Rory MacDonald Gets The Betting Nod In PFL Welterweight Semifinals

  • The PFL’s Welterweight division has only four men remaining in contention.
  • Rory McDonald takes on former PFL winner Ray Cooper, and has -140 odds to win.
  • Magomed Magomedkerimov has -1000 odds to defeat Sadibou Sy.

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - The Welterweight division of the PFL has been impressive this season, and the playoffs feature two highly intriguing Welterweight bouts in the semifinals.

In the first semifinal, Magomed Magomedkerimov is expected to dominate Sadibou Sy. Magomedkerimov has drawn comparisons to former UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and has a 28-5 record in professional MMA.

In the second semifinal, Rory McDonald is looking to make a run at the Welterweight finals by taking down Ray Cooper III.

McDonald is not nearly as favored in his semifinal as Magomedkerimov is in his, but he is still favored.

PFL Welterweight Semifinal Odds: Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Sadibou Sy

  • Magomed Magomedkerimov -1000
  • Sadibou Sy +500

It’s rare to see MMA odds this lopsided but MMA is an unpredictable sport, which means most fighters tend to have at least a puncher’s chance of winning.

This fight, however, has severely lopsided odds in favor of Magomedkerimov, who has not lost a fight since 2015.

His 12 fight winning streak in that span includes a victory over Rory McDonald’s semifinal opponent, Ray Cooper III, to win the 2018 PFL title, and he is currently undefeated in the PFL.

One wonders if he’d be favored over the more famous McDonald in a theoretical finals matchup, and looking at these odds, it seems like the online sportsbooks might be more bullish on Magomedkerimov than they are on McDonald.

PFL Welterweight Semifinal Odds: Rory McDonald vs. Ray Cooper III

  • Rory McDonald -140
  • Ray Cooper III +110

Rory McDonald is favored over Ray Cooper III, a fighter that Magomedkerimov dispatched with a guillotine choke in the second round. McDonald is one of the most famous fighters in the PFL, and is a former Bellator Welterweight Champion.

Cooper, for his part, is the 2019 champion of the PFL’s Welterweight division, and holds a professional record of 22 wins and 7 losses.

Since the 2020 season of the PFL was cancelled, that technically makes him the defending champion of the tournament, although the format means that this status is more akin to the defending champion in the NBA than the defending champion in the UFC. Still, Cooper should not be overlooked by online gambling fans, and could provide an intriguing matchup for McDonald with his wrestling background and knockout power.

The card for these fights kicks off at 5:30 p.m. EST, and also contains the Lightweight division semifinals. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN2 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.