PFL recently announced that they will continue the Challenger Series for another week this Friday night. They are labeling the card “second chance night” and will have a celebrity guest panel of Ray Lewis, Wiz Khalifa, and Tyron Woodley. The second chance night will consist of four fights between fighters that have already competed in the PFL Challenger Series. This comes as a surprise to most MMA fans as the PFL has already announced its 2022 rosters and first-round matchups. Some are speculating that the PFL will give another contract to someone who will be an alternate just in case of an injury during the season.
The Challengers
Carlos Leal will be facing off against Chris Brown in the main event of PFL Challenger Series 8. Leal is coming off a KO win over Korey Kuppe at PFL Challenger Series 2. Leal’s opponent, Chris Brown, is coming into this fight riding a three-fight win streak. Although he did not fight previously for the Challenger Series, he has three big wins in LFA and is looking to secure his spot in the PFL. Brown is 7-3 and only has losses against guys like current UFC prospect Ignacio Bahamondes, Bellator vet Carrington Banks, and former UFC fighter Thomas Gifford. Leal is on a nine-fight win streak, going 2-0 in LFA and picking up the promotion’s welterweight title before winning his most recent fight against Kuppe.
The co-main event will consist of two gentlemen who have not fought for the Challenger Series in the past. Tobias Baker will be taking on the 23-year-old phenom Simeon Powell. Powell is 4-0 with every one of his victories being finishes. The combined record of his opponents is 3-14 and is coming off a KO victory over Matthew Nicholson in December of last year. His opponent, Tobias Baker, has not had an MMA fight since 2019. He is 2-1 in his professional MMA career and lost his most recent fight by submission to Aaron Thomson in November of 2019. Both men are in their mid-twenties and will be heading into their prime in the near future.
Jackie Cataline and Jeslen Mishelle both got wins at PFL Challenger Series 3 earlier this year but failed to receive a contract. This Friday they will both get redemption as they face off against each other in a second chance effort to earn a PFL contract. Both women made their professional debut in their last fights and both women finished their previous opponents. The first fight on the card will be a featherweight bout between Aaron Blackie and Ali Zebian. Neither of these men fought for the Challenger Series before but both men are riding winning streaks and are looking to prove to everyone that they have what it takes to bring home a PFL contract. Zebian is currently on a five-fight win streak and won his last fight by decision over Dylan Salvador at Premier FC 31. He fought three times that night winning all three fights by decision. Blackie is riding a two-fight win streak but he has not fought since his KO win over Diego Pereira in March of 2019 at Eternal MMA 42.
MMA Sucka has fight fans covered with PFL Challenger Series 8 results, with the four-fight card starting at 9pm ET/6pm PT only on FuboTV.
PFL Challenger Series 8 Results
Full Card
Carlos Leal def. Chris Brown via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29,28)
Simeon Powell def. Tobias Baker via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Jeslen Michelle def. Jackie Cataline via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ali Zebian def. Aaron Blackie via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Contract Finalists: Carlos Leal and Simeon Powell
Contract Winner: Simeon Powell