It might not seem possible for a large group of 205-pound men to go unnoticed. But as the PFL’s 2021 season gets underway, the light heavyweights are all but invisible.
The promotion will enter the season by unveiling some big-splash additions, most notably a pair of former UFC champions, heavyweight Fabricio Werdum and lightweight Anthony Pettis. There’s also ex-Bellator welterweight champ and UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald, who is No. 9 in ESPN’s 170-pound rankings.
And then there are decorated holdovers Lance Palmer, a two-time PFL season winner at featherweight, and 2019 women’s lightweight champ (and two-time Olympic judo gold medalist) Kayla Harrison, the promotion’s biggest star.
Those names bring attention to five of the PFL’s six weight divisions. But what about light heavyweight?
The 205-pound division also opens the season with a defending champ, Emiliano Sordi, and the 30-year-old from Argentina is coming off a 2019 season in which he won all five of his bouts, every one of them by stoppage, all but one in the first round. That surely would be eye-opening if any eyes were pointed his way. But Sordi simply does not have the name recognition of those other champions and high-profile newcomers.
The reigning light heavyweight champ being a bit of a mystery man is emblematic of the entire field of competitors Sordi will be stacked up against when he opens his season on April 29 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Sordi’s opponent that night will be ex-UFC middleweight Chris Camozzi, one of seven light heavyweights making their PFL debuts this season. That’s seven out of a roster of 10.
It doesn’t take much digging, though, to unearth clues about what to expect. Of the seven PFL newcomers, five have fought in the UFC. Four of those made at least a dozen Octagon appearances. There are no household names, but among the UFC alums is Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner Cezar Ferreira, whose 15 bouts for the top-tier promotion include wins over title challengers Anthony Smith and Thiago Santos.
Still, there is a good bit of “who is that?” surrounding the 205-pound season.
Season favorite: Antonio Carlos Junior
Carlos Junior was a late addition to the fold, signing with the PFL only earlier this month to replace 2019 finalist Jordan Johnson this season. The 31-year-old, who like Ferreira is an Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner, fought at middleweight in the UFC, most recently dropping a unanimous decision to Brad Tavares in January. That put Carlos Junior on a three-fight losing streak, but with eight of his 10 victories coming by submission, he’s shown he can be a killer on the ground. So let’s ride with the two-time jiu-jitsu world championships gold medalist.
The leading contender: Emiliano Sordi
Gotta show the defending champion some love, especially considering that run of quick finishes he produced on his way to pocketing the $1 million prize in 2019. The 30-year-old from Argentina gets tested right out of the gate, being matched with Camozzi. If Sordi finishes him, he could be on his way to transforming this season of new signees into the same old championship story.
Fight to watch on opening night: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Tom Lawlor
If nothing else, it will be fun to see if “Filthy Tom” has a fresh impersonation in his repertoire. During his UFC days, he would show up for weigh-ins or even walk-outs disguised as anyone from Conor McGregor to Dan Severn. Lawlor has not competed in MMA since 2018 and hasn’t won since 2015, though, so let’s see whether he still can make himself look like a high-level fighter.
Light heavyweight division at a glance
Antonio Carlos Junior
Age: 31
Height: 6-2 | Reach: 79
Career record: 10-5, 1 NC | ; PFL record: 0-0
Chris Camozzi
Age: 34
Height:6-3 | Reach:78
Career record: 25-14 | PFL record:0-0
Cezar Ferreira
Age: 36
Height:6-1| Reach:78
Career record:13-8 | PFL record:0-0
Marthin Hamlet
Age: 29
Height: 6-1 | Reach: 75
Career record:6-1 | PFL record: 0-0
Tom Lawlor
Age: 37
Height: 6-0 | Reach: 75
Career record: 10-7 | PFL record: 0-0
Smealinho Rama
Age: 28
Height: 6-0 | Reach: 76
Career record: 11-5-1 | PFL record: 1-3-1
Notable PFL fight: Lost by first-round KO to eventual season champion Sean O’Connell in 2018 semifinal
Nick Roehrick
Age: 33
Height: 6-3 | Reach: 75.5
Career record: 9-1 | PFL record: 0-0
Emiliano Sordi
Age: 30
Height: 6-2 | Reach: 77
Career record: 22-8 | PFL record: 6-1
Notable PFL fight: First-round knockout of Jordan Johnson in 2019 light heavyweight final
Dan Spohn
Age: 36
Height: 6-4 | Reach: 77
Career record: 18-7 | PFL record: 2-2
Notable PFL fight: Third-round TKO of Bazigit Ataev in 2018 PFL debut
Jordan Young
Age: 26
Height: 6-4 | Reach: 79
Career record: 11-1 | PFL record: 0-0
How to watch the PFL fights
Watch the main card on ESPN2: Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN2 | TV
Don’t have ESPN2? Get instant access.
Watch the PFL on ESPN+. If you don’t have ESPN+, get it here.
There’s also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every PFL card.
PFL 2021 Night 2: Thursday, April 29
ESPN2 and ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET
Rory MacDonald vs. David Michaud | Welterweight
Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Ponet | Welterweight
Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Tom Lawlor | Light heavyweight
Emiliano Sordi vs. Chris Camozzi | Light heavyweight
ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET
Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino João | Welterweight
Smealinho Rama vs. Jordan Young | Light heavyweight
Cezar Ferreira vs. Nick Roehrick | Light heavyweight
Gleison Tibau vs. Aleksei Kunchenko | Welterweight
Sadibou Sy vs. Nikolay Aleksakhin | Welterweight
Dan Spohn vs. Marthin Hamlet Nielson | Light heavyweight