Preview: PFL 1 ‘Collard vs. Stephens’

Lightweights

Olivier Aubin-Mercier (13-5, 2-0 PFL) vs. Natan Schulte (21-4, 10-1-1 PFL)

BETUS ODDS: Aubin-Mericer (-165), Schulte (+135)

Schulte is one of the PFL’s most accomplished fighters after winning championships in 2018 and 2019. The Brazilian judoka is well-rounded, durable and capable of prevailing against a variety of styles. However, Schulte struggled in exchanges at times against both Alex Martinez and Marcin Held during his 2021 campaign, a year that ended his championship reign. Schulte’s best weapon when upright are his leg kicks, but he will usually doggedly work to close the distance, where he is ultra-sticky in the clinch and can work to ground his opponent through a variety of trips, sweeps and throws. Also working in his favor is Schulte is durable enough to absorb some strikes in order to achieve his goal of forcing grappling exchanges. Aubin-Mercier is also at his best when he is able to dictate the terms of a fight through his grappling, but his striking, while improved since his UFC debut, is not enough to carry him through a bout on its own. An example of Aubin-Mercier being able to change the tone of a fight with his standup surfaced against Held, when he rocked his Polish foe with an overhand right on route to a clear-cut decision victory. The Canadian will blend punches and kicks together well enough at times, but in most cases, he will revert to his grappling when it is clear he is not getting the better of the action on the feet. This fight could feature some pretty entertaining transitions and scrambles, but both men are well-versed enough to where the action in the clinch and on the canvas could become a stalemate. Look for Schulte to batter Aubin-Mercier with low kicks, hold his own in grappling exchanges and do just enough to get the nod from the cageside judges. The pick is Schulte by decision.

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