PFL 9 Preview

PFL 9 Preview

Liam Mooney|
August 21, 2023|
2

The next round of the PFL semi-finals is upon us, with some of the biggest names in the company taking part for a place in the final and a chance to win $1,000,000. This midweek event will take place at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This will mark the semi-finals for the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions, with last year's champions and fan-favorites Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Sadibou Sy also gracing the card.

Magomed Magomedkerimov Vs. Solomon Renfro

Credits to: PFL.
Credits to: PFL.

Opening the card will see Welterweight seeds 1 and 5 Magomed Magomedkerimov (1) and Solomon Renfro (5) go toe to toe. PFL veteran Magomed has been with the company since 2018 and holds a record of 14-1 with the promotion. Although having one of the most impressive records with the company, Magomed has yet to win the title since his debut season in 2018. An additional sense of urgency is evident this year, coming into the semi-final with two first-round TKO victories and a maximum of 12 points. Solomon Renfro will undoubtedly have his work cut out for him if he is to have his hand raised after the fight. Solomon Renfro will be stepping in as a replacement for Magomed's teammate Magomed Umalatov who pulled out of the fight for undisclosed reasons. Although only fighting in one playoff fight, Renfro's second-round knockout over Jarrah Hussein Al-Silawi gave him five points which will now be enough to proceed to the semi-finals. The former LFA and Contender Series fighter will be riding a three-fight win streak going into this and looking to overcome the odds to punch his way into the finals.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carlos Leal Vs. Sadibou Sy

Credits to: PFL.
Credits to: PFL.

The second fight of the main card will see Welterweight seeds 2 and 3 Carlos Leal (2) and last year's reigning champion, Sadibou Sy (3), step into the octagon in a rematch of last year's semi-final affair. The 2022 semi-final saw Sadibou Sy take the victory via a unanimous decision. However, this year Carlos Leal will be coming in with a lot of confidence following his first-round TKO victory over David Zawada and second-round KO over Dilano Taylor. Entering the semi-final with 11 out of 12 points in the playoffs, Leal has more than shown he is a force to be reckoned with this year. Sadibou Sy, on the other hand, will be hoping for history to repeat itself as he looks to move on to the finals and retain his title. Sy is riding a six-fight win streak, including a second-round TKO against Jarrah Al-Silawi and his third-round spectacularly viral knockout of Shane Mitchell in June. This fight has all the potential to be the fight of the night and will no doubt have spectators watching eagerly from the edges of their seats as both men have repeatedly proven that they can put out their opponent's lights in the blink of an eye.

Olivier Auben-Mercier Vs. Bruno Miranda

Credits to: PFL.
Credits to: PFL.

The co-main event of the evening will see Lightweight seeds 2 and 3, with last year's champion Olivier Auben-Mercier (2) taking on Bruno Miranda (3). Auben-Mercier holds a perfect record of 8-0 in the PFL and has more recently captured the eye of the audience with two breathtaking KO victories in his last three fights, including his remarkable victory over Stevie Ray in last year's final. With a dominant victory over Shayne Burgos in the playoff opener and a superb KO victory against Anthony Romero in his last bout, Auben-Mercier has only shown that he is improving in each of his fights. Stepping across from him, also unbeaten in the PFL with three straight victories, is PFL challenger series winner Bruno Miranda. Miranda will be tasked with dethroning the reigning champ as he looks to improve on his impressive run this year. Miranda is coming into the bout with wins over Ahmed Amir and Alexander Martinez. Although all three victories in the PFL have come via decision, Miranda impressed in the contender series with a third-round TKO and has seven knockouts on his record.

ADVERTISEMENT

Clay Collard Vs. Shayne Burgos

Credits to: PFL.
Credits to: PFL.

The main event will see Lightweight seeds 1 and 4 battle it out as Clay Collard (1) takes on alternate Shayne Burgos (4). MMA veteran Clay Collard booked himself the number one seed with back-to-back victories over Yamato Nishikawa and last year's finalist Stevie Ray. Collard rolled back the years in his last fight as he finished Stevie Ray in the second round via TKO to earn his first finish since 2019. However, with 11 of his 23 wins coming via knockout, Collard is always a dangerous fighter for anybody who steps inside the octagon with him. With incredible boxing and stand-up ability, Burgos must be at his best to prevent Collard from improving on his 2021 semi-final appearance. Standing in his way, Shayne Burgos, who has been given a second chance as Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio were suspended for their bout, allowing Burgos to advance instead. Also, with a dominant victory over common opponent Yamato Nishikawa in his last bout, Burgos will be looking to make good on his second chance. Touted at the beginning of the season as one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, Burgos is indeed also a problem for anybody in this division, and this fight looks to guarantee the fans an incredible feat.

OverUnder
All of your weekly MMA updates in one place.
Keeping up to date with combat sports news can take up a lot of time, so we’re simplifying the process by bringing the most important stories directly to you. We read the internet all week and then summarize what you need to know in 3-4 minutes.
Enter your email to sign up for the OverUnder newsletter. The first email newsletter in MMA.
By subscribing, you will receive a weekly MMA newsletter from Verdict MMA. You can unsubscribe at any time.