Sadibou Sy Secures Spot in PFL’s 2023 Playoffs
In a recent PFL 6 event held at the Overtime Elite Arena, Sadibou Sy showcased his skills with a highlight-reel spinning head-kick knockout over Shane Mitchell. This victory marked his sixth consecutive win and secured his spot in the PFL’s 2023 playoffs. Sy’s impressive performance has established him as the man to beat in the welterweight division. The Swedish kickboxer will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, but his clear momentum makes him look like a No. 1 seed. Sy has put away both of his opponents this year and is looking to repeat his championship run of 2022.
Sy’s knockout came in the second round of the fight which he was already dominating. Mitchell went down, and the fight was stopped without a follow-up shot. The victory has set Sy up for a semifinal battle against Carlos Leal, who knocked out Dilano Taylor in another fight at PFL 6. Sy defeated Leal in last year’s playoffs via unanimous decision.
Other Fighters Who Secured Their Spots in the Playoffs
Olivier Aubin-Mercier also punched his ticket to the 2023 playoffs with a third-round finish of Anthony Romero in Friday’s main event. The fight was waved off in the second round after Aubin-Mercier landed a devastating knee to Romero’s chin along the fence. Aubin-Mercier, a PFL champion from 2022, secured the No. 2 seed and will face former PFL champion Natan Schulte, who picked up a decision win over Raush Manfio in a bizarre fight that saw two best friends square off.
Magomed Magomedkerimov is the welterweight’s No. 1 seed thanks to a quick finish of David Zawada on Friday. He will face Magomed Umalatov in the semifinals. Fan favorite Clay Collard will seek his first PFL championship as the No. 1 seed and will face Bruno Miranda in the semifinals.
Shane Burgos, a major acquisition by the PFL in 2022, picked up a win over Yamato Nishikawa on Friday, but failed to make the playoffs. It’s unclear whether Burgos will fight again in 2023 now that he has missed the PFL’s postseason. He lost via decision to Aubin-Mercier in the opening round of the regular season in April.
The PFL 6 event saw some exciting matches, with many fighters securing their spots in the playoffs. Sadibou Sy’s impressive victory over Shane Mitchell has established him as the man to beat in the welterweight division. Fans can look forward to some thrilling matchups in the upcoming playoffs.
