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The 2023 Regular Season of PFL will kick off from Las Vegas as we continue our coverage with picks and predictions from the PFL 1 Main Card. To open up the action, Chris Wade will be taking on Bubba Jenkins in a battle in the Featherweight (145 lb) Division. Don't miss a second of this stacked card! Check out our PFL odds series for our Wade-Jenkins prediction and pick.
Chris Wade is 22-8 as a professional fighter and has gone 10-5 in the PFL. He's had a lot of success in the organization but would like to space his losses out further as he's struggled against the tops of the division. He's coming off of a loss to Brendan Loughnane, but he'll have the advantage here knowing he already beat his opponent Bubba Jenkins by unanimous decision once before. Wade stands 5'10” with a 70-inch reach.
Bubba Jenkins is 19-6 as a mixed martial artist and has gone 5-2 since joined the PFL in 2021. He's 2-1 in his last three coming into this fight and dropped his last bout by TKO to Brendan Loughnane. His only other loss in the organization came against his opponent here tonight, so he'll be looking to gain revenge and get off to a solid regular season start. Jenkins stands 5'8″ with a 72-inch reach.
Here are the PFL 1 Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
PFL 1 Odds: Chris Wade-Bubba Jenkins Odds
Chris Wade: -180
Bubba Jenkins: +140
How to Watch Chris Wade vs. Bubba Jenkins
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN App
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Chris Wade Will Win
Chris Wade is a very patient striker and will move forward in small, explosive bursts. He welcomes clinch situations and is very strong when handling opponents on the cage. He does well throwing elbows and knees from in-close and will try to use inside trips to get his opponent to the ground. He has good top-pressure on the ground and will use his ground-and-pound when in opponents' guards. If he can get Jenkins on his back, Wade will have a big advantage here.
Wade has a ton of experience in various organizations and should come into this one with a methodical game plan. He should look to secure takedowns and win the rounds with control. Wade sometimes leaves his chin hanging out and can get hit. If he's getting stunned on the feet, his output with waver and he'll become a lot less effective. He'll have to control the distance and threaten takedowns to win this fight.
Why Bubba Jenkins Will Win
Bubba Jenkins is a NCAA D-1 Wrestling National Champion and wrestled at Arizona State and Penn State. He has serious wrestling chops and imposes his biggest strength on opponents almost immediately. If Jenkins can get his hands locked, his opponent is going for a ride, but he'll have a tough test in taking down Chris Wade. Jenkins has a ton of success in wrestling with strikers, like he did in his submission win against Ryoji Kudo. However, he didn't have as much success trying to stand and strike with someone like Brendan Loughnane.
Bubba Jenkins will have to find a few key takedowns to win this fight. He shouldn't look to stand and strike with Wade as he'll be slightly outmatched on the feet. If Jenkins struggles to find the takedowns, this could look a lot like the first fight these two had. Look for him to close the distance quickly in this one.
Final Chris Wade-Bubba Jenkins Prediction & Pick
Chris Wade will have the upper hand in this fight having won the first meeting by unanimous decision. If Wade can continue to stick the jab and hurt Jenkins with dirty boxing, he'll do enough damage to win this fight. However, the expectation is that Jenkins will have made some serious changes for the second meeting. Expect Jenkins to come out hot with his wrestling as we see a much closer fight. Let's go with the slight underdog here and his wrestling.
Final Chris Wade-Bubba Jenkins Prediction & Pick: Bubba Jenkins (+140)
