Preview: PFL 7, 2022 Playoffs

Light Heavyweights

Joshua Silveira (9-0, 1-0 PFL) vs. Omari Akhmedov (23-7-1, 2-1 PFL)

ODDS: Silveira (-180), Akhmedov (+150)

Akhmedov has looked like a man on a mission during his 2022 PFL campaign, authoring impressive finishes of Viktor Pesta and Teodoras Aukstuolis in two regular-season bouts. The Dagestani was supposed to face defending light heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. in the semifinals, but after an injury forced the Brazilian to withdraw, he draws another American Top Team fighter export and a rising prospect in Silveira. It never made much sense for Silveira to compete on the PFL Challenger Series, as the son of ATT co-founder Marcus “Conan” Silveira seems like the type of talent organizations like the UFC or Bellator MMA might have pursued. A former two-division champion in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, Silveira only started competing professionally in 2019 but he grew up around the sport, so his lack of experience is somewhat misleading. Silveira is an all-around athlete who played football and wrestled in high school and won a Pac-12 title as a wrestler at Arizona State University. He possesses the requisite submission and grappling skills one might expect for someone with his last name and blends it well with athletic striking on the feet that includes a dangerous head kick and knees in close quarters. He has good finishing instincts as well: Witness at the sequence he used to put away a reeling Marthin Hamlet at PFL 4, as he rocked his adversary with a head kick and swarmed before dropping the Norwegian with a knee and sealing the victory with more standing-to-ground shots.

Akhmedov will represent a sterner test, but the same could be said in reverse, as “Wolverine” is now facing an opponent who has not yet reached his peak. While competing at 170 and 185 pounds, Akhmedov was known to gas out later in fights—that has not been an issue lately, but it helps that he is putting people away inside of two rounds. Akhmedov does everything with full force, whether it is winging overhand rights, whipping leg kicks and exploding for takedowns and landing ground-and-pound. That can take its toll if his opponent does not wilt. Akhmedov does well at grounding opponents, but he is not a great defensive wrestler, nor does he always exhibit dominant top control. It is unlikely his wrestling can carry him against someone with the background of Silveira, who can shoot for takedowns, sprawl or threaten with submissions. Akhmedov has a better chance of landing a heavy shot on the feet, but his chin has been cracked on multiple occasions in the PFL—in a loss to the late Jordan Young and early in the second round of his win against Aukstuolis. Look for Silveira to weather some early difficulties, tire Akhmedov out and win via KO/TKO in the second half of the fight.

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Ray vs. Pettis
Silveira vs. Akhmedov
Aubin-Mercier vs. Martinez
Wilkinson vs. Monte
The Prelims
Qualifiers