Preview: PFL 8 ‘Ferreira vs. Greene’

Lightweights

Chris Mixan (5-1, 1-0 PFL) vs. Eddy George (6-1, 0-0 PFL): Mixan will try his hand at 155 pounds after previously competing at welterweight. The 24-year-old’s lone defeat came in a bareknuckle MMA bout, though he was probably fortunate to earn a split verdict against Christian Stigenberg in a PFL showcase bout in 2022. Mixan throws combinations reasonably well, and he notably landed a head kick knockdown late in his fight against Stigenberg. George, meanwhile, is coming off his first career defeat—a third-round submission loss against Yemi Oduwole at CES MMA 73 in May. George’s competition on the regional circuit prior to Oduwole has been underwhelming, to say the least. Assuming the weight cut does not give him any issues, Mixan wins by KO or TKO.

Heavyweights

Abraham Bably (3-0, 1-0 PFL) vs. Anthony Wint (1-0, 0-0 PFL): Manchester Top Team’ Bably has relied on his wrestling to earn wins in a PFL showcase bout and on the PFL Challenger Series. The Englishman has not shown much with his striking in his burgeoning career, but he is persistent in his pursuit of the takedown and adept at transitioning to his opponent’s back. That will likely be his approach against Wint, a standout linebacker at Florida International who also had a brief cup of coffee with the NFL’s New York Jets. One would expect Wint, who wrestled in high school, to be the better overall athlete, but that does not always translate to MMA success. Bably grinds out a decision.

Heavyweights

Danilo Marques (14-5, 1-1 PFL) vs. Satoshi Ishii (25-12-1, 1-2 PFL): Marques followed a tepid decision win over fellow UFC veteran Yorgan De Castro by getting blitzed by Marcelo Nunes in a first-round TKO defeat. At 37 years old, it is unclear how much Marques might have left in the tank. The Demian Maia Jiu-Jitsu product is a big body with a good submission game, but he will struggle if he cannot get his opponent to the ground. That could be an issue against Ishii, a Japanese judoka who has squared off with the likes of Fedor Emelianenko, Mirko Filipovic, Jiri Prochazka, Quinton Jackson and Muhammad Lawal over the course of his career. A dynamic striker might be able to put Ishii away, but given the skill sets of both men, this could settle into something of a plodding, grinding tempo. Marques will have the benefit of a significant height and reach advantage, and it seems unlikely that he will succumb to his opponent’s trips and throws in the clinch. Marques wins on the scorecards.

Welterweights

Laureano Staropoli (12-5, 0-0 PFL) vs. Ben Egli (14-5, 0-1 PFL): You might remember Staropoli for his UFC stint, where he bested Thiago Alves in his sophomore Octagon appearance before dropping four consecutive fights on his way out the door. The 30-year-old Argentina native has bounced back, winning three straight bouts under the Ares Fighting Championship banner. Staropoli displayed some flashy striking at times, but he lacked the consistency for prolonged success in the UFC. Egli, meanwhile, was given a rough draw in his PFL debut, as he was vanquished by a Magomed Magomedkerimov head kick in just 63 seconds in April. Egli is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with 12 submission victories on his ledger, and facing an opponent who is not as technically sound as Magomedkerimov might allow him more opportunities to implement his game plan. Staropoli will push the pace and throw strikes in volume, and he has yet to suffer a submission defeat in his career. The UFC veteran wins a decision.

Women’s Flyweights

Kaytlin Neil (7-4, 0-0 PFL) vs. Maira Mazar (8-6, 0-0 PFL): Neil and Mazar both fought on the same PFL Challenger Series card with different results. Neil garnered a unanimous decision win against Katherine Corogenes, while Mazar dropped a three-round verdict to Desiree Yanez. Neil is at her best when she can impose her will through clinch work and positional control. Mazar, who notably faced current UFC strawweight queen Weili Zhang in 2016, has multiple submission defeats on her record and will face a size and reach disadvantage. Neil grapples her way to a decision or submission victory.

Heavyweight

Louie Sutherland (5-1, 0-1 PFL) vs. Daiqwon Buckley (4-1, 0-0 PFL): After suffering a grinding decision loss to Abraham Bably at a PFL postseason event, Sutherland bounced back for a second-round stoppage of Alton Meeks at a PFL Challenger Series event on Feb. 10. “The Vanilla Gorilla” struggles against stronger wrestlers, but he has shown himself to be a quick finisher thus far. During an appearance on the PFL Challenger Series in 2022, Buckley showed an ability to string multi-punch combinations together on the feet and effective ground-and-pound on the canvas in a second-round TKO victory against Jon Cunningham. The Pennsylvanian also notably faced current postseason participant Jordan Heiderman under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner later that year, falling via first-round submission. This could be over quickly if these two decided to stand and trade. Sutherland wins by KO/TKO.

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Ferreira vs. Greene
Pacheco vs. Kolesnyk
Goltsov vs. Heiderman
Mokhnatkina vs. Leibrock
Kelly vs. Nelson
The Prelims