Preview: PFL 8, 2022 Playoffs

2022 PFL Heavyweight Semifinals

#2 | Ante Delija (21-5, 4-2 PFL) vs. #3 | Renan Ferreira (9-3, 3-1 PFL)

ODDS: Ferreira (-125), Delija (-105)

A 2021 PFL heavyweight finalist, Delija enters a wide-open field this year, with rival and defending champion Bruno Cappelozza forced to withdraw from the other half of the bracket due to injury. The Mirko Filipovic protege is undefeated against fighters not named “Cappelozza” in PFL competition, so he figures to be one of the favorites the rest of the way. However, his last outing did not inspire confidence, as he slogged his way to an ugly decision victory against short-notice foe Shelton Graves, who had not fought since 2019. An ugly win is better than a loss of any kind, and Delija is quite capable of prevailing in bouts that do not have much in the way of cosmetic appeal. The 31-year-old judoka has decent power in his hands, but he’s just as likely to plod forward in pursuit of takedowns and clinches. If he is able to take his opponent to the canvas, “Walking Trouble” is adept at controlling position and landing punishing ground-and-pound. His stamina can be questionable at times, but he also displayed great resolve in going five rounds against Cappelozza in the 2021 heavyweight final.

Prior to PFL 5, Ferreira looked like the opponent no one wanted to face in the heavyweight field. The 6-foot-8 Brazilian was a massive favorite against Klidson Abreu but then displayed a troubling combination of poor distance management, shoddy takedown defense and virtually nonexistent scrambling and grappling in a lackluster decision loss. At his best, “Problem” is a matchup nightmare with a massive reach advantage and dangerous striking arsenal. That was evident when he dispatched Jamelle Jones and Stuart Austin in a combined 56 seconds in his previous two PFL appearances. It’s unclear if the threat of the takedown made Ferreira gun-shy, but he will have to be prepared for more wrestling and grappling exchanges against a grinder like Delija, who is undoubtedly aware of the deficiencies his opponent showed in his last outing. Delija does not always disguise his shots all that well, and he’s not known as an exceptionally quick heavyweight, so there’s always the possibility that Ferreira can catch him with something big. Conversely, if Ferreira is grounded, he will need to show more urgency than in his last fight, when a takedown landed essentially meant he would be spending the rest of the round on his back. Delija is durable enough that he should be able to pressure Ferreira, wear him down and pull away for a decision or late finish.

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MacDonald vs. Umalatov
Delija vs. Ferreira
Goltsov vs. Scheffel
Sy vs. Miranda
The Prelims
Qualifiers