Best bets for the six $1 million PFL title fights

The 2022 PFL play comes to an extremity Friday, arsenic each six value classes volition crown a champion astatine the PFL World Championships astatine Hulu Theater successful Madison Square Garden successful New York (ESPN+ PPV astatine 8 p.m. ET, with prelims connected ESPN+ astatine 5:30 p.m.).

In the main event, Kayla Harrison volition spell for her 3rd consecutive triumph of the women's lightweight play rubric arsenic she fights Larissa Pacheco. Harrison has defeated Pacheco doubly successful PFL competition, astir precocious beating Pacheco to assertion the rubric successful 2019 via unanimous decision. Harrison is ranked No. 8 successful ESPN's women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Also connected the card, Bubba Jenkins volition combat Brendan Loughnane successful the co-main lawsuit for the men's featherweight title and erstwhile UFC bantamweight Aspen Ladd makes her PFL featherweight debut against Julia Budd.

ESPN betting adept Ian Parker shares his insights and investigation connected each of the six rubric fights, arsenic good arsenic PFL's archetypal women's featherweight bout.

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Women's lightweight: Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco

Previous fights betwixt Harrison and Pacheco went the distance, with Harrison winning some by unanimous decision. While some fighters person evolved implicit the years, Pacheco has improved her striking and inactive has potent KO power, which Harrison volition request to wage attraction to.

Regardless of the opponent, look for Harrison to bash what she does best: Get the combat to the crushed and dominate. Expect a batch of clinching against the cage aboriginal on, and yet it volition spell to the mat. The moneyline likelihood connected Harrison (-650) are excessively high, and determination precise good mightiness beryllium radical that are giving Pacheco a puncher's chance. However, I americium going successful a antithetic direction. As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu achromatic belt, Pacheco has accomplishment connected the mat that I deliberation volition let her to fend disconnected Harrison from finishing her early, adjacent if the combat hits the ground. Over 1.5 rounds.

Men's featherweight: Brendan Loughnane vs. Bubba Jenkins

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Bubba Jenkins caps disconnected an awesome triumph with a rear-naked choke of Ryoji Kudo.

I americium amazed Loughnane is the favourite present based connected the wide show of some fighters this season. Loughnane volition person the amended boxing, but Jenkins isn't acold behind.

The quality successful this combat volition beryllium Jenkins' wrestling. If helium tin usage his striking to successfully acceptable up his takedowns, past Loughnane volition beryllium doing much defending than bringing the combat to Jenkins. Jenkins to triumph (+135).

Heavyweight: Ante Delija vs. Matheus Scheffel

Delija was and inactive is my prime to triumph the heavyweight championship. As agelong arsenic helium doesn't get reckless, this should beryllium a comparatively casual triumph for him. He is the amended combatant some arsenic a striker and grappler. He besides has a knockout implicit Scheffel earlier this season.

Don't beryllium amazed if Delija goes for an aboriginal takedown to debar giving Scheffel immoderate accidental of landing a fight-ending punch. Look for Delija to dominate. Delija to triumph wrong the distance.

Women's featherweight: Aspen Ladd vs. Julia Budd

I volition marque this simple: If Ladd can't get the combat to the mat, she volition suffer this fight. Nothing that Ladd does should astonishment Budd successful this fight, arsenic she has faced amended wrestlers, strikers and grapplers passim her career. Seeing Ladd arsenic a 2-1 favourite is simply a astonishment to maine arsenic she hasn't won since 2019, and Budd has proved to beryllium the amended striker.

At underdog odds, instrumentality a flier connected Budd. Budd to triumph (+180).

Men's lightweight: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Stevie Ray

Ray has shown his versatility this season, but helium is taking connected an hostile successful Aubin-Mercier who is much skilled and continues to amended his wide game. Don't expect this to beryllium the astir breathtaking fight, arsenic we've seen Aubin-Mercier constituent his mode to triumph much often than not. But successful this situation, a triumph is simply a win.

The likelihood are a small precocious connected an Aubin-Mercier wealth line, truthful either spot him successful your parlay oregon instrumentality him to triumph by decision. Aubin-Mercier to triumph by decision.

Welterweight: Sadibou Sy vs. Dilano Taylor

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Dilano Taylor connects with a cleanable changeable to drawback a KO triumph implicit Rory MacDonald.

This could yet beryllium the twelvemonth that Sy wins it all. As awesome arsenic Taylor has been, Sy has the acquisition and has made each the adjustments needed to beryllium a champion.

Expect Sy to usage his recently recovered takedown defence to support the combat lasting and onslaught from a distance. If helium tin crook this into a kickboxing fight, which I judge helium can, past Sy volition beryllium this season's welterweight champ. Sy to triumph (-165).

Light heavyweight: Robert Wilkinson vs. Omari Akhmedov

Wilkinson tin either onslaught from the extracurricular to debar the powerfulness of Akhmedov oregon instrumentality the combat to the mat, wherever helium volition person a grappling advantage. We've seen Akhmedov state retired successful the past, and get dropped successful 2 of his fights successful the PFL.

As agelong arsenic Wilkinson stays distant from Akhmedov's power, helium should win. I don't spot however other Akhmedov wins different than by a knockout punch. And with Wilkinson truthful defensively sound, I don't spot that happening. Wilkinson to triumph (-190).