The PFL's 2022 lightweight and welterweight champions will take center stage in Atlanta as the final two weight classes of the PFL's 2023 season conclude their regular season schedules as the playoff matchups are decided at 155 and 170 pounds.
Both lightweight champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier and welterweight champ Sadibou Sy are sitting in playoff places heading into their final regular-season matchups, and both champions made weight with no problem at the official weigh-in session on Thursday in Georgia.
Aubin-Mercier currently heads the lightweight standings, and can punch his ticket to the final four with a stoppage victory, while his opponent, Canada's Anthony Romero, who hasn't competed in the season so far, knows that an inside-the-distance victory is absolutely essential to his chances of sneaking into the playoff places.
In the co-main event, Sy will take on Australia's Shane Mitchell knowing that victory will guarantee him a spot in the playoffs for the fifth successive season. Mitchell, meanwhile, will be fighting knowing that a stoppage victory over the 2022 champ is a must if he is to earn a spot in the knockout stages.
The remaining contenders at 155 and 170 pounds all took to the scale, with one notable weight miss, as last season's losing welterweight finalist Dilano Taylor came in at 171.2 pounds, an agonizing weight miss of just 0.2 pounds. That on-scale indiscretion could cost him dear, with Taylor set to face a one league point deduction, meaning he heads into the bout stone dead last on minus one points and needing a stoppage, and a miracle, to gatecrash the playoff places.
Another man needing a big turnaround in fortunes is former UFC featherweight contender Shane Burgos. Now competing in the PFL's lightweight division, Burgos lost on the scorecards to Aubin-Mercier in his first regular season bout and needs a big win against Japanese hopeful Yamato Nishikawa in a win-or-go-home clash.
The main card also features a fascinating lightweight clash between last season's lightweight finalist Stevie Ray and 2021 semi-finalist Clay Collard in a battle of former UFC veterans.
PFL 6: Official weigh-in results
MAIN CARD
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier (155.6) vs. Anthony Romero (155.4)
- Sadibou Sy (170.6) vs. Shane Mitchell (170.8)
- Shane Burgos (155.8) vs. Yamato Nishikawa (155.8)
- Magomed Magomedkerimov (171.0) vs. David Zawada (170.2)
- Magomed Umalatov (170.4) vs. Nayib Lopez (170.0)
- Clay Collard (155.1) vs. Stevie Ray (155.6)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Carlos Leal (170.6) vs. Dilano Taylor (171.2*)
- Natan Schulte (156.0) vs. Raush Manfio (156.0)
- Alexander Martinez (156.0) vs. Bruno Miranda (153.6)
- Jarrah Al Silawi (170.8) vs. Solomon Renfro (169.4)
- Brahyan Zurcher (146.8**) vs. Mike Bardsley (144.4)
- Abdullah Al-Qahtani (144.8) vs. Lamar Brown (146.0)
*Dilano Taylor will receive a 1-point penalty in the league standings that will be applied to his total league points earned in this bout. He also forfeits 20% of his show purse to Carlos Leal. Taylor is still eligible to earn points in this bout.
**Brahyan Zurcher missed weight and will forfeit 20% of his show purse to Bardsley.
