Kings, Battlehawks Meet With United Bowl Berth on the Line
by Ethan Berch
ARLINGTON, TX – June 5, 2026 – As June arrives, so does the UFL postseason. With only four teams remaining, the Louisville Kings and St. Louis Battlehawks prepare for a showdown in the Battledome with a trip to the United Bowl on the line.
Their only regular-season meeting came back in Week Six, but both teams have changed dramatically since then. Louisville enters as arguably the hottest team in the UFL, while St. Louis hopes its championship-caliber defense can carry it back to the title game.
Story of the Season:
In their inaugural season, the Louisville Kings finished 6-4 and earned the No. 3 seed in the UFL postseason. Hometown hero and head coach Chris Redman guided the franchise to the playoffs behind one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the season.
After beginning the year 0-3, things looked bleak in Louisville.
Then everything changed. The Kings traded starting quarterback Jason Bean and handed the offense to Chandler Rogers. Rogers, who earned recognition during a UFL Showcase the year prior, was suddenly presented with the opportunity of a lifetime and never looked back.
Rogers immediately led Louisville to a massive upset over the Dallas Renegades in Week Five. The victory sparked an improbable 6-1 finish to the season that included four straight wins entering the postseason.
During that four-game winning streak, the Kings averaged more than 35 points per game and knocked off the defending champion DC Defenders twice.
The biggest improvement came on the ground. After ranking dead last in rushing through the first half of the season, Louisville finished fourth in the UFL with 102 rushing yards per game. Ian Wheeler finished fourth in the league with 370 rushing yards, while James Robinson cracked the top ten with 300.
Over their current four-game winning streak, the Kings have averaged 172 rushing yards per game.
Defensively, Louisville became the most opportunistic unit in the UFL. The Kings forced a league-leading 17 takeaways, including 13 interceptions. Corey Mayfield Jr. led the secondary with four interceptions, while Cam Gill shattered the UFL single-season sack record with ten.
Their only loss since Week Three came against St. Louis.
Now, to reach the United Bowl, they must defeat that same team on the road in the most difficult environment in spring football.
The home team enters with a story of its own.
The Battlehawks also finished 6-4, but their path looked much different.
After beginning the season 5-2, St. Louis stumbled down the stretch, losing two of its final three games while continuing to search for answers at quarterback.
Brandon Silvers opened the season as the starter before the role shifted to Harrison Frost and eventually the keys were handed to Luis Perez.
Perez arrived in a trade from Dallas following Week Four and made his first start in Week Seven. The former UFL passing champion and Spring King has yet to fully settle into the Battlehawks offense.
In four starts, Perez threw for 1,023 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions.
St. Louis has gone 2-2 in those games, and offensive consistency has remained a challenge. The Battlehawks have converted just seven-of-17 red-zone opportunities with Perez under center.
Protection has also become a concern. Perez was sacked seven times in Week Ten and now faces the most dangerous pass rusher in the UFL.
Standing in the way is Cam Gill. The Louisville star shattered the UFL single-season sack record and enters the postseason playing his best football. If the Battlehawks cannot keep Perez upright, offensive efficiency may once again become a major issue.
The good news for St. Louis is that there is no shortage of playmakers.
Hakeem Butler led the UFL with 641 receiving yards and averaged a record-setting 22.1 yards per reception. Steven McBride finished among the league’s top ten receivers with 412 yards, giving Perez plenty of weapons at his disposal.
And as always, the Battlehawks defense remains their identity.
St. Louis finished second in the UFL allowing just 19.6 points per game and led the league by surrendering only 243.2 total yards per game.
They were especially dominant against the run, holding opponents to just 82.8 rushing yards per game.
The pass rush was equally impressive. St. Louis led the UFL with 31 sacks behind Pita Taumoepenu, Demone Harris, Carlos Davis, and a relentless defensive front.
That unit now faces its toughest challenge yet against a Louisville offense playing its best football of the season.
Momentum vs Defense
Louisville enters the postseason riding a four-game winning streak and averaging more than 35 points per game during that stretch.
