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PFL World Championship: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Clay Collard excites with a fight on the prelims in the PFL's featherweight division when two former PFL finalists Bubba Jenkins and Chris Wade square off in a rubber match with each fighter splitting their first two encounters. Jenkins is coming off a TKO loss at the hands of one of the finalists in this season's lightweight tournament Jesus Pinedo.
Meanwhile, Wade just missed out on his chance to make the championship again after losing a close split decision against Gabriel Braga in the PFL playoffs. Therefore, check out our PFL odds series for our Jenkins-Wade prediction and pick.
Bubba Jenkins (21-7) was looking like he was on his way to making his second-straight championship but Jesus Pinedo had other plans when he knocked him out in the second round. He now comes back three months later to take on familiar foe Chris Wade who he defeated earlier in the season back in April at this season's finale.
Chris Wade (23-10) attempted to make it back to the PFL championship but dropped two of three fights in this PFL season. He kicked off the season with a unanimous decision loss to Bubba Jenkins after he stifled him with his wrestling and grappling to get the job done. Wade is looking to end the 2023 PFL season on a high when he looks to avenge his early season loss when he takes on Bubba Jenkins Friday night.
Here are the PFL odds, courtesy of DraftKings
PFL World Championship Odds: Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade Odds
Bubba Jenkins: -180
Chris Wade: +150
Over 2.5 rounds: -270
Under 2.5 rounds: +200
How to Watch Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade
Time: 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Bubba Jenkins Will Win
Bubba Jenkins was poised to make it back-to-back appearances in the PFL Championships but was knocked out in the semifinals but finalist Jesus Pinedo. Jenkins had a rough time utilizing his wrestling and grappling in that fight and he will need to be successful in that area if he wants to make it 2-0 this year against his PFL rival Chris Wade.
In their first fight, Wade couldn't mount any offense as he was stuck underneath Jenkins for the vast majority of the fight. Jenkins used his wrestling and grappling to nullify what Wade was attempting to throw his way. It will be up to Jenkins to keep up that grappling pace for the entire fight to get back on track and finish the year on a high note.
Why Chris Wade Will Win
Chris Wade didn't live up to the high expectations coming into this season of the PFL but he also had the second hardest schedule aside from Jesus Pinedo. He had to take on 2022 finalist Bubba Jenkins to start the new season and then needed a big win but ultimately lost a close split decision to this year's finalist Gabriel Braga.
Wade is looking to get a win in the rubber match against Bubba Jenkins whom he beaten in their first encounter but then dropped the second encounter. He had trouble defending the grappling of Jenkins but was having a ton of success on the feet. If Wade can do a better job at defending the chain wrestling of Jenkins and keep this fight on the feet he can get back into the win column at the PFL Championships.
Final Bubba Jenkins-Chris Wade Prediction & Pick
This is a fantastic fight to end the 2023 PFL season between these two familiar foes. Jenkins looked like he was going to be a shoo-in for his second trip in a row to the PFL Championship but he ultimately faulted and took the loss in the semifinals. He now is on the hunt to finish out the season strong as he looks to go 2-0 against Chris Wade.
Wade on the other hand had his rough go this season but still was just one win away from another championship appearance but dropped a split decision against eventual finalist Gabriel Braga. He had his fair share of trouble against Jenkins early in the season but things are a bit different coming into this matchup even though they fought just seven months ago.
Jenkins is coming off a brutal knockout loss just three months ago and will have to go to battle with another tough durable veteran. This is also the shortest amount of time in between fights after being knocked out in Jenkin's career. It's not known if Jenkins is fully recovered or not and if not Wade can take over. Ultimately, Jenkins will attempt to do what he does best and that is to dominate Wade on the mat while Wade will be looking to defend it as he normally does but seeing as the weight cut has been a detriment on Wade's endurance, the grappling pressure will be too much yet again with Jenkins prevailing.
Final Bubba Jenkins-Chris Wade Prediction & Pick: Bubba Jenkins (-180), Over 2.5 Rounds (-260)
