Professional Fighters League (PFL) heads to Chicago this week for the third regular installment in their season. This time around, it will be the featherweights and welterweights squaring off at the Wintrust Arena. The headliner is a welterweight tilt between Magomed Umalatov and former Bellator Welterweight champ Andrey Koreshkov. The co-headliner pits Brendan Loughnane against Pedro Carvalho in featherweight action. The card is set for Friday night, April 19, and the main card will be broadcast on ESPN, with ESPN+ carrying the prelims. Read on to get the full fight card and PFL betting predictions for several of the fights.
Koreshkov vs Umalatov PFL Betting Odds: 2024 Regular Season Picks | MMA Event
Andrey Koreshkov +135 vs Magomed Umalatov -165
Koreshkov (27-4, 0-0 PFL) vs Umalatov (14-0, 5-0 PFL) is the matchup that both of these welterweights deserve. Koreshkov started his pro career 8-0 before joining Bellator, where he used his ability to punish in the striking game to get the belt, taking down Douglas Lima, Benson Henderson and Chidi Njokuani, finally losing his belt in a rematch against Lima. That knockout loss sent him into the Bellator doghouse, but since then, he has won six out of seven fights. The only loss was to Lorenz Larkin, and Koreshkov bounced back to beat him in the rematch. The scorecards haven’t always been kind to Koreshkov, so he likes to finish things early. Eighteen of his 27 victories have come before he last bell.
Umalatov has never finished a season because of issues outside the sport. He demolished Kyron Bowen in 2021 to get a PFL roster slot in 2022. He knocked out Jarrah Al-Silawi to get a spot in the playoffs and was scheduled to fight Rory MacDonald in the semis, but visa issues forced him to withdraw because of visa problems. He took Dilano Taylor, who took his semifinal slot, apart in less than two minutes in the 2023 season and fought his way past Nayib Lopez to get back into the postseason. However, he was once again taken out of the bracket before his semifinal bout with Magomed Magomedkerimov for reasons that have never been disclosed. So even though he has a three-year career with PFL, he has never fought in the playoffs. Could 2024 change that? This will be a violent confrontation, as Koreshkov uses a spinning back kick to catch opponents unaware, and he also uses the sleeper to his advantage. His striking game is solid.
PFL Betting Pick: Koreshkov to win via stoppage
Brendan Loughnane -505 vs Pedro Carvalho +380
Loughnane (26-5, 9-2 PFL) vs Carvalho (13-8, 0-0 PFL) is the first step in Loughnane’s quest for redemption after a disappointing end to 2023. Jesus Pinedo took him apart in the first round, taking the steam out of Loughnane’s campaign to defend his 2022 featherweight title. In 26 wins, Loughnane has posted 14 knockouts, so his striking game is the first thing to pay attention to. Carvalho has a two-fight losing streak and has had ups and downs his whole career. In his five-year Bellator career, Carvalho fought against such titans as Patricio Freire, Aaron Pico, Jeremy Kennedy, Mads Burnell, and Jay-Jay Wilson. His jiu-jitsu is outstanding, but it hasn’t brought him a submission in more than four years.
Both of these fighters could use a jolt in their momentum. Carvalho brings passion but often gets in trouble against elite strikers. Loughnane beat Marlon Moraes one time primarily with leg kicks and delivered a beating to Jenkins, and both of those fighters are considered above Carvalho. Loughnane should come out of the gate quickly, and he should wrap things up well before the fifth round ends.
PFL Betting Pick: Loughnane wins via knockout
Shamil Musaev +160 vs Logan Storley 200
Musaev (16-0-1, 0-0 PFL) vs Storley (15-2, 0-0 PFL) is an exciting dual PFL debut. Storley almost won the Bellator Welterweight belt didn’t quite get there before coming to PFL. The only fighter who has ever beaten him is Yaroslav Amosav, the former Bellator champ, and he has already beaten PFL fighters Brennan Ward and Neiman Gracie. He likes to bring striking blitzes, using hand speed to deliver combos. In his 15 wins, nine have come via knockout, but he relies on barrages of strikes instead of individual big bombs. He can also dominate on the ground, though; he was an All-American wrestler all four years at the University of Minnesota. He’s strong on his feet and on the ground, and he’ll need both of those at his command against Musaev.
The Moscow fighter known as “The Silent Assassin” doesn’t say much, but he brings knockouts quickly and brutally. He got into fighting in the European circuit and made it out of Konfrantacja Sztuk Walki without taking a defeat. Going from that circuit to the PFL is the biggest jump in opponent talent so far in his career. Musaev will struggle with Storley’s wrestling background and striking speed, and we don’t know how long Musaev can last in terms of cardio against a high-pressure opponent. Musaev is unbeaten so far, but Storley seems posed to change that.
