Bubba Jenkins, Jesus Pinedo, Movlid Khaybulaev and Gabriel Alves Braga will battle it out next month at PFL 7 in the featherweight semifinals. The event airs live on ESPN from San Antonio and the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
Featherweights Take To SmartCage At PFL 7
Two of the featured bouts at PFL 7 will take place in the featherweight division, as the semifinals for the 2023 season go down.
Set from the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, Bubba Jenkins battles Jesus Pinedo and Movlid Khaybulaev faces off against Gabriel Alves Braga.
The main card airs live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. Here is a closer look at the two semifinal round fights in the featherweight division.
Bubba Jenkins Vs. Jesus Pinedo
The upset-minded Jesus Pinedo will try to repeat his winning ways when he battles No. 1 seed Bubba Jenkins.
Jenkins, a former NCAA Div. I wrestling champion, has bounced around the MMA landscape, competing for Bellator MMA, Brave Combat Federation and others. Bad Man,” though, has found his home in PFL, taking advantage of the season-long format to really rack up wins.
He scored a decision over Chris Wade and submitted Sung Bin Jo to secure the top seed this year after reaching the tournament finals last year. Jenkins fell to Brendan Loughnane at PFL Championship in 2022 and was in the semifinals the year before.
Loughnane knows just how dangerous Pinedo is, as he bested him to earn the fourth and final spot in the semifinals. This is the perfect chance for Pinedo to once again be the underdog and score another stunning upset.
Movlid Khaybulaev Vs. Gabriel Alves Braga
Unbeaten in his career, Movlid Khaybulaev did not get the chance to defend his 2021 PFL title, as an injury forced him out of the 2022 season. Two years ago, be scored a split decision over Brendan Loughnane in the semifinals before besting Chris Wade in the finals.
Loughnane, of course, would go on to win the 2022 title with Khaybulaev returning this year to the tune of a decision over Ryoji Kudo and a submission of Tyler Diamond.
All the way back at PFL 4, Gabriel Alves Braga earned his biggest win to date, retiring Marlon Moraes when he scored a first round TKO. That victory pushed Braga into the Top-4 and earned him a spot in the semifinals.
