Heavyweight, Women’s Lightweight Rosters Revealed for PFL 2021 Season

Having previously announced their featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, and light heavyweight line-ups, the Professional Fighters League has revealed the roster for their final two divisions for the upcoming PFL 2021 season. On Tuesday, promotion officials announced the heavyweight and women’s lightweight rosters — and as expected, Fabricio Werdum and Kayla Harrison are the big attractions.

But not the only ones. Joining Werdum at heavyweight will be former UFC fighter Justin Willis, and would-be UFC fighter Ante Delija. Delija infamously made it all the way to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi back in October, expecting to make his promotional debut there. However, as it turned out, he had never been released from his PFL deal. The Croatian fighter trains under Mirko Cro-Cop. 2019 champ Ali Isaev returns as well, and the division will also be joined by heavyweight prospect Mohammed Usman — brother of UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.

The heavyweight line-up announced Tuesday is as follows:

Bruno Cappelozza
Ante Delija
Renan Ferreira
Denis Goltsov
Ali Isaev
Hatef Moeil
Brandon Sayles
Mohammed Usman
Justin Willis
Fabricio Werdum

Joining 2019 champ Kayla Harrison in the women’s lightweight division will be Cindy Dandois, a former Bellator, RIZIN, and Invicta FC competitor. Dandois has won her last four fights, all via submission. Sarah Kaufman, who made it to the finals of the PFL’s 2019 season, was not listed as returning. Instead, the 2021 PFL women’s lightweight roster consists of:

Cindy Dandois
Genah Fabian
Kayla Harrison
Olena Kolesnyk
Mariana Morais
Larissa Pacheco
Julija Pajic
Laura Sanchez

The PFL 2021 season kicks off on April 23, airing on ESPN+ and ESPN 2. The regular season continues through events on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25. The winner of each weight class following the playoffs and finale earns one million USD. That prize money, and the tournament format, makes the PFL a top destination for free agents such as Werdum and Anthony Pettis, who also joins the promotion this year.