Preview: PFL 6 ‘Harrison vs. Young’

Welterweights

Jarrah Al-Silawi (18-3, 1-0 PFL) vs. Magomed Umalatov (11-0, 2-0 PFL): Whether or not you believe Al-Silawi deserved to get the nod in his split decision over Gleison Tibau at PFL 3, few fighters are able to look pretty in their fights against the grinding Brazilian veteran. That the former two-division Brave Combat Federation champion was able to author enough moments to earn two of the three judges’ scorecards bodes well for his future. This might be an even more difficult test, though, as Umalatov, a former Eagle Fighting Championship welterweight titleholder, has the looks of an intriguing prospect. “Prince” is a good wrestler with a solid jab, powerful overhand right and punishing ground-and-pound. He is much more dynamic than the aging Tibau and has the ability to make Al-Silawi pay if he takes too many chances with his kickboxing. Umalatov by decision is the pick.

Women’s Lightweights

Larissa Pacheco (16-4, 5-2 PFL) vs. Genah Fabian (5-2, 4-2 PFL): Pacheco has been the most impressive PFL lightweight not named Kayla Harrison, and that continued in her first regular-season bout against Zamzagul Fayzallanova, as she obliterated the Kazakhstani grappler on her way to a quick first-round stoppage. The two-time UFC veteran has three consecutive first-round KO/TKO finishes in PFL competition and seems to be on a mission for a third meeting with Harrison. Fabian, meanwhile, missed weight badly for a showdown with ex-Bellator champ Julia Budd at PFL 3. While Fabian won a forgettable unanimous decision, it’s hard to read too much into it after the City Kickboxing member tipped the scales 4.8 pounds above her contracted mark. Fabian’s muay Thai stylings mean that she will not be overwhelmed by Pacheco’s aggression on the feet, but the Brazilian’s blend of power and submissions should be enough to get the job done. Pacheco encounters more resistance than in recent fights but grounds Fabian and wins via submission.

Welterweights

Nikolay Aleksakhin (24-7, 1-2 PFL) vs. Gleison Tibau (37-16, 2-2 PFL): Tibau was on the wrong side of a split-decision defeat against Jarrah Al-Silawi at PFL 3, as his opponent’s kickboxing, movement and takedown defense were enough to curry favor with two cageside judges. There is no secret regarding Tibau’s gameplan: The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will use his considerable physical strength to grind his opponents out in the clinch and on the mat. He does not throw with great volume on the feet, however, and he is not as much of a submission threat as he was early in his career. Aleksakhin looked like a dark horse after holding his own against eventual champ Ray Cooper III in 2021, but his rematch with Sadibou Sy in his first regular-season bout resulted in an uneventful split-decision setback. The Russian should be able to use volume, movement and solid defensive wrestling to keep Tibau at bay for a decision win.

Women’s Lightweights

Marina Mokhnatkina (6-3, 0-1 PFL) vs. Abigail Montes (3-1, 1-1 PFL): Mokhnatkina achieved a moral victory of sorts by going the distance against Kayla Harrison in her last outing, but the combat sambo specialist did very little of note other than neutralizing her opponent on the ground and rolling for the occasional leg lock. Montes, meanwhile, followed her upset victory over boxing champ Claressa Shields with a split-decision loss to Helena Kolesnyk in what was an entertaining slugfest. Her win over the inexperienced-but-heavily-hyped Shields aside, Montes is still an unproven commodity. Mokhnatkina, on the other hand, has solid experience and what should be a clear advantage in the wrestling and grappling departments. Mokhnatkina wins via submission or decision.

Women’s Lightweights

Martina Jindrova (5-2, 1-0 PFL) vs. Zamzagul Fayzallanova (7-2, 0-1 PFL): Jindrova added a decent feather to her cap in her promotional debut, taking a clear-cut unanimous decision over UFC veteran Vanessa Melo. The kickboxing and muay Thai stylist landed with superior volume throughout the victory, connecting with jabs and low kicks while relying on solid movement to avoid her foe’s advances. Fayzallanova, meanwhile, was overwhelmed in short order in a first-round technical knockout loss to Larissa Pacheco. The Kazakhstan native will have to close the distance and make it an ugly fight or risk being picked apart at range by Jindrova. The striking and footwork of Jindrova gets the job done in a decision win.

Lightweights

Helena Kolesnyk (6-4, 1-1 PFL) vs. Vanessa Melo (11-9, 0-1 PFL): Kolesnyk used aggression to earn a split-decision victory over Abigail Montes at PFL 3—a much-needed victory on the heels of a four-bout skid against high-level opposition. She will face a more experienced opponent in Melo, who looked to be a step behind in being outpointed by kickboxer Martina Jindrova in her promotional debut. Melo is quite durable and will force the action, but she is not likely to put Kolesnyk away inside the distance. With that said, she is still more likely to hold up under duress, and her toughness alone will help her pull away from Kolesnyk for a decision win.

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Harrison vs. Young
MacDonald vs. Sy
Cooper III vs. Cooper
Magomedkerimov vs. Zeferino
The Prelims