The Professional Fighters League (PFL) begins its highly-anticipated 2022 postseason this Friday, August at the Hulu Theater of the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
PFL Playoffs 1 will feature semifinal bouts in the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions, with Anthony Pettis taking on Stevie Ray in the main event.
Friday night’s marquee matchup will be a must-see rematch between the top-seeded lightweight Pettis and the No. 4-ranked Ray.
The two lightweights first crossed paths just a few weeks back at PFL 5, with Ray pulling off a stunning first-round submission win to upset Pettis and earn a spot in the playoffs.
Now, the two lightweights meet again, but with bigger stakes on the line for both fighters.
Pettis, who earned the top spot in the division with a first-round win over Myles Price back at PFL 3, will be competing in his first postseason since joining the league in 2021.
The former UFC lightweight champion aims to add a third world championship and a million-dollar purse to his already impressive list of accolades.
Ray, on the other hand, will try to repeat history and earn a shot at a life-changing title run.
Light heavyweights take to the cage in the co-main event as Omari Akhmedov of Russia locks horns with Josh Silveria.
Akhmedov turned in an impressive 2022 regular season campaign, stopping Viktor Pesta and Teodoras Aukštuolis to clinch the No. 2 seat in the 205-pound bracket.
He was originally set to face 2021 PFL light heavyweight Champion Antonio Carlos Jr., but the latter was forced to withdraw due to an injury.
Taking Carlos Jr.’s place is an impressive up-and-comer in Silveria, who punched a ticket to the main roster with a contract-winning performance in the 2022 PFL Challenger Series.
At PFL 4, Silveria blasted 2021 finalist Marthin Hamlet to finish the season as the fifth seed.
Also on the card is Oliveir Aubin-Mercier, who tests the mettle of Alexander Martinez in the other lightweight semifinal matchup.
Meanwhile, Rob Wilkinson battles Delan Monte in the other light heavyweight contest.
The card will also feature qualifier bouts for the 2023 PFL regular season and the 2023 PFL Challenger Series.
PFL Playoffs 1 is available in the United States on ESPN starting at 7:00 PM ET and on ESPN+ starting at 6:00 PM ET.
Complete PFL Playoffs 1 2022 Fight Card
ESPN+ EARLY CARD
2023 Season Qualifier – Light Heavyweight: Cory Hendricks vs. Marthin Hamlet
2023 Season Qualifier – Heavyweight: Marcelo Nunes vs. Dylan Potter
ESPN CARD
2022 Light Heavyweight Semifinal: Robert Wilkinson vs. Delan Monte
2022 Lightweight Semifinal: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Alexander Martinez
2022 Light Heavyweight Semifinal: Omari Akhmedov vs. Josh Silveira
2022 Lightweight Semifinal: Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray
ESPN+ LATE CARD
Lightweight Showcase: Alexei Pergande vs. Elvis Lebron-Quiles
Welterweight Showcase: Lucas Barbosa vs. Elmar Umarov
2023 Challenger Series Qualifier – Lightweight: Elvin Espinoza vs. Corey Jackson
2023 Challenger Series Qualifier – Featherweight: Brahyan Zurcher vs. Ricardo Jimenez
Welterweight Swing Bout: Mahmoud Sebie vs. Itso Babulaidze
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