Only four fights separated the Professional Fighters League lightweights from the $1 million cash prize.
The PFL is MMA’s only league format. It spans over a regular season as well as play-offs.
Eight weight classes of fighters are allowed to participate in the regular season, where they will compete for the right to move on to the play-offs.
This consists of a quarter-final round and a semi-final round in three rounds. The winner advances to the championship final.
The $1m life-changing cheque and the championship belt are up for grabs.
Tomorrow night, the lightweights will be in action in Dallas, Texas. SunSport lets you know who is there to win it.
Raush Manfio
Brazilian 30-year-old is the current and defending champion, having won 4-0 last year to win the gold and cash prizes.
He holds a record of 15-3. He beat professional boxer Clay Collard and Anthony Pettis, who were both ex-UFC champions.
Manfio was close to retiring before last season in order to concentrate on his coaching job and his office cleaning job.
He was able to make $1m more by giving it another try. Manfio defends Don Madge's crown.
Raush Manfio won in 2021 the PFL lightweight season
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Don Madge
South African Madge, 31 years old, is 10-3. He beat Nathan Williams to make his PFL debut in 2017.
He also appeared in the UFC, winning both of his fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov's Undercard.
Madge was forced to leave the UFC due to visa issues and opposition cancellations. He signed for PFL, where he will be fighting champ Manfio for his first full season.
He stated, "I wanted the champion to be out of the way first so I could test myself against the men who have been through it before and already achieved what I want to achieve."
Jeremy Stephens
Stephens, 35 years old, is one of the most experienced players on the roster with a record 28-19-1.
He fought Jose Aldo, Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar during his UFC career.
Perhaps Conor McGregor's comment that "who the f*** was that guy?" during a conference with Stephens is what makes him most memorable.
American veteran makes his PFL debut against Collard, a pro boxer.
Clay Collard
Collard was another MMA veteran, but he rose to fame during the coronavirus pandemic. Top Rank hosted behind-closed doors fights and Bob Arum's Top Rank stable hosted them.
He was 3-1 in that time, but he only started boxing in 2017 to pay for his car repairs.
Collard, 29, has had four UFC fights and signed for PFL 2020. He stunned Pettis in round one last year.
Manfio was the eventual winner and he was defeated. Stephens, a power-puncher, is his opponent.
Natan Schulte
After consecutive wins in 2018 & 2019, the Brazilian is now a two-time PFL Champion.
Schulte received $400 for his debut in 2011, but now has $2m in prize checks.
Marcin Held defeated the former champ, and he lost his crown.
He hopes to bounce back against Canada's Olivier Aubin Mercier.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier
Aubin-Mercier was born in Montreal, Quebec. He is known as "The Canadian Gangster".
Although he made his UFC debut, he lost three straight to the UFC.
Aubin-Mercier signed with PFL and won both of his first fights for the promotion.
He will be competing in the regular season, but Schulte, a two-time champion, will face him in the opener.
Anthony Pettis
Former UFC lightweight champion, now 35, signed an exclusive agreement with PFL but was shocked by Collard on the first stage.
Pettis was forced to leave the season after a second defeat to Manfio.
He is back, and he returns to the field on May 6, just two weeks after the start of the lightweight league.
As he tries to rebound from last year's defeat, Pettis will face Myles Price.
Myles Price
Price, 33, is a fighter in Bellator and BAMMA in Europe. He even beat Peter Queally, Conor McGregor's training buddy, in 2019.
He is willing to fight ex-UFC star Pettis who claimed he is the perfect opponent.
SunSport spoke with Price: "It's not the best style for Pettis if you want to go out and look good. That's something you can't allow happen, really."
He said, "I'm going in there to give the best version me, and that's it."
Stevie Ray
Ray, 32, flew over the years the flag of Scotland in the UFC. He most recently beat Michael Johnson in 2019.
Ray announced his retirement, but Ray is now back, and ready for the big time after almost three years.
The Brit signed a multifight deal with PFL. He will make his debut in 2022 with his first fight against Alex Martinez.
Ray became a yoga teacher after he suffered a severe knee injury in the coronavirus pandemic.
Alex Martinez
After going 7-0 in his career, the Paraguayan was twice defeated in PFL last season.
Martinez fought in South Africa and Abu Dhabi before signing with PFL America.
With only ten fights, he is probably the least experienced fighter in the season.
Martinez is determined to fight Ray, who has retired after three years.
