Either Shane Burgos or Marlon Moraes will cap 2022 with a big win and set themselves up for more in 2023.
The two featherweights will make their PFL debut against each other when the promotion closes up the year in November.
PFL Championship is set for November 25 from the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden from New York City. The event will feature six championship matches and air live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
While Burgos vs. Moraes is not part of that, it is a key bout to determining the pecking order for 2023.
That is when the PFL begins anew with a regular season leading into a tournament and finishing up with a champion. That fighter receives $1 million and a big, shiny gold belt.
Just what everybody wants.
The 31-year-old Burgos was another key addition to the PFL roster this year. He comes into the promotion off back-to-back wins in the UFC over Charles Jourdain and Billy Quarantillo.
Burgos is 15-3 overall with 10 career finishes, and UFC president Dana White even admitted it was a mistake letting him get away.
But the PFL will not make it easy for Burgos right off the bat.
Moraes is a former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion and set promotional records for most consecutive title defenses (five) and wins in title fights (six). He was also 11-0 with the WSOF, which would eventually become the PFL.
For the past few years, he has been working towards a title shot in the UFC. Moraes is now 23-10-1, and has tested himself against the likes of Henry Cejudo, Jose Aldo and Cory Sandhagen.
PFL Championship will be headlined by Kayla Harrison seeking another title against Larissa Pacheco. Brendan Loughnane and Bubba Jenkins meet in the featherweight finale with Burgos-Moraes also set for the main card.
The heavyweight, lightweight, welterweight and light heavyweight finals are also expected to be part of the event.