PFL News & FeaturesPFL 2025 World Tournament Dark Horse: Marcirley Alves
The
Professional Fighters League introduced the men’s bantamweight
division for the first time this year, introducing the division as
one of eight weight classes in the PFL 2025 World Tournament.
There’s no better definition of a tournament dark horse than a
fighter who is called in on short notice to be in the main event,
picks up a close decision victory and then has to face another
tournament favorite.
Such is the case for Marcirley Alves, who replaced Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov in the tournament and stepped in on short notice to defeat Leandro Higo in the first round. Higo, a 30-fight veteran, was a staple atop Bellator MMA’s bantamweight division for years as a consistent threat and a very entertaining and dangerous fighter on the ground. Alves was able to nullify Higo’s submission expertise and get the nod from the judges in the end.
Fighters
only get one shot! Watch the Semifinals of the PFL World Tournament
LIVE Friday, June 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and
ESPN+
There will be no easy challenge ahead for Alves, who faces former Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Jake Hadley in the bantamweight semifinals at PFL 2025 World Tournament 6 on Friday at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Hadley made his PFL debut with a third-round Scottish twister submission victory over Matheus Mattos. Hadley comes into the PFL as one of the most intriguing roster additions in any division for the promotion and was considered the favorite immediately upon the announcement of his entry into the tournament.
On paper, the best-case scenario for Alves to pull off an upset victory over Hadley would be by knockout, which is how he has posted 10 of his 13 career victories. He can close the show with just one punch. The odds will be stacked against him, but that’s no different than what Alves faced in the first round against Higo. Given the circumstances he has already faced to begin the tournament, there should be no feeling of pressure for Alves. He has already gotten over the hump and stepped in on short notice to get the job done.
A knockout artist who has already defied the odds, Alves is a perfect candidate to be labeled a dark horse in the bantamweight semifinals. The bantamweight bracket was full of surprises in the first round, and that trend could continue, showing that the 2025 PFL World Tournament was built for any fighter to come in and conquer the opportunity. It’s hard to argue there’s a more intriguing bracket in the entire tournament, with every fighter left having a real chance to win the whole thing.
Such is the case for Marcirley Alves, who replaced Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov in the tournament and stepped in on short notice to defeat Leandro Higo in the first round. Higo, a 30-fight veteran, was a staple atop Bellator MMA’s bantamweight division for years as a consistent threat and a very entertaining and dangerous fighter on the ground. Alves was able to nullify Higo’s submission expertise and get the nod from the judges in the end.
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There will be no easy challenge ahead for Alves, who faces former Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Jake Hadley in the bantamweight semifinals at PFL 2025 World Tournament 6 on Friday at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Hadley made his PFL debut with a third-round Scottish twister submission victory over Matheus Mattos. Hadley comes into the PFL as one of the most intriguing roster additions in any division for the promotion and was considered the favorite immediately upon the announcement of his entry into the tournament.
On paper, the best-case scenario for Alves to pull off an upset victory over Hadley would be by knockout, which is how he has posted 10 of his 13 career victories. He can close the show with just one punch. The odds will be stacked against him, but that’s no different than what Alves faced in the first round against Higo. Given the circumstances he has already faced to begin the tournament, there should be no feeling of pressure for Alves. He has already gotten over the hump and stepped in on short notice to get the job done.
A knockout artist who has already defied the odds, Alves is a perfect candidate to be labeled a dark horse in the bantamweight semifinals. The bantamweight bracket was full of surprises in the first round, and that trend could continue, showing that the 2025 PFL World Tournament was built for any fighter to come in and conquer the opportunity. It’s hard to argue there’s a more intriguing bracket in the entire tournament, with every fighter left having a real chance to win the whole thing.
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