St. Louis enters with arguably the best defense in the UFL, allowing just 243.2 yards and 19.6 points per game.
Something has to give. The Kings have looked nearly unstoppable over the last month. The Battlehawks defense has spent the entire season stopping offenses exactly like that.
Super Bowl Champs’ Battling It Out:
Both coaches are first-year head coaches, but that is not the only thing Chris Redman and Ricky Proehl have in common.
Both own Super Bowl rings.
Redman served as a backup quarterback on the Baltimore Ravens team that won Super Bowl XXXV.
Proehl enjoyed a 17-year NFL career as a wide receiver and won Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams and Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts.
With rings already on their fingers, both coaches sit just two wins away from adding another title to their legacy.
The History:
The Battlehawks won the only regular-season meeting between the two teams back in Week Six. In the first-ever Derby Classic, St. Louis spoiled the party with a dominant 16-3 victory.
The Battlehawks held Louisville to just 166 total yards and only 12 rushing yards. With the Kings unable to establish the run, the offense never found a rhythm.
St. Louis recorded six sacks, seven tackles for loss, and held Louisville to just 2-for-14 on third down.
It was also Chandler Rogers’ toughest performance as Louisville’s starting quarterback. He finished 15-for-32 for 199 yards, one interception, and a 54 quarterback rating.
In many ways, Week Six became the turning point of Louisville’s season. The Kings were physically dominated that night.
Since then, they have transformed into one of the most dangerous offenses in the UFL and enter the postseason eager for another shot at the team that handed them their last defeat.
Louisville Kings:
Louisville’s biggest strength is its rushing attack. The numbers speak for themselves, but the impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. The success on the ground has opened opportunities for Chandler Rogers to attack defenses through the air.
Against the best rushing defense in the UFL, Louisville may need Rogers to make plays with his arm.
Fortunately for Rogers, he has plenty of weapons that he has bonded smoothly with. Isaiah Winstead and Lucky Jackson both finished among the league leaders in receiving yards and possess the ability to create explosive plays.
Those splash plays may prove critical inside a hostile Battledome environment.
Defensively, forcing turnovers remains the key. The Kings have been at their best when taking the football away. Against Perez, who has been prone to mistakes, Louisville has an opportunity to once again let its defense dictate the game.
St. Louis Battlehawks:
The Battlehawks’ biggest strength remains their defense. Quite simply, that unit gives St. Louis a chance to win every game it plays.
As they did in Week Six, creating pressure on Rogers and making him uncomfortable from start to finish is essential.
Offensively, getting Hakeem Butler involved early is equally important. Despite leading the UFL in receiving yards, it still feels like Butler has another gear available. Getting the football into his hands and allowing him opportunities to create explosive plays must be a priority.
The Battlehawks will also have one major advantage. The Battledome.
St. Louis has once again established itself as the premier home-field advantage in the UFL, averaging more than 20,000 fans per game and surpassing 30,000 multiple times this season.
The Battlehawks faithful will be expected to play a major role in the biggest game of the year.
The Question:
Can Louisville wipe away the skeletons on Week Six in their closet, and remain the hottest team in the UFL, in the most hostile environment in the UFL?
Or, will St. Louis’s defense kept them in the game long enough for Luis Perez to make his mark on the game?
Cam Gill vs. The Battlehawks Offensive Line
Gill enters the postseason after breaking the UFL single-season sack record with ten.
Last week, Luis Perez was sacked seven times. If Gill and Louisville’s defensive front generate pressure, the Kings have an opportunity to force Perez into mistakes.
If St. Louis keeps him clean, Perez has the weapons to make Louisville pay.
The Question:
Was Week Six the blueprint, or the beginning of Louisville’s transformation?
The Battlehawks dominated the first meeting. The Kings have not lost since. What gives?
One Win Away:
Louisville has spent the second half of the season proving it belongs, while St. Louis has spent the season proving its defense can carry it anywhere.
One of the UFL’s hottest teams. One of the UFL’s toughest defenses.
Only one will leave the Battledome with a trip to the United Bowl.