PFL Betting Pick: Storley wins via knockout
Gabriel Braga -230 vs Justin Gonzalez +190
Braga (12-1, 4-1 PFL) vs Gonzalez (14-3, 0-0 PFL) is Braga’s attempt to start another winning streak. He had started his career 12-0 and he had a shot at the $1 million prize for featherweights in PFL last year. He faced off against Jesus Pinedo in the championship – a fighter he had bested earlier in the season – but Pinedo made the right adjustments and won the belt. Braga’s father was murdered two months later in Brazil, but Braga has come back from both setbacks to stop opponents in this tournament. He has heavy hands, and his wrestling is good enough to keep him from getting in trouble on the ground. He uses big leg kicks and solid boxing fundamentals to get ahead, but he has a tendency to coast late in fights as he may be running out of cardio at that point.
Gonzalez entered PFL from Bellator after losing to Mads Burnell and Timur Khizriev to wind up 2023. He has the chin that can absorb punishment, but he doesn’t have the striking game to deliver power. Braga can bring the bigger bombs, but Gonzales might have more stamina. Expect a lot of striking, but don’t expect Gonzales to win, either via points on stoppage.
PFL Betting Pick: Braga wins via decision
Goiti Yamauchi -225 vs Neiman Gracie +185
Yamauchi (28-6, 0-0 PFL) vs Gracie (12-4, 0-0 PFL) is Yamauchi’s quest for 22 submissions in what would be 29 victories if he wins. His last fight ended with an ugly leg injury against Michael Page, when he ruptured his patella tendon. His layoff has lasted longer than a year, but all signs point to him being healthy. He started his pro career by going 14-1 and signed with Bellator back in 2013. He has never lost two fights in a row, and when he has run into adversity, he has moved up a weight class and started again. He started his welterweight career with three big wins before that injury against Page.
Gracie is the great-grandson of Carlos Gracie, a legend in jiu-jitsu. The younger Gracie won bronze at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation No-Gi Championships before moving over to MMA in 2013. His striking game has never been that strong, but he has six submissions, the most among the Bellator welterweights. However, he has not won via submission since 2020. Yamauchi knocked out Gracie at Bellator 284, in part because Gracie wanted to show he could stand and fight and paid the price for that false confidence. Since then, Gracie has not developed the striking skill that he needs to win this kind of fight.
PFL Betting Pick: Yamauchi wins via knockout
Main Card at ESPN/ESPN+
- Andrey Koreshkov vs Magomed Umalatov (Welterweight)
- Brendan Loughnane vs Pedro Carvalho (Featherweight)
- Logan Storley vs Shamil Musaev (Welterweight)
- Gabriel Alves Braga vs Justin Gonzalez (Featherweight)
- Goiti Yamauchi vs Neiman Gracie (Welterweight)
- Bubba Jenkins vs Kai Kamaka III (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card at ESPN+
- Adam Borics vs Enrique Barzola (Featherweight)
- Timur Kihzriev vs Brett Johns (Featherweight)
- Laureano Staropoli vs Murad Ramazanov (Welterweight)
- Don Madge vs Brennan Ward (Welterweight)
- Tyler Diamond vs Otto Rodrigues (Featherweight)
- Romain Debienne vs Thad Jean (Welterweight)
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Delija vs Moldavsky PFL Betting Odds
Professional Fighters League (PFL) has been around since its launching in 2018 and offers a unique format among the MMA organizations in that its athletes take part in a regular season before advancing to playoffs and a championship each year instead of just taking part in bouts year-round. The PFL uses a 10-sided MMA cage known as the Smart Cage. One difference in rules is that the PFL does not allow any elbow strikes. PFL 1 is set for Thursday, April 4, at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas and will include fights in the Heavyweight and Women’s Flyweight divisions. We have the full fight card for you as well as some PFL betting predictions for some of the evening’s action.
Delija vs Moldavsky PFL Betting Odds: 2024 Regular Season Picks | MMA Event
HeavyWeight Bout | Watch PFL 1 on ESPN+
Valentin Moldavsky vs Ante Delija
Moldavsky (12-3) vs Delija (24-5) ended up on the wrong end of the 2021 PFL Heavyweight championship but bounced back to take the title in 2022. He looked intent on delivering the repeat in 2023 until he injured his knee in the process of beating Maurice Green. He’s been on the shelf for nine months, but he has a five-fight winning streak and is in ideal health for the start of a season. He has a career win over Renan Ferreira, the 2023 champ, and Denis Goltsov, one of the top prospects in the division. He brings both power and speed in the striking game but also can take things to the ground. His 24 wins include 17 stoppages (11 KO, 6 submissions).
