Gabriel Braga, Killing Two Birds with One Stone

A key result of the Professional Fighters League’s new single-elimination format is that the implications of each fight are clear and absolute. Win and move on; lose and go home. While those stakes are enough to make for compelling viewing all by themselves, one factor that can heighten the drama is as old as sport: a good old-fashioned rivalry.

So it is for Gabriel Braga, who faces Jesus Pinedo in a featherweight semifinal at 2025 PFL World Tournament 5 on Thursday in Nashville. The two have faced one another twice already, with Braga winning the first meeting in April of 2023, then falling to “El Mudo” via third-round TKO in the championship bout that November.

With both men in their…