Preview: 2023 PFL Championships

Middleweights

Ray Cooper III (25-8-1, 12-3-1 PFL) vs. Derek Brunson (23-9, 0-0 PFL)

Cooper is one of the PFL’s true homegrown talents, rising to prominence as a two-time champion within the organization. His resume includes wins over the likes of Magomed Magomedkerimov, Jake Shields (twice), Rory MacDonald and Chris Curtis. The Hawaiian was unsuccessful in his bid for a third straight championship at 170 pounds when he missed weight badly for a regular-season clash with Carlos Leal Miranda before looking sluggish in a unanimous decision defeat. He later attributed his troubles on the scale to starting camp late, a sign that motivation may have been lacking. “Bradda Boy” looked far more motivated—and angry to have missed the postseason—in a 24-second shellacking of Brett Cooper in his next appearance while making weight without issue. Cooper sat out the entirety of the 2023 PFL season and will move to middleweight for a showcase bout against Brunson. It is an interesting decision considering Cooper is short for the division at 5-foot-7, but he had expressed interest in the transition in past interviews. Brunson will make his PFL debut at 39 years old and on the heels of back-to-back stoppage losses to Dricus Du Plessis and Jared Cannonier in UFC competition where the North Carolina native’s body language changed significantly after the first round. It is quite possible that Brunson simply does not have the ability to execute a wrestling-heavy game plan for 15 minutes anymore after years of wear and tear in the sport. Brunson was twice good enough to author five-bout winning streaks in the UFC to put himself on the brink of middleweight title contention. However, in some fights, the Kill Cliff Fight Club member was his own worst enemy, abandoning his wrestling base to engage in a wild slugfest against a more skilled striker. Brunson has plenty of power himself, but he is at his best when he can blend his striking and wrestling together.

Cooper showed improved wrestling later in his PFL tenure against the likes of Magomedkerimov and MacDonald, but he is best known for his knockout ability, which comes primarily in the form of heavy hooks and overhand counters. As the smaller man, he will not want to engage in an extended grappling battle with Brunson, though if he is able to stuff a few takedowns it could drain his opponent’s gas tank. Takedowns and control are the safest path to victory for Brunson, but with seven KO/TKO defeats on his ledger, it is tough to trust the UFC veteran’s chin at this point in his career. Cooper finds an opening to land something big and wins via KO or TKO.

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Aubin-Mercier vs. Collard
Goltsov vs. Ferreira
Pacheco vs. Mokhnatkina
Sy vs. Magomedkerimov
Silveira vs. Kasanganay
Harrison vs. Ladd
Cooper vs. Brunson
The Prelims