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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
The Professional Fighters League is coming back to New York for its final two semifinal dates, with matchups now set for the entire cards, officials told ESPN.
Knockout artist Renan Ferreira will take on Maurice Greene in the Aug. 18 main event, a heavyweight semifinal. A lightweight semifinal between Shane Burgos and Clay Collard will headline an Aug. 23 card.
Both cards will take place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The men’s heavyweight and women’s featherweight division semifinals will be Aug. 18, with the men’s lightweight and welterweight semis set for Aug. 23. The Aug. 23 main card will kick off with an amateur bout involving Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Biaggio Ali Walsh.
The PFL previously announced the men’s featherweight and light heavyweight playoffs, scheduled for Aug. 4 in San Antonio. The winners of the semifinal matchups will fight later this year for the PFL’s $1 million divisional championships.
Ferreira (10-3) is coming off a 50-second knockout of Matheus Scheffel on June 16 in regular-season competition. The 33-year-old from Brazil has just one loss in eight PFL fights.
Greene (11-8), a training partner of Jon Jones, went 1-1 in the regular season. The 37-year-old New York native is a UFC veteran.
Burgos (16-4) got into the playoffs when the PFL suspended Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio for not fulfilling contractual obligations in a lackluster regular-season bout. Burgos, who is 32 and from New York, is coming off a unanimous decision win over Yamato Nishikawa on June 23.
Collard (23-10, 1 NC), who also has boxing experience, went 2-0 in the regular season, including a second-round TKO of Stevie Ray on June 23. Collard, 30, is 5-2 in the PFL.