PFL 8 2024 Playoffs Fight Card Preview: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira 2

The 2024 PFL Playoffs continue this Friday night.

Drew Beaupre | Aug 13, 2024

(Scott Taetsch/PFL)

Lightweights and light heavyweights will square off to try and book a spot in the 2024 PFL Championships when this year’s PFL 8 card takes place in Hollywood, Florida on Friday (August 16).

PFL Announces Debuts Of Ex-UFC Champs Francis Ngannou & Cris Cyborg

The Main Event

The main event will see 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Impa Kasanganay square off with Josh Silveira in a rematch of last year’s tournament finals.

. @danhardymma 𝐊𝐄𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 🔑@kingimpa 🆚 @jmdasilv

2023 #PFLWorldChampionship rematch set to main event #PFLHollywood

[ #PFLPlayoffs | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/27WIITCRPh
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 11, 2024

Kasanganay lose a razor-close split decision to Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen at PFL vs. Bellator before scoring a pair of stoppage-wins to return to the PFL playoffs, while Silveira came up short in his second regular season bout in June but made it into the postseason thanks to a first-round victory against Sadibou Sy that came as a result of a thumb injury.

The road to redemption starts on August 16th for @jmdasilv

Josh Silveira | This Is My Year

[ #PFLPlayoffs | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/natRsdF9lK
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 11, 2024

The Co-Main Event

The night’s co-main event features 2022 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Rob Wilkinson squaring off with Dovlet Yagshimuradov, who impressively made it into the 2024 playoffs in his first season with the PFL.

A man on a mission 😤

Rob Wilkinson is not stopping til he reclaims the Light Heavyweights throne 👀

[ #PFLPlayoffs | #PFLHollywood | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/uvxkS94o4M
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 12, 2024

Wilkinson will be eager to return to the PFL Championships after being forced to sit out last season due to a failed drug test, but “Razor” will face a difficult challenge in Florida when he attempts to end Yagshimuradov’s current five-fight win streak.

Team @AmericanTopTeam behind Dovlet Yagshimuradov
☝️

▶️PFL Fight Week: Hollywood Episode 6 is now out on the PFL MMA YouTube Channel!

🔗https://t.co/7UI4mhFLOP | #PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/VNwNVriOFM
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 13, 2024

Exclusive: PFL's Impa Kasanganay 'Eager' To Give Back, Opens Fitness-Based MMA Gym

2024 PFL Playoffs Lightweight Matchups

Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Michael Dufort

PFL 8 2024 Playoffs Fight Card Preview: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira 2

Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Elvin Espinoza - 2024 PFL 5: Salt Lake City at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. / (Cooper Neill/PFL)

Rabadanov will try to extend his eight-fight win streak and book a spot in the lightweight finals when he takes on Dufort. Both men are competing in their first PFL season, and Rabadanov collected a pair of decision-wins in his two regular season bouts while Dufort upset Mads Burnell with a second-round submission in April before he lost a close split decision to Adam Piccolotti in June.

Brent Primus vs. Clay Collard

𝗣𝗙𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗣𝗔𝗧𝗛:@brentprimus155 🆚 @CCCcollard

One 2024 Million Dollar Dream ends on Friday Night at #PFLHollywood 🏆💰

[ #PFLPlayoffs | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/RiowUEuQHJ
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 11, 2024

Former Bellator Lightweight Champion Primus looks to set himself up for a chance at another belt when he meets longtime PFL veteran Collard. The matchup appears to be a pretty clear clash of styles, as Primus will likely try to bring Collard to the mat while “Cassius” attempts to keep things standing to score his second knockout-win of this year’s PFL season.

Fighters to Watch

Biaggio Ali Walsh

Hands run in the family 👊👊👊@BiaggioAli1234 returns to the SmartCage this Friday night in Hollywood, Florida

[ #PFLPlayoffs | #PFLHollywood | Fri, Aug 16th | 9pm ET on ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/vmBOf0tLET
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 12, 2024

Tabbed for stardom from the moment he first stepped into the PFL SmartCage as an amateur fighter, Ali Walsh is now set for his second professional bout against the debuting Brian Stapleton after Korey Taylor was forced to withdraw from the card. The 25-year-old is always under intense scrutiny whenever he fights as the grandson of the great Muhammad Ali, and he’ll look to put on another impressive performance when he returns to action in Florida.

Danny Sabatello

Sabatello previously fought for the Interim Bellator Bantamweight Championship. / (Lucas Noonan/Bellator MMA)

Currently on the first two-fight skid of his career, Sabatello will look to return to the win column when he takes on the unbeaten Lazaro Dayron. “The Italian Gangster” only lost to top bantamweight competition during his time with Bellator, and although the PFL doesn’t currently feature a bantamweight tournament Sabatello will be looking to score a big win in his promotional debut.

Thad Jean

Thad Jean def. Romain Debienne at 2024 PFL 3. / (Cooper Neill/PFL MMA)

A win on PFL Challenger Series last year led to Jean scoring back-to-back first-round knockouts in his first two PFL bouts. The unbeaten welterweight faces a big challenge in former LFA Champion Chris Brown, but another victory could set Jean up for a chance to compete in next year’s PFL welterweight tournament.

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Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 9:00 p.m. ET)

• Main Event: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira – Light Heavyweight Semifinal
• Co-Main Event: Rob Wilkinson vs. Govlet Yagshimuradov - Light Heavyweight Semifinal
• Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Michael Dufort – Lightweight Semifinal
• Brent Primus vs. Clay Collard – Lightweight Semifinal
• Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Brian Stapleton

Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

• Danny Sabatello vs. Lazaro Dayron
• Elvin Espinoza vs. Mads Burnell
• Thad Jean vs. Chris Brown
• Jordan Oliver vs. Braydon Akeo
• Michelle Montague vs. Marilia Morais