The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a mixed martial arts organization founded in 2018. It is the first major MMA promotion to feature a regular season, post-season and championship.
Perhaps one of the most talked about fighters in PFL over the past year has been Paul Hughes — and one of the most talked about fights over the past year in the organization is Usman Nurmagomedov’s narrow, controversial win over Hughes at PFL Champions Series 1 in January to retain the Bellator lightweight title in its final title bout ever.
Many in the MMA community have wondered since, and some even begged the PFL, to make the rematch — undoubtedly one of the promotion’s most anticipated and hoped-for bouts ever. And if the words of Usman’s cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, are anything to listen to, he has offered hope.
During a conversation with the streamer Sneako, the retired undefeated former UFC lightweight champion suggests that Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 has been signed on for October.
🚨Khabib Announces That Usman Nurmagomedov Is Fighting Paul Hughes In A Rematch. Date: October Location: Dubai (Via – @sneako) pic.twitter.com/YwRxp1YmYX
Specifically, according to Khabib Nurmagomedov, the fight would take place on October 4 in Dubai. If true, and given the PFL event dates known thus far for fall (with PFL MENA and Europe holding semifinal events the weekend of Sept. 26-28) this could potentially serve as the headliner of a third PFL Champions Series event.
Khabib confirms Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes 2 is set for October 4 in Dubai. 😳 pic.twitter.com/yAp2zOqtVC
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes To Take Place In Dubai On October 4?
If Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 follows the circumstances set by Johnny Eblen vs. Costello Van Steenis a couple of weeks ago, the winner of this bout would most likely be named the inaugural PFL lightweight champion.
In what was one of the more entertaining fights in MMA during 2025, Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes this past January featured plenty of high-paced striking exchanges, strong clinch battles, and late-fight drama, courtesy of Nurmagomedov getting deducted a point.
Hughes, who fired off a strong late flurry, was unable to get the win controversially. While one judge scored the bout a 47-47 draw, the other two judges gave 48-46 totals in Nurmagomedov’s favor.
Hughes rebounded from the loss with a 42-second finish of Bruno Miranda at the PFL Europe event in Belfast this past May.
Nurmagomedov has not been in action since defeating Hughes.
Thad Jean continues to live up to the hype, as he scored a unanimous decision over Logan Storley in the main event of the PFL World Tournament card in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to capture the 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament title.
Jean controlled much of the early action with superior striking and stuffing most of Storley’s takedown attempts. Jean also rocked Storley in the first round with crisp counters, and he nearly finished the fight in round two after a vicious head kick.
Storley’s grappling skillset and takedowns made their presence more felt in the middle rounds of the belt. Storley gained control positions, though Jean usually was able to escape and continued his effective striking, doing some damage on Storley. Jean’s pace, however, slowed later on, though he continued to have a decent output.
Jean went on to score the unanimous decision with a pair of 49-46 scores and a 48-47.
Thad Jean Wins 2025 PFL Welterweight World Tournament
For a mostly one-sided contest that was a really entertaining fight. And a reminder Thad Jean wasn’t even supposed to be in this tournament. What an incredible breakthrough year.
After winning a PFL contract on the PFL Challenger Series and victories in a few showcase bouts, Jean entered the 2025 welterweight tournament and reached the finals with wins over Mukhamed Berkhamov and former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson.
Storley, the former interim Bellator welterweight champion, reached the finals with wins over Joseph Luciano and Masayuki Kikuiri.
Four years after his first PFL title, Movlid Khaybulaev finds success in the PFL once again, defeating Jesus Pinedo in a battle of former champs to capture his second PFL belt at the PFL World Championships in Atlantic City.
Khaybulaev set the fight’s pace early by scoring early takedowns and controlling the action from top position, despite Pinedo landing some elbows from the bottom.
