PFL's 2019 playoff brackets will be locked by the end of Thursday night at PFL 6, as the big boys -- the heavyweights and light heavyweights -- get last licks.
There were some surprises back on June 6 when those divisions competed for the first time, as light heavyweight favorites Vinny Magalhaes and Jordan Johnson suffered losses to Emiliano Sordi and Maxim Grishin, respectively. Jared Rosholt, a top heavyweight, was stopped by Denis Goltsov.
Do those results represent a changing of the guard? Magalhaes and Rosholt had playoff runs last year, and Johnson was undefeated in the UFC. We'll find out a lot more Thursday night, and we'll also see the PFL return of Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, in a non-tournament bout.
Let's take a look at the top five storylines to watch going into PFL 6.
What should we expect from Umar Nurmagomedov?
First off, what a great signing. Nurmagomedov isn't involved in the 2019 PFL season, but he'll be facing Sidemar Honorio in a showcase fight on the main card. Along with being the younger cousin of Khabib, one of the best fighters in the world, Nurmagomedov is a real-deal prospect. He's 10-0, just 23 years old, and half of his wins have come via submission. In August 2018, at PFL 7, Nurmagomedov earned a unanimous decision win over Saidyokub Kakhramonov.
Nurmagomedov could be this year's version of Kayla Harrison, a top prospect who PFL gets in front of the fans to whet their appetite. Could PFL add a bantamweight division in 2020 with Nurmagomedov as the centerpiece? It's possible. Let's see what he does against Honorio.
Can Johnson rebound from a loss to open the season?
Let's get one thing out of the way: Johnson's first fight was very close and many onlookers thought Johnson should have gotten the nod on the scorecards. Instead, it was a unanimous decision victory for Grishin. Johnson didn't look completely out of sorts or anything, but it's clear he might have to adapt to his new surroundings after going 4-0 in the UFC at middleweight.
Johnson is a great wrestler and will be heavily favored over Sigi Pesaleli, who is by far the least experienced fighter in the PFL's light heavyweight division at just 1-1. If we're being honest, this is pretty transparent matchmaking. Johnson is supposed to get a finish here and keep his playoff hopes alive. Can he do it? Most likely, yes. The postseason will be a major question, though, when he returns to facing the caliber of Grishin and better.
Is Goltsov the real deal?
It sure appears that way. The Russian slugger stopped Rosholt, one of the heavyweight favorites, by TKO in the first round to earn six points. Goltsov is multifaceted, extremely experienced and has a knack for the finish. In 23 career wins, he has 20 stoppages. That's pretty amazing, considering his strength of schedule has been solid for someone who has never competed in the UFC.
Goltsov will face Kelvin Tiller. They sit tied atop the heavyweight leaderboard coming in, so the victor probably will earn the top seed in the playoffs. Tiller is extremely dangerous. He was nullified by Rosholt's wrestling in last year's playoffs, but he has finished every other one of his PFL fights. It's pretty clear why this bout will close out PFL 6 -- it has the potential for major fireworks.
Will judo or wrestling reign in Rosholt vs. Satoshi Ishii?
This is a fight between two of the most experienced fighters in the heavyweight draw. The most intriguing thing about this bout, though, is the clash of styles. Harrison is not PFL's only Olympic judo champion -- Ishii has a gold medal, too. Meanwhile, Rosholt is the winningest heavyweight wrestler in Oklahoma State history, a 2010 NCAA runner-up and a three-time All-American. Something will have to give between the two grappling arts.
Funny enough, what might actually decide this bout is striking. Ishii moved to Croatia last year and joined Mirko Cro Cop's MMA team. Obviously, that means he has been spending a great deal of time in the standup approach of mixed martial arts. Rosholt can be susceptible to technical striking, like in his TKO loss to Goltsov in June. Has Ishii come far enough as a striker to make a big difference? Can Rosholt's wrestling matchup with Ishii's judo? It should be fun to find out.
Is Magalhaes still a light heavyweight favorite?
As of right now, yes. Magalhaes, as a grappler, is the equivalent of a knockout artist in striking. He can catch a submission at any time and is very dangerous on the ground or in the clinch. For that reason, you cannot count him out. Magalhaes won four times last year in PFL, all by finish. And one of the victories was over Rakim Cleveland, via kimura submission. Magalhaes fights Cleveland again Thursday.
Magalhaes was beaten on the feet by Sean O'Connell in last year's PFL $1 million championship fight. And the same thing happened again versus Sordi in June. There is reason to worry if you're a Magalhaes fan. He is 35 years old now and might not be in his athletic prime anymore. But he's also as scary of a grappler as anyone, which is his great equalizer. Magalhaes can still make a deep run in the postseason with that attribute alone. He just has to beat Cleveland first and get some points next to his name.
Coverage of PFL 6 begins at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on ESPN 2, and moves over to ESPN+ at 10 p.m.