Preview: PFL 6 ‘Aubin-Mercier vs. Romero’

Welterweights

Magomed Magomedkerimov (31-6, 13-1 PFL | -850) vs. David Zawada (18-8, 0-1 PFL | +525): Visa issues, injury and an upset loss to Ray Cooper III have prevented Magomedkerimov from building upon his 2018 PFL championship. If fortune goes his way, the 33-year-old Dagestani remains as dangerous as ever, which he proved by vanquishing an overmatched Ben Egli with a first-round head kick in his first appearance of the 2023 campaign. Magomedkerimov is a disciplined striker with sound boxing and a dangerous overhand right, but he is even better when he can grind away with clinch work and takedowns. Zawada enters the matchup having lost three of his last four professional outings. His chin failed him in his PFL debut, where he was countered and finished by Carlos Leal Miranda in the first round of their bout. Zawada has been known as an offensive-minded fighter with decent durability, but his chin may be on the decline as his career advances. The KSW veteran seems to have been trending downward since 2018, but the PFL did not do him any favors with this matchmaking. Magomedkerimov has plenty of tools to win this fight, and he gets it done inside the distance.

Welterweight

Magomed Umalatov (13-0, 4-0 PFL | -650) vs. Nayib Lopez Miranda (16-0, 1-0 PFL | +425):: Umalatov has the look of a budding star for the PFL at welterweight. Now he just has to make it into the postseason without any external issues blocking his progress. Performance in the cage should not be an issue: The Russian has authored impressive finishes in three of his four league appearances. His penchant for the spectacular is backed by a patient approach, as he is fully capable of landing his jab and countering until the right opening arrives. Miranda, meanwhile, utilized a smothering approach with takedowns and control to capture a unanimous verdict over Shane Mitchell in his PFL debut. While one might expect Umalatov to have a good grappling game, it has not been needed in recent outings. It seems unlikely that Miranda will want to trade and taste Umalatov’s power. However, he will be fighting an uphill battle trying to initiate the type of fight he had against Mitchell. The PFL will bill this as a matchup of two undefeated fighters, but Umalatov is on a different level in that regard. He gets another finish here.

Lightweights

Natan Schulte (24-5-1, 13-2-1 PFL | -180) vs. Raush Manfio (17-4, 6-1 PFL | +150): Longtime training partners at American Top Team and good friends, Schulte and Manfio were initially supposed to square off in 2021 before that bout fell through. With both coming off a decision victory in their first regular-season outing, a playoff berth could be on the line. Not only are Schulte and Manfio quite familiar with each other, but both do similar things well in their fights. Schulte, the 2018 and 2019 PFL champ, is known for relentless pressure, leg kicks and his ability to take foes down in the clinch with trips, sweeps and throws. Manfio, who captured the lightweight crown in 2021, is a well-rounded competitor with good cardio and solid takedown defense. His striking is versatile enough to keep opponents honest, but he can also grind away in the clinch. Schulte might have a slight edge on the ground, while Manfio has the reach and striking advantage, but do not expect either man to pull away. Schulte wins a narrow decision by making it a grind and winning just enough of the grappling exchanges and scrambles.

Welterweights

Carlos Leal Miranda (18-4, 2-1 PFL | -220) vs. Dilano Taylor (10-4, 2-3 PFL | +175): With victories in 12 of his last 13 professional outings, Miranda is on quite the roll. That momentum continued at PFL 3, where he put away UFC veteran David Zawada inside of a round. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance grand prix winner likes to pressure his foes, and he has good power in his hands. Miranda’s style leaves him open to taking punishment, but his chin tends to hold up more often than not. Taylor, meanwhile, rose to prominence on the strength of his technical knockout of Rory MacDonald last season, but his road has been rough otherwise, with recent losses to Magomed Umalatov, Sadibou Sy and Magomed Magomedkerimov. “The Postman” has a solid jab, good hand speed and power in his right hand, but he can be plagued by periods of inactivity. That will not be an issue here, because Miranda will force his hand. Coming off a big knockout loss to Umalatov could make Taylor even more hesitant against a confident adversary. Miranda outworks Taylor for a decision victory.

Lightweights

Alex Martinez (10-4, 3-4 PFL | -140) vs. Bruno Miranda (15-3, 1-0 PFL | +110): Martinez has faced a difficult strength of schedule during his PFL tenure, but he has proven up to the task at times, with notable wins over the likes of Clay Collard, Steven Ray and Loik Radzhabov. He has also lost some tough decisions, including his most recent appearance against Raush Manfio at PFL 3. The Paraguay native is relatively well-rounded and transitions well between the phases of MMA, but he has not proven to be a dynamic finisher at this level. He is also durable, which leads to a lot of close fights on the scorecards. After scoring a faceplant knockout of Carson Frei on the PFL Challenger Series in 2022, Miranda flashed powerful hands and stout takedown defense in a lopsided decision win over Ahmed Amir in his PFL debut. Miranda is the more dangerous striker of the two in this matchup, but it remains to be seen if he is as tactical and skilled as his opponent. Martinez could frustrate Miranda with his jab and variety of kicks. Look for him to win a decision.

Welterweights

Jarrah Al-Silawi (18-5, 1-2 PFL | N/A) vs. Solomon Renfro (10-3, 0-0 PFL | N/A): After kicking off his PFL tenure with a split decision win over grinding Brazilian veteran Gleison Tibau, Al-Silawi has been stopped in back-to-back outings by Magamed Umalatov and Sadibou Sy. While there is no shame in losing to two of the top welterweights in the league, those showings also suggest that the former Brave Combat Federation two-division champion has a ceiling. Al-Silawi is a decently skilled kickboxer, but “The Jordanian Lion” does leave himself open to counters when he lunges forward with his attacks. However, coming off back-to-back knockout defeats, Al-Silawi could adopt a more conservative approach. Renfro takes the bout on less than a week’s notice as a replacement for Zach Juusola, who himself was stepping in for former Glory champion Cedric Doumbe. The 26-year-old Team Tiger Schulmann representative has decent experience, with bouts in Legacy Fighting Alliance, Dana White’s Contender Series and Cage Fury Fighting Championships. While Renfro has some talent, this could be a tough ask on short notice. Al-Silawi wins via decision.

Featherweights

Brahyan Zurcher (5-0, 1-0 PFL | -240) vs. Mike Bardsley (2-0, 0-0 PFL | +190): With a pair of wins on the PFL Challenger Series and another in a showcase bout during the PFL postseason in 2022, Zurcher appears to be a prospect the league is interested in developing. Thus far, the Xtreme Couture product has shown a solid ability to blend striking with takedowns. Once on the canvas, he is adapt at advancing position and threatening with submissions. Bardsley, meanwhile, appears to be a local on the card who is being used to measure Zurcher’s progress. Zurcher wins via submission.

Featherweights

Abdullah Al-Qahtani (5-1, 0-0 PFL | -250) vs. Lamar Brown (4-1, 0-0 PFL | +200): Al-Qahtani is the latest Brave Combat Federation veteran to make his way to the PFL. While the United Arab Emirates native is young in his career, three split decisions on his record indicates a penchant for close fights. Brown, meanwhile, is anchored at American Top Team Atlanta and has fought exclusively on the Southeast regional MMA scene, racking up wins over opponents with an aggregate record of 2-13-1. Al-Qahtani via decision is the pick.