-
Jeff Wagenheim, ESPN
The PFL once again faces the potential for a bizarre conclusion to its playoffs, after one of its competitors for Friday’s semifinals in New York missed weight on Thursday. That sets up a circumstance in which a fighter can lose a semifinal but nonetheless advance to the final.
Olena Kolesnyk weighed in at 147.8 pounds — 1.8 pounds over the featherweight limit — for her semifinal against top seed and 2022 season champion Larissa Pacheco. The fight will go on, with the fourth-seeded Kolesnyk forfeiting 20% of her purse to Pacheco. In addition, Kolesnyk will have one point deducted from her score for the league’s purposes. The penalty will not affect the official scorecards, just the PFL’s playoff scenario.
Should the bout go the distance and the judges score the bout 29-28 in favor of Kolesnyk, the PFL would treat it as a draw and Pacheco would advance, despite losing on the official scorecards, because the first tiebreaker in that circumstance is making weight.
Pacheco, who won last season’s championship at lightweight, weighed in Thursday at the 146-pound featherweight limit. Also making weight were the other semifinalists, Marina Mokhnatkina (145) and Amber Leibrock (145.8).
All four heavyweight semifinalists weighed in under the 266-pound limit: Denis Goltsov (243), Jordan Heiderman (247.2), Renan Ferreira (259.6) and Maurice Greene (261.8).
The Okesnyk situation is reminiscent of what happened two weeks ago with Jesus Pinedo, who missed weight before his PFL men’s featherweight semifinal against Bubba Jenkins. However, the scorecards did not come into play, as Pinedo advanced to the final by second-round TKO.
Pacheco and Kolesnyk have met twice before, with Pacheco winning by first-round knockout both times.
Friday’s main card at The Theater at Madison Square Garden is on ESPN and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET, preceded by prelims on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.