2023 PFL World Championship suggestions: the undercard

Many eyes were on the 6 championship fights that took place last week at the 2023 PFL World Championship event in Washington, DC. There was also a plethora of chatter about the winners of the showcase bouts on the main card: former top 4 UFC middleweight Derek Brunson and 2-time PFL world champion Kayla Harrison.

With the last-minute cancellation of the bitter trilogy between rivals Bubba Jenkins and Chris Wade, many feared the undercard would lose viewership. However, its non-title fights were delivered in magnificent fashion, with the crowd roaring. Here are 3 suggestions after being there live for the undercard:

1: Bring Jesse Stirn into the 2024 PFL season and further build his brand

Jesse Stirn posed as the starter for the undercard. The local favorite out of Baltimore, Maryland, excited his home crowd with an intelligent performance to defeat Josh Blyden. The veteran has faced multiple credible names in his career, including Sheymon Moraes and Pat Sabatini. He has finally put it all together, as he is on a 5-fight win streak and ready for bigger steps. Ideally, he would like to be in the 2024 PFL featherweight season, but even if he cannot, why not put him in the Europe season alongside rising Irish contender Nathan Kelly?

Stirn’s press conference proved the meritocracy behind the PFL season format. “PFL is where I want to be for the rest of my career,” he admitted. “I love the format. I love the lack of politics on who gets certain matchups. To fight 4 times a year, and the pay is great, in my opinion.”

“I can finally say I broke even and am starting to make a living,” Stern proclaimed, 12 years into his career. Imagine if this clip plays and he wins the million-dollar world title prize one day.

2: Make the PFL a family showcase for the Caracappa brothers

Phil Caracappa performed beautifully to smother Mark Zuckerberg’s training partner, Khai Wu. The former Ring of Combat champion landed 4 takedowns and outstruck Wu 108 to 28. While the PFL does not have its own bantamweight roster, Caracappa can test himself against the plethora of bantamweights coming from the recent acquisition of Bellator.

Caracappa was born and raised in Freehold, New Jersey, and trains with many rising prospects at Dante Rivera BJJ. Two of those prospects are his brothers, Nick and Matt, who fight for the highly touted Cage Fury Fighting Championship. Now, why should the PFL sign all three brothers? The PFL has hosted many season and playoff events on the East Coast. The Caracappa brothers have a bigger following than most rising prospects and could help sell out venues. Put them all on the same undercard and make it a family affair.

3: Sign Biaggio Ali Walsh to a long-term deal

Eyes will automatically tune in when a relative of the great Muhammad Ali is mentioned. Biaggio is his grandson and boasts a 6-1 amateur record while being 5-0 with 5 knockouts in the PFL. Fans are starting to know him as the man who always bangs and puts on entertaining fights for the fans. The Xtreme Couture prodigy put on another scintillating performance in DC by throwing ferocious bombs and knocking his opponent, Joel Lopez, out cold.

Ali Walsh hits like a truck and has shown his humorous and humble personality in media sessions. He speaks for what he believes in, and fans are guaranteed an exciting fight from him. While he might turn pro next, the PFL should sign him and bring in prospects who are a few steps ahead in the competition. Allow Ali Walsh to build more experience in the pros, and do not squander this opportunity on someone who brings a ton of brand value and entertainment to the table. What a story it would be if one of Muhammad Ali’s grandsons became an MMA world champion for the PFL one day!

The PFL has done a tremendous job becoming the 2nd best MMA promotion in the world. With its recent acquisition of Bellator, many wonder if they utilize their newest stars to climb even more enormous mountains. Building up the prospects mentioned above will help generate entertaining fight cards for every undercard, and the world hopes to see the PFL continue to thrive.

Anik Subramanian

Anik Subramanian is an aspiring MMA journalist based in the United States. He discovered his passion for MMA when the sport was the first to return to live action during the pandemic. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been a lifelong sports fan.