5:34 PM ET

  • Jeff Wagenheim

The PFL begins its 2021 season on Friday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey, closing the show with “Showtime.”

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis makes his PFL debut in the main event at Ocean Casino Resort, taking on a fighter who built his own name in two sports, Clay Collard, a former UFC fighter who took up pro boxing and went on a five-fight win streak in the boxing ring in 2020.

Their meeting headlines a 10-fight card featuring lightweights and featherweights, with each division represented by a two-time defending season champion. Lightweight Natan Schulte takes on PFL newcomer Marcin Held, a veteran of the UFC and Bellator, and Lance Palmer begins his featherweight season against former collegiate wrestling rival Bubba Jenkins.

The card begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and continues on ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET.

The PFL is returning after a one-year hiatus, as the 2020 season was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pettis, who is 34 years old and fights out of his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, won the UFC title in 2013 and reigned until 2015. He owns two victories apiece over lightweight stalwart Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and former UFC champ Benson Henderson, and also defeated Charles Oliveira, who next month will go for the UFC belt.

Pettis and Collard are among 14 fighters making their PFL debuts on Friday.

Lightweight: Loik Radzhabov (13-2-1, 2-2-1 PFL) vs. Alexander Martinez (7-0, 0-0 PFL)

Fight in progress…

How to watch the fights

Watch the main card on ESPN2. Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access.

Also: Download the ESPN App | WatchESPN | TV schedule

Watch the prelims on ESPN+. Get ESPN+ here.

There’s also FightCenter, which offers live updates for every PFL card.

Still to come…

Lightweight: Anthony Pettis (24-10, 0-0 PFL) vs. Clay Collard (18-8, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL)

Lightweight: Natan Schulte (20-3-1, 9-0-1 PFL) vs. Marcin Held (26-7, 0-0 PFL)

Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (15-0-1, 1-1 PFL) vs. Lazar Stojadinovic (14-7, 0-0 PFL)

Featherweight: Lance Palmer (22-3, 10-0 PFL) vs. Bubba Jenkins (14-4, 0-0 PFL)

Featherweight: Brendan Loughnane (19-3, 0-0 PFL) vs. Sheymon Moraes (11-4, 0-0 PFL)

Lightweight: Joilton Lutterbach (34-8, 1 NC; 0-0 PFL) vs. Raush Manfio (11-3, 0-0 PFL)

Lightweight: Akhmed Aliev (19-6, 2-2 PFL) vs. Mikhail Odintsov (18-2, 0-0 PFL)

Featherweight: Chris Wade (17-6, 5-3 PFL) vs. Anthony Dizy (13-3, 0-0 PFL)

Featherweight: Jo Sungbin (9-1, 0-0 PFL) vs. Tyler Diamond (11-1, 0-0 PFL)