PFL Challenger Series To Feature Heavyweight Contenders

The upcoming season of PFL Challengers Series will feature heavyweights.

Beginning January 27 and running through March, the series allows fighters a chance to earn a spot in the 2023 PFL regular season. The action airs live on Fubo Sports from Universal Studios in Florida.

The main event of the heavyweight card will see Giacomo Lemos and Danilo Marques, two Brazilians, match up in the PFL SmartCage for a bout that’s sure to bring fireworks.

Lemos previously fought in the 2022 PFL Challenger Series, and will look to continue his winning ways after he earned an impressive victory via knockout in his debut. Marques fights out of Sao Paulo and trains at Vila da Luta, the same gym as Demian Maia and Vanessa Melo. Marques is an experienced fighter with eight career wins in the first round, and has an 83% finish rate, with four knockouts and six submissions.

“As the PFL looks ahead to the new year, we are thrilled to reveal our Heavyweight division for the 2023 PFL Challenger Series, which will be held for a second straight year at Universal Studios Florida,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations, Ray Sefo.

Greg “The Viking King” Velasco, an American wrestling specialist, was a former NCAA D-1 wrestler at Rider University and owns an 80% finish rate with a 5 -1 professional record. Velasco will look to make a statement in his PFL debut against Brazilian Vitor Resende, who owns a 100% finish rate with three of his wins coming in the first round. Resende, who stands 6’9”, trains out of the world famous American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Manchester native, Abraham Bably, will enter the SmartCage as an undefeated mixed martial artist (2-0 as a professional, 4-0 as an amateur).The Manchester Top Team product will square off with the heavy-hitting American, Hassan Graham. Graham previously fought for Cage Titans, and holds a first round KO victory, along with an undefeated amateur record of 4-0.

Louie Sutherland, a Scottish heavy-handed striker, will match up with Alton “Murda” Meeks, an American former D-1 college football player at Iowa State and Northern Illinois University. Sutherland comes into the matchup with four knockout wins coming in the first round. Meeks, meanwhile, is 4-1 as a professional and boasts a 100% finish rate with two knockouts and two submissions.