Top 5: Fighters on the Rise at PFL Lyon

Opportunity could not knock any louder for Sara Collins.

The undefeated Australian judoka will put her perfect 6-0 record on the line when she faces Cristiane “Cris Cyborg” Justino for the inaugural Professional Fighters League women’s featherweight title in the PFL Lyon co-headliner on Saturday at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. Collins, 35, returns to the stage after a 455-day layoff. She last suited up on Sept. 14, 2024, when she put away Leah McCourt with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their confrontation under the Bellator MMA banner. Activity has been an issue for Collins, who has yet to fight more than twice in a calendar year. Now, she stares down the chance of a lifetime.


“I think, at the moment, I’m feeling all of the emotions,” Collins said in an interview with the Australian MMA podcast. “A bit of everything.”

Cyborg needs no introduction. The 40-year-old Brazilian legend has struck gold in virtually every promotion for which she has competed, from the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator to Invicta Fighting Championships and Strikeforce. Cyborg’s violent reputation precedes her, with the Chute Boxe superstar having delivered 21 of her 28 career victories by knockout or technical knockout.

Two World Title Fights headline PFL Lyon! Tune in LIVE Saturday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. ET.
“At the end of the day, she’s just another person across the cage from me,” Collins said. “She hurts the same. Most of the time when I get in the cage and the cage door shuts and I see my opponent, that’s when I kind of get that feeling, like ‘OK, they’re just human. I’m hyping myself up for no reason.’ I’m hoping that happens with her, as well.”

PFL Champions Series 4 features several fighters on the rise, with Collins at the top of the list. Four others to monitor:

Patrick Habirora

Welterweight | 7-0 (3-0 PFL)
“The Belgian Bomber” bears the look of a future star in advance of his welterweight showcase opposite Kevin Jousset. Habirora, 24, has stopped six of his first seven opponents, five of them in the first round with either knees, punches or kicks—or some combination of the three. He last competed at 2025 PFL Europe 2, where he cut down UFC castaway Danny Roberts with a head kick a little less than five minutes into their July 5 confrontation. Jousset stumbles into his promotional debut on the heels of back-to-back losses to Bryan Battle and Jonathan Micallef, which led to his UFC release. The City Kickboxing export was a two-division champion in Australia’s Hex Fight Series organization.

Asael Adjoudj

Featherweight | 10-1 (2-0 PFL)
The SBG Ireland prospect rides an impressive 10-fight winning streak into his featured attraction against Frederik Dupras. Just 26 years of age, Adjoudj last saw action on Aug. 1, when he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Yves Landu at 2025 PFL World Tournament 8. The John Kavanagh protégé has spent his entire career in Bellator, UAE Warriors and the PFL, testing himself against various levels of competition. All nine of Dupras’ pro victories and both of his losses have resulted in finishes. The Canadian has not strapped on the gloves since he broke into the PFL win column and put Nathan Kelly to sleep with a second-round guillotine choke in August.

Baris Adiguzel

Bantamweight | 9-1 (1-0 PFL)
“The Sniper” carries plenty of momentum into his 2025 PFL Europe bantamweight tournament final against Dean Garrett. Adiguzel has rattled off six straight wins since he suffered the only setback on his ledger: a third-round technical knockout defeat to Luca Borando at a Cage Warriors Fighting Championship show in 2023. The Boxing Squad mainstay excelled in his first PFL assignment, as he needed just 36 seconds to punch out Julien Lopez on Sept. 26. It was the third sub-minute finish of Adiguzel’s career. Garnett, 37, waltzes into the 135-pound final on the strength of back-to-back victories over Tuomas Gronvall and Jan Cieplowski.

Sabrina de Sousa

Women’s Flyweight | 4-0 (1-0 PFL)
The former Shooto Brazil champion’s talents are undeniable as she prepares to face the unbeaten Paulina Wisniewska in an intriguing showdown at 125 pounds. De Sousa stepped into the PFL rotation and did not miss a beat on Aug. 15, when she outpointed Saray Orozco to a unanimous decision at 2025 PFL World Tournament 9. It marked the first time that the 25-year-old de Sousa was forced to go the distance. Wisniewska, 27, trains with the MMA Team Ostroda outfit in her native Poland. She won the 2024 PFL Europe flyweight tournament and completed her championship run in style, as she buried Valentina Scatizzi with a knee strike and follow-up punches a mere 20 seconds into their final.