Welterweights
Ray Cooper III (24-7-1, 11-2-1 PFL) vs. Caros Leal Miranda (16-3, 0-0 PFL)Outside of Kayla Harrison, Cooper might be the best of the PFL’s homegrown talent. The hard-hitting Hawaiian initially rose to prominence in 2018 on the back of a pair of knockout wins against Jake Shields, but Cooper has rounded out his game since then. Had he not, he would not have been able to capture back-to-back PFL championships. “Bradda Boy” was most impressive in winning his second welterweight crown in 2021, as he navigated a tough matchup against Magomed Magomedkerimov by showing solid defense on the canvas as well as scoring takedowns against of his own against the ultra-tough Dagestani, who had a 13-fight winning streak halted in a third-round knockout defeat. Cooper’s wrestling was also prominent against former PFL and Bellator champ Rory MacDonald, as he dominated the Canadian on the canvas while threatening with a triangle choke in a dominant decision win. All of which is to say that Cooper is no longer just a knockout artist, though that remains a prominent part of his game. He will swarm opponents with heavy hooks and is capable of making them pay for mistakes with powerful overhand counters, but he can switch gears when necessary and fight in the clinch or land takedowns, where the aforementioned arm-triangle is a favorite maneuver of his. A short-notice replacement for Magomed Umalatov, Leal enters the bout on a nine-bout winning streak that includes six victories inside the distance. The 27-year-old Brazilian has acquired some decent experience along the way, winning two bouts on the PFL Challenger Series, capturing welterweight gold in the Legacy Fighting Alliance welterweight grand prix and earning a decision win in his lone Bellator appearance. While Leal has good finishing instincts, he is also capable of surviving a tough fight when he cannot put his man away, as he proved in a decision win over Chris Brown on the Challenger Series. Leal is aggressive with forward movement and heavy punches, but he does tend to hold his hands too low at times. He will look to strike his way into the clinch, where can control positioning or work for takedowns. From above, Leal’s ground-and-pound connects with decent power, creating opportunities for positional advancement or submission attempts. Leal has not yet faced the caliber of competition he will see in his PFL debut, however. This is not the version of Cooper who was submitted with ease by Magomedkerimov in the 2018 PFL final. The two-time champ has the tools to combat Leal at range, in close quarters and on the mat, and he will not be outgunned or overpowered by his Brazilian opponent. Cooper by KO/TKO is the pick.