Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be cast into the main event in his first bout with the Professional Fighters League, headlining PFL 1 on April 23 vs. Clay Collard.
The bout will be part of the lightweight regular season that also features Loik Radzhabov vs. Johnny Case and reigning two-time division champion Natan Schulte meeting Marcin Held.
Lance Palmer, another two-time champion in the featherweight division, will tangle with long-time rival Bubba Jenkins. The two have a history dating back to their college days in the sport of wrestling.
“The PFL’s season kickoff on April 23 is one that is sure to be a showstopper and full of nonstop action,” said PFL CEO, Peter Murray. “The talent that exists within these matchups is unparalleled and we can’t wait to see the outcome of each fight. The PFL is proud to kick off its season on ESPN and we are excited for our fans, old and new, around the world to experience premium MMA content.”
The event takes place April 23 and airs live on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
“As a fighter-first organization, we take great pride in the matchups and superior talent of our fighters,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo. “I’m excited to kick off the season on April 23 with our featherweight and lightweight division matchups which are full of incredible talent.”
Other scheduled regular season events are set for April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17 and June 25.
Below is the current card for PFL 1:
ESPN 2 Card
Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard
Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares
Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins
ESPN+ Card
Loik Radzhabov vs. Johnny Case
Joilton Lutterbach vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier
Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
Jo Sungbin vs. Tyler Diamond
Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes