PFL 7 is the first playoff event for PFL's 2024 season. This event features the heavyweights and the women's flyweights. The prelims will be broadcast on ESPN+ with the main card on ESPN, on Friday 2nd August.

PFL Playoff Predictions:

DENIS GOLTSOV (34-8) vs. TIM JOHNSON (18-9) – Heavyweight Playoff

I like Goltsov in this match up and so do the odds makers as he is -425 money line. Tim Johnson is a Bellator veteran but he's getting old. He still maintains a lot of power but he is definitely slower now that he is 39 years old. Goltsov is a massive heavyweight huge power, finding big KO wins over the last couple of seasons. He can wrestle if he needs to but I do think he uses his size and power to catch Johnson and find a finish early. I'm picking Goltosv and have high confidence.

DAKOTA DITCHEVA (12-0) vs. JENA BISHOP (7-1) – Women's Flyweight Playoff

I have been critical of Ditcheva in the past because we still haven't seen her fight elite competition. However her talent is undeniable and she is definitely one of the best women's MMA strikers in the world. I am not sure if I can justify her being a -750 favourite in this match up though. There is no doubt that the striking will heavily favor Ditcheva, but we haven't seen her grapple against someone as skilled on the ground as Bishop. Bishop has a very high level BJJ background and she has used that to find success in MMA. She lost a decision in her last fight to Taila Santos but there isn't much shame in that. I can't recommend putting Ditcheva in a parlay as at -750 you aren't getting much value for the risk in this fight. I do think Ditcheva wins, and I also think it happens in the first two rounds. But if the fight goes to the ground in any way then it could get very interesting as we haven't seen much of Ditcheva's grappling at all. I am picking Ditcheva with medium confidence.

OLEG POPV (18-1) vs. LINTON VASSELL (25-9) – Heavyweight Playoff

Linton Vassell is another older heavyweight at 41 years old, but you honestly couldn't really tell. He is in great shape and still fights with great athleticism and speed for the division. He is tall with decent range and mostly strikes, but he can wrestle. He got a huge upset win over Valentin Moldavsky in his last fight which really surprised me. Oleg Popov is quite different as he is a typical wrestler who dominates his fights with control and ground and pound. His win over Steve Mowry is probably the best win of his career, and he managed to win that fight by finish. Vassel was out grappled in moments after tiring against Goltsov earlier in the year and I think that will play a factor in this fight. If Popov can get the take downs, he will look good. I think he can and I am picking him with medium confidence.

TAILA SANTOS (21-3) vs. LIZ CARMOUCHE (22-7) – Women's Flyweight Playoff

This is a very high level fight to be a playoff and not the finals for the $1 million. Santos is a former UFC title challenger who gave Valentina Shevchenko and Erin Blanchfield very tough fights. In the PFL she has won using her grappling, impressively initiating and controlling the grappling in her fight against Jena Bishop who's grappling skill set I praised earlier. In that fight she controlled the first two rounds but got in some trouble in round 3. Liz Carmouche is a pioneer of women's MMA, being Ronda Rousey's first UFC opponent in the first ever women's UFC fight. I was very happy for her when she was able to win the Bellator MMA women's flyweight title. She was able to defend the belt numerous times and has been on a great win streak in the PFL since the PFL/Bellator merger. In her most recent fight she fought Kana Watanabe and was outgrappled in moments but was able to pull off an impressive comeback arm bar submission in round 3. Santos is big for women's flyweight and seeing her out grappling Bishop tells me she should be able to use that size to defeat Carmouche. I am medium confidence, and Santos is -260 money line.

Prelim Predictions:

TYRELL FORTUNE (14-2) vs. SERGEY BILOSTENNIY (12-3) – Heavyweight

Tyrell Fortune (+130) – By decision using his wrestling. Sergey is a very athletic striker so he could catch Fortune. If Fortune uses his wrestling he should win though. Low confidence.

ALEXEI PERGANDE (4-0) vs. DANIEL BOEHLE (4-2) – Feaherweight

Alexei Pergande (-1200). High confidence

CODY LAW (8-2) vs. ZACHARY HICKS (9-5) – Featherweight

Cody Law (-700). High confidence.

SERGIO COSSIO (27-9-1) vs. DEDREK SANDERS (8-4) – Lightweight

Sergio Cossio (-240). I like his grappling in this match up but Cossio likes to strike. Feels like a step down in competition as Cossio just defeated Anthony Romero. Medium-High confidence.

JALEEL WILLIS (16-6) vs. ANTHONY IVY (14-7) – Welterweight

Anthony Ivy (+180). Surprised to see Ivy as this big of an underdog. I feel as though Ivy's strengths (grappling) play into Jaleel's biggest weakness. We have seen Jaleel outwrestled before and I'm predicting it to happen again. Willis is a big welterweight and he did show some improved take down defense as of late, but he's also been getting knocked out. He was finished by Doumbe only two months ago. Ivy has a lot of momentum coming into this fight and has experience against high level competition himself. I am picking Ivy to win by submission, low confidence.

KEVIN PEASE (5-0) vs. NICK MECK (7-1) – Welterweight

Nick Meck (+155). Although I am picking an underdog here I can't recommend betting him. Both of these fighters are inexperienced and have not been tested against great competition yet. They both also have wrestling backgrounds. Kevin Pease is a small welterweight standing at 5'8″. He is a wrestler who throws big on the feet but doesn't have the best technique. I saw him getting taken down multiple times in his last fight, and that leads me to believe he can get taken down in this fight. Meck is the much bigger fighter in the match up. He is an all action fighter which is a blessing and a curse. In his only loss he looked great in round 1 finding the take down and successfully landing ground and pound. However, his opponent survived the round and Meck was completely gassed and had nothing to offer in rounds 2 and 3. I am picking Meck as I am hoping he has learned from that loss and has either improved his cardio, or has worked on managing a controlled pace. I think he can take down Pease, it just comes down to whether or not he can hold him down, and do it for 2/3 rounds. Picking Meck by decision, low confidence.