PFL 2019, Playoffs 1 predictions: Is Kayla Harrison vs. Sarah Kaufman an automatic final?
The 2019 PFL playoffs get underway Friday, with the women’s lightweight and men’s welterweight brackets set to fight until a final is determined.
Unlike the other playoff brackets, women’s lightweight consists of four fighters, meaning just a pair of semifinals will take place. In one, top seed Sarah Kaufman takes on No. 4 Larissa Pacheco. And in the other semifinal, No. 2 Kayla Harrison meets Genah Fabian.
Meanwhile, at welterweight, an eight-man bracket will play itself out led by No. 1 Glaico Franca vs. No. 8 Andre Fialho. The winner meets the winner of No. 4 John Howard vs. No. 5 David Michaud. In the bottom half of the bracket, defending champion Magomed Magomedkerimov, who’s seeded No. 2, takes on No. 7 Chris Curtis, with the winner squaring off against the winner of No. 3 Sadibou Sy vs. No. 6 Ray Cooper III, last year’s runner up.
Here’s a look at each bracket.
Women’s lightweight
Welterweight
PFL 2019, Playoffs 1 takes place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and the card streams on ESPN+ and airs on ESPN2. You can check out the MMA Junkie staff’s predictions below:
Mike Bohn
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Dave Doyle
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Sy def. Cooper III
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Magomedkerimov def. Sy
Matt Erickson
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Pacheco def. Kaufman
Fabian def. Harrison
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Fiahlo def. Franca
Michaud def. Howard
Cooper III def. Sy
Curtis def. Magomedkerimov
Semifinals
Fialho def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Magomedkerimov
Brian Garcia (“Goze”)
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Sy def. Cooper III
Curtis def. Magomedkerimov
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Curtis def. Sy
George Garcia (“Gorgeous” George)
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Curtis def. Magomedkerimov
Semifinals
Howard def. Franca
Curtis def. Cooper III
Farah Hannoun
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Howard def. Franca
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Ken Hathaway
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Michaud def. Howard
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Michaud
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Simon Head
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Nolan King
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Michaud def. Howard
Sy def. Cooper III
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Michaud
Magomedkerimov def. Sy
John Morgan
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Michaud def. Howard
Sy def. Cooper III
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Michaud
Magomedkerimov def. Sy
Simon Samano
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Dan Tom
Women’s lightweight
Semifinals
Kaufman def. Pacheco
Harrison def. Fabian
Welterweight
Quarterfinals
Franca def. Fiahlo
Howard def. Michaud
Cooper III def. Sy
Magomedkerimov def. Curtis
Semifinals
Franca def. Howard
Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
PFL 2019, Playoffs 1 predictions: Is Kayla Harrison vs. Sarah Kaufman an automatic final?