weekend, millionaires will be made.
Light Heavyweight final: Rob Wilkinson vs Omari Akhmedov
In the opening match up of the main card, the first finalist for 2022 will be crowned in the light heavyweight division. The match-up features the division’s biggest signing from last year taking on one of the biggest surprises in the 2022 season. Omari Akhmedov joined the PFL with a ton of experience. The 15-fight UFC veteran had left his former promotion after losing a split decision and hit the ground running in the PFL.
After his UFC career, many expected to see Akhmedov in this position come the finals. Along the way, the Russian picked up two finishes and was scheduled to face last season’s winner Antonio Carlos Junior but he was forced to pull out of the tournament.
Standing across from him will be one of 2022’s most devastating finishers. Aussie Rob Wilkinson has been one of the breakout fighters of the season, finishing all three of his opponents via TKO, showcasing a deadly arsenal. Can the experience and toughness of Akhmedov stop Wilkinson in his tracks or will he become another finish on the Aussie’s highlight reel.
Welterweight final: Sadibou Sy vs Dilano Taylor
For the welterweights, it’s a battle of two strikers who use their range to their advantage. Neither man would’ve been a favourite to make it to this point but both are incredibly deserving of their spot in the finals. Sweden’s Sadibou Sy has had a tough run to the finals. After coming up short in the semi-finals last year he defeated Rory MacDonald and Carlos Leal to book his place at MSG.
Dilano Taylor is the definition of taking the opportunity with both hands. After waiting patiently on the sidelines as an alternate, ‘The Postman’ got called up for a semi-finals match-up with MMA legend Rory Macdonald in Cardiff, Wales on late notice. Taylor took the spotlight for himself, knocking out ‘The Red King’ in the first round. With Sy’s three decision wins this season, the welterweight tournament will be decided by a fighter that has shown great control to battle his way to the finals though tooth and nail versus the ultimate opportunist, ready to snatch and grab the million.
Lightweight final: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Stevie Ray
In Canada’s Olivier Aubin-Mercier, you have a fighter that seemed destined for the finals. Since signing with the PFL in 2020, ‘The Canadian Gangster’ has won five consecutive decisions. His departure from the UFC was seen as a shock to many with fans feeling like he had a lot more to give. Though he may have lost a run of fights, the level of opposition he was facing speaks for itself (Alexander Hernandez, Gilbert Burns and Arman Tsarukyan). Aubin-Mercier is still just 33-years of age and has proven that he can compete with the very best in his weight class.
On the opposite side of the coin is a man that was never supposed to be stepping into a cage again let alone competing in the finals. Scotland’s Stevie Ray left the UFC in 2020 and announced his retirement from the sport. After getting past his long-term injuries, ‘Braveheart’ signed with the PFL, kicking off an incredible return. After losing his opening fight of the season, Ray defeated Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis in back-to-back fights to earn himself a shot at becoming a millionaire.
As if his Rocky Balboa moment wasn’t big enough, he submitted Pettis with the incredibly rare twister submission. On November 25th, Stevie Ray will have to flip the script once again if he is to stop Aubin-Mercier from becoming the champion.
Heavyweight final: Ante Delija vs Matheus Scheffel
In the heavyweight match-up, there’s an added ingredient thrown into the mix, revenge. Matheus Scheffel had an incredibly tough start to life in the PFL, losing his first fight of the season to Delija via a devastating knockout. In his second fight, Scheffel rebounded with a decision win over last season’s winner, Bruno Cappelozza. With a dominant display in the semi-finals over late replacement Juan Adams, Scheffel believes he has what it takes to defeat Delija this time around.
Ante Delija is also out to right the wrongs of the past. The prodigy of Croatian MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop made it to the finals last year, losing a decision to Cappelozza. This season, he has looked determined to go one further than last year’s effort, capping off his route to the final with a first round domination of Renan Ferreira in the semi-finals. It’s a battle of heavy hitters but who will land first, the brute strength of Delija vs the accuracy and hand speed of Scheffel. A million dollars and a shot at redemption.
Featherweight: Brendan Loughnane vs Bubba Jenkins
In the co-main event of the evening, the two runners up in the semi finals last year will get their chance to accomplish their dreams. Manchester’s own Brendan Loughnane has battled through a lot of adversity to get to this spot, gritting his teeth through tough fights earlier in the season. In the semi-finals, in front of his home fans, Loughnane produced arguably the best performance of his career, dominating 2021 finalist and PFL veteran Chris Wade. Whilst he is well-rounded, the Brit’s striking has been his biggest weapon inside the PFL smart cage.
Bubba Jenkins lost to Chris Wade in his semi final last year and has come back stronger in 2022. With a first-round finish over dangerous striker Ryoji Kudo in the semi-finals in London, he will have the confidence that his NCAA Division 1 credentials will help him to become a millionaire. Whilst both men have been incredibly respectful of one another in the build-up, come Friday night it is time for one of them to step into the spotlight, a runner up no more.
