Fansided MMA
FanSided

Preview & prediction for every PFL Championships $1 million fight

By Chad Porto

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Kayla Harrison walks to the cage before fighting against Martina Jindrova during PFL 9 at the Copper Box Arena on August 20, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 20: Kayla Harrison walks to the cage before fighting against Martina Jindrova during PFL 9 at the Copper Box Arena on August 20, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire)
(Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire) /

Rob Wilkinson vs. Omari Akhmedov

The PFL Light Heavyweight tournament will be a treat for those die-hard MMA fans, as Rob Wilkinson is going to be a name you can’t afford to miss. The 30-year-old from Hobart, Tasmania in Australia is a finishing machine. He’s 16-2 in his career and of his 16 wins, 15 have come by way of a finish. Of all of his finishes, only one has come later than the second round.

He’s only lost twice, one of which was to someone named Israel Adesanya (sarcasm) in 2018. To say he’s a gem of talent would be an understatement but just because he’s a finishing machine and has KO’ed or TKO’ed all three of his opponents in the PFL, doesn’t mean he’s in for a cakewalk.

Omari Akhmedov is a 35-year-old Russain who is 3-1 in his four fights in the PFL, including a three-fight win streak. He’s a well-rounded fighter that likes to use his grappling to set up a lot of his offense, and in most cases that would give him a slight advantage but not in this case.

Not only is Akmedov not as proficient of a finisher as Wilkinson, but he’s also severely lacking in the size department as well. Wilkinson has the reach advantage, has the height advantage, and will likely have the weight advantage.

Akemedov is going to need to take Wilkinson into the deep waters of the fight and have him burn his energy. That’s his only real shot, try to take it to the judges and pepper him with enough jabs that he keeps him off balance where he can work his clinches and avoid rolling around with the larger Wilkinson.

PREDICTION: Rob Wilkinson wins via TKO