The #PFLPlayoffs return on Aug. 5 in New York City and two lightweights will advance to the finals!
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Prelims: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN & ESPN+
Main Card: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Full Lineup: https://t.co/WF88ggjZcj pic.twitter.com/caSEb1FJ3M— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) July 31, 2022
Olivier Aubin-Mercier had this moment in mind when he signed with the Professional Fighters League as a free agent in 2020.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran will attempt to move another step closer to a life-changing $1 million payday when he locks horns with Alex Martinez in the 2022 lightweight semifinals as part of the PFL 7 main draw on Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Aubin-Mercier enters the cage on the strength of a four-fight winning streak that now spans more than three years. He last competed at PFL 4, where he laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Raush Manfio on June 17.
As Aubin-Mercier moves ever closer to his high-stakes showdown with Martinez, a look at a few of the rivalries that have helped shape his career to this point:
Chad Laprise
The Adrenaline Training Center standout leaned on sharp punching combinations, stout leg kicks, nifty footwork and excellent defensive grappling, as he was awarded a split decision over Aubin-Mercier in “The Ultimate Fighter Nations” welterweight final on April 16, 2014 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City, Quebec. Judges Sal D’Amato and David Therien struck 30-27 and 29-28 scorecards for Laprise, while Erick Philippeaux saw it 29-28 for Aubin-Mercier. Laprise always seemed to be a step ahead of the judo black belt. Aubin-Mercier secured takedowns in the second and third rounds, only to have to his determined counterpart return to his feet. Laprise—who targeted the legs, body and head throughout the 15-minute scrap—rang the judoka’s bell with a multi-punch combination in the third round and closed with a flourish, swarming Aubin-Mercier with punches in the waning seconds.
Diego Ferreira
The former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder reasserted himself in the light heavyweight division with a unanimous decision over Aubin-Mercier as part of the UFC on Fox 18 undercard on Jan. 30, 2016 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. All three cageside judges scored it for Ferreira: 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27. A replacement for the injured Joaquim Silva, Ferreira was superior in all facets. The Fortis MMA rep chewed up Aubin-Mercier with accurate punching combinations and sneaky kicks for much of their 15-minute bout. Ferreira put the exclamation point on his first victory in more than a year with a dominant third round. There, he made the Tristar Gym export pay for an ill-advised takedown, scrambled into top position, shifted to the back and kept Aubin-Mercier on the defensive with one rear-naked choke attempt after another.
Anthony Rocco Martin
Takedowns, time-consuming top control and occasionally effective ground-and-pound carried Aubin-Mercier to a split decision over the American Top Team product in the featured UFC Fight Night 116 prelim on Sept. 16, 2017 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. All three judges scored it 29-28: Gregory Monskie and Jeff Mullen for Aubin-Mercier, Eric Colon for Martin. For the better part of two rounds, Aubin-Mercier lured the Palos Heights, Illinois, native into the clinch, tripped him to the mat and set up shop in top position. Undeterred, Martin shifted momentum in the third, where he countered an attempted single-leg takedown with a guillotine before transitioning to an anaconda choke. Aubin-Mercier freed himself, only to wander into further danger. Martin wheeled to his back, secured his position with a body triangle and spent the last half of the round popping the judo black belt with punches and hunting a potential choke. Nevertheless, Aubin-Mercier had done his part to curry enough favor with the judiciary.
Arman Tsarukyan
Stock in the Russian prospect continued its upward trajectory when he took a unanimous decision from Aubin-Mercier in a UFC 240 lightweight showcase on July 27, 2019 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. All three judges scored it 29-28. An accomplished judoka who also holds the rank of brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Aubin-Mercier was undoubtedly caught off-guard by his counterpart’s tactics. Tsarukyan closed the distance repeatedly, trapped the Tristar Gym rep in the clinch and went to work with short punches and knees to the legs. Aubin-Mercier wobbled the Russian with a well-timed knee in the second round but failed to follow it and wound up spinning his wheels once again. Tsarukyan put to bed any hopes of a comeback in Round 3, where he countered a takedown into top position and applied his ground-and-pound, alternating between elbows and standing-to-ground punches. It was Aubin-Mercier’s last appearance in the UFC.
Natan Schulte
Aubin-Mercier called upon heavy kicks, a potent jab and sharp punching combinations in a contentious split decision over the two-time Professional Fighters League champion in their PFL 1 lightweight feature on April 20, 2022 at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. All three judges saw it 29-28, two of them siding with Aubin-Mercier. Schulte stayed in the Canadian’s face from start to finish, depending on the merciless forward pressure for which he has become known. Aubin-Mercier played the matador, slipped out of danger and piled up points by pairing punches upstairs with kicks and knees to the body. Fatigue, however, slowly took hold. Schulte chewed up the Firas Zahabi protege’s lower lead leg with kicks and appeared to be in better shape down the stretch. Ultimately, the American Top Team standout’s efforts fell short of the mark.