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PFL 5 2024 Regular Season Preview: Collard vs. Burnell, Kasanganay vs. Nedoh

Check out a full preview for this week's PFL card.

Drew Beaupre

PFL

The 2024 PFL Regular Season rolls on this Friday (June 21) when lightweights and light heavyweights square off at Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT.

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The Main Event

The main event for this week’s PFL card will see Clay Collard attempt to lock up a lightweight playoff spot when he takes on UFC and Bellator veteran Mads Burnell.

Collard kicked off his 2024 season with a second-round TKO against Patricky Pitbull, while Burnell was forced to tap to a guillotine choke when he met Michael Dufort. If the Danish fighter wants any shot at making the playoffs, he’ll need to score a finish against last year’s lightweight tournament runner-up in Collard.

The Co-Main Event

The card’s co-main event is a light heavyweight bout featuring last year’s PFL tournament winner Impa Kasanganay taking on the 2023 PFL Europe champion Jakob Nedoh.

Nedoh finished three-straight opponents last year to claim the PFL Europe light heavyweight title, but after being knocked out by Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov earlier this year “The Gorilla” currently sits outside of a stacked playoff bracket that includes five fighters sitting on six points.

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Fights You Don’t Want To Miss

Rob Wilkinson vs. Josh Silveira

Silveira came up just short of winning a PFL title last year when he dropped a decision to Impa Kasanganay in the light heavyweight finals, while Wilkinson missed out on the chance to win back-to-back tournaments due to a failed drug test after his first regular season bout. Both men currently have six points heading into this matchup, and there’s a chance that the loser may find himself bounced from a playoff spot.

Brent Primus vs. Solomon Renfro

Competing in his first PFL season, Primus currently occupies the #3 spot in the standings thanks to a second-round submission against Bruno Miranda. The 39-year-old is tied on points with Clay Collard and Michael Dufort, but Renfro will be looking to spoil the former Bellator champion's playoff hopes with a big performance after he dropped a decision to Gazhi Rabadanov in April.

Fighters to Watch

Michael Dufort


An upset-win against Mads Burnell put Dufort at the top of the lightweight standings in his first PFL season. “The Canadian Badass” still has a tough test in front of him in longtime Bellator veteran Adam Piccolotti, but if Dufort picks up another victory it’ll guarantee a playoff spot and a chance at the 2024 lightweight title.

Elvin Espinoza


Unbeaten in his career, Espinoza holds the final lightweight playoff spot thanks to the flying knee he used to stop Adam Piccolotti in the third round of their fight back in April. The 31-year-old has already collected 5 victories under the PFL banner, and this Friday he’ll be tasked with spoiling Gadzhi Rabadanov’s playoff hopes after the Russian picked up three points in his first fight of the 2024 season.

Antônio Carlos Júnior


Júnior is unbeaten since his exit from the UFC in 2021, and that streak includes winning the light heavyweight tournament in his first PFL season. The Brazilian missed out on a chance to win back-to-back titles in 2022 when he had to withdraw from the playoffs, but a win in Salt Lake City will guarantee a 2024 playoff spot and a chance at another title.

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MMA Knockout will be providing comprehensive coverage for PFL 5 all throughout fight week, so be sure to check back on our home page for live results and highlights from all the action on fight night.

Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:00 p.m. ET)

• Main Event: Clay Collard vs. Mads Burnell

• Co-Main Event: Impa Kasanganay vs. Jakob Nedoh

• Patricky Pitbull vs. Bruno Miranda

• Rob Wilkinson vs. Josh Silveira

• Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Simon Biyong

• Antônio Carlos Júnior vs. Alex Polizzi

Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 4:30 p.m. ET)

• Brent Primus vs. Solomon Renfro

• Sadibou Sy vs. Tom Breese

• Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Elvin Espinoza

• Michael Dufort vs. Adam Piccolotti

• Anthony Romero vs. Serigio Cossio

• Andrew Sanchez vs. Karl Albrektsson

• Brahyan Zurcher vs. Julian Ruiz

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Drew Beaupre

DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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