PFL 2025 World Tournament Dark Horse: Josh Rettinghouse

The Professional Fighters League will introduce a bantamweight division for the first time in its history, as it brings in some familiar names and others hoping to maximize their opportunity in the PFL 2025 World Tournament. One of the participants generating intrigue is Josh Rettinghouse.

As he steps in as a late replacement for Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov, Rettinghouse gets an immediate test when his bantamweight quarterfinal against Leandro Higo headlines PFL 2025 World Tournament First Round 2 this Friday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The winner moves one step closer to a $500,000 payday. Rettinghouse sports a 20-5 record with 15 finishes, eight by knockout or technical knockout and seven by submission. He engaged in another 10 bouts as an amateur, providing him with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

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Rettinghouse has never had an opportunity this significant before, as he suits up for a major promotion and gets a chance to shock the world. His path to glory does not figure to be easy, and it starts with a former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion in Higo. Should Rettinghouse advance, a semifinal showdown with the Jake Hadley-Matheus Mattos winner would await. With that said, he possesses all the traits of a genuine dark horse. Rettinghouse does not figure to be awed by Higo, and if he can nullify the Brazilian’s ground skills and advance to the semifinals, it could put him in position to be one of the favorites moving forward.

Hugo, on paper, looks to be his biggest challenge. A cursory glance at the Rettinghouse resume reveals that he likely made his most meaningful gains in the M-1 Global and World Series of Fighting promotions. He has never faced anyone entered in the PFL tournament, which, when combined with the fact that he carries the short-notice substitution designation, results in his being overlooked.

Another under-the-radar name to watch is Justin Wetzell, a 12-fight veteran who makes his organizational debut in the tournament. He has 13 fewer fights than Rettinghouse, which places him further down in the dark horse pecking order.

The PFL bantamweight tournament features names new and old, and while the best-known commodities should be looked upon as the favorites, plenty of relative unknown talent fills out the 135-pound bracket. If Rettinghouse can get past Higo, he can continue to control his own destiny and perhaps go on to shock the world by winning the tournament.