Matches to Make After 2023 PFL 2

Lev PisarskyApr 08, 2023

The Professional Fighters League 2023 Season rolled on with heavyweights and women’s featherweights at PFL 2. In the main event, 2022 PFL women's lightweight queen Larissa Pacheco dropped down to featherweight to face all-time great Julia Budd, the long-time Bellator MMA women's featherweight ace.

Pacheco was a big favorite as she is in her prime at 28 and has looked sensational in winning her last six, including an upset of previously unbeaten two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison in the finals last year. Budd is past her prime at 39, having dropped her last two, though her last outing was a split decision against Aspen Ladd that many observers had Budd winning.

Budd was as tough as ever, but Pacheco swept all three rounds on the feet and ground to win a straightforward unanimous decision.

In the co-main, 2021 PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza sought revenge against 2022 PFL heavyweight runner-up Matheus Scheffel. Cappelozza is a true knockout artist, with an incredible 14 of his 15 triumphs coming by stoppage from strikes. However, he was defeated by decision by Scheffel last season. Scheffel went on to make the PFL finals, but was stopped by Ante Delija. It took less than half a round for Cappelozza to even the ledger thanks to a sensational punching combination, with the right cross hitting pay dirt, dropping and hurting Scheffel before Cappelozza pounded him out with follow-up blows.

In a significant women's featherweight match, heavily promoted Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Aspen Ladd met Olena Kolesnyk, who missed weight, coming in at 146.4 pounds. Ladd won the final round but clearly lost the first two, with Kolesnyk garnering a majority decision triumph.

Elsewhere, Marina Mokhnatkina, who fought Harrison well in a decision loss last season, destroyed hapless Yogo Higashi with strikes from a crucifix position, prompting a stoppage. Amber Leibrock won her fourth in a row with a brutal head kick and punches over Martin Jindrova just over 2 minutes into the first frame. Twenty year-old Evelyn Martins, fresh off two victories on the PFL Challenger Series earlier this year, won a competitive decision over previously unbeaten Karolina Sobek. UFC veterans Yorgan De Castro and Danilo Marques faced one another, with Marques winning a clear but bloodless verdict. Another Octagon vet, Maurice Greene, scored a nice second-round knockout over Marcelo Nunes. Dagestani fighter and former Dana White’s Contender Series stoppage winner Rizvan Kuniev won a competitive decision against huge (in terms of punching power and height alike) Brazilian Renan Ferreira.

Here are some interesting matchups for the 2023 PFL regular season that suggest themselves.

Larissa Pacheco vs. Karolina Sobek

Pacheco recorded another impressive win, this time over a huge name, but at 3 points, she isn't yet assured of making the postseason. What better way to ensure she makes it to the playoffs than having her face Sobek, who was edged out by Martins? Additionally, Pacheco won't knock off any other contenders. Lastly, since Pacheco and Sobek are both strikers, the Brazilian is likely to add to her list of devastating knockouts.

Bruno Cappelozza vs. Marcelo Nunes

With 2022 PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija pulling out of this season due to injury, 2021 champion Cappelozza has the inside track to the 2023 crown, especially after his brutal destruction of the man who defeated him in 2022. The PFL would do well to promote him and keep him looking strong, preferably with more highlight reel knockout wins. Thus, he should face fellow Brazilian Nunes, a grappler who has little to offer with his own strikes and was just knocked out by Greene.

Amber Leibrock vs. Aspen Ladd

Leibrock has cemented a spot in the PFL playoffs with an early head kick knockout, while Ladd still has zero points after her loss. Nevertheless, this is a good chance for Ladd to make the postseason, as Leibrock has long had a weakness to grappling, including multiple losses via submission or ground-and-pound, while Ladd is a deadly finisher from the top. This would be the perfect match to get Ladd back on track and see how much she has to offer the PFL women's featherweight division. This could also be an exciting fight for the fans, as Leibrock can knock out Ladd on the feet.

Danilo Marques vs. Renan Ferreira

This will be a curious clash of Brazilian giants, with 6' 6” submission artist Marques trying to take it to the ground, and 6' 8” thunder-fisted Ferreira looking to keep it standing and knock him out. Both men will need a victory to make the postseason, as Marques only has a decision victory worth 3 points and Ferreira has yet to get on the board. Hopefully, that will spur both of them to take chances and get a finish.

Maurice Greene vs. Yorgan De Castro

Greene has already punched his ticket to the PFL playoffs with a stoppage victory, while de Castro is winless. This would hopefully result in an entertaining scrap between two recognizable names, both of whom have competed multiple times in the UFC. It should be mostly a striking affair with 6' de Castro trying to chop the 6' 7” Greene down with his leg kicks. And if he wants to make the postseason, de Castro will show a lot more urgency than he did against Marques.