Preview: PFL 2 2024

The heavyweights and women’s flyweights had their fun a week ago, and now the time has come for the light heavyweights and lightweights to shine. The 2024 Professional Fighters League regular season heads to Las Vegas on Friday with PFL 2—a high-stakes card inside The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, with the main draw scheduled to get started at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Reigning light heavyweight tournament winner Impa Kasanganay looks to take his first step back to the championship with a win over Alex Polizzi in the headliner. Meanwhile, Rob Wilkinson returns from suspension, and former Bellator MMA lightweight kingpin Patricky Freire makes his PFL debut against the always-entertaining Clay Collard.

Now to the preview for PFL 2:

Light Heavyweight

Impa Kasanganay (15-4, 5-1 PFL) vs Alex Polizzi (10-3, 0-0 PFL)

ODDS: Kasagnany (-200), Polizzi (+160)

Kasanganay shocked the world last season when he won the light heavyweight tournament after earning his spot in the PFL Challenger Series. The Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran is amid a career revival that has taken him from a viral victim to the top of the mountain. Now, it’s time for the tricky part: staying on top. Kasangnay had his way with the field last season, but a new group of faces wants to remove him. If the 30-year-old wants to go back-to-back, he must show some new elements in his game. Physically, Kasangnay is an Adonis-like fighter who looks like he was built in a lab, but in the cage, there is no aspect where he dominates. He is a solid grappler and decent striker with a respectable amount of power—nothing eye-popping, which is not bad. The Kill Cliff Fight Club standout thrives on being a versatile threat that can give you trouble anywhere, but if the fight becomes one-dimensional, he can struggle. Case in point: his last fight against Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen. Kasangnay came in as the underdog against the undefeated champion but gave Eblen hell on the feet, dropping him and making him work for takedowns. Heading into the final round, Eblen could rely on his superior wrestling and take Kasangany’s back with 90 seconds to go, securing the split decision victory. Although Kasangany gave Eblen the most brutal fight of his career, he did not have the power to finish him or the wrestling to win the final round when it counted. With that said, Kasangany is improving, and one can hope that a short eight-week turnaround does not hinder his growth. Despite looking great at middleweight, Kasangany is one of the best light heavyweights in the world, and this is his opportunity to remind the masses of that.

Polizzi may be the underdog in this fight, but you should not count him out. Despite losing his last two fights to Yoel Romero and Karl Moore, Polizzi is a formidable, durable contender who can surprise you on the ground. He was the first man to defeat Grant Neal and once held the Legacy Fighting Alliance title. Polizzi cannot afford to fight at Kasangany’s pace if he is to have a shot. Stuffing his takedowns and extinguishing his combinations is vital. Kasangany is explosive but can get carried away in exchanges. Polizzi’s poise in those exchanges will be critical, but Kasangany’s experience will be too much. He has faced some of the top fighters in his class, and Polizzi is not one of them. Kasangany’s pressure and pace will lead to rounds in the bag, but if the champ wants to announce his return in style, he needs to put Polizzi way early.

Jump To »
Kasanganay vs. Polizzi
Wilkinson vs. Breese
Collard vs. Freire
Burnell vs. Dufort
Sy vs. Silveira
Yagshimuradov vs. Nedoh
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong
The Prelims