Rory MacDonald finally has his PFL debut booked.
The former Bellator champion and one-time UFC title challenger will face off with David Michaud in the main event of the upcoming PFL card slated for April 29.
MacDonald signed with the PFL as a free agent following the end of his Bellator contract in 2019. He was originally expected to debut in 2020 but the PFL was forced to cancel the entire season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic,
Now the longtime welterweight contender will make his first appearance with the promotion in hopes of eventually claiming another championship as well as the $1 million prize.
As for Michaud, he will be competing in his second consecutive season as part of the PFL roster after initially joining the organization in 2019. After suffering a loss in his debut, Michaud bounced back with three consecutive wins in a row before falling to Ray Cooper III in the finals of the welterweight playoffs.
He’ll welcome MacDonald to the PFL while trying to pull off the upset to kick off the new season in 2021.
After making it to the finals in the inaugural PFL season and then winning the welterweight championship the following year, Cooper will kick off his next campaign on April 29 as he faces newcomer Jason Ponet in the co-main event.
Cooper has built a reputation for having huge knockout power after dismantling numerous opponents in the PFL including former UFC title contender Jake Shields in his promotional debut in 2018.
Former UFC fighters Tom Lawlor and Jordan Johnson will also meet as the light heavyweight season gets underway as well. Returning champion Emiliano Sordi will open the main card against UFC veteran Chris Camozzi in the 205-pound division.
The undercard for the PFL event on April 29 will also feature the promotional debut of Gleison Tibau as he takes on Aleksei Kunchenko while former welterweight champion Magomed Magomedkerimov will attempt to climb his way back to another $1 million prize when he faces Joao Zeferino in the featured prelim.
Magomedkerimov actually remains undefeated in the PFL but an illness forced him out of the 2019 season, which is why he was unable to compete in the finals.
Here’s the full card as it stands for the PFL 2 card on April 29:
ESPN 2 Card
MAIN EVENT: Rory MacDonald vs. David Michaud
Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Ponet
Jordan Johnson vs. Tom Lawlor
Emiliano Sordi vs. Chris Camozzi
ESPN+ Card
Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Joao Zeferino
Smealinho Rama vs. Jordan Young
Cezar Ferreira vs. Nick Roehrick
Gleison Tibau vs. Aleksei Kunchenko
Sadibou Sy vs. Nikolai Aleksakhin
Dan Spohn vs. Marthin Hamlet