PFL Chicago fight week is off and running. This Friday night, exactly seven days removed from the drama that was PFL Wichita in Kansas, the fabled SmartCage touches down in the Windy City of Chicago, IL for the final card before another island in the PFL World Tournament in the month of July.
Just like last April, this year’s version of PFL Chicago, the seventh card of 10 in the World Tournament, will originate from Wintrust Arena, the home court of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. This week’s card features the last of the semifinal fights as part of a nine-fight schedule.
Finalists in the middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight tournaments will be confirmed on Friday evening. After this card concludes, the tournament will resume on Friday, Aug. 1 with PFL Atlantic City from Boardwalk Hall.
Live coverage of PFL Chicago begins Friday evening with the early card at 8:30 pm ET/ 5:30 pm PT. Inside the United States of America, the show will be seen on ESPN+ via streaming media and ESPN over linear television. If you’re watching internationally, DAZN will carry the card gavel-to-gavel.
PFL Chicago Main Event: PFL Middleweight Tournament Semifinal #2: Fabian Edwards vs. Josh Silveira
At the top of the bill this coming Friday night is the second semifinal bout in this year’s middleweight bracket matching Fabian Edwards (14-4 MMA) with Josh Silveira (14-4 MMA.) All bouts on PFL Chicago are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round, main event included. The survivor of this battle advances to the August championship bout, where he’ll await the victor of the earlier semifinal between Dalton Rosta (10-1 MMA) and Aaron Jeffery (16-5 MMA.)
Fabian Edwards will be touching down in Chicago having posted a record of 3-2 dating back to his days in the late Bellator MMA. Back in April, he trekked to Universal Orlando to fight Impa Kasanganay (18-6 MMA), knocking him out inside the second round with a flying knee and punches.
Should Edwards get his hand raised in victory on Friday night in the PFL Chicago main event, it would potentially set up a rematch with Aaron Jeffery from Bellator’s first Champions Series card last March in Belfast. He’s got to get past Josh Silveira, though, and looking too far ahead to the final could be a grave mistake.
On the other side of the cage, Josh Silveira enters the semifinal phase with a mark of 2-3 in his last five fights. Most recently, he scored a unanimous decision over Mike Shipman (17-5 MMA) on April 18 in Orlando. Silveira has been a streaky fighter of late.
To find the last time that he had a sustained winning streak inside the cage, you’d need to travel back in time to the 2023 PFL season, where he won three fights in succession en route to a trip to the PFL Light Heavyweight Championship, where he’d lose to Impa Kasanganay in Washington, DC. If Silveira gets hot at the right time, he could be this year’s middleweight champion.
PFL Chicago Co-Main Event: PFL Light Heavyweight Semifinal #2: Phil Davis vs. Sullivan Cauley
Immediately beforehand, the co-main event of the evening sees the second semifinal fight at 205 lbs take place. Phil Davis (25-7, 1 NC MMA) makes the walk for the 34th time as a professional fighter against Sullivan Cauley (7-1 MMA.) The winner advances to meet the victor of the Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Simeon Powell fight. “Mr. Wonderful” comes into this weekend’s fight at PFL Chicago having gone 3-2 in his last five fights.
On the night of May 1, he finished off Rob Wilkinson (19-4, 1 NC MMA) with a right hand followed by ground and pound strikes less than a minute into the second round of their contest. Davis is a seasoned veteran of competitive violence with one of the most impressive resumes of anyone remaining in this tournament, weight class notwithstanding.
He’s already got the Bellator MMA Light Heavyweight Championship on his mantle and he’s one victory away from getting the shot to add another. Sullivan Cauley stands in his way.
The latter has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. Currently, he’s on a two-fight winning streak extended most recently by way of first-round knockout (elbows) against Alex Polizzi (11-5 MMA) in Orlando on May 1. While PFL Chicago is only Sullivan Cauley’s ninth fight as a professional fighter, he’s a pretty tough guy to beat, with all four of his latest wins coming inside the distance.
Will he get a resume-building victory on Friday? Tune in and find out.
PFL Chicago: PFL Middleweight Semifinal #1: Dalton Rosta vs. Aaron Jeffery II
Also on the late card will be the first semifinal at 185. New Castle, PA’s Dalton Rosta (10-1 MMA) and Aaron Jeffery (16-5 MMA.) As previously mentioned, the victor here will square off against the winner of the main event of PFL Chicago in the final.
