2022 PFL Championship predictions: Who are our two unanimous picks in $1 million finals?
Harrison | Jenkins | Delija | Budd | Aubin-Mercier | Sy | Akhmedov | |
MMA Junkie readers’ | 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|
Ken Hathaway  2018 Champion |
| 
|
|
|
|
| 
|
Matthew Wells |
|
|
| 
|
| 
|
|
Abbey Subhan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Farah Hannoun |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Bohn 2014 Champion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Matt Erickson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Simon Samano | 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nolan King |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brian Garcia 2017 Champion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
George Garcia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Danny Segura |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The PFL closes out its 2022 season with six $1 million playoff finals this week.
The 2022 PFL finals take place Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, two-time women’s lightweight season winner Kayla Harrison (15-0) goes after her third crown when she meets Larissa Pacheco (18-4) for the third time. Harrison is 2-0 against the Brazilian. Harrison is a massive 8-1 favorite at Tipico Sportsbook; the comeback on Pacheco is +470. But not all of our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking Harrison. One of our pickers has Pacheco in a big upset.
In the co-feature, Bubba Jenkins (19-5) takes on Brendan Loughnane (25-4) in the featherweight final. Loughnane is a -180 favorite and has a 7-4 lead in our picks.
Also on the main card, Ante Delija (22-5) is a heavy -350 favorite in the heavyweight season final against Matheus Scheffel (17-8). Delija, the 2021 runner-up, is one of our two unanimous picks at 11-0.
In a non-playoff showcase fight, former Bellator women’s featherweight champion Julia Budd (16-4) takes on Aspen Ladd (9-3), who recently was released by the UFC and signed with the PFL. Ladd is a -230 favorite at the betting window, but it’s Budd who has a narrow 6-5 edge from our pickers.
In the lightweight season final, Olivier Aubin-Mercier (16-5) is a big -420 favorite against Stevie Ray (25-10) and is our second unanimous pick.
Sadibou Sy (12-6-2) takes on Dilano Taylor (10-2) in the welterweight final. Sy nearly is a 2-1 favorite, but he has just a slim 6-5 picks lead.
And to open the main card, Omari Akhmedov (24-7-1) meets 2-1 favorite Rob Wilkinson (16-2) in the light heavyweight final. Australia’s Wilkinson has a 7-4 lead from our staff pickers.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Harrison (81 percent), Jenkins (51 percent), Delija (77 percent), Budd (57 percent), Aubin-Mercier (81 percent), Sy (56 percent) and Wilkinson (74 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2022 PFL Championships.