Moldavsky started out with success in amateur MMA and joined the Rizin Fighting Federation, rolling to the 2016 Grand Prix final round. He also held the interim Bellator Heavyweight belt before losing to Ryan Bader in a bout for the full title. He has also picked up sambo titles in Europe, so his wrestling is elite. He also pounds with a heavy jab and brings pressure. He has gone five rounds in two fights already and has shown plenty of stamina. Delija has four inches of advantage in terms of height, has quicker hands, and weighs 20 pounds more. Moldavsky needs to get things to the ground to have a chance to win, but he still might not be able to avoid early punishment from Delija.
Denis Goltsov vs Linton Vassell
Goltsov (32-8) vs Vassell (23-8) is the beginning of Goltsov’s attempt at a redemption tour. He had Renan Ferreira in full mount with 30 seconds remaining in the first round of the 2023 PFL Heavyweight tournament final, but for some reason, he didn’t finish. Ferreira took advantage of the opportunity by dealing Goltsov a right cross to the ear just 26 seconds into Round 2, and Goltsov’s season was over. Goltsov has 26 finishes among his 32 wins. He’s a solid boxer and knows how to use his reach. If things go to the ground, he can finish things with his ezekiel and brabo chokes.
Vassell held the Bellator Heavyweight belt at one point and comes in riding a five-fight winning streak that includes wins over Moldavsky and Tyrell Fortune. He was scheduled to take on Bader in a rematch for the Bellator Heavyweight belt before PFL acquired that promotion. Goltsov should work to keep things upright as Vassell has scary ground and pound and can deliver big bombs. Goltsov would need to stay light on this feet and use his jab to wait for something better to open up. I don’t see Vassell waiting for Goltsov to take control of the fight; instead, I see Vassell taking matters in hand quickly.
PFL Betting Odds on the Main Card | ESPN/ESPN+
- Valentin Moldavsky vs Ante Delija (Heavyweight)
- Denis Goltsov vs Linton Vassell (Heavyweight)
- Liz Carmouche vs Juliana Velasquez (Women’s Flyweight)
- Dakota Ditcheva vs Lisa Mauldin (Women’s Flyweight)
PFL Betting Odds on the Preliminary Card | ESPN+
- Daniel James vs Marcelo Golm (Heavyweight)
- Blagoy Ivanov vs Sergei Bilostenniy (Heavyweight)
- Taila Santos vs Ilara Joanne (Women’s Flyweight)
- Steve Mowry vs Oleg Popov (Heavyweight)
- Kana Watanabe vs Shanna Young (Women’s Flyweight)
- Chelsea Hackett vs Jena Bishop (Women’s Flyweight)
- Lucas Brennan vs Dimitre Ivy (Featherweight)
- Bryce Meredith vs Ty Johnson (Bantamweight)
2023 PFL Betting
June 23 is the sixth regular-season date in the Professional Fighters League, a MMA organization based in the United States. The first three weeks of action took place in Las Vegas, and the next three moved to Atlanta, where Overtime Elite Arena will host the fighting. This week’s action will set the playoff rosters, and Friday’s headliner pits the defending PFL lightweight champ, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, against Anthony Romero. Aubin-Mercier came to PFL from UFC and has dominated action since, posting a seven-fight winning streak. This is Romero’s PFL debut, so it’s hard to imagine him getting a tougher start. He has fought in LFA and picked up a win on Dana White’s Contender Series. The co-main event pits the defending PFL welterweight champ, Sadibou Sy, against Shane Mitchell. Mitchell might have a hard time getting into the playoffs even if he does win; when he made his PFL debut, he lost unanimously on the cards to Nayib Lopez and would need a big win to get into the top four in the standings and advance to the playoffs. Let’s look some PFL betting predictions for the evening’s action.
PFL Analysis in Regular Season: Welterweights and Lightweights Preview
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Anthony Romero
Could be ugly and quick. Romero has been given an impossible task in his debut, one of the best MMA fighters in the last decade. Aubin-Mercier benefited significantly from moving to PFL. At UFC, he was just one lightweight in a very talented division, but now he is a dominant fighter in a smaller talent pool. He has a size advantage over most other lightweights in the PFL, and he focuses on getting the fight to the ground to take advantage. This time around, he won’t need to wrestle much; he should be able to get a quick submission.
