Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio have faced a severe penalty from the PFL for their controversial bout, which took place on Friday in Atlanta. During the preliminary contest, lightweights Schulte and Manfio failed to demonstrate any significant offense, resulting in a lackluster and uneventful match.

Rather than the high-stakes fight that it was meant to be, it more closely resembled a sparring session. Schulte ultimately won the bout by unanimous decision, securing himself a spot in the postseason and the chance to win $1 million.

However, on Saturday morning, the PFL announced that both fighters would be suspended in light of their subpar performances. According to the league’s statement, Schulte and Manfio failed to uphold the contractual expectations set forth in the PFL Fight Agreements, which require athletes to use their best efforts, skills, and abilities as professional athletes to compete and defeat their opponents. As a result of their suspension, Schulte has been removed from the postseason, and their fight has been deemed to have zero points for League standings purposes.

The PFL has taken this action to uphold its responsibility to all its fighters and fans, acknowledging that the integrity of the sport is of utmost importance. As such, Shane Burgos will now advance to the playoffs as the No. 4 seed, where he will face No. 1 Clay Collard in the lightweight semifinals. Meanwhile, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, the 2022 tournament champion, will fight Bruno Miranda on the other side of the bracket.

The lackluster performance from Schulte and Manfio was somewhat predictable, given that the two are longstanding friends. Manfio referred to Schulte as his “best friend,” describing how Schulte had helped him financially in the past, paying for his rent and buying him food when he was in need.

While Manfio had hoped to avoid fighting Schulte altogether, he was resigned to the possibility of facing him in the final. The two were scheduled to fight in the 2021 regular season, but Manfio was ultimately rebooked to fight Anthony Pettis instead.