Already known for his explosiveness, Ray Cooper will need to rely heavily on that trademark trait if he wants to defend his Professional Fighters League welterweight crown.
The two-time winner of the league’s $1 million prize for winning the 170-pound weight division, Cooper needs a first-round stoppage of Brett Cooper today at PFL 6 in Atlanta just to make the playoffs this season.
The Pearl City alumnus put himself in danger of failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in the four-year history of the PFL, which has a regular season of fights before the playoffs to determine its champion every year.
Cooper failed to make weight for his fight against Carlos Leal in May and then lost a lackluster unanimous decision.
In a league where points are awarded for wins and doubled for stoppage victories, Cooper was deducted a point for missing weight.
Sitting in last place in the division entering the second round of fights, Cooper needs the full six points that comes with a first-round stoppage to finish in the top four and advance to the playoffs.
Only two regular-season fights are being held this year before the playoffs.
“Everything’s good. I’m excited to get back in there and get this finish that I need,” Cooper said Wednesday during a pre-fight Zoom media day. “(Brett Cooper) is a good wrestler, but yeah, I’ve faced everybody, so it’s not a big deal. I’ve just got to get my finish in the first round and hopefully get in the playoffs.
Cooper has made the final in all three previous seasons at 170 pounds, losing to Magomed Magomedkerimov in 2018 before earning a second-round TKO of David Michaud on New Year’s Eve in 2019.
He avenged the loss to Magomedkerimov in last year’s final with a third-round knockout.
There was no season held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cooper was more than 5 pounds overweight for the Leal fight on May 6. He successfully weighed in at 170.4 pounds on Thursday for today’s fight against Brett Cooper.
“I just came in out of shape and that’s pretty much it,” Cooper said. “I started my camp late, and yeah, things happen and I just started late.”
The six-fight main card of PFL 6 will be broadcast today on ESPN starting at 2 p.m.
