The 2023 PFL 6 regular season bout between best friends and longtime training partners Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio brought the entire structure of the promotion under question.
The fighters went through a glorified sparring match, which Schulte (25-5-1) won by unanimous decision over Manfio (17-5) to clinch a playoff spot. It was a jarring contest, and the cageside commentators criticized the athletes for engaging, despite both claiming they had no desire to face each other due to their relationship.
When it was over, PFL removed Schulte from the postseason and suspended him and Manfio for not fighting in the spirit of competition, leading to a playoff birth for noted offseason signing Shane Burgos.
The entire situation has sparked controversy and come outrage within the MMA community. Is PFL at fault for booking Schulte vs. Manfio in the first place? Should the athletes take place for delivering a substandard fight? And does PFL utilizing its power to reshuffle the playoff brackets when it claims to be a true sporting organization damage that tagline?
MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Farah Hannoun and Brian “Goze” Garcia joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to offer reactions to the situation and answer those questions.
Check out the video above, and the latest complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.
