PFL 1 2021 Regular Season Expert Analysis - MMA Betting

PFL 1 2021 Regular Season Expert Analysis – MMA Betting

Written by on April 21, 2021

After being forced to postpone last year, the Professional Fighting League returns for the 2021 season. All told, we will have 60 fighters at the beginning of the league, all of whom are competing across 6 different weight divisions. There will be a 6-week “regular season,” with points scored for wins, plus bonus points added for victories in a specific round. The top fighters in each division will move on to the playoffs, which will come later this year. Week 1 will take place this Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN 2. There are 4 fights set for the main card, so let’s take a closer look at each of those. That said, let’s jump right into action so you can bet against their MMA odds.

MMA Betting Preview for PFL 1

Lance Palmer Vs Bubba Jenkins

The main card begins with a Featherweight bout, the first of two in this weight class. Lance Palmer comes in as the man to beat, as he has won both PFL seasons to this point. He is 22-3 and is unbeaten since 2017 in an 11-win run. Jenkins is the winner of 3 in a row, with the last 2 victories coming while fighting with Brave. His career mark is 14-4. This is a great way to start the new season, and while I think it might go the distance, I need to go with Palmer to win.

Movlid Khaybulaev Vs Lazar Stojadinovic

This is the second Featherweight fight of the night and it promises to be a good one, as both of these fighters are ranked #1 in their respective regions. Khaybulaev comes into this bout with an unbeaten record of 15-0-1, although in his last 3 fights he has a draw and a no contest. Stojadinovic has managed to bounce back from 2 straight losses to win each of his last 2 fights, but I think he might be looking at a KO loss in this one.

Natan Schulte Vs Marcin Held

It is the Lightweights who are up next, and once again, we have another 2-time champion set to start his defense. Schulte has won in this weight division in each of the 2 PFL seasons and comes into this one with a 20-3-1 record and a 9-fight unbeaten streak. Held comes into this fight on a very decent run of form, winning each of his last 4 and moving to 26-7 in the process. I think this is a fight that goes the distance, with Schulte getting the decision.

Anthony Pettis Vs Clay Collard

The main event of the night is another Lightweight bout, with this one featuring a fighter who could well be considered a favorite to win it all. Most MMA fans will know Anthony Pettis from his time in the UFC, where he fought the very best at this weight. He left there on the heels of back-to-back wins. Collard is 18-8 and is a fighter that has some power behind him, but he is up against it here. I think Pettis gets the job done here rather quickly.