The lineup is set for the PFL’s third and final set of playoff fights next month in London.
Two-time women’s lightweight season winner and No. 2 seed Kayla Harrison (14-0) will headline the card against No. 3 Martina Jindrova (6-2) in one of two semifinal fights in the division.
The other half of the bracket features No. 1 Larisa Pacheco (17-4) vs. No. 4 Olena Kolesnyk (7-4). Pacheco, who lost to Harrison in the 2019 final, finished both her regular season fights in the first round for 12 points to earn the top seed. Harrison and Jindrova finished the regular season with 9 points, while Kolesnyk had 6 for the fourth playoff spot.
The event also features the two semifinal playoff bouts at featherweight. No. 1 seed Chris Wade (22-7) takes on No. 4 Brendan Loughnane (22-7) and No. 2 Ryoji Kudo (11-3-1) meets No. 3 Bubba Jenkins (18-5).
The PFL’s third set of playoff fights take place Aug. 20 at Copper Box Arena in London. The four-fight main card of playoff matchups airs on ESPN. A four-fight set of prelims and four fights after the main card stream on ESPN+.
The playoffs open two weeks prior in New York with lightweights and light heavyweights. Then welterweights and heavyweights meet Aug. 13 in Cardiff, Wales.
“Heading to London is huge for the expansion of the league,” PFL president Ray Sefo stated. “We are bringing our brand of MMA to the U.K. and I’m sure they are going to be as excited as I am to see elite fighters like Kayla Harrison, Chris Wade and Brendan Loughnane compete with so much on the line.”
Harrison won the second of her two judo Olympic gold medals at the 2012 Games in London. Now she returns to the city a decade later.
In addition, the PFL announced the signing of muay Thai standout Dakota Ditcheva (5-0), a prized free agent from Manchester, England. The three-time muay Thai world champion is unbeaten early in her MMA career and is considered one of the sport’s top female prospects. Her mother, Lisa Howarth, was a world kickboxing champion.
“We are excited to add Dakota to the global PFL talent roster,” Sefo stated. “Dakota’s outstanding skill set and ability, along with her natural charisma, fit perfectly with the PFL brand of MMA. We believe the PFL is uniquely placed to take her journey forward on a global scale. Coming from a line of elite muay Thai practitioners, we have confidence in Dakota to go to the very top with the PFL and continue her family’s legacy.”
The PFL 2022 Playoffs 3 card includes:
POSTLIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5 p.m. ET)
- Dakota Ditcheva vs. Hassna Gaber
- Abraham Bably vs. Louie Sutherland
- Tayo Odunjo vs. Magnus Onyeka
- Kenji Bortoluzzi vs. Ali Taleb
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 3 p.m. ET)
- No. 2 Kayla Harrison vs. No. 3 Martina Jindrova – women’s lightweight semifinal
- No. 1 Chris Wade vs. No. 4 Brendan Loughnane – featherweight semifinal
- No. 1 Larisa Pacheco vs. No. 4 Olena Kolesnyk – women’s lightweight semifinal
- No. 2 Ryoji Kudo vs. No. 3 Bubba Jenkins – featherweight semifinal
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 1 p.m. ET)
- Simeon Powell vs. Nemanja Uveric
- Stuart Austin vs. Sofiane Boukichou
- Marcin Held vs. Myles Price
- Aleksandrs Chizovs vs. TBA
