Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
MMA Junkie Staff

PFL 2019, Playoffs 1 predictions: Is Kayla Harrison vs. Sarah Kaufman an automatic final?

The 2019 PFL playoffs get underway Friday, with the women’s lightweight and men’s welterweight brackets set to fight until a final is determined.

Unlike the other playoff brackets, women’s lightweight consists of four fighters, meaning just a pair of semifinals will take place. In one, top seed Sarah Kaufman takes on No. 4 Larissa Pacheco. And in the other semifinal, No. 2 Kayla Harrison meets Genah Fabian.

Meanwhile, at welterweight, an eight-man bracket will play itself out led by No. 1 Glaico Franca vs. No. 8 Andre Fialho. The winner meets the winner of No. 4 John Howard vs. No. 5 David Michaud. In the bottom half of the bracket, defending champion Magomed Magomedkerimov, who’s seeded No. 2, takes on No. 7 Chris Curtis, with the winner squaring off against the winner of No. 3 Sadibou Sy vs. No. 6 Ray Cooper III, last year’s runner up.

Here’s a look at each bracket.

Women’s lightweight

Welterweight

PFL 2019, Playoffs 1 takes place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, and the card streams on ESPN+ and airs on ESPN2. You can check out the MMA Junkie staff’s predictions below:

Mike Bohn

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III

Dave Doyle

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Sy def. Cooper III
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Magomedkerimov def. Sy

Matt Erickson

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Pacheco def. Kaufman
  • Fabian def. Harrison

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Fiahlo def. Franca
  • Michaud def. Howard
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Curtis def. Magomedkerimov

Semifinals

  • Fialho def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Magomedkerimov

Brian Garcia (“Goze”)

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Sy def. Cooper III
  • Curtis def. Magomedkerimov

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Curtis def. Sy

George Garcia (“Gorgeous” George)

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Curtis def. Magomedkerimov

Semifinals

  • Howard def. Franca
  • Curtis def. Cooper III

Farah Hannoun

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Howard def. Franca
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III

Ken Hathaway

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Michaud def. Howard
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Michaud
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III

Simon Head

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III

Nolan King

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Michaud def. Howard
  • Sy def. Cooper III
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Michaud
  • Magomedkerimov def. Sy

John Morgan

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Michaud def. Howard
  • Sy def. Cooper III
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Michaud
  • Magomedkerimov def. Sy

Simon Samano

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III

Dan Tom

Women’s lightweight

Semifinals

  • Kaufman def. Pacheco
  • Harrison def. Fabian

Welterweight

Quarterfinals

  • Franca def. Fiahlo
  • Howard def. Michaud
  • Cooper III def. Sy
  • Magomedkerimov def. Curtis

Semifinals

  • Franca def. Howard
  • Magomedkerimov def. Cooper III
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.