PFL Challenger Series Week 6: Featherweights will take place on March 3, live from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Opening odds include a few one-sided bouts, each with -500 or higher, and a potential upset in the making. Look for Over/Unders and other PFL prop bets to pop up around Thursday on the best MMA betting sites.
2023 PFL Challenger Series Week 6 Predictions
This week, each fighter is a featherweight, one of the more exciting divisions in all of MMA. There are big favorites on this card, but don’t rush to the parlay window. PFL betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline.
| Bet and Odds | Payout per $100 Wager | Confidence Rating |
|---|---|---|
| David Evans -180 | $155.56 | High |
| Zach Hicks +375 | $475. | Moderate, Upset of the Night |
| Gabriel Alves Braga -500 | $120 | Moderate |
| Igeu Kabesa -550 | $118.18 | High, Parlay Pick |
Expect tougher fights for the high-profile betting favorites at PFL Challenger Series Week 6. We’re also considering the Over in all bouts except Kabesa, who should see yet another finish added to his 58% fight ending ratio.
2023 PFL Challenger Series Week 6 Odds
Bettors may jump on the Hicks’ upset and the Kabesa parlay picks well before Friday. Fans of the American will move the odds before then, and Kabesa should become something closer to -750 by fight time if people recognize his skill.
𝗜𝗧’𝗦 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞! Featherweights take center stage in Week 6️⃣
8️⃣Featherweights
4️⃣Fights
1️⃣PFL contract is on the line
1️⃣Featherweight starts their million dollar journey 💰[ #PFLonFubo | Featherweights | Fri, March 3rd | 9pm ET] pic.twitter.com/fbHZhk0YmW
— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 27, 2023
Brahyan Zurcher +150 vs David Evans -180
| FIGHTER | ZURCHER | EVANS |
|---|---|---|
| Amateur Record | 3-3 | 12-6 |
| Pro Finishes | 2 | 4 |
| Pro Opponent Record Total | 5-4-1 | 12-20 |
At 4-0, Zurcher is the underdog in spite of back-to-back PFL wins. Evans lost to the 3-0 Gauge Young via TKO in February 2022, bouncing back at LFA last May. Evans has the superior pro-am career, with an amateur record that spans back to 2014.
Fight tape shows Zurcher to be measured, but still allowing aggression to dictate pace in recent bouts. Evans is a forward moving striker and powerful wrestler, one that will find the top position unless Zurcher has changed his movement entirely.
The PFL Challenger Series Week 6 odds for Evans match our prediction, a close fight with Evans coming out on top.
Nate Kelly -500 vs Zachary Hicks +375
| FIGHTER | KELLY | HICKS |
|---|---|---|
| Last Four Opponent Record Combined | 19-4 | 16-13 |
| Age | 25 | 33 |
| Pro-Am Losses | 5 | 8 |
Kelly’s two losses come from the start of his pro career and, since 2018, he’s been undefeated with five victories that include four finishes.
Our Underdog Hicks is on a similar run, going 4-2 since 2018 with a current three fight winning streak. Hicks is a wrestler, with a classic takedown and submission centered style that has failed him against the right sprawl and brawl fighters.
You can start to see why Hicks is a big underdog. On paper Kelly has him beat in nearly every category, from quality of opponent to basic traits like age and reach.
However, Hicks has shown quality wrestling and his only struggle is a striker with moderate takedown defense- something that Kelly is not. If any of the -500 fighters have a chance of getting upset, it’s Kelly. He’ll be forced to fight for the submission off his back, because he’s going to struggle to get the takedown.
Ago Huskic +375 vs Gabriel Alves Braga -500
| Fighter | Huskic | Braga |
|---|---|---|
| Last Three Opponent Record Combined | 38-6 (All losses) | 28-15 |
| Pro Finishes | 6 | 4 |
| Height | 5’7’’ | 5’10’’ |
This is a classic striker vs grappler match up. Braga has four knockouts on his 8-0 record and he’s going up against a wrestler with tons of experience (7-0 amateur, 8-5 pro), who is on a three fight losing streak. Huskic has seen three decisions in a row against tough fighters, while this is Braga’s first serious step up in competition.
The PFL Challenger Series Week 6 Odds predict a deeply one-sided fight, but we see something more akin to a challenging back and forth between Huskic’s pressure and Braga’s muay thai.
Huskic has only been knocked out once and Braga is lightyears from the same experience level as his opponent. Keep this off the parlay ticket and use our PFL Challenger Series Week 6 prediction for Braga as a value bet with a 1:5 return.
8. IGEU KABESA is an African UFC fighter born in Johannesburg but lives in Germiston with his wife and kids- both South Africans. He started his fighting career by joining a wrestling school at the age of eight after he saw MMA on TV. pic.twitter.com/QqWUqLzEj2
— Africana (@FactzAfrican) September 21, 2020
Igeu Kabesa -550 vs Vikas Singh +400
| Fighter | Kabesa | Singh |
|---|---|---|
| Last Six Opponent Record Combined | 39-15 | 19-16 |
| Pro Finishes | 10, 58% | 9, 50% |
| Gym | Fight Fit Militia | Nelson Paes India |
Beating his last three opponents with ease, and scoring a career 10 finishes, Kabesa is a terror for any fighter. Singh is on a seven-fight winning streak, each against local fighters in India for SFL and Matrix Fight Night.
Indian MMA is still developing and, as a result, Singh has had few tough opponents. He even fought a debuting pro just three fights ago.
Kabesa has the superior training environment, the superior record and opponent quality, and his fight tape shows higher ring IQ and looseness that promotes better technique. He’s our parlay of the night, and the only fight we would consider adding to the UFC 285 parlay ticket.
2023 PFL Challenger Series Week 6 Competitive Bouts
We have big favorites going up against more experienced fighters at PFL Week 6. This is a recipe for at least one big upset. PFL has consistently made far more competitive cards than we’ve predicted, so bettors should keep in mind the PFL history of high-quality matchmaking for their Challenger Series.
Sources:
https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/95444-pfl-challenger-series-14
