PFL Light & Heavyweight
Davis vs. Wilkinson - PFL has done a better job with their matchmaking this season, and this fight is another great example of that. Both of these guys are former champions, both of them used to be in the UFC, and they both bring name value. If Davis can keep Wilkinson down, I would give him the edge. Wilkinson is a guy who tends to win by finish. However, the thing here is that Phill Davis has never been finished, which makes this a very intriguing fight. That being said, he is 40 now, but that matters less and less the higher up in weight class you go.
Moldavsky vs. Bilostenniy - This is a great fight for Bilostenniy to put his name out there. He is a guy who doesn't have much name value, but he has all the fighting ability that you could want in a heavyweight. This should be a good fight for fans to watch.
Carlos Jr vs Moore - Carlos is a vet who has been around for a long time and has a few years of UFC experience, including a win over Marvin Vettori, but that was a long time ago. This fight is hard to predict because they basically have the same skill set when it comes to fighting. I would say that one of these guys will end up getting submitted.
Albrektsson vs Powell - Powell is a 26-year-old prospect with great potential and is great at finishing fights. He is 6'5" and moves very fluidly. This is a great fight for him to see where he is at because he is fighting a vet who has fought great competition all around the world.
Romanov vs Johnson - I think that the PFL could have selected another up-and-coming fighter to the card instead of Tim Johnson, but this is what this tournament is all about. Romanov has Johnson beat in every category besides height and experience. I expect Romanov to win the fight, but I will be rooting for Johnson to do the unthinkable as a +500 underdog.
Popov vs Williams - Popov takes on former UFC newcomer Williams. Williams left the UFC after only one loss, which is very odd, but he signed with a new agency and now he's in this tournament, which might be a better choice for him. Popov is a high-level fighter in his own right, but he is coming off a loss where he was choked out in the 1st round this year. This should be a good fight, and I would assume that this is one of the fights that ends up in a decision.
Cauley vs Nunes - Another young prospect in the bracket, Cauley takes on Nunes who has been around the PFL for quite a while. Every single one of Cauley's wins have come by way of finish to this point. So this fight has a chance to steal the show. He should be better than Nunes in both places on the ground or in the standup, and I expect him to make quick work of his opponent in this one.
Nascimento vs Bably - Nascimento is making the jump over from the UFC after losing back-to-back fights. He is taking on Bably who is a striker from the UK who is also coming off a loss. I guess this just goes to show you the state of heavyweight combat sports that we have two guys coming off losses fighting each other in a tournament for $500,000. That's no disrespect to their skill level, but I think there should be some form of criteria for them to make the tournament.
Polizzi vs Xavier - Xavier is a fighter who is almost impossible to knock out with 21-1 fights and 1 loss by finish, and Polizzi is a grapple-heavy attacker, so I wouldn't be surprised to see this fight hit the ground quickly and for Polizzi to not even play around with the striking. I just don't like the placement of this fight to open the card, but it's a good fight either way.
PFL Best Bets ~
Cauley ML -185 - He has a chance to be PFL next big time star. He has all the tools to be a household name and we will see if it is all comes together for him in the first round
Polizzi by KO +1200 Sub +500 - I think that he is better everywhere than his opponent and will finish the fight and I didn’t see any double chance props so I sprinkled on both of them.
Powell Ko/TKO +150 - Up and coming UK prospect with a few fights under his belt. He shows tons of heart in his fights winning after being dropped twice.
Davis ML +105 - I like him as a fighter and I think that it will be a great ending to his career if he wins the tournament and rides off to the sunset and you get great value on him just on the Money Line alone.
