The PFL suspended former lightweight champions Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio from its 2023 playoffs, following their poor fight in PFL 6 on Friday in Atlanta.
Schulte (25-5-1) defeated Manfio (17-4) by unanimous decision in a fight that barely seemed like a light bout. The win initially sent Schulte to the 2023 playoffs; however, the PFL announced Schulte’s suspension and removal from the playoffs on Saturday. Shane Burgos, one of the PFL’s most prized acquisitions in 2022, will take Schulte’s place in the four-man playoffs.
“Last night, Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio failed to meet the standards that all PFL fighters agree to uphold in competition,” the PFL stated. “All of the fighters in their PFL fight deals agree to use their best…skills and abilities as professional athletes to compete…and defeat any opponent. It was made abundantly clear that Natan and Raush fell short of that contractual standard in yesterday’s fight. fight.”
Schulte and Manfio are close friends and training partners at American Top Team in Florida. They have lived together and are godparents to each other’s children. They spent all of fight week together in Atlanta, and even dropped weight together before Thursday’s weigh-in. Manfio told ESPN before the fight that he was trying to approach the fight very “cool,” but it was obvious throughout that neither lightweight was throwing with bad intentions.
The change shakes up the entire 155-pound class. No. 1 seed Clay Collard was initially scheduled to face Bruno Miranda in the semifinals, while Olivier Aubin-Mercier faced Schulte. Following Saturday’s shakeup, Collard will now face Burgos, who went 1-1 in the regular season and narrowly missed making the PFL playoffs. Aubin-Mercier will face Miranda.
