PFL 2021 Championship Preview: Cappelozza, Delija Clash For Heavyweight Gold

A massive rematch marks the finale of the 2021 PFL season’s heavyweight tournament as Brazil’s Bruno Cappelozza faces Croatia’s Ante Delija on October 27th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The two hard-hitting heavyweights first crossed paths in the elimination round, with Cappelozza scoring a highlight-reel first-round knockout.

Now that the two will square off once again, this time with gold and a million dollars on the line.

One of the league’s top signings during the off-season, Cappelozza (13-5) came in having won three of his last four bouts.

A veteran of top promotions such as Jungle Fight and RIZIN, the Corinthians MMA product kicked his PFL season off with a bang, needing just 46 seconds to dispose of would-be finals opponent Delija.

He followed that up with another first-round demolition, this time of Muhammad DeReese, to secure a spot in the postseason and the No. 1-seed in the heavyweight bracket.

In the semifinals, Cappelozza continued on his path of destruction, scoring a second-round stoppage of Jamelle Jones to clinch a finals berth.

As mentioned, Delija (19-4) didn’t quite get the start he wanted in the PFL season but managed to rally back and make it to the finale.

Following his loss to Cappelozza, Delija bounced back with a first-round stoppage of Chandler Cole, which was enough for him to crack into the final four.

In the semis, Delija earned a hard-fought decision win over 2019 semifinalist Denis Goltsov to punch his ticket into the finals.

A protege of MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop, Delija is a veteran of PFL, M-1, RIZIN, and KSW.

Cappelozza and Delija will battle for heavyweight bragging rights, as well as a million-dollar grand prize.