PFL Season Two Debut Card Preview

After an extremely successful first season, the Professional Fighters League is back and better than ever. Season two (12th card overall) begins today (May 9th) inside Long Island’s Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. The chance at $1 million and a title will once again be fought for in the point-based contest. A new women’s division will be introduced, while rivalries will be taken to new heights.

The prelims for PFL 12 are on ESPN+ while the main card will air on ESPN2. Here are the fights taking place with some storylines added to the main card to entice you heading into tonight.

Main Card (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)

* Kayla Harrison v. Larissa Pacheco (Lightweight): Originally scheduled to face Larissa Pacheco, Harrison (3-0) will now main event the card against Larissa Pacheco, one of her toughest opponents to date. Pacheco (11-2) has seven wins via submission and has faced some of the toughest fighters in MMA today. In order to gain an advantage in the women’s lightweight tournament, Harrison must avoid Pacheco’s takedown game and utilize the skills that brought her gold in the Olympics.

* Magomed Magomedkerimov v. John Howard (Welterweight): The returning Welterweight Champion returns to defend his crown. Magomedkerimov (23-5) faces another familiar face in John Howard (27-14-1), who went 2-1-1 in last years event. Howard ended up fighting Louis Taylor to a technical draw during a middleweight semifinal bout following illegal knees.

* Ray Cooper III v. Zane Kamaka (Welterweight): A true family affair, Cooper and Kamaka (who has Cooper’s mom’s maiden name) look to settle a score. This might end up being a true blood battle when all is said and done. Cooper (17-6) was a true fan favorite heading into the Welterweight Tournament Finals before losing to Magomedkerimov. Cooper already has a competitive edge over Kamaka (13-3), as the latter missed weight for the fight. As a result, Cooper has earned three points in the tournament, while Kamaka won’t earn any. Can emotions be kept in check, or will one fighters mistake be their downfall?

* Sarah Kaufman v. Morgan Frier (Lightweight): One of the top fighters signed by the PFL, Sarah Kaufman (20-4, 1NC) could end up surprising us all. The former Strikeforce and Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion will face Morgan Frier (4-1), who has three wins via KO. This will be a true test of the new women’s division the PFL has created.

* Sadibou Sy v. David Michaud (Welterweight): Another returning challenger, Sy (7-4-1) went 1-2-1 in the PFL’s inaugural season. He faces a true veteran in David Michaud (14-4), who is on a three-fight win streak. Michaud previously fought for the UFC, Bellator, Titan FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance.

Prelims (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET)

* Handesson Ferreira v. Bojan Velickovic (Welterweight)

* Genah Fabian v. Bobbi Jo Dalziel (Lightweight)

* Gamzat Khiramagomedov v. Glaico Franca (Welterweight)

*Andre Fialho v. Chris Curtis (Welterweight)

* Roberta Samad v. Moriel Charneski (Lightweight)