Sadibou Sy vs Shane Mitchell
Is another fight that might not last long. Sy brings considerable striking power, and Mitchell’s defense hasn’t been that impressive so far. Sy won’t have an easy path to a title, as Magomed Umalatov and Magomed Magomedkerimov are waiting for him later in the playoffs. Magomedkerimov is a former PFL champ who couldn’t fight in 2022. He has a 13-0 record. Umalatov has also looked impregnable, stacking up knockouts. Mitchell is definitely a level or two below these three fighters, and Sy should be able to deliver a quick knockout.
Shane Burgos vs Yamato Nishikawa
Is Burgos’ PFL debut at 155 pounds. He started as a UFC prospect and ended up with a pair of wins in the promotion before heading to the PFL. He made his debut against the champion from 2022 and got shredded, but this weight class should be better for him. Nishikawa came to the PFL from Shooto, which is a more difficult transition. In Shooto, he won ten fights in a row, but when he entered the PFL, he lost to Clay Collard, and Burgos presents another tough matchup. Nishikawa does bring power in the striking game, but Burgos’ unusual footwork should keep him from absorbing too much punishment. I see Burgos winning on the cards.
An interesting preliminary card fight involves Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio. They are both former champs and they are also best friends. Both of them have lost to Aubin-Mercier, and both are on the outside when it comes to making the playoffs, but both could advance with a win. That motivation will make their friendship come second, and this is an extremely even fight.
2021 PFL Week 1: MMA Betting Preview
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) was started in 2018 after the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) was purchased the year before. What sets the PFL apart is that its fighters take part in a competition that goes through a regular season and then into a round of playoffs and a championship. The league took the 2020 season off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it returns in 2021, and the opening round of fights takes place on Friday, Apri 23 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main event will pit UFC veteran Clay Collard against former WEC and UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, with Natan Schulte, the two-time PFL Lightweight tournament champion, and Marcin Held, the one-time Bellator Lightweight title challenger, squaring off in the co-main event.
Check out the full card and our PFL betting thoughts on some of the top bouts.
PFL Week 1 Preview
Main Card (ESPN2)
Anthony Pettis (-590) vs Clay Collard (+400) (Lightweight)
Natan Schulte (-435) vs Marcin Held (+300) (Lightweight)
Movlid Khaibulaev (-670) vs Lazar Stojadinovic (+420) (Featherweight)
Lance Palmer (-500) vs Bubba Jenkins (+350) (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+)
Loik Radzhabov vs Alexander Martinez (Lightweight)
Joilton Lutterback vs Raush Manfio (Lightweight)
Akhmet Aliev vs Mikhail Odintsov (Lightweight)
Chris Wade vs Anthony Dizy (Featherweight)
Sung Bin Jo vs Tyler Diamond (Featherweight)
Anthony Pettis vs Clay Collard gives us a fight between two pugilists with UFC experience. Pettis has gone 3-1 in his last four fights, beating Nate Diaz, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, and Nate Diaz on the cards but losing via submission to Diego Ferrera. Collard’s last four MMA fights also produced a 3-1 record, beating Randall Wallace via decision, Lucas Montoya via knockout and Carson Hardman by submission. Darrick Minner was the only fighter in that stretch to beat him, winning by submission. However, he turned to boxing after May 2019, with a dozen matches since then, but he has recommitted to MMA full time.
Both of these fighters are known for strong striking games, but both can grapple as well. Given that Collard has spent so much time recently in the boxing ring, Pettis is more likely to try to get this fight to the ground. He also has a better MMA striking game, and I expect him to incorporate knees and kicks to pick away at Collard.
Final Prediction:
ttis wins via decision
Natan Schulte vs Marcin Held features one of the best non-UFC fighters in Schulte, and he has a solid chance to win the threepeat as the PFL lightweight titleholder. Held makes his return to MMA, as his last fight came in 2019. Schulte has won his last four MMA fights, taking down Ramsey Nijem and Akhmet Aliev via submission and beating Loik Radzhabov and Jesse Ronson on the cards. Held has also won his last four MMA fights, beating Diego Brandao and Nasrat Haqparast by decision and submitting Callan Potter and Musa Khamanaev. Held finished his UFC contract with an upset win over Haqparast and has since dominated in grappling events as well as the Russian MMA promotion ACA. In his UFC days, he also beat Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, but Schulte is a dangerous fighter.
If Held can get this to the ground, he could get the huge upset with a submission win. However, getting Schulte down will be an immense feat. Schulte should win this in the striking game, and it will be a surprise if Held can last the distance.
Final Prediction:
Schulte wins via knockout
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