PFL 5 Preview: Anthony Pettis Aims For Top Lightweight Seed

KEY POINTS

The 2022 regular season continues with PFL 5 this coming Friday
Anthony Pettis faces Stevie Ray in a lightweight co-main event clash
Bruno Cappelozza meets Mateus Scheffel in the card's headliner

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) continues with its 2022 regular season on Friday night, June 25, which takes place at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

PFL 5 will feature bouts in the featherweight, heavyweight and lightweight divisions-- all with important playoff implications.

The night’s co-headliner will see the return of former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to action as he tries to lock up the lightweight division’s No. 1 seed when he meets Scotland’s Stevie Ray.

Anthony Pettis vs. Stevie Ray PFL photo release

Following a rather disappointing maiden PFL season, Pettis roared out of the gates to begin his 2022 campaign, putting on a vintage “Showtime” performance and submitting Myles Price in the first round at PFL 3 back in May.

With a playoff berth secured, Pettis now looks to head into the postseason with the top spot in his bag.

Meanwhile, Ray will try to do all that he can to simply make it into the playoffs.

Currently on the outside looking into the lightweight semifinal picture, “Braveheart” will need to come up with a finish before the 2:42 mark of the third round to make it in.

After dropping a decision loss to Alex Martinez at PFL 1 this past April, Ray needs to bounce back in impressive fashion at PFL 5.

Headlining PFL 5 will be 2021 PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza taking on fellow Brazilian powerhouse Mateus Scheffel.

An unquestionable force since coming into PFL, Cappelozza dominated the heavyweight division in just his first season in the league.

The hard-hitting Brazilian won three of his four 2021 season outings en route to the title.

He picked up right where he left off to start the 2022 season, knocking out Stuart Austin in the main event of PFL 2 to make it five straight wins and four KO finishes under the PFL banner.

Now, Cappelozza will look to add another knockout victory and secure his spot in the postseason.

With spots in the heavyweight semifinals still pretty much up for grabs, Scheffel still has a chance at a playoff berth, but it will have to come in a dominant manner--like a first-round finish.

While it may be a tough ask considering who he’ll be sharing the cage with, anything is possible in the sport of mixed martial arts.

Also on the card, two more Brazilian heavyweights collide in a clash of styles as surging knockout artist Renan Ferreira meets submission specialist Klidson Abreau.

Ferreira has turned his time with PFL into a personal highlight-reel of spectacular finishes.

Last year, he ended the season with a record-setting 31-second knockout over Stuart Austin.

This season, he broke that record with a 25-second demolition against semifinalist Jamelle Jones.

If he can turn in another quick stoppage, he likely secures the top spot in the heavyweight standings.

With 10 submission wins to his name, Abreau will look to pave a path of his own into the PFL playoffs.

Abreau defeated Adam Keresh at PFL 2, and if he can come up with a stoppage to conclude the elimination round, he more than likely assures himself of a spot in the semifinals.