2022 Champ Bruno Cappelozza Out of PFL Heavyweight Semifinals, Matheus Scheffel In

BREAKING: @MatheusBuffa replaces Bruno Cappelozza in the #PFLPlayoffs! Scheffel faces Denis Goltsov in the Heavyweight Semifinals on Saturday, August 13th in Cardiff!

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 28, 2022

The Professional Fighters League’s card in Wales has just experienced a number of shakeups to its lineup.

The PFL sent out a press release on Thursday announcing or confirming a slew of changes to the PFL 8: 2022 Playoffs. The Aug. 13 card that will take place in the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales, has lost one of its heavyweight semifinalists: 2022 champion Bruno Cappelozza (15-6). Due to injury, he has been forced out of the million-dollar playoffs, and in his stead will be the man who beat him in June in Matheus Scheffel (16-8). Due to playoff tiebreaker rules, Cappelozza advanced despite suffering a head-to-head defeat to Scheffel, but Scheffel will now be the one moving on. “Buffa” will square off with Denis Goltsov (29-7) on the main card of this show.

Brazil’s Scheffel punched his ticket solely thanks to his unanimous decision victory over Cappelozza in June. In victory, he handed Cappelozza his first loss since joining the PFL’s ranks in 2021, spanning five wins and four knockouts. Scheffel has alternated wins and losses in his last five, including a failed effort on Dana White's Contender Series where he succumbed to strikes from Azamat Murzakanov in 2021. The 29-year-old sports a 69% knockout rate, and he has never won a fight by submission.

Goltsov remained consistent this season, recording two wins against largely outmatched opponents as he closed as betting favorites of -2000 and -650 against Cody Goodale and Maurice Greene, respectively. The Russian, listed with an “international” flag this season, will be attempting to claim the million-dollar prize for the first time in his third year of trying. “The Russian Bogatyr” lost to Ali Isaev and Ante Delija in the playoffs of his 2019 and 2021 runs, and he currently sits just two wins away from a million dollars.

Beyond the Cappelozza-Scheffel switch, the Welsh event saw several other bouts change on the prelims. Will Fleury will no longer be taking on Kenneth Bergh, and Fleury (10-3) now draws unbeaten Frenchman Anthony Salamone (7-0) on the postliminary card at light heavyweight. Ireland’s Nathan Kelly (5-2) has his opponent booked, taking on Wales’ own Ben Ellis (4-1) in the featherweight division. Likewise, newcomer Mohammad Fakhreddine (15-4, 2 NC) has gained his first test in the form of “The Giant” Marcin Wojcik (15-8) at 205 pounds. Finally, Chris Mixan (3-1) will no longer be battling John Mitchell, and instead finds himself against Christian Stigenberg (3-1) at welterweight.

PFL 8 2022 Playoffs Lineup:

Rory MacDonald vs. Magomed Umalatov – welterweight semifinal
Ante Delija vs. Renan Ferreira – heavyweight semifinal
Denis Goltsov vs. Matheus Scheffel – heavyweight semifinal
Sadibou Sy vs. Carlos Leal Miranda – welterweight semifinal
Will Fleury vs. Anthony Salamone – postlim
Nathan Kelly vs. Ben Ellis – postlim
Vojto Barborik vs. Radu Maxim – postlim
Moktar Benkaci vs. Francesco Nuzzi – postlim
Josh O'Connor vs. Emran Sakhizada
Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. Marcin Wojcik
Chris Mixan vs. Christian Stigenberg
Hatef Moeil vs. Szymon Bajor