The brackets are set for PFL 9 and 10, which will continue the Professional Fighters League’s post-season, with winning fighters competing twice in a night to make the million dollar finals.
The Professional Fighters League has its playoff schedule set for its lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions. In a pair of press releases distributed on Monday, the PFL provided the brackets for the playoffs in each division, based on the seeding determined following the regular season, which finished up last month at PFL 7.
PFL 9 will take place at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, CA on October 13. PFL 10, meanwhile, goes down on October 20 at the brand new Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights, Washington D.C.
“With our innovative format the League continues to make MMA history every time we put on an event and this bracket is sure to provide some incredible action in the cage as these guys compete for millions of dollars and a chance to become PFL champion,” said Carlos Silva, PFL League President via press release on Monday.
PFL 9 will see the lightweight and light heavyweight divisions back in action in Long Beach, CA. The opening round seedings features Nathan Schulte, the top ranked 155lb’er through the regular season, facing off against late addition Johnny Case. Chris Wade faces off against Robert Watley, Islam Mamedov takes on Thiago Tavares, and Will Brooks, the number two seed and former Bellator MMA lightweight champ, takes on Rashid Magomedov.
On the light heavyweight side, top seed Vinny Magalhaes, feared for his ground game, will take on Rakim Cleveland. Dan Spohn will take on popular former UFC combatant Sean O’Connell, while number two seed Maxim Grishin will face Canada’s Smealinho Rama.
At PFL 10 in Washington, D.C., welterweight top seed Ray Cooper III will take on Jake Shields for the second time this year. Cooper finished Shields in their first fight of the season at PFL 3, via TKO in the second round. A first-round TKO victory for Cooper followed at PFL 6, over Pavel Kusch. Shields, meanwhile, defeated Herman Terrado via unanimous decision at that same event to earn his playoff spot, and a chance for revenge against Cooper.
Former UFC star Rick Story also returns at PFL 10, taking on Handesson Ferreira.
Middleweight action at PFL 10, meanwhile, sees top seed Abus Magomedov, owner of two first round finishes during the regular season, facing Gasan Umalatov. The latter went 1-1 during the regular season, losing to John Howard but earning a unanimous decision against former Ultimate Fighter winner Eddie ‘Truck’ Gordon at PFL 6.
Both PFL 9 and PFL 10 are expected to feature twelve bouts, with winning fighters competing twice in one night. The events air on NBCSN and Facebook Watch.
