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MMASucka’s PFL Championships 2021 Staff Picks

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The championship finals are here for the Professional Fighters League as twelve of the world’s best mixed martial artists are set for battle in six highly-awaited fights.

PFL 10 2021 will take place in just a few hours tonight, October 27 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Each championship winner will be awarded a cash prize of one million dollars, rewarding their successes after progressing throughout this year’s playoff season. The preliminary card will begin at 4:30pm ET (1:30pm PT) live on ESPN+ with the main card kicking off at 8:00pm ET (5:00pm PT) on both ESPN+ and ESPN 2.

Make sure to recap our MMASucka staff picks from Saturday’s Bellator 269 and UFC Vegas 41, as well as Tuesday’s Dana White’s Contender Series 45.

The Fights

2019 lightweight (155 lbs.) tournament champion Kayla Harrison looks for her second PFL title victory against Taylor Guardado in the night’s featured main event.

Judoka Harrison has fought in all of her professional bouts thus far with PFL, having an undefeated record of eleven victories. Three straight first-round stoppages including a semi-final knockout of Genah Fabian has propelled the rising star to her second opportunity at the championship. Harrison’s opponent, Guardado, comes in as the massive underdog in what will only be her fifth professional appearance. The Xtreme Couture fighter will make the most of her opportunity, just as she did replacing Larissa Pacheco in the semi-finals and taking the decision over talented veteran Mariana Morais.

Former foes at welterweight (170 lbs.) Magomed Magomedkerimov and Ray Cooper III are set to meet in the co-main event. Magomedkerimov took the win and tournament win their first meeting in December of 2018, submitting Cooper III by guillotine in the second round. The Russian has since won five additional fights, adding his current win streak to 13 in-a-row. 2019 tournament champion Cooper III hopes to avenge the prior defeat following a successful 2021 campaign including decisions over Nikolay Aleksakhin and Rory MacDonald.

Four additional titles will be on the line in tonight’s stack-filled card with fights in the men’s featherweight (145 lbs.), lightweight (155 lbs.), light heavyweight (205 lbs.), and heavyweight (265 lbs.) divisions. All six championship pairings are set for five, five minute rounds.

Will Bruno Cappelozza knockout Ante Delija for the second time this year? Can Movlid Khaybulaev remain undefeated against “The Long Island Killer” of Chris Wade? These questions will be answered tonight.

Find all the championship fights being counted for our staff picks at PFL 10 2021 further below.

Staff Picks

Throughout the calendar year, staff picks will be composed of main card fights from both UFC and Bellator events. Main card fights and selected preliminary fights will be selected for PFL MMA. Dana White’s Contender Series will be composed of the full fight card.

The WINNER of staff picks in 2021 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. For the third straight year, Michael DeSantis captured the 2020 victory compiling a record of 201-88.

Who are the MMASucka staff picking to win at PFL 10 2021? Find out below.


Staff Records after Dana White’s Contender Series 44:

1. Nate Freeman: 200-108
2. Wesley Riddle: 195-113
3. Michael DeSantis: 192-112
4. Frazer Krohn: 183-125
5. Mike Lynch: 170-128
6. Ash Camyab: 169-115
7. Jeremy Brand: 163-141
8. Andrew Benjamin: 121-124
9. Tim Wheaton: 108-82
10. Chris Presnell: 74-34

*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – Bellator 269, UFC Vegas 41, & Dana White’s Contender Series 45 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*


– Lightweight Championship, 155 LBS –

Loik Radzhabov (15-3-1) vs. Raush Manfio (14-3)

Wesley Riddle: Radzhabov via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Radzhabov via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Radzhabov via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Radzhabov via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Manfio via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Radzhabov via Round 1 TKO
Nate Freeman: Radzhabov via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Manfio via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Manfio via Unanimous Decision
Jake Broderick: Manfio via Split Decision