Women’s Lightweight: Kayla Harrison vs Larissa Pacheco
In the main event, the most dominant force in the PFL may be marking the end of her last season. Kayla Harrison has reigned over the lightweight division in both of her previous two years competing, yet to find her equal. Harrison has said that this will be her last trip to the finals after winning 14 in a row inside the PFL (With a 15-0 professional record). The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo has shown no signs of slowing down either, producing first-round finishes in her last two fights.
Attempting to break Harrison’s streak at the final opportunity will be a previous opponent of hers. Larissa Pacheco made her PFL debut in 2019 against the reigning champion and though she lost the fight, she still made it to the finals to face Harrison again. On both occasions, Kayla was able to control her opponent on the ground and grind out decision wins.
This season, Pacheco hasn’t had the need for any scorecards. With three TKOs in a row (five if you count last season also), Pacheco has looked more dangerous than ever. Her only two losses inside the PFL have come to Harrison who has shown herself to be levels above every other competitor in previous years. With her current run of finishes, could Pacheco be the woman to stop Harrison’s reign or will the champion leave Madison Square Garden with the three-peat.
Remember UK viewers can watch the PFL World Championship event live from 1AM on Channel 4 Saturday 26th November.
When France made the decision to make MMA legal back in January of 2020, they awoke a sleeping giant. The atmosphere provided by the French fans has quickly become the stuff of legend as one of the best live crowds in the world right now. Right at the centre of it is superstar striker Cédric Doumbé who is one of the most interesting fighters in MMA right now.
His next fight is different from all of his other MMA bouts for multiple reasons. For a start, it’s his first outing under the Bellator banner as the Champions Series debuts in France at the Accor Arena on May 17. More importantly, it’s also the first time he’s coming into an MMA contest following a defeat.
In his past fights, Doumbé has carried with him an aura of invincibility. Any pressure he had on his shoulders to perform in front of his fans seemed to only fuel him to put on more of a show for them but this wasn’t the case last time out. The former kickboxing star suffered a bump in the road, or rather a splinter in the foot, when he faced off with the undefeated Baysangur Chamsoudinov. Whilst a rematch between the pair may loom overhead following the sudden, confusing and disappointing end to their first contest, Doumbé’s focus is now on putting the past in the past. If there’s anyone that can make you live in the present, it’s him.
Outrage in the PFL last night as the main event of the night Doumbe vs Baki is stopped due to Mark Goddard stepping in.
— Cage Chronicle (@CageChronicle) March 8, 2024
Doumbe claimed there was a splinter in his foot to Baki and mark Goddard called the fight off and gave Baki the win by TKO. Weird night in Paris 🇫🇷#PFLParis pic.twitter.com/GRe0EOLict
However, this fight is different and more exciting for another reason. Doumbé’s last outing certainly had some added tension but considering he was up against another French talent with a bright future in MMA, the crowd wasn’t particularly hostile. This may not be the case on May 17 after some of the things that Jaleel Willis has said ahead of the fight.
After Derek Anderson suffered an incredibly unfortunate injury the day after he was announced to be Doumbé’s next opponent, former LFA champion Willis stepped up to the plate. He’s let it be no secret that he has no problem playing up to the villain role in this fight and in turn, uniting a French crowd against him.
Along with some crossfire on social media, the words between the two men hit a new high during the recent global media call where Willis made his intentions very clear before the French fighter rallied the people around him.
“How many times does anybody get to go into anyone’s backyard and dominate and do some s*** and be glorified for it and not get locked up” said Willis with Doumbé responding by rallying his troops.“France is waiting for me, all the French crowd, the French people and even American people are waiting for me to knock him out. I will do what I do best, rip his head off, shut his mouth and send him back to the U.S.”
As if the French crowd needed any more reason to blow the roof off the Accor Arena for the co-main event, there is a different intensity to this fight. This time around, it feels like their French superstar is defending home turf against an oncoming invasion. With his people around him, the stars in attendance and the brightest spotlight hanging overhead, Cédric Doumbé will look to prove why he leads this French revolution from the front.
Bellator Champions Series debuts in France on May 17 at the Accor Arena where Patchy Mix will look to defend his bantamweight title in a rematch with Magomed Magomedov in the main event.
Former ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell is on a quest to reclaim the crown she never lost in battle after her latest ONE Championship victory.
“The Hurricane” scored a second-round finish over Natalia Diachkova in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 this past Saturday, 4th May, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing en route to it.
In the early going, Diachkova made life difficult for Sundell, and she credited the Russian star for her showing after the fight.
“Yeah, it’s one of my biggest challenges. All my opponents are very tough and very different. So it’s hard to say which one’s the best of them,” she said.
