Takeaway's From PFL6
In case you missed it, the PFL held another event in Atlantic City last night starring the middleweights, welterweights, and an appearance from rising star Kayla Harrison. It was also a family/team affair among the Nurmagomedov crew, with Khabib cornering five fights throughout the night. The "Magomedov" crew went undefeated on the night, and all looked at least relatively dominant, especially in the grappling (duh). Although this PFL card had the least amount of finishes of all so far, I don't think it was any hindrance on the night at all. It was a smaller venue, but it was much more intimate, and the crowd was very much into the fights. Even when there was a lapse in the action, per say, the suspense was enough to keep the crowd on their collective toes all night, as there were certainly some heavy hitters in the cage all night.
There were a couple fighters that stood out last night. To me, at least. One was Louis Taylor who, at 39 years old, looked Khabib-esque himself. He completely dominated the pace and distance of his fight, and took Andre Lobato down whenever he felt like it. For someone as old as him, in MMA terms, it was super impressive to see the grappling exhibition he put on while seeming to not tire at all. He's gonna be a tough out the rest of the season, especially if he can get his hands around you.
Jake Shields bounced back in a big way against Herman Terrado. He had to be giving up, at the very least, 10 lbs to Terrado. Regardless, Shields put on another grappling clinic during the first ten minutes of the fight. Although he was certainly gassed in round three, he managed to tire out Terrado the first two rounds as well. While Terrado had has way in round three, it seemed Shields had sapped him of most of his energy, preventing Terrado from coming back. For someone who looked like lightweight next to his opponent, this was an impressive win for Shields.
Joao Zeferino looked great in his RNC victory over Yuri Villefort. Zeferino showcased his all-around game with clean boxing on the feet and slick grappling on the floor. Villefort was clearly a competent opponent, but Zeferino imposed his will the majority of the fight, up until he jumped on his back and sunk in the choke.
Kayla Harrison dominated, again. Yes, her competition isn't scaring anyone right now, but just watching Harrison fight, you can see her evolving and becoming more well rounded each time out. It wasn't a flawless victory, as she did get hit more than she probably would have liked, but it was dominant nonetheless. Sometimes, you can just tell though, Harrison is gonna be a stud. Plus, even fighting at lightweight, it didn't look like she had a ton of extra weight she could have cut; she looked pretty muscled up to be honest. I'd assume she'll find a home at featherweight some time soon and continue to merk people there, but we'll see.
Finally, in the main event, Ray Cooper III left everyone speechless. He wasted no time, came right at Pavlo Kusch, and banished him to the shadow realm. Kusch stood no chance. Yeah, you here that people throw bombs in MMA all the time, but Ray Cooper III throws FUCKIN BOMBS BRO. He was asked after the fight if he had some kind of beef with Kusch; He said no and that he treats all his opponents that way, but he seemed like he was particularly interested in KO'ing Kusch, for whatever reason. Cooper III is gonna be a star in the PFL, and he's gotta be the favorite among the welterweights heading into the playoffs.
If you haven't tuned in to the PFL yet, I highly suggest doing so. They've created a unique and intriguing system that really encourages finishes, especially quick ones. Although it's more fight content for serious fans to sink their teeth into, it's really palatable for the casual "JUST BLEED" MMA fans as well. From what we've heard from Carlos Silva, the PFL President, the fighters seem to really be buying into the system, which only reinforces and encourages action-packed fights. There's no drama with belts being held hostage, no egos getting in the way, and no constant butting of heads between fighter and company higher-ups. As noted in the list of recent PFL investors last week, people of all backgrounds, financial standings, etc seem to be buying in to what the PFL is selling. Carlos Silva and Ray Sefo, to say the least, have introduced another player on the MMA landscape to look out for. Obviously they aren't a UFC or a Bellator just yet. It may take a year, or two, or maybe even more, but as the playoffs near and Championship Night rolls around on New Year's Eve, it's gonna be interesting to see just how popular the PFL becomes.
-AM