This fight is a rematch of Dalton Rosta’s only career defeat in the sport from Bellator 298 in August of 2023. That summer night, Jeffery knocked “Hercules” from the ranks of the unbeaten with a unanimous decision victory after 15 minutes of action in the main card from Sioux Falls, SD
Rosta has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. At the moment, he’s won two contests in succession. On April 18, he stopped Sadibou Sy (17-9-2, 1 NC MMA) with a second-round submission by way of D’arce choke. Revenge is on the mind of Dalton Rosta on Friday. Can he avenge his lone defeat?
Meanwhile, Aaron Jeffery is sporting a record of 3-2 over the course of his past five appearances. Like his opponent, Jeffery has also won two in a row. In his April 18 contest, he bested Murad Ramazanov (12-3, 1 NC MMA) via split decision.
Any time you have a rematch on a card, the storylines practically write themselves. Can Jeffery go 2-for-2 vs. Rosta en route to the final?
PFL Chicago: PFL Light Heavyweight Semifinal #1: Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Simeon Powell
The other light heavyweight semifinal on Friday night in Chicago pits Antonio Carlos Jr. (17-6, 2 NC MMA) against Simeon Powell (11-1 MMA.) By the end of the night, the survivor will know if he’s fighting Phil Davis or Sullivan Cauley.
Carlos heads to Illinois with a 4-1 record in his last five fights. Back in May, he returned to the win column with a split decision versus Karl Moore (12-4 MMA) after three rounds of action.
He’s a veteran of the PFL, having competed in the promotion since its 2021 season and winning the light heavyweight championship that year. How will he fare as his quest for a second title continues?
Across the way, Simeon Powell enters having posted a 4-1 record of his own in the last five contests. At the present time, he’s won two fights in a row, stopping Karl Albrektsson (14-7 MMA) with a second-round knockout (punches and elbows.)
Powell has been with the PFL since appearing on Challenger Series in 2022 from Universal Orlando. Will he derail Antonio Carlos Jr.’s momentum in PFL Chicago?
PFL Chicago; PFL Heavyweight Semifinal #2: Valentin Moldavsky vs. Alexandr Romanov
Both heavyweight semifinals are on the PFL Chicago early card. Semifinal number two pits Valentin Moldavsky (14-4, 1 NC MMA) against Alexandr Romanov (19-3 MMA.)
Moldavsky has posted a record of 3-2 in his last five MMA fights. He booked his ticket to the Windy City by eliminating Sergey Bilostenniy (13-4 MMA) by way of unanimous decision.
Valentin Moldavsky previously held the heavyweight title in Bellator four years ago, only to lose it on his first defense. How will his 20th career fight pan out?
Across the way, Alexandr Romanov sports a 3-2 record of his own over the last five contests. He’s currently on a two-fight winning streak. On May 1, he locked in a first-round submission (standing guillotine choke) of Tim Johnson (18-12 MMA) in the latter’s 30th career appearance in the sport.
Romanov joined the PFL’s active roster ahead of this tournament and so far, it’s paid off handsomely for him. Can he advance to the final?
PFL Chicago: PFL Heavyweight Semifinal #1: Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Oleg Popov:
The first semifinal fight of the evening at PFL Chicago happens on the second fight of the early card. Rodrigo Nascimento (12-3, 1 NC MMA) makes the walk to the SmartCage to square off against Oleg Popov (20-2 MMA)
Nascimento has posted a record of 3-2 over the course of his last five bouts. In his PFL debut on May 1, he outlasted Abraham Bably (5-2 MMA) by split decision after three rounds of action. This is an interesting semifinal for the Nascimento camp.
Should Nascimento advance to the final, it could set up a rematch versus Alexandr Romanov when the calendar flips to the month of August. The two previously met last November in Edmonton when both were still in the UFC, with the former coming away victorious by unanimous decision.
In the other corner, Oleg Popov touches down in Chicago with a 4-1 record in his last five fights. Back on May 1, he saw himself get back in the win column with a split decision victory over Karl Williams (10-3 MMA) in the latter’s PFL return. Only time will tell if Popov’s next fight will be in August for a championship or next season.
Final Thoughts
Which semifinal or semifinals are you looking forward to on PFL Chicago? Let us know in the comments.
