KEY POINTS

  • Stiff competition awaits Schulte and Palmer this coming 2021 PFL season
  • Pettis and Jenkins are among heavy hitters in their respective PFL divisions
  • Stacked divisions clearly show another exciting PFL season ahead

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is all set for another promising season with new faces in the fold.

However, the new personalities joining the mix are no strangers to success, and such hints at an interesting and action-packed campaign ahead.

The new faces include mixed martial artists who know what winning is all about. A number of them are multi-title winners such as Anthony Pettis, Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer–names that will headline the featherweight and lightweight divisions.

Of those luminaries, Pettis is someone who needs no introduction. The 34-year-old is a proven commodity, having been a UFC and WEC lightweight champion. He has fought the who's who in the sport, a list that includes Benson Henderson, Charles Oliveria and Donald Cerrone.

With 13 years of MMA fighting tucked under his belt, Pettis will be one of the figures that PFL fans will surely keep tabs with.

But it won’t be an easy task for Pettis as Schulte seeks to extend his dominant incumbency in the 155-pound weight class. The Brazilian is on a roll and will want to make it a third PFL reign but with bigger challenges.

Among the names Schulte will have to watch out for include Akhmed Aliev, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Clay Collard, Johnny Case, Marcin Held, Joelton Lutterbach, Mikhail Odintsov and Loik Radzhabov.

The same case holds for Palmer in the featherweight bracket. Palmer will also try to become a three-time PFL champion with new faces out to spurn his intent.

Leading the list of challengers is Bubba Jenkins, a former Brave CF featherweight champion and Bellator veteran.

There is also Jo Sungbin of South Korea that Palmer will have to worry about. “The Korean Falcon” is a multiple-time champion in the regional circuit and an ex-UFC competitor.

Anthony Pettis (L) of the United States kicks Donald Cerrone (R) of the United States in their Welterweight fight during UFC 249
Anthony Pettis will be making his PFL debut in the league's 2021 season Getty Images | Douglas P. DeFelice

From there, the list goes on. Others out to challenge Palmer at featherweight include Tyler Diamond, Movile Khaybulaev, Brendan Loughnane, Sheymon Moraes and Jason Soares.

With a long list of talented fighters who come in with heavy credentials, the PFL third season is holding much promise and likely to outdo its previous ones.

All that starts on Apr. 23 with fights shown live on ESPN.

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