Stop No. 9 of the Unleash The Beast season unfolded inside PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and by the time the final bull bucked, a former champion made it clear his name has to be in the championship conversation while a formidable bull made his own statement that another title may be his as well.
Friday Night — February 13, 2026
Round 1 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Friday night established urgency immediately. With only one score counting toward the three-head aggregate, riders knew that a strong opening round could control their path through the weekend — while a buckoff would force them into must-ride territory on Saturday.
From the first chute to the last, Round 1 carried postseason intensity.
Here are my top three takeaways from Friday night:
3. The Bull Power in Pittsburgh Was Elite
The first thing that stood out Friday night was the sheer bull power. The pen in Pittsburgh was outstanding. Every weekend on the Unleash The Beast tour features elite animal athletes, but this particular group felt stouter than most. Riders were 88 to 90 points for the most part — just the way it should be. Everyone had a chance to win. They do every week on the UTB tour, but this particular weekend was fantastic.
To place in the round, riders had to be in the high 80s to low 90s. There was no room for average. You had to be sharp, and you had to match up.
Many of these bulls were Championship Round-caliber athletes, which meant several were scheduled for two outs over the weekend — Friday night and again Saturday in the final round. That is not unusual for top-tier bulls, but it underscored just how deep this pen was. The draw featured multiple bulls who had already appeared in Championship Rounds throughout the season, and there were others who were just as capable but simply could not fit into the Top 12 rotation. That is depth.
Credit belongs to Livestock Director Riley Gagnon for assembling a pen that challenged the best riders in the world and rewarded those who were sharp enough to capitalize.
2. Felipe Furlan Rode the No. 2 Bull in the World
Earlier in the week, prior to stop No. 9 in Pittsburgh, it was noted that most of those matchups didn’t land in an expected way. A couple of them turned out right — but that happens in a sport constantly delivering something special.
Coming back from a severe elbow injury and struggling to regain rhythm, it seemed Furlan didn’t have a prayer for riding Eyes On Me, the No. 2 ranked bucking bull in the world with a habit of punishing even the sharpest riders on tour. On paper, the matchup leaned heavily toward the bull.
And then on Friday night, Felipe Furlan stuck it all over Eyes On Me, backflipping his way to an 89.25-point score when the 8-second whistle blew. The bull had a slightly more rider-friendly day than usual, but that does not diminish what Furlan accomplished.
After the injury, the inconsistency, and the doubts, to step up and cover the No. 2 bull in the world under those circumstances was significant … and a statement.
1. Cort McFadden Capitalized on the Re-Ride Opportunity
The biggest takeaway from Friday night belonged to Cort McFadden.
McFadden was granted a re-ride aboard The Player, and when that opportunity came, he made it count. He dominated the bull from start to finish, putting together a beautiful, controlled ride that was rewarded with a 90.60-point ride score and 29 points for winning the go-round.
Top 12 Going In To Round Two and the Championship Round Saturday Night
Cort McFadden — 90.60 — 29 points
Felipe Furlan — 89.25 — 18 points
Cassio Dias — 89.20 — 17 points
Jose Vitor Leme — 88.65 — 16 points
Leandro Zampollo — 88.45 — 15 points
Sage Steele Kimzey — 88.35 — 14 points
Jess Lockwood — 87.75 — 13 points
Brady Fielder — 87.45 — 12 points
Alex Cerqueira — 86.65 — 11 points
Luciano De Castro — 86.40 — 10 points
Ezekiel Mitchell — 85.70 — 9 points
Julio Cesar Marques — 83.80 — 8 points
Saturday Night — February 14, 2026
Round 2 & Championship Round | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
If Friday night created pressure, Saturday night amplified it.
After Pittsburgh Steelers legend Brett Keisel started the show by officiating Valentine’s Day Weddings on the dirt – the best stunt in professional sports in a long time – it was time to move from a celebration of love to determining 12 riders to advance into the Championship Round later in the evening.
