After postponing the 2020 season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the PFL is set to return on April 23 with the regular season kicking off a series of events running through June followed by the playoffs and the championship finals in December.
In the women’s lightweight division, returning champion Kayla Harrison will seek to defend her throne with the PFL bringing in several new challengers as well as some familiar faces from the past.
UFC veteran Cindy Dandois joins the lightweight roster in 2021 after inking a deal with the PFL as well as former basketball player turned mixed martial artist Laura Sanchez.
The women’s lightweight roster for the 2021 PFL season includes:
Cindy Dandois
Genah Fabian
Kayla Harrison
Olena Kolesnyk
Mariana Morais
Larissa Pacheco
Julija Pajic
Laura Sanchez
In the heavyweight division, undefeated Russian Ali Isaev returns after he claimed the PFL championship in 2019 with a dominant run through the weight class. A former Olympic wrestler, Isaev has made a smooth transition into MMA where he currently holds a perfect 9-0 record.
He will face new challenges in 2021, especially with the addition of former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum after he joined the PFL after reaching free agency. Werdum is widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in history and he’s coming off a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson in his most recent appearance.
Another former UFC heavyweight in Justin Willis will also join the PFL roster in 2021 as he seeks to win a championship and the $1 million grand prize as the season gets underway in April.
Here’s the current PFL heavyweight roster as it stands:
Bruno Cappelozza
Ante Delija
Renan Ferreira
Denis Goltsov
Ali Isaev
Hatef Moeil
Brandon Sayles
Mohammed Usman
Justin Willis
Fabricio Werdum
The 2021 PFL season starts on April 23 with all events airing on ESPN2 and ESPN+ with the rest of the regular season taking place on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17 and June 25.
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