“But yes, she got me good in the first round. So yeah, she’s definitely at the top.”
The win should have gone down as the Swede’s second successful defense of the women’s strawweight Muay Thai crown. But that wasn’t to be after she missed weight in the leadup and was stripped of the World Title.
There is little doubt that she’s still the top dog in the division after her performance against Diachkova, though, and Sundell only has eyes on reclaiming the gold from here.
“I’ve been very sad [to lose the belt]. But I’ve had many people online, on social media [who have] been supporting me. And it meant a lot to me. It kept me going today,” the 19-year-old sensation said.
“She got me good in the first round, so I knew I couldn’t stop there because I had my family around me, and I wanted to show them that I’m still the best.
“It doesn’t matter who I fight. I just love fighting. So yeah, anyone who steps into the ring with me. I really want my belt back.”
With the dust settled in Rio de Janeiro, it’s time to take a look at what’s next for the winners and losers of UFC 301.
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(c) Alexandre Pantoja (28-5) – UFC flyweight champion
In another hard-fought performance, flyweight kingpin Alexandre Pantoja retained his title in front of a home crowd in Brazil. With his second defense in the bag, he is already the second most accomplished champion in the history of the division. The scarce amount of deserving contenders makes it hard to pick out a deserving challenger, so I would advocate for ‘The Cannibal’ to take on the winner of an eliminator between Amir Albazi and Muhammad Mokaev.
(#10) Steve Erceg (12-2) – former UFC title challenger
Australia’s Steve Erceg gave a fantastic account of himself in his first UFC title bid, despite being less than a year into his run with the promotion. He will certainly remain in championship contention after this, and I think he should get another major fight after this. Brandon Royval won’t be getting another crack at the belt anytime soon, given his two losses to the champ, so I think this makes lots of sense.
Jose Aldo (32-8) – two-time UFC featherweight champion
What else is there to say about Jose Aldo? The Hall of Famer returned from retirement and put on one of his better performances ever against a top fifteen contender. If he decides to re-sign with the UFC and go on one final run at gold, I think Henry Cejudo is the ideal opponent. Dominick Cruz is obviously another great option, but Cejudo fought for the title a year ago and is closer to title contention. Either way, the King of Rio is back and that’s awesome.
(#12) Jonathan Martinez (19-5) – bantamweight contender
There is no shame for Jonathan Martinez in losing to Jose Aldo. I don’t think a loss to a former champion will harm his stock, though a fight outside of the rankings is likely in order for his next bout. Undefeated prospect Farid Basharat has been on the fringe of bantamweight contention for a while, and Martinez has made a name on beating hyped prospects. Book it for Manchester, if possible!
(#10) Anthony Smith (38-19) – former UFC title challenger
Every few years, Anthony Smith beats a surging contender, steals their hype and reignites his title hopes; that’s what we saw at UFC 301. If he doesn’t fight Bogdan Guskov next, it is a waited opportunity. I don’t even have to explain why this suggestion makes sense. Just search a photo of Smith and Guskov standing beside each other.
Vitor Petrino (11-1) – light heavyweight contender
Coming into this bout, it seemed like Vitor Petrino wouldn’t be stopped, but his inexperience at the highest level seemed to trip him up. Still, he is a solid prospect at 205lbs that has finishing ability. Ryan Spann has been on a small slide lately, but also has power in both hands, much like Petrino. I say that it makes sense.
Michel Pereira (31-11, 2 NC) – middleweight contender
Michel Pereira is bloody amazing inside the ring. His move to 185lbs has only made him a stronger force nature, as demonstrated by his sub-sixty stoppage on Saturday. A ranked middleweight has to be next. I would recommend Roman Dolidze as an opponent and, if it can be organised, it should be done in Brazil. ‘Demolidor’ has star potential in his home country.
Ihor Potieira (20-6) – middleweight contender
Given that he didn’t even get a chance to showcase his arsenal in this 54 second bout, it’s hard to pinpoint where Ihor Potieria should go next. I’m going to suggest Bruno Silva, because why not? It’d be fun, probably.
(#14) Caio Borralho – middleweight contender
The unbeaten run of Caio Borralho continued in Brazil, where he claimed a second round knockout. The showcase gave the impression that ‘The Natural’ is ready for a step up in competition, which I would agree with. He called for Jared Cannonier, but has been slated to take on Nassourdine Imavov later this year. Jack Hermansson, however, is available and riding the hype of crushing the surge of Joe Pyfer. I could see this matchup headlining a card at some point.
(#13) Paul Craig – middleweight contender
Back-to-back losses in three middleweight appearances are not ideal for Paul Craig. I think that questions for retirement will be floated for the 36 year old, but if he wants to continue fighting, a bout with former champion Chris Weidman would work well. The Scot is will be trying to defend his ranking, while the New Yorker will be attempting to re-enter the top fifteen.
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