By the time the lights intensified for the Championship Round, the event had evolved into a proving ground nearly halfway through the 2026 season. Riders were no longer just chasing event wins. They were defending championship positioning.
Here are my top three takeaways from Saturday night:
3. Bruno Carvalho Showed What Toughness Really Looks Like
Saturday night delivered a moment that had nothing to do with points and everything to do with grit.
Bruno Carvalho took an absolute massive shot in Round 2 – the kind of impact that makes you hold your breath. It looked, at first glance, like he may have broken a collarbone or separated something. It was violent. It was awkward. And it was the type of wreck where most riders would have shut it down for the night – if not for a couple of weeks.
Especially considering he did not have a score from Friday night.
But instead of walking away, instead of protecting what was left of the weekend, the gritty cowboy called for his re-ride.
Even the guys in the TV booth were stunned – disbelief in their voices in reporting he was getting back on.
And then he nodded.
Aboard Rank Hank, Carvahlo delivered an 83.45-point qualified ride. It was not a huge score. It was not going to win the round. But that was not the point.
The point was that he got up and refused to let the weekend end early.
The point was toughness.
2. Man Hater Returned to Championship Form
If you were paying attention Saturday night, you saw something that looked very familiar.
You saw Man Hater look like Man Hater again.
The reigning World Champion bucking bull posted a massive 46.05-point bull score. He looked like a bull in control who had found his rhythm again.
This past year was not simple for him.
With the unexpected passing of his longtime owner and handler, Gene Owen, Man Hater was forced into transition – new surroundings, routines and handlers. Even for an elite animal athlete, that kind of change matters. Bulls are creatures of pattern and consistency, and when that foundation shifts, it can take time to recalibrate.
Saturday night in Pittsburgh felt like that recalibration was complete.
Man Hater was sharp and explosive, dominant through the whistle. He put up the kind of performance that reminds everyone exactly why he owns a gold buckle.
Able to drop a lower score moving forward, he remained firmly in position to again defend his title. At this point in the season, a 46.05 was not just a good number — it was a statement that he was still very much in command of the race for a third straight World Championship.
Man Hater did not just buck well. He reminded the sport who he is.
1. Cassio Dias Answered Every Question
Speaking of question marks and wondering when a champion would return to form, the 2024 PBR World Champion, Cassio Dias, did more than answer critics Saturday night.
He dominated on a weekend in which No. 1 and No. 2 John Crimber and Dalton Kasel went 0-for-2.
Dias won two of the three go-rounds, including the Championship Round, where he posted a massive 91.70-point ride to win one of the best Championship Rounds of the season. They rode seven out of 12 bulls in the Championship Round, and put up four 90-point rides. The lowest score was 88.40.
Hats off to not only the cowboys who made this week’s Championship Round, but also hats off to the phenomenal animal athletes as well.
But this weekend belonged to Dias. With two go-round wins and the aggregate title, he rocketed all the way to number seven in the world.
He looked confident and sharp, like a man who remembered exactly what it takes to win a gold buckle. Welcome back, Cassio.
Top Five Finishers
Cassio Dias — 270.30 — 154 points
Leandro Zampollo — 264.70 — 96.50 points
Luciano De Castro — 264.30 — 80 points
Kase Hitt — 256.45 — 52.50 points
Felipe Furlan — 179.30 — 53 points
Did you miss one of your favorite bulls out in Pittsburgh? Or did you miss part of the action? Or do you just want to see the scores and the breakdown from every ride, every matchup? Then click HERE for full event results from Pittsburgh.
Updated 2026 Unleash The Beast World Standings
After Pittsburgh, the championship race tightens as the tour heads to Jacksonville, Florida, this weekend.
For the most current and official standings following stop No. 9, click HERE.
As stop No. 9 concluded, the season stood on the edge of its midpoint. What unfolded in Pittsburgh did more than deliver two nights of elite competition — it reshaped leverage in the 2026 title race.
The road to the gold buckle did not get shorter.
It got steeper.
BEYOND THE DIRT
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Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media