Craziest of the craziest hardcore fans like myself will watching third event of the Professional Fighters League 2023 season. Cheering for PFL as give fighters more options to choose from and gives fans more fights to watch.
Create a solid product with very good fighters that can defeat top 15 UFC/Bellator fighters right now. PFL 3 card isn’t crazy stacked but fun card to watch if your flipping through channels and really have nothing better to watch. PFL might save the day and entertain your night for you.
Necessarily don’t have to watch the whole card but recommend some fighters to pay attention to as they’ll show some high level MMA skills.
Magomedkerimov
Khabib’s Lightweight reign introduced Dagestan to the world. Showing everyone there’s plenty of more champions besides me and oh he’s right. PFL following the same gameplan as everyone else sign Dagestan prospects.
PFL’s Ray Sefo signed Magomed Magomedkerimov and it was worth the investment. 2018 PFL Champion, representing the promotion well with 12-1 record.
Defeating great fighters like Chris Curtis twice who just went toe to toe with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 287. Magomedkerimov without a doubt is one of the best welterweights in the world just doesn’t fight under those three letters.
PFL 3 is against Ben Egli, regional MMA fighter. Watch Magomedkerimov display his great combat sambo skills finishing Egli with first round submission. 2023 goal is to win PFL Welterweight Tournament adding another million dollars into his bank account.
Lightweight Tournament Begins at PFL 3
Either Lightweight division or Featherweight division is most talented weight class in MMA. UFC, Bellator, One Champion and even Professional Fighters League has deep talented stable of 155 pound fighters.
Shane Burgos– UFC contract expired and smartly decided to take advantage of free agency signing best contract available. Congratulations to Burgos and PFL for signing top 15 featherweight. Burgos moving up to Lightweight for 2023 season.
PFL debut isn’t the easiest of matchups as faces Olivier Aubin Mercier 2022 PFL Lightweight Champion. Strong wrestler for MMA fighter without grappling background
“You can call him the former champion if you want, but I’m looking at him as the current champion because he won the season and hasn’t lost.” Shane Burgos said on MMA junkieradio
Raush Manfio– 2021 PFL Lightweight Champion. 5-1 PFL career defeating Anthony Pettis, Clay Collard, Loik Radzhabov in last few years. Showing why he’s one underrated Lightweight fighter with significant wins.
Natan Schulte- 2018 and 2019 PFL Lightweight Champion with great wins against Chris Wade, Rashid Magomedov and Marcin Held. 2019 PFL finalist fight against Loik Radzhabov was a great three round battle. Last win was against longtime UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens.
Depending if Schulte is in great form can make run to PFL Lightweight Final and potentially win it all. Really enjoy the American Top Team product fight really gives his best every time he fight .
Clay Collard – Broaden his name fighting under Top Rank Promotions during covid translating those boxing skills to the cage by defeating Anthony Pettis in his PFL debut and headlining fight. Few fights later defeating Jeremy Stephens.
Yamato Nishikawa– New addition to PFL Lightweight roster is Japan’s #1 Welterweight prospect. Successful record of 21-3-6 at 20 years old is pretty crazy. Watching his fights deals with lots of adversity being the nail if he fought better opponents probably would lose more than winning. However the talent is obviously there with strong leg kicks, solid off his guard with triangle choke submissions and obvious strong ability to deal with pressure.
Straight advice to Yamato Nishikawa is fly overseas to American Top Team, Kill Cliff FC, Fight Ready MMA, Bangtao Muay Thai, City Kickboxing and work his ass off. Believe this kid can be a very good fighter with right coaching in place.
UFC Contract dispute lead to Yamato Nishikawa to signing with Professional Fighters League. Nishikawa has successful 2023 PFL season, Ray Sefo and Peter Murray should resign him and build the 20 year old kid into a superstar attracting the Asian market.
Carlos Leal & Magomed Umalatov Welterweight Dark Horses
LFA Welterweight Grand Prix winner signed with PFL off the PFL Challenger Series. First year with PFL defeated Ray Cooper than lost to Sabidou Sy.
Carlos Leal reminds me of Geoff Neal, Andre Fialho and those power puncher welterweights and middleweights.
Carlos Leal first real season with PFL can make a straight run to PFL Welterweight Final in the less talented 170 pound division. 28 year old Brazilian can prove he’s one of best welterweights outside the UFC by defeating Sadibou Sy, Dilano Taylor and try to defeat predicted winner Magomedkerimov.
Hate it or love it I love the Russian invasion. Really appreciate there combat sambo skills, elite taekwondo/ kickboxing it’s there time especially for Magomed Umalatov.
Eagles MMA prospect is 12-0 (3-0 PFL record) with win over former Brave CF Welterweight Champion Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi. Dagestan breeds champions and American Top Team breeds some of the best fighters of all time. Watch out for Magomed Umalatov to break through in 2023, “potentially make a run for PFL Welterweight Final or be semifinalist but losing for inexperience.
Umalatov all-around fighter with crisp straight forward punches, constant movement like Muslim Salikhov, sneaky abdomen leg leg kicks. Magomed reminds me of Santiago Ponzinibbio because of similar fighting style maybe just faster.
Billy's MMA Blog 