Preview: PFL 7 ‘Jenkins vs. Pinedo’

2023 PFL Featherweight Semifinal

Chris Wade (23-9, 11-6 PFL) vs. Gabriel Braga (11-0, 2-0 PFL)

Wade will make his fifth consecutive PFL postseason appearance after Movlid Khaybulaev had to withdraw from the semifinals for undisclosed reasons. “The Long Island Killer” is a well-rounded competitor, but the question remains whether or not he will be able to shine in the biggest moments. Wade’s biggest strength is his ability to mix up his attacks. He likes to pressure forward behind his jab and an arsenal of kicks and knees. Outside of the occasional head kick, his striking is not of the fight-finishing variety, but it allows him to transition to grappling exchanges, where he is extremely active with wrestling, scrambling and submission attempts.

Braga has enjoyed an interesting first PFL campaign. He edged Jesus Pinedo via split decision on 24 hours’ notice at PFL 1 before sending Marlon Moraes back into retirement with a first-round technical knockout victory at PFL 4. The 25-year-old Brazilian was particularly effective with his leg kicks in both appearances, and that is something he may want to utilize again to discourage Wade’s forward movement. Braga is also willing to trade, but outside of his stoppage of a faded Moraes, he has not recently displayed a knack for finishing.

Expect Wade to rely on a versatile attack and force Braga to defend against takedowns while mixing up his strikes. While Braga is an intriguing prospect, this is his toughest challenge yet in the PFL against a durable, experienced adversary. Wade wins a hard-fought decision.

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