2023 PFL 1 Preview: Featherweights & Light Heavyweights Take The Center

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has made its comeback for the 2023 regular season, featuring featherweights and light heavyweights who are all vying for a chance to win the grand prize of $1 million. The previous year’s champions, Brendan Loughnane and Rob Wilkinson, will commence this year’s season by going up against former UFC veterans Marlon Moraes and Thiago Santos, respectively.

PFL is among the leading organizations in mixed martial arts, highly regarded for its innovativeness and high-level competition, making it a must-watch spectacle.

The stakes are always high for fighters in every PFL season, with each of them seeking to maximize their opportunities. In this season, Loughnane will be battling Moraes, who is eager to break his losing streak. Moraes lost his previous fight against Sheymon Moraes via TKO, despite dominating the first two rounds. Loughnane, on the other hand, has significantly enhanced his grappling skills over the last two seasons. Moraes is famous for his striking abilities, but he demonstrated his wrestling prowess in his last bout.

Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Wilkinson will be defending his light heavyweight title against Santos. Santos, who has fought against top UFC fighters like Glover Teixeira and Jon Jones, is looking to prove his worth after losing five of his last six fights. Both fighters are formidable strikers, and the fans can expect an enthralling showdown as they aim to secure a victory via knockouts.

The PFL 1 full card and schedule for the upcoming fights are as follows:

Main Card (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

  • Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes
  • Rob Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos
  • Krzysztof Jotko vs. Will Fleury
  • Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Ryoji Kudo
  • Chris Wade vs. Bubba Jenkins

Preliminary Card (ESPN+)

  • Marina Mokhnatkina vs. Cheyenne Vlismas
  • Joey Gomez vs. Youssef Zalal
  • Andrew Ewell vs. Merab Dvalishvili
  • Andre Fialho vs. Justin Sumter

In summary, the PFL has returned for the 2023 regular season with several exciting matchups in store. The title defenders, Loughnane and Wilkinson, will be up against tough opponents, and the fans can anticipate an evening filled with intense battles.

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