The main event will transform one of the most decorated champions in sports into a fresh-faced neophyte.
Claressa Shields, the undefeated two-division boxing champion, will make her mixed martial arts debut in the PFL main event on Thursday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
But Shields’ lightweight bout against Brittney Elkin is essentially a bonus draw on a night when the PFL’s featherweights and men’s lightweights try to secure spots in the playoffs. Four fighters in each division will qualify and get to continue on a journey that will culminate on New Year’s Eve with champions crowned in six divisions, each winning $1 million prizes.
Among those fighters competing for their 2021 PFL futures are back-to-back lightweight champion Natan Schulte, undefeated 155-pounder Alexander Martinez, and a couple of fighters coming off eye-opening upset wins in lightweight Clay Collard (beat former UFC champ Anthony Pettis) and featherweight Bubba Jenkins (beat two-season champ Lance Palmer).
Follow along throughout the night as Jeff Wagenheim breaks down the action, fight by fight.
Featherweights: Chris Wade (8 points) def. Arman Ospanov (0 points) by second-round TKO
What great timing by Wade, who got his first knockout in a 25-fight career that goes back a decade.
He had just seemingly recovered after being hurt by a flurry of Ospanov punches midway through the second round. Wade, who had been moving forward the whole fight, backed up Ospanov against the cage and threw what looked to be intended to land as a body kick. But Ospanov leaned forward at the same time, and the kick connected to the head, wobbling the fighter from Kazakhstan and leading to a knockout at 2:18 into the round.
The 5 points for the second-round finish sewed up a playoff spot for Wade (19-6), who came into the bout with 3 points following a decision win earlier in the season.
But the 33-year-old from Islip, New York, was most excited for his first knockout.
“Oh, my god, the monkey I just got off my back, you don’t know,” Wade said. “I’ve been waiting for that my whole career.”
The 31-year-old Ospanov (11-4), was making his PFL debut, and will not make the featherweight playoffs.
Still to come…
ESPN2 & ESPN+ 10 p.m. ET | Watch
Women’s lightweight showcase
Claressa Shields vs. Brittney Elkin
Clay Collard vs. Joilton Lutterbach | LW
Bubba Jenkins vs. Bobby Moffett | FW
Brendan Loughnane vs. Tyler Diamond | FW
ESPN+ Watch
Natan Schulte vs. Alexander Martinez | LW
Marcin Held vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier | LW
Akhmed Aliev vs. Loik Radzhabov | LW
Sheymon Moraes vs. Jesse Stirn | FW