On Friday, April 23, the Professional Fighters League hosted the first event of its season, PFL 2021 1, from the Ocean Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.
In the night’s headliner, former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis made his promotional debut opposite fellow UFC veteran Clay Collard. Pettis returned to the weight class where he has found the most success in career, looking to take home the season’s $1 million-dollar prize. Collard, meanwhile, competeed in MMA for the first time in two years after taking a career detour to fight in the boxing ring.
Also on the card, two of the promotion’s previous champions began their quest for three-peats as lightweight king Natan Schulte battled UFC and Bellator MMA veteran Marcin Held, while featherweight titlist Lance Palmer took on fellow wrestling stalwart Bubba Jenkins.
The action kicked off on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET, with the main card airing live on ESPN 2 at 9 p.m. ET.
Marcin Held def. Natan Schulte by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Movlid Khaybulaev def. Lazar Stojadinovic by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Bubba Jenkins def. Lance Palmer by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Brendan Loughnane def. Sheymon Moraes by knockout (right straight). Round 1, 2:55
Raush Manfio def. Joilton Lutterbach by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Akhmed Aliev def. Mikhail Odintsov by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Chris Wade def. Anthony Dizy by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Tyler Diamond def. Sung Bin Jo by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Alex Martinez def. Loik Radzhabov by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)