Chris Wade Finds It ‘Absurd’ Bubba Jenkins is Favored in the PFL Playoff Bout

Despite being the higher seed in his featherweight semifinal matchup with Bubba Jenkins, Chris Wade enters the Professional Fighters League playoffs as an underdog, both according to oddsmakers and popular opinion.

“I can’t lie. I’m extremely motivated by the fact that people find him to be a clear-cut, in their mind, favorite in this bout,” Wade said during a virtual media day. “I think that at best, if you really know what you’re talking about in fighting, you could give him a coin flip situation…But to be calling him a clear-cut favorite is absurd.

“He doesn’t really do anything that stylistically poses a huge threat to people other than hold on to them in wrestling situations, which I’m very familiar with being a wrestler myself. I’m struggling to see where the real threat is in this bout, let alone how he’s gonna survive it.”

Wade, a veteran with two PFL playoff appearances already under his belt, went 2-0 during the 2021 season with victories over Anthony Dizy and Arman Ospanov. Jenkins likely received more fanfare for his performance in large part due to a victory over two-time champion Lance Palmer in his regular season debut.

However, Wade isn’t buying into the Jenkins hype.

“I’m pretty friendly with Lance. I think everybody kind of knows from talking to Lance that Lance wasn’t as into this mentally this year as he has been in the past,” Wade said. “That’s not to make excuses for him, but I know that wasn’t the best Lance Palmer that we’ve seen. That’s just a stylistic matchup thing. Lance and Bubba both really, really want to wrestle the entire fight. That was a butting of heads stylistically.

“This for me, I’m going in there to really try to put punishment on Bubba and hurt him and finish him in the fight. I think it’s two totally different things. Two different worlds.”

The PFL playoffs air Friday on ESPN2 and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. Prelims stream immediately prior on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.