PFL 7 Main Event Breakdown

Yes, Jim Mora, the calendar may read August but in the sport of MMA, August means the postseason is here. After some time off, the 2023 PFL playoffs get underway this Friday night in San Antonio.

By the end of the evening, two of the six championship bouts will be locked in for PFL 10. No concrete day and date for the championship card has been confirmed as of press time.

Friday"s card begins with showcase fights at 6:30 pm ET/ 3:30 pm PT on ESPN+. Main card and playoff contests follow at 9 pm ET/ 6 pm PT on ESPN proper. All told, barring any further postponements, PFL 7 features 10 fights, including postseason action at featherweight and light heavyweight.

Jenkins and Pinedo Square Off for Championship Spot in PFL 7 Main Event

Highlighting the night"s activities is the second semifinal at 145 lbs. No. 1 seed Bubba Jenkins (21-6 MMA, 2-0 PFL 2023) takes on No. 4 seed Jesus Pinedo (21-6-1 MMA, 1-1 PFL 2023). The winner advances to meet the survivor of the earlier semifinal between No. 2 seed Gabriel Braga (11-0 MMA, 2-0 PFL 2023) and No. 5 seed Chris Wade (23-9 MMA, 1-1 PFL 2023)

As with all PFL bouts through the semifinals, the PFL 7 main event is an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 to shocking the world 🌎

Jesus Pinedo ready for an encore performance

[ Friday, August 4th | 6:30ET on ESPN+ | 9pm ET on ESPN | #PFLPlayoffs] pic.twitter.com/oVGydMLzuJ

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 2, 2023

PFL 7 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the PFL 7 main event on Friday night, Jesus Pinedo stands as the taller man at six feet even, compared to the 5-foot-8 frame of Bubba Jenkins. In addition, Pinedo holds a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage (74 1/2 inches to 72 inches even) and a one-inch leg reach advantage (40 inches to 39 inches) over Jenkins.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the oddsmakers have Bubba Jenkins installed as a -400 favorite on the money line, with Jesus Pinedo countering as a +300 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Bubba Jenkins One Win Away From Returning to Featherweight Championship

Bubba Jenkins, last season"s featherweight runner-up, has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. At present, he"s on a two-fight winning streak.

Most recently, he scored a first-round technical submission victory against Sung Bin Jo (10-3 MMA, 0-1 PFL 2023) (rear-naked choke) on June 8 in PFL 4 to give him nine points and lock up the top seed in the 145-lb. bracket. Last year, he dropped a fourth-round knockout to Brendan Loughnane in the championship, meaning he"s one win away from a shot at revenge.

Recently, Jenkins talked to MMASucka about his upcoming bout against Pinedo. Despite having matching win-loss records, he believes they"re different competitors.

“I just don"t think that he has anything for me," Jenkins said. “My 21-6 is not like his 21-6. His 21-6 isn"t like my 21-6. My numbers and his numbers are just different."

Will Bubba Jenkins get back to the championship? Tune in Friday night and find out.

Jesus Pinedo Looks to Build Off Stunning Upset in PFL 7 Main Event

In the other corner, Jesus Pinedo has gone 4-1 in his last five contests. He enters the PFL 7 main event having eliminated the aforementioned Brendan Loughnane from playoff contention with a first-round knockout (knee to the head followed by hammerfists) on June 8.

After the fight, Pinedo talked to Sean O"Connell.

“I"m a 26-year-old young man from Peru," Pinedo said, through his translator. “I told everybody, I told all of the media, that I was going to come here and I was going to get the win. I got the job done tonight."

If single-elimination tournaments have illustrated anything over the years, it"s that Cinderella and underdog stories are worth tuning in for. However, will the horse and carriage turn back into a pumpkin after the PFL 7 main event?

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the PFL 7 main event looks to favor Bubba Jenkins, a former wrestler at Penn State in State College, compared to Jesus Pinedo"s status as a striker.

Look for Jenkins to Land a Big Punch

One aspect of Bubba Jenkins" fight game that"s shown up on video is his ability to score that huge punch. A textbook example of this is the third round of his fight against Diego Marlon. 

Right from the command to fight, Marlon landed a takedown and Jenkins immediately went to work on the ground. Marlon had no answer for the onslaught and the fight ended at just 44 seconds into the round.

As long as Bubba Jenkins lands one punch, it"s his world in the PFL 7 main event.

Look Out For Pinedo"s Knees

In the other corner, Jesus Pinedo has vicious knees. If you watched the fight vs. Loughnane,  you know this.

Less than a minute and a half into the contest, Pinedo connected on a knee to knock Loughnane down. It was all over but the shouting at that point.

A flurry of ground and pound shots ended the fight a few seconds later. If Jesus Pinedo scores with a knee shot, look out.

Final Thoughts

This looks to be a cracking affair on Friday night. Expect both of these men to bring everything they have to the table.

Everything is on the line in the PFL 7 main event. Who wins the day?

Prediction: Bubba Jenkins by Unanimous Decision.