2025 PFL First Round: Bantamweights & Women's Flyweights predictions: Picking the winners

The PFL First Round Bantamweights & Women's Flyweights predictions are here. They provide strategic and tactical insight into the upcoming tournament card, which is headlined by a bantamweight clash between the streaking Leandro Higo and main event replacement Marcirley Alves.

Meanwhile, the co-main event features a women's MMA pioneer in Liz Carmouche, who faces an underwhelming foe in Ilara Joanne. With the tournament quarterfinals set, who should be expected to win?

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#1. PFL Bantamweight: Leandro Higo vs. Marcirley Alves

Unfortunately for the PFL, Marcirley Alves is not who Leandro Higo was originally scheduled to face. However, Josh Rettinghouse's inability to get medically cleared for the bout caused the promotion to scramble for a replacement. So, what to make of this new matchup?

Higo, is 23-6, and on a two-fight win streak. He is far more experienced at this level of competition than the 12-4 Alves, whose record does not inspire confidence. Moreover, Alves is coming off a deflating unanimous decision loss to Sarvarjon Khamidov, so he lacks momentum and possibly confidence.

Fortunately for Alves, he isn't coming off the couch, and had trained to face Vilson Ndregjoni. There is also the matter of the style matchup. He steps in as a power-puncher, having won 82% of his bouts by TKO or knockout. Meanwhile, Higo is a submission specialist, who has won 56% of his fights via tapout.

Alves was not training to face a dangerous submission specialist in Ndregjoni, while Higo was preparing to face a powerful puncher in Rettinghouse. Higo may just be too experienced to lose to a fighter with a subpar record like Alves.

The Prediction: Leandro Higo via unanimous decision

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#2. PFL Women's Flyweight: Liz Carmouche vs. Ilara Joanne

There's no reason to beat around the bush. Liz Carmouche is going to beat Ilara Joanne, or at least she should. She is a WMMA veteran who has faced legends like Ronda Rousey, as well as Valentina Shevchenko. She has even scored wins over former UFC champions like Jéssica Andrade.

At 22-8, she is significantly better than Joanne whose record is an abysmal 12-9. Moreover, Joanne is 1-3 in her last four fights. She is out of her depth.

The Prediction: Liz Carmouche via submission

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#3. The rest of the PFL tournament predictions

Winners in bold.

Bantamweight: Leandro Higo (23-6) vs. Marcirley Alves (12-4)

Women's flyweight: Liz Carmouche (22-8) vs. Ilara Joanne (12-9)

Bantamweight: Francesco Nuzzi (10-1) vs. Mando Gutierrez (10-3)

Bantamweight: Kasum Kasumov (16-1) vs. Justin Wetzell (10-2)

Women's flyweight: Juliana Velasquez (13-3) vs. Ekaterina Shakalova (8-2)

Bantamweight: Mattheus Mattos (14-3-1) vs. Jake Hadley (11-4)

Women's flyweight: Jena Bishop (7-2) vs. Kana Watanabe (13-3-1)

Women's flyweight: Elora Dana (7-0) vs. Diana Avsaragova (6-1)