PFL 7 2023 Staff Picks

Playoffs and MMASucka staff picks are underway for the Professional Fighters League.

Tonight, August 4th sees PFL 7 2023 set for action from the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, the promotion’s fourth visit to the state and first-ever visit to the Alamo City. The preliminary card will begin at 6:30pm ET (3:30pm PT) on ESPN+ followed by the main card on both ESPN+ and cable ESPN at 9:00pm ET (6:00pm PT).

MMASucka will have live results from the PFL 7 2023 fight card.

Be sure to recap our picks from tonight’s ONE Fight Night 13 event in Bangkok, Thailand. Stay tuned Saturday morning for our UFC on ESPN 50: Sandhagen vs. Font picks from Nashville, Tennessee and Tuesday the 8th for our Dana White’s Contender Series 2023: Week 1 picks from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Fights

Starting the first of three Playoff events this August sees featherweights (145 pounds) and light heavyweights (205 pounds) looking for their respective spots in the finals at a to-be-determined date later this year. Four fighters in each division fight tonight in hopes of advancing through for a shot at winning one million dollars.

Featherweights will meet in the main event between Bubba Jenkins and Jesus Pinedo. Former Brave FC Featherweight Champion and 2022 runner-up Jenkins went back-to-back this year with a unanimous decision over Chris Wade and a first-round submission over Sung Bin Jo. Despite losing his first match of the Regular Season to Gabriel Alves Braga, Peru’s Pinedo claimed his semifinal spot with an incredible first-round upset knockout over last year’s tournament champion Brendan Loughnane.

Two aforementioned talents, three-seed Gabriel Alves Braga and five-seed Chris Wade, will clash in the additional featherweight semifinals. 25-year-old Alves Braga comes in as the youngest of the bunch but with the most momentum being undefeated with eleven-straight victories including five by way of knockout. Former UFC competitor and four-time playoff notable Wade makes his fifth appearance tonight in hopes of making a path for finals attempt two and million-dollar win one with PFL. Wade stepped into the tournament on late-notice for Movlid Khaybulaev.

In the co-main event, Josh Silveira and Ty Flores will battle for a spot in the light heavyweight finals. Former LFA Middleweight Champion and American Top Team athlete Silveira saw a strong start to 2023 with his first-round rear-naked choke of Sam Kei in April and a first-round hand raise after Delan Monte’s knee injury in June. Elevation Fight Team’s Flores came in new to PFL this year and saw success with his back-to-back unanimous decisions over the aforementioned Monte and Dan Spohn.

Also looking for a spot in the 205-pound semifinals sees Marthin Hamlet and Impa Kasanganay set for three rounds. Norway’s Hamlet rides a three-fight win streak and targets his second finals appearance after coming up short to Antonio Carlos Junior in the 2021 playoff finale. Former UFC competitor Kasanganay also made his PFL debut this year and added two victories to his now four-fight run with wins over Cory Hendricks and Tim Caron.

Who wins and who is picked to win at PFL 7 2023?

In a heated main event, Bubba Jenkins will lock horns against Jesus Pinedo with a #PFLWorldChampionship spot on the line

[ Friday, August 4th | 6:30ET on ESPN+ | 9pm ET on ESPN | #PFLPlayoffs] pic.twitter.com/J0uJBUaYql

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 4, 2023

2023 Staff Picks

MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.

The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.

Find our staff picks for the PFL 7 2023 Playoffs below.

Staff Records after Bellator MMA x Rizin 2:

1. Ben Jamieson: 171-872. Michael DeSantis: 169-893. Jeremy Brand: 164-944. Nate Freeman: 163-955T. Frazer Krohn: 161-975T. Wesley Riddle: 161-977. Julio Monteros Jr.: 148-888. Jack Goodwillie: 131-759. Andrew Benjamin: 129-10410. Brian Knight: 119-7311. Tim Wheaton: 105-6012. Roemello Reyes: 62-3413. Jonathan Andrade: 31-2414. Brandon Joint: 12-915. Andrew Benjamin: 10-716. Joshua Yule: 7-617. Antwyn Jackson: 5-618. Chris De Santiago: 3-3

*Note – not all staff pick for every event**Note – ONE Fight Night 13 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*

Marthin Hamlet (12-4), +180vs.Impa Kasanganay (13-3), -218

Light Heavyweight Playoff Semifinals– 205 LBS. ~ 93.0 KG. –

Jeremy Brand: Kasanganay via Unanimous DecisionWesley Riddle: Kasanganay via Unanimous DecisionMichael DeSantis: Kasanganay via Round 2 TKOAndrew Benjamin: Kasanganay via Round 2 TKOFrazer Krohn: Kasanganay via Unanimous DecisionNate Freeman: Kasanganay via Unanimous DecisionBrian Knight: Kasanganay via Round 2 TKOBen Jamieson: Kasanganay via Unanimous Decision

Staff picking Hamlet: 0Staff picking Kasanganay: 8

Gabriel Alves Braga (11-0), -130vs.Chris Wade (23-9), +110

Featherweight Playoff Semifinals– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –

Jeremy Brand: Alves Braga via Unanimous DecisionWesley Riddle: Wade via Split DecisionMichael DeSantis: Wade via Split DecisionAndrew Benjamin: Wade via Unanimous DecisionFrazer Krohn: Wade via Round 3 TKONate Freeman: Wade via Split DecisionBrian Knight: Wade via Unanimous DecisionBen Jamieson: Alves Braga via Unanimous Decision

Staff picking Alves Braga: 2Staff picking Wade: 6

Josh Silveira (11-1), -650vs.Ty Flores (13-4), +470

Light Heavyweight Playoff Semifinals– Co-Main Event –– 205 LBS. ~ 93.0 KG. –

Jeremy Brand: Silveira via Round 2 SUBWesley Riddle: Silveira via Round 1 TKOMichael DeSantis: Silveira via Round 2 TKOAndrew Benjamin: Silveira via Round 1 TKOFrazer Krohn: Silveira via Unanimous DecisionNate Freeman: Silveira via Round 1 TKOBrian Knight: Silveira via Round 2 SUBBen Jamieson: Silveira via Round 1 TKO

Staff picking Silveira: 8Staff picking Flores: 0

Bubba Jenkins (21-6), -325vs.Jesus Pinedo (21-6-1), +260

Featherweight Playoff Semifinals– Main Event –– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –

Jeremy Brand: Jenkins via Unanimous DecisionWesley Riddle: Jenkins via Unanimous DecisionMichael DeSantis: Jenkins via Unanimous DecisionAndrew Benjamin: Jenkins via Round 2 SUBFrazer Krohn: Jenkins via Round 1 SUBNate Freeman: Jenkins via Unanimous DecisionBrian Knight: Jenkins via Unanimous DecisionBen Jamieson: Jenkins via Unanimous Decision

Staff picking Jenkins: 8Staff picking Pinedo: 0

PFL 7 2023 FEATURED IMAGE:

Josh Silveira (left) and Ty Flores (right) ahead of their PFL 7 2023 Light Heavyweight Playoffs fight taking place Friday, August 4th from the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas (photo credits to Cooper Neill, PFL MMA).