The Professional Fighters League is the hot new thing in the world of MMA. This is the first promotion to feature a regular season and a playoff to determine the champion of each division. The PFL is featuring six championship fights on New Years Eve at Madison Square Garden at the Hulu Theater at 7 pm ET on the NBC Sports Network. The PFL is already setting up for next year and adding more fighters into the mix for their second season, which is supposed to kick off in May 2019.
This design is different from the typical MMA format with winners scoring 3 points, and bonus points added for finishing fights. First round finishes earn fighters an extra 3 points, second round finishes earn an extra 2 points, and third round finishes earn 1 extra point. This sets up clear power rankings based on scores, and not head-to-head fighter matchups that determine rankings in other promotions. If you win your fights, and if you win fast, you move up in the rankings with no politics involved behind the scenes trying to weigh fights to determine who ranks where.
With an exciting night to take place, here are a couple fights to keep your eye on.
The fights to watch at the PFL Championships
This is a new promotion, and is one of a kind. The fighters competing tonight will be fighting for a shot at a $1 million purse, which is guaranteed to each Champion crowned. Comedian and movie star Kevin Hart, TV producer Mark Burnett, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, and the owner of the Washington Capitals, Ted Leonsis pledged $28 Million to the PFL this year. These investments allowed the PFL to establish themselves in one season as a legitimate MMA platform. For those curious or new to the Professional Fighters League, we wanted to provide you some of the fights to watch tonight during the Championships.
Kayla Harrison vs Moriel Charneski
Kayla Harrison has some of the most hype following a fighter with this short of a career in MMA, that being only 2 fights. Remember the hype around Ronda Rousey? A fighter bringing Judo into MMA, a newer style that people have not seen much of, and at an Olympic level when she won a bronze medal. The unstoppable armbar, Kayla Harrison matches that, and raises you two Gold medals at the Olympics in Judo. All that is great and all, but she fights in the women’s lightweight division, where there is not a wealth of fighters in the weight class. Promotions are having a hard time filling out the featherweight division for women, lightweight has not even been thought of at the UFC level, until Kayla Harrison. They are creating this 155-pound division in the PFL, and I am sorry Moriel Charneski, but this division is being created for Harrison.
Vinny Magalhaes vs Sean O’Connell
O’Connell was recently in a battle where he was badly hurt, but decided to show off his heart and go down swinging. Having that kind of power, and the go down swinging mentality, is when you swing you may connect. O’Connell was fading and was maybe on shot away from his night being ended, when he connected with a hook and dropped his opponent, pouncing on top to ensure the finish while he may not have even been fully recovered himself. He was also commentating in the same night that he was scheduled to fight, this is a madman. What Vinny Magalhaes does, is use his world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has shown the ability to hurt people on the feet, but he is in an elite class when it comes to his ground game, and it is not somewhere fighters should look to end up. O’Connell has shown it only takes one punch for him to put you on the canvas, so Magalhaes should probably look to take this one to the canvas before he gets put there.
Abus Magomedov vs Louis Taylor
Magomedov has been on an absolute tear during his stay in the PFL. He as appeared to be on another level and seemed unbeatable at times. Magomedov has fantastic wrestling prowess and is comfortable on the ground. He's also great at defending takedowns. This ability allows him to be free and creative on the feet, but he's set to face off against a veteran in the 39-year-old Louis Taylor. He may be 39, but he is fighting like he is 29, in great shape in his last few appearances and showing off the power in his punches. Taylor also has a strong ground game and has been in complete control of his fights, but a controversial finish in his last fight where a knee to a grounded opponent lead to doctor stoppage, but not a disqualification. In Taylor’s defense, he was winning the fight anyway, and the knee was not intentional. It would be surprising if Magomedov did not at least get mentioned for a potential move to the UFC. He is ready, but Taylor will look to derail the momentum Magomedov has built up to earn the coveted $1 million purse.
Ray Cooper III vs Magomed Magomedkerimov
Cooper III has dynamite in his gloves, he is exciting in every fight because you are waiting for him to connect with each punch. He is a family man, with his whole family traveling to fights with him, and are in his corner. He trains at his family’s gym, which is in their home in Hawaii. His wrestling is outstanding and his boxing is strong. He is young, only 25, but he is also slightly shorter for the division. Magomed Magomedkerimov is a bit longer of a fighter and should try to keep Cooper III at range, which is easier said than done. Magomedkerimov hails from Dagestan, Russia so you know how he is built. He is just an all-around solid fighter, and does not appear to have many holes in his game. This is probably the most exciting fight on the card, Magomedkerimov has not been finished in his career and Cooper III is just reaching his prime.
Notable Mention:
Steven Siler vs Lance Palmer. These two actually have history as Palmer beat Siler back in 2017 via unanimous decision. Siler was put into deep waters in his first fight in the PFL by taking a shot right on the chin, that put him right on his back. It looked like he was off to a tough start in the PFL, but he was able to recover quickly, and trap his opponent in a triangle choke to steal the win. Palmer has gone through the PFL in a breeze and looks to continue on his way to the grand prize. He has excellent wrestling and looks to make an interesting matchup on the ground for these two in a rematch.
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Connor “Rags” Rogowsky is a The Scrap’s Co-Founder and a MMA writer during his free time. Rogowsky played football and track collegiately, and holds a Masters of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.
