Where there are changes, there is opportunity.
That is the mentality that the fighter of the League of Professional Fighters should have as the first round of the new PFL World Tournament begins this week.
After six years of operating under the old format, where the combatants would compete to be among the top four in the division classification for a place in the playoffs, the promotion announced a new group format, which will debut with Welter and weight weight divisions on Thursday (10 pm et in ESPN2/ESPN+, with preliminary at 8 pm et in ESPN+).
In addition to the new format, the tournament will provide new clashes, since many former Bellator fighters will compete in the PFL tournament for the first time. And with so many new wrinkles added this year, the tournament could also produce new champions.
While MMA fans know most of the favorites in each division, such as former Bellator Jason Jackson champion, the PFL 2023 IPA Kasanganay and Jesus Pinedo champions and the former challenger of the UFC Tatiana Suárez title, there are many fighters flying under the radar.
Here is a list with a wild card in each division that could make a championship race this year, starting with the stacked female flying division.
Weight for women's flies: Kana Watanabe
First fight of 2025: April 11 against Jena Bishop
Eight seconds were all that was on the way that Watanabe reached the PFL semifinals last season. He was dominating Liz Carmouche and on his way to victory until, in the last seconds of the fight, Carmouche cling to one arm and won the victory behind. However, Watanabe is an experienced veterinarian with a judo game/suffocating struggle that can cause problems to almost any person in the division. If you can close the distance and take your fights to the mat, you can play Spoiler in this division.
Bantam weight: Jake Hadley
First fight of 2025: April 11 vs. Matheus Mattos
Hadley, former UFC fighter and best prospect, will make his debut in the PFL World Tournament. Hadley is good regardless of where the fight goes, and with its experience in the fight against competition at the UFC level, it is not one to be taken lightly.
Folm weight: Adam Borics
First 2025 fight: Thursday against Jesús Pinedo
If the boric can overcome the pindo in the first round of the tournament, he will be the guy to monitor. Pinedo has a set of diverse skills and has fought against some of the best in the world. Bórics also has a wide range of unpredictable attacks that can end a fight at any time, as we have seen in the past.
Light: Alexander Shaliy
First fight of 2025: April 18 against Brent Primus
Until his defeat against Bellator champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, Shalliy ran for the competition in that promotion. In my opinion, he is the only fighter who can match last year's champion, Gadzhi Rabadanov, in the Wrestling Department. Shaliy is complete with a good cardio and can be a nightmare for those who attract him in this tournament.
WELTER WEIGHT: THAD JEAN
First 2025 fight: Thursday against Mukhamed Berkhamov
Jean, undefeated and a local PFL prospect, can be a breakstone star. He has shown a murderous instinct in all his fights and continues to develop in all aspects of the game. Together with that, he has an outgoing personality when he goes up to the microphone, so while he can walk, he also talks about the conversation, which fans enjoy. If you can overcome this week's first round with a dominant victory, it could be the brilliant point of the tournament.
Medium weight: Aaron Jeffery
First fight of 2025: April 18 against Murad Ramazanov
Jeffery is among the main Bellator's medium weight contestants who will make his PFL debut in the tournament. He can be the wild card that people are underestimating in this division. He is one of the best fighters in the medium weight and makes a threatening rhythm with which it is difficult to deal with.
Lightweight: Antonio Carlos Jr.
First fight of 2025: May 1 against Karl Moore
At the end of a disappointing end of last season, Carlos is looking to recover and obtain his second PFL tournament championship. Carlos has a tremendous power on his feet, but where he is better, and I mean the best, it is with his jiu-jitsu. No one in the division can stop him if he takes the fight to the ground and takes his opponent to his world.
Heavyweight: Oleg Popov
First fight of 2025: May 1 against Lenton Vassell
Until Denis Goltsov presented it at the PFL finals last season, Popov had knocked down and surpassed all his opponents dominantly. In this year's opening round, he faces Vassell, who tends to win as the fight progresses. By heavyweight, that happens most of the time. Look for Popov to be the sleeping one that overcomes and exceeds its path to the final.
