Once the PFL came back from their Covid-19 hiatus, Ray Cooper III just had a different look in his eyes. And because of that, an explosive rematch is set for the welterweight strap. But, without even more changes, the result to Magomed Magomedkerimov will be the same, the Dagestani walking away with a million dollars, and a title.
In their first fight for the inaugural belt, Magomedkerimov took the fight to the ground. There he dominated and then won via submission. And like they say in combat sports, “Styles make fights”. And here it’s the heavy-handed Hawaiian against the slick Dagestani. While Cooper has made an effort to work on his ground control, Magomedkerimov continues to keep the train rolling.
After whitewashing MMA legend Rory MacDonald, he sent a message to the Dagestani:
“You’re not gonna be able to get away this time.”
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 14, 2021
After beating Rory MacDonald, Ray Cooper III sent a message to Magomed Magomedkerimov, his opponent in the finals ? #PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/wEAxtw4jO0
Between both fighters, their last three fights have gone to the scorecards. And a smart bet will be that this time around, the title fight will too. As far as the PFL’s lightweight finals looks after some odd scorecards, it’s an interesting setup as well.
Loik Radzhabov vs Raush Manfio is set for the 2021 #PFLChampionship Lightweight Finals! pic.twitter.com/FKD8f56rGm
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 14, 2021
An Explosive Rematch Is Set: The Breakdown
What sets this fight apart from their first meeting is the improvements by Cooper. But as of right now, they still aren’t completely enough. And that’s because when need be, Magomedkerimov can let the leather fly too. The safe bet here says someone will shoot for a takedown in the opening minute. Then we’re off to the races.
At 5’9″ Cooper will always be undersized. If you look across all other MMA organizations, most welterweights fall between 6’1″ and 6’5″. So it’s almost like a Daniel Cormier-esque type deal. So Cooper is good, for the PFL’s 170 division. Drop him somewhere else, that may not be the case. For Magomedkerimov, his ground game is comparable to another Magomed; Magomedov. Despite the 13-fight win streak, he can be exploited like Timur Valiev.
However, should Cooper be able to create space on the ground and land slicing elbows, he’ll avenge the loss. And go back-to-back championships to boot. If Magomedkerimov can pull guard, he can tap him from the top, or bottom. Especially with his new favorite submission to attempt, the Ezekiel Choke. Thus becoming a two-time champion. Whoever wins, no matter how they do it; one thing is absolute. This time it’s not chess versus checkers. It’s a high-level chess match, in a cage.
