Stephens Draws Collard For PFL Debut

Professional Fighters League (PFL) recently finalized the ESPN fight card and lineup for its 2022 regular season kickoff, taking place on April 20 at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Headlining the card will be 2021 PFL Lightweight Champion Raush Manfio as he looks to keep his winning streak alive against South African bruiser Don “Magic Man” Madge.

Elsewhere on the card, former UFC lightweight contender Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens will make his “Smart Cage” debut opposite PFL veteran and fellow Octagon export “Cassius” Clay Collard. In addition, ex-UFC 155-pound champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis co-headlines PFL 1 opposite “Magic” Myles Price.

“The highly anticipated 2022 PFL Season kicks off April 20 on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. and will be distributed internationally to over 160 countries on premium sports platforms,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “We are excited to deliver fans our next-gen product as well as the opportunity to follow the season-long journeys of our returning PFL Champions and top-ranked fighters from around the world compete in MMA’s most challenging and rewarding format.”

Here is the current PFL 1 fight card and lineup:

ESPN Card:

155 lbs.: Raush Manfio vs. Don Madge
155 lbs.: Anthony Pettis vs. Myles Price
205 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Delan Monte
155 lbs.: Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens

ESPN+ Card:

205 lbs.: Emiliano Sordi vs. Joshua Silveira
155 lbs.: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. TBA
205 lbs.: Marthin Hamlet vs. Teodoras Aukstuolis
205 lbs.: Omari Akhmedov vs. Viktor Pesta
205 lbs.: Robert Wilkinson vs. Bruce Souto
155 lbs.: Alexander Martinez vs. Stevie Ray

“The PFL has put together an action-packed card to kick off the 2022 Regular Season,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo. “I’m excited for fight fans around the world to watch the elite talent in our Lightweight and Lightweight Heavyweight divisions on April 20 live in primetime on ESPN.”

The PFL 2022 regular season will continue in Arlington on Thurs., April 28 and Fri., May 6 before switching over to Atlanta, Georgia, for the second half of the season on Friday nights starting June 17 and continuing on June 24 and July 1.

For more PFL news and notes click here.