Get results and discuss the 2021 season opener of the Professional Fighters League right here on Bloody Elbow, starting at 5:30 PM ET.
The Professional Fighters League is back!
PFL took all of 2020 off after the pandemic shelved plans for another season of tournaments. This year they’ll be based out of the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey (at least for the regular season).
In the main event of the 2021 season opener, former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis takes on UFC and pro boxing veteran Clay Collard in a lightweight matchup. The co-main sees two-time PFL champion Natan Schulte take on former Bellator and UFC fighter Marcin Held in another lightweight bout.
Lance Palmer is no stranger to winning the PFL prize and he’s back for more when he takes on Bubba Jenkins in the featherweight division.
The deal for the regular season is that everyone competes twice, with three five-minute rounds (but no elbows), and the points system works as follows:
Win – 3 pts
First round stoppage – 3 bonus pts
Second round stoppage – 2 bonus pts
Third round stoppage – 1 bonus pt
Draw – 1 pt for each fighter
Loss – 0 points
Week 1 is all about the featherweights and lightweights, and Bloody Elbow is the place to be to discuss the event. The prelims begin at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN+ and followed by the main card at 9 PM ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. International viewers can find their outlet here.
The fight card is as follows:
Main Card (ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, 9 p.m. ET)
Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard – Lightweights
Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held – Lightweights
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Lazar Stojadinovic – Featherweights
Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins – Featherweights
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)
Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes – Featherweights
Joilton Lutterbach vs. Raush Manfio – Lightweights
Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov – Odintsov gets 1-point penalty for missing weight and is ineligible to earn points in this fight, Aliev gets automatic 3 points with potential to earn more via finish – Lightweights
Chris Wade vs. Anthony Dizy – Featherweights
Sung Bin Jo vs. Tyler Diamond – Featherweights
Loik Radzhabov vs. Alex Martinez – Lightweights