The PFL is back for its second event of the 2021 regular season with welterweights and light heavyweights on the docket.
2021 PFL 2 takes place Thursday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
In the main event, former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald (21-6-1) makes his PFL debut against Curtis Millender (18-6). MacDonald is a heavy favorite at -450 at BetMGM, and he’s got a big 10-2 lead in the picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.
In the co-feature, 2019 welterweight season winner Ray Cooper III (20-7-1) is back to go after his second $1 million prize. He’s the biggest favorite on the card against Jason Ponet (20-12-1) at -650, and he’s our staff members’ only unanimous pick.
Our most contentious fight from a picking standpoint is between former UFC fighters Gleison Tibau (34-14) and Joao Zeferino (24-9) at light heavyweight. Zeferino is a mild favorite at -175, but the picks are dead even at 6-6.
And to open the main card, Chris Camozzi (25-14) meets Emiliano Sordi (22-8). Sordi, the 2019 light heavyweight season winner, is a -350 favorite and is a near-unanimous pick at 11-1.
In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, MacDonald (84 percent), Cooper (91 percent), Tibau (56 percent) and Sordi (66 percent) are the choices.
Check out all the picks above.