Staff picking Radzhabov: 6
Staff picking Manfio: 4


– Light Heavyweight Championship, 205 LBS –

Antonio Carlos Junior (12-5, 2 NC) vs. Marthin Hamlet (8-2)

Wesley Riddle: Carlos Junior via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Carlos Junior via Round 1 SUB
Ash Camyab: Carlos Junior via Round 3 SUB
Andrew Benjamin: Carlos Junior via Round 1 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Carlos Junior via Round 2 SUB
Mike Lynch: Carlos Junior via Round 3 SUB
Nate Freeman: Carlos Junior via Round 1 SUB
Tim Wheaton: Carlos Junior via Round 1 TKO
Chris Presnell: Carlos Junior via Round 1 SUB
Jake Broderick: Carlos Junior via Round 1 SUB

Staff picking Carlos Junior: 10
Staff picking Hamlet: 0


– Featherweight Championship, 145 LBS –

Movlid Khaybulaev (18-0-1, 1 NC) vs. Chris Wade (20-6)

Wesley Riddle: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Wade via Split Decision
Ash Camyab: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Khaybulaev via Unanimous Decision
Tim Wheaton: Wade via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Khaybulaev via Unanimous Decision
Jake Broderick: Khaybulaev via Unanimous Decision

Staff picking Khaybulaev: 3
Staff picking Wade: 7


– Heavyweight Championship, 265 LBS –

Bruno Henrique Cappelozza (13-5) vs. Ante Delija (19-4)

Wesley Riddle: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 2 TKO
Ash Camyab: Delija via Unanimous Decision
Andrew Benjamin: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Delija via Unanimous Decision
Mike Lynch: Delija via Round 3 TKO
Nate Freeman: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 1 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 2 TKO
Chris Presnell: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 2 TKO
Jake Broderick: Henrique Cappelozza via Round 1 TKO

Staff picking Henrique Cappelozza: 7
Staff picking Delija: 3


– Welterweight Championship, 170 LBS –

Magomed Magomedkerimov (29-5) vs. Ray Cooper III (23-7-1)

Wesley Riddle: Magomedkerimov via Round 5 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Magomedkerimov via Unanimous Decision
Ash Camyab: Cooper III via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Cooper III via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Cooper III via Round 3 SUB
Mike Lynch: Magomedkerimov via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Magomedkerimov via Split Decision
Tim Wheaton: Magomedkerimov via Unanimous Decision
Chris Presnell: Magomedkerimov via Split Decision
Jake Broderick: Magomedkerimov via Round 2 SUB

Staff picking Magomedkerimov: 7
Staff picking Cooper III: 3


– Lightweight Championship, 155 LBS –

Kayla Harrison (11-0) vs. Taylor Guardado (3-1)

Wesley Riddle: Harrison via Round 2 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Harrison via Round 1 SUB
Ash Camyab: Harrison via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Harrison via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Harrison via Round 2 SUB
Mike Lynch: Harrison via Round 3 TKO
Nate Freeman: Harrison via Round 2 TKO
Tim Wheaton: Harrison via Round 1 TKO
Chris Presnell: Harrison via Round 2 TKO
Jake Broderick: Harrison via Round 1 TKO

Staff picking Harrison: 10
Staff picking Guardado: 0

PFL 10 2021 FEATURED IMAGE:

PFL 10 2021

PFL 10 Weigh In at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. (Cooper Neill / PFL)

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Wesley Riddle is a 29-year-old writer residing in Raleigh, North Carolina and from Harrisonburg, Virginia. Watching the draw between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard from 2011 sparked his interest in the sport of mixed martial arts. He created "All That MMA" on Twitter, which came to birth in December of 2013. He would join with MMASucka in the later quarter of 2016. Some of Riddle's hobbies include music, playing golf, watching horror movies, and working with non-profit organizations throughout his community. You can follow him on Twitter at @AllThatMMA or @WesleyRiddleMMA, and on Instagram @WesleyRiddle.

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