Khaybulaev nearly finished Pinedo twice in the second round, scoring a knockdown and executing an arm-triangle choke right before the bell. Pinedo, however, responded in the third with a knockdown of his own, courtesy of a big right hand. Khaybulaev, however, quickly recovered and re-established control with his ground game again.
The championship rounds saw more of the same, as Khaybulaev used handcuffs, mat returns, and heavy top pressure to wear Pinedo down. In the fifth, Khaybulaev managed to get into full mount and locked up another arm-triangle. This time, it was enough to score the tap and lock up the PFL title.
Movlid Khaybulaev Wins 2025 PFL Featherweight World Tournament
Movlid Khaybulaev, elite fighter👏
This ref gave Pinedo every chances possible, I don’t know how you stand them back up if a fighter is landing elbows from top position.
Absolute domination by Movlid. And watching Khabib so into it and as intense as if he was fighting was just super cool. This was simply two warriors fighting at the highest level with the GOAT coaching the champ. I love this stuff. @PFLMMApic.twitter.com/k6cR4DsBVS
Khaybulaev now advances to 23-0-1 (1 NC) in his undefeated pro career and locks up a future PFL featherweight world title shot. He advanced to tonight’s final with decisions over Jeremy Kennedy and Kim Tae-kyun.
Pinedo, meanwhile, advanced with finishes of Adam Borics and Gabriel Braga.
It only took the doctor a couple of seconds to look at the cut on Nick Meck’s eyebrow before calling off his fight during the PFL World Tournament early card in Atlantic City, giving the win to Sarek Shields.
Shields quickly took the fight to the ground, threatening with a guillotine and using a kimura trap to control Meck. Meck escaped and landed a few shots, but Shields remained relentless with grappling control.
Both fighters had top control, but the fight’s biggest moment was Shields landing a couple of hard knees in the clinching, opening up a cut on Meck’s eye. And when the doctor looked at the eye after the first round, the referee quickly stopped things.
Wow!! What a deep cut. A doctor stoppage gives Sarek Shields the victory after round one over Nick Meck. Shields landed a nasty knee that sliced Meck open badly #PFLWorldTournament
— Live Combat Sports Judging 🥊👊📝 (@PredictingMMA) August 1, 2025
I feel really bad for Nick Meck, but he will get another shot. That cut is brutal and it has to be called, nothing the doctor can do at this point#PFLWorldChampionship
The first of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Atlantic City, New Jersey tonight — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
The World Tournament is the spiritual successor to the season-and-the-playoffs has had since its inaugural season in 2018. As part of the changes in format to the PFL upon the official folding of the Bellator brand earlier this year, the PFL changed its global season to a single-elimination tournament format, adding more weight classes, eight fighters per weight class.
First-round action took place in April and May, with June — previously hosting the second leg of the regular season — hosting semifinal action. This month will see the conclusion of these tournaments, with eight winners receiving PFL World Tournament title belts and $100,000.
This evening will be headlined by the welterweight tournament final that sees undefeated rising star Thad Jean taking on former interim Bellator welterweight champion Logan Storley. Jean made it to the finals through a first-round knockout of Mukhamed Berkhamov and a split decision win over former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson. Storley, meanwhile, scored a pair of decision wins over Joseph Luciano and Masayuki Kikuiri.
The co-main event will be the featherweight tournament final that features a pair of former champions — 2021 PFL featherweight champion Movlid Khaybulaev and 2023 PFL featherweight champion Jesus Pinedo. The unbeaten Khaybulaev reached the finals with decision wins over Jeremy Kennedy and Kim Tae-kyun. Pinedo, meanwhile, scored finishes of Adam Borics and Gabriel Braga (the latter being a trilogy bout between the two).
2025 PFL World Tournament Week 8 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Welterweight Final: Thad Jean def. Logan Storley via unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)
Featherweight Final: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Jesus Pinedo via submission (arm-triangle choke) (R5, 1:17)
Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj def. Yves Landu via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Middleweight: Jