PBR Tampa: The 2026 PBR Unleash The Beast season heads south after a gritty two-day showdown in Milwaukee, returning to Tampa, Florida, for the first time in 13 years. The world’s top riders are set to square off inside Benchmark International Arena for the sixth stop of the season and the second event following the year’s first rider cut.
Action begins Friday, Jan. 23, at 7:45 p.m. ET and continues Saturday, Jan. 24, at 7:45 p.m. ET, with the championship round to follow. Both rounds — along with Friday’s Monster Energy Team Challenge matchups — will stream live on Paramount+ at 8:00 p.m. ET.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Tampa marks the second event after the first rider cut of the season, with more looming after this weekend. Riders ranked in the bottom six after Tampa will be dropped from the elite tour, with top Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour competitors eligible to move up.
Dalton Kasel surged back into the title conversation with a win in Milwaukee and now sits just two points behind world No. 1 Julio Cesar Marques. Koltin Hevalow came within 1.10 points of Kasel’s win and looks to break into the Top 10. With another standings shake-up coming, Tampa is make-or-break for riders hoping to stay on tour — or get called up.
SURVIVING THE CUT
Riders ranked No. 36–40 were cut from the UTB roster following New York City (Jan. 9–11), with the top five Velocity Global riders promoted to take their place for Milwaukee and Tampa. Riders competing on an exemption basis — whether due to injury or initial four-event eligibility — must ride well in Tampa to avoid being dropped in the next cut.
After this weekend, the bottom six riders in the UTB standings will be removed from the elite tour.
REMATCH RECAP
Round 1 in Tampa reunites several familiar matchups as riders look to flip the script — or double down — on some of the rankest bulls in the game. Dalton Kasel and Nightmare meet for the third time, with Kasel holding the upper hand after an 89-point ride in Indianapolis in 2025. The pair first tangled at the 2023 World Finals, where Nightmare got the better of him in 4.76 seconds.
Brady Fielder draws Josey Wales in a rematch of their 2025 Maverick Days meeting, which saw the Aussie post a qualified ride for 84.75 points. Grayson Cole will square off again with Diablo after their April 2025 clash on the Touring Pro Division ended in a 1.73-second buckoff.
Kaique Pacheco and Rocket Man meet for the second time this season after the bull tossed the former World Champion in 5.43 seconds at the Buck Off at the Garden. This weekend offers Pacheco a shot at redemption and a much-needed ride as he battles through a torn bicep.
With standings on the line, rivalries renewed and another round of the Monster Energy Team Challenge looming, the stage is set for Tampa to deliver more than sunshine — it’s serving up second chances.
Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media