Gabriel Braga replaces 2023 PFL champ Jesus Pinedo in fight vs. Jeremy Kennedy

The fighters competing in the 2024 PFL Championships from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia lined up on Thursday morning to make weight but one notable fighter missed the mark badly. 

Jesus Pinedo has not fought in a year, ever since he won a million dollars with his 2023 featherweight title, and the old saying about silk pajamas may ring true, as he has now missed weight by six pounds for his fight against Jeremy Kennedy. 

Peru’s Pinedo has extensive history with the man who will replace him; Gabriel Braga beat Pinedo by split decision to kick the 2023 season off, but Jesus won via TKO when they met in the finals.

In an amusing coincidence, Brazil’s Braga also replaced Pinedo for his last scheduled fight but then had to withdraw as well. His replacement? Jeremy Kennedy, who went on to lose one month later via TKO to the Bellator GOAT, Patricio Pitbull. 

Kennedy went 3-1 with the UFC but was cut after losing to Alex Volkanovski. He then entered the inaugural PFL season in 2019, going 2-1 (1 NC) and avenging his lone loss. After that, Jeremy went to Bellator, where he earned a 4-2 record and became a mainstay in the featherweight rankings until the promotion was purchased by the PFL, creating the opportunity for a reunion.

Braga is much younger at 26, but has an even brighter future, given that he already made it to the PFL finals at just 25. He may have lost his undefeated record last year and is coming off of his second-ever loss, in a controversial split decision vs. undefeated Timur Khizriev, but Gabriel will still likely be a favorite over Kennedy.

Now, Braga and Kennedy, a former UFC fighter, will meet in the cage on Friday on the PFL 10 prelims. The card begins at 9:30am EST due to the location overseas. 

If the bout order holds true, the featherweight matchup will take place in the third fight of the prelims, at around 10:30am EST.

_{News first reported by Damon Martin for MMA Fighting.}