Welterweights
Magomed Magomedkerimov (28-6, 10-1 PFL) vs. Joao Zeferino (26-9, 5-0 PFL): Magomedkerimov won 13 straight fights—including the 2018 PFL championship—before succumbing to Ray Cooper III in a rematch in the 2021 welterweight final. It is unclear whether the 32-year-old Dagestani lost a step or Cooper simply improved significantly enough to combat his rival’s wrestling. Nonetheless, Magomedkerimov enters the new campaign as one of the favorites at 170 pounds. His foundation is wrestling, suffocating control and a powerful clinch game, all of which can wear opponents down over the course of a bout. He blends punches and kicks well enough, but the endgame is to close the distance. Zeferino has been with the organization since it was known as the World Series of Fighting. He is hittable on the feet, but he is capable of utilizing crisp boxing and lateral movement while smoothly transitioning from striking to grappling phases. He is especially good at advancing position and threatening with submissions when on top—he has 17 career triumphs via tapout—but against Magomedkerimov, he may need to be active from his back, looking to sweep or submit. Magomedkerimov by decision is the pick.
Women’s Featherweights
Genah Fabian (4-2, 3-2 PFL) vs. Julia Budd (16-3, 1-0 PFL): A World Muay Thai Council champion and the cousin of City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman, Fabian has showed decent improvement in PFL competition from 2019 to 2021. Fabian can throw kicks to all levels, has a solid left cross and is comfortable working in the clinch and throwing knees. The problem here is the gap in experience. Budd, though she has been known for being overly tentative and was not overly impressive in outpointing Kaitlin Young in her PFL debut, is well-versed enough in muay Thai to nullify Fabian in that area. Budd is quite content to grind away in the clinch and look for takedowns. If she can get Fabian down, that could spell doom for the Kiwi, who did not offer much of any means of defense when grounded by Kayla Harrison in a 2021 playoff bout. The pick is Budd by decision.
Welterweights
Sadibou Sy (9-6-2, 3-4-2 PFL) vs. Nikolay Aleksakhin (24-6, 1-1 PFL): The first meeting between Sy and Aleksakhin ended prematurely when an accidental eye poke from the former rendered his opponent unable to continue in the second round. Sy has shown a penchant for the spectacular, with body kick and head kick knockouts in PFL competition, but his overall record is unremarkable. The Swede works behind a technical jab and possesses a full arsenal of kicks. Sometimes, he will wait too long looking to counter, and he struggles against dominant wrestlers, but his striking ability makes him intriguing. Aleksakhin lost a competitive bout against eventual champ Ray Cooper III following his matchup with Sy and could be on the verge of a breakout in the PFL. He appeared to be getting the better of Sy before the foul, getting ahead on the scorecards behind a more active approach, including straight punches. Aleksakhin by decision is the pick.
Lightweights
Larissa Pacheco (15-4, 4-2 PFL) vs. Zamzagul Fayzallanova (7-1, 0-0 PFL): Pacheco owns the distinction of being the only fighter to have gone the distance against Kayla Harrison, though she was not particularly competitive on either occasion. She figures to be among the favorites to reach the lightweight final opposite Harrison again, as the Brazilian is a known fight finisher with power and solid array of submissions. Kazakhstan’s Fayzallanova is an interesting prospect with decent size and a rugged style. She will still be a considerable underdog here—and rightfully so. The pick is Pacheco by KO/TKO.
Welterweights
Gleison Tibau (37-15, 2-1 PFL) vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi (17-3, 1-0 PFL) Tibau’s most notable moment of 2021 was a controversial triumph against Rory MacDonald that went down as Sherdog’s “Robbery of the Year.” Thanks to his sheer strength and grinding style, Tibau is a fighter who is difficult to look good against, and his bout against MacDonald was a testament to that. The Brazilian will not throw with great volume on the feet, but he is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with a decently high takedown rate and defensive wrestling. Al-Silawi, a former two-division Brave Combat Federation champion, made waves on the PFL Challenger Series by knocking out Michael Lilly with a knee to earn a contract with the promotion. Al-Silawi is a dynamic kickboxer with an aggressive submission game, but he will need his defensive wrestling to hold up against the UFC veteran. The wear and tear of 52 career fights catches up to Tibau, as Al-Silawi gets a finish.
Women’s Lightweights
Helena Kolesnyk (5-4, 0-2 PFL) vs. Abigail Montes (3-0, 1-0 PFL): Kolesnyk enters the bout on a four-fight skid, which includes a trio of losses where she was finished. Mexico’s Montes, meanwhile, utilized a smart gameplan against heavily hyped boxing champion Claressa Shields, pressing her foe into the fence and landing takedowns to capture a unanimous decision triumph. Kolesnyk has more big-time MMA experience than Shields, but her struggles continue against Montes in a decision defeat.
Women’s Lightweights
Vanessa Melo (11-8, 0-0 PFL) vs. Martina Jindrova (4-2, 0-0 PFL): Melo had a tough run in the UFC, posting a 1-3 mark while losing to difficult opposition such as Karol Rosa, Tracy Cortez and Irene Aldana in the bantamweight division. The Brazilian hits hard and her lack of athleticism will not be as glaring at 155 pounds, particularly against an opponent as inexperienced as Jindrova. The kickboxer earned a PFL deal on the back of her striking in a split decision triumph over Jacqueline Cavalcanti, but her MMA resume overall is lacking. She will not hesitate to engage with Melo thanks to her kickboxing and muay Thai background, but a well-rounded approach from the typically durable Melo should get the job done in a decision win.