Stevie Ray, PFL
Stevie Ray (right) defeated Anthony Pettis (left) by unanimous decision during the semifinals of the 2022 PFL Playoffs on August 5. PFL

KEY POINTS

  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Stevie Ray go head-to-head for the PFL lightweight championship
  • Aubin-Mercier went undefeated in the regular season and semifinals
  • Ray was able to upset Anthony Pettis twice to earn a trip to the finals

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) wraps up what has been a historic season with its culminating event, which will take place at the Hulu Theater of the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City on Friday, November 25th.

The stacked card will showcase six championship bouts featuring some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts (MMA) today.

The winners of each championship bout will be crowned as the 2022 PFL champions and will take home a whopping $ 1 million grand prize.

Before the stars descend on The Big Apple for "MMA's Richest Night," let's take a look at the six world championship bouts on deck.

Today, the International Business Times breaks down the important aspects of the PFL lightweight championship bout.

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This season's lightweight finale features a pair of unlikely finalists in Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Stevie Ray.

Another former longtime UFC standout who has found a home in PFL, Aubin-Mercier (16-5) made his league debut back in the 2021 season.

While he didn't qualify for the semifinals, "The Canadian Gangster" made a statement by notching victories over Marcin Held and Darrell Horcher.

Olivier Aubin-Mercier, PFL
Olivier Aubin-Mercier (left) defeated Alexander Martinez (right) in the semifinals of the lightweight tournament during the PFL Playoffs on August 5, 2022. PFL

To kick off the 2022 regular season, Aubin-Mercier picked up a huge win over former two-time champion Natan Schulte at PFL 1 and then followed that up with another win over a former champion in Raush Manfio to clinch a spot in the postseason.

In the semifinals, Aubin-Mercier topped Alex Martinez to advance to his first PFL finals.

Perhaps one of the most inspirational stories of the 2022 season, Ray (25-10) was on the verge of elimination heading into his PFL 5 matchup against the heavily-favored Anthony Pettis.

Ray practically needed to pull out a miracle and did just that by submitting Pettis in the second round to earn a spot in the playoffs and an immediate rematch with "Showtime."

In their semifinals encounter, Ray proved that his first win over Pettis was no fluke as he dominated the former UFC champion for three rounds en route to a unanimous victory and an unlikely trip to the PFL finals.

Prediction: Stevie Ray def. Olivier Aubin-Mercier by unanimous secision

Stevie Ray has shocked the world twice already this season, so is it hard to believe that he could do it a third time and become this season's PFL lightweight champion and million-dollar purse winner?

Against Pettis, Ray has shown that he can hold his own against a solid striker and dominate on the ground.

Aubin-Mercier is a well-rounded fighter, but Ray has what it takes to get the job done and change his life on November 25th.