Rory MacDonald's path to the $1million PFL Championship could face a major obstacle on Saturday night in the undefeated Magomed Umalatov.
With his duo of welterweights battling in Cardiff's Motorpoint his arena, McDonald was a surprising underdog with the oddsmakers. Since losing to Geghard Mousasi at Bellator, he has struggled with motivation and has not been able to beat his second consecutive win since the 2018 match.
However, he found himself in the PFL playoffs after quickly taking out Brett his Cooper in the first fight of the tournament. And amateur standout Umaratov will prove a tough opponent at this show, the first of his two British shows for the American promotion.
Something has become clear as the Russian has won three tours in the USA after arriving as EFC champion in the last few years of his arrival in the PFL . However, he has yet to face someone of McDonald's pedigree, and it remains to be seen if he can still face someone qualified for the Canadian World Championship. In the semi-finals, Sadibou Sy takes on Carlos Leal in a fascinating clash of styles. Leal has overcome every challenge thrown at him since his Challenger Series in the PFL earlier this year, including the reigning champion, who beat Ray Cooper III to reach this stage.
The Brazilian, a former LFA champion, has emerged as a slight favorite among the oddsmakers heading into this match. But he faces a tough test this year in Sweden, which has already upset McDonald's big time. The Cardiff crowd is sure to get three tight rounds between these men, so this could be a tight scorecard.
Image:
PFL MMA)And one man who is sure to impress fans in the Welsh capital is big heavyweight Renan Ferreira. He spotlights the million dollar fight. Whatever the outcome of this violent clash, fans will be impressed just by seeing the 6'8-inch behemoth.
He will face a tough battle, although he is clearly one of the stars the PFL is looking to build. Test at Deriya. He has had a stop-start season so far, but his lightning-quick knockout of Jamel Jones was enough to earn him a playoff spot. Denis Goltsov and Matheus Scheffel clash.
Elsewhere, Irish stars Will Fleury and Nathan Kelly, along with a number of other European and British stars are set to feature in next season's tournaments. He's had a big show at Bellator and is expected to make waves at this year's tournament under the guidance of John Kavanagh.
Read More
Read More
