The PFL World Championship is right around the corner, and the main event will feature none other than 2019 PFL Lightweight Champion Kayla Harrison.
The PFL has sent out a press release revealing the full card for the event, which will see six champions crowned. Each will become $1 million richer if they win their fights in the 2021 PFL finale.
The lightweight final is an obvious choice for the main event slot; Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, won the 2019 championship and is still undefeated in MMA. She’ll be taking on Taylor Guardado, who is 3-1 and undefeated in her PFL career.
One of the other main attractions on the card isn’t a championship fight at all, but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. Olympic gold medalist boxer Claressa Shields will be making her sophomore MMA appearance, this time taking on Abigail Montes earlier in the night on the main card. Shields’ return follows an impressive debut against BJJ brown belt and Bellator veteran Brittney Elkin earlier this year. Shields was originally scheduled to have her second fight in August, but the date was later changed. Montes, for her part, is 2-0, having last fought in April to a TKO victory. This will mark her PFL debut.
The co-main event will serve as the welterweight final between Ray Cooper III and Magomed Magomedkerimov. This will be a battle of champions; Cooper on the PFL welterweight title in 2019, while Magomedkerimov won it in 2018. The first time these two faced off in 2018, Magomedkerimov was victorious with a guillotine in round two.
The full card for the 2021 PFL Championship can be found below:
Main Card (ESPN2, ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Kayla Harrison vs. Taylor Guardado (Lightweight final)
- Ray Cooper III vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov (Welterweight final)
- Abigail Montes vs. Claressa Shields
- Bruno Cappelozza vs. Ante Delija (Heavyweight final)
- Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Chris Wade (Featherweight final)
Prelims (ESPN+, 4:30 p.m. ET)
- Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Marthin Hamlet (Light heavyweight final)
- Omari Akhmedov vs. Jordan Young
- Raush Manfio vs. Loik Radzhabov (Men’s lightweight final)
- Don Madge vs. Nathan Williams
