Ante Delija headlines Friday’s PFL Regular Season: Heavyweights and Women’s Featherweights fight card in Atlanta, and Larissa Pacheco fights in the co-main event. Both are 2022 champions, and both are familiar faces to fans who have followed the fight promotion’s last couple of seasons.
But both Delija and Pacheco need big performances this week at Overtime Elite Arena (main card at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, prelims at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+) in order to even make it to the 2023 playoffs.
And the PFL is doing neither fighter any favors with its matchmaking.
The PFL regular season involves two bouts for each of its fighters, during which he or she amasses three points for a victory and bonus points for a finish. Friday’s fights will conclude the regular season for heavyweights and women’s featherweights, with the top four fighters in the standings of each weight class advancing to the playoffs.
But Delija will be fighting for the only time during this regular season, after his scheduled bout in April was canceled due to injury. That leaves him with zero points, putting him behind five heavyweights who scored points in their opening bouts. So Delija will be playing catchup from the moment he steps into the cage.
And…
