Featherweights
Brendan Loughnane (21-4, 4-1 PFL) vs. Ryoji Kudo (10-2-1, 0-0 PFL)Loughnane enters the 2022 PFL season as one of the featherweight favorites after falling eventual 2021 champion Movlid Khaybulaev in the semifinals. The good news for Loughnane and the rest of the field is that Khaybulaev is not back to defend his crown. Loughnane was unable to remain upright for any significant period of time against his Dagestani foe, which resulted in the end of a seven-bout winning streak for the well-traveled Dana White’s Contender Series alum. Prior to that defeat, Loughnane was every bit the impressive signing he was touted to be in amassing four victories under the PFL banner. Though he was famously criticized by UFC President Dana White for going for a late takedown to clinch a victory on the Contender Series, the Englishman does some of his best work in the standup, blending punches and a wide array of kicks together nicely. His jab and low kicks are an especially solid pairing, and he will utilize intelligent movement to set up his attacks. The Alliance MMA representative is durable and possesses competent takedowns and grappling to complement his striking. Kudo enters his PFL debut on a loss, as he fell to Keisuke Sasu via majority decision in a five-round featherweight title bout in Shooto in July. That snapped a seven-fight winning streak for the Tribe Tokyo MMA export, who was once a prospect on Rich Franklin’s One Championship Warrior Series. Kudo appears to have become a more threatening striker since his stint with One, as he preceded his loss to Sasu with three consecutive KO/TKO triumphs. With that said, Kudo is not particularly active on the feet, as he can spend significant portions of the fight bouncing around looking for openings to attack or close the distance. He also does not incorporate kicks all that often, which could be problematic against a versatile striker like Loughnane. Kudo will often use his punches to gain entry into the clinch, but he can stall out or be controlled in these situations. Kudo is a patient, intelligent fighter, but he lacks the toolbox to threaten a veteran opponent with championship aspirations. Loughnane either wins via late stoppage or takes a clear-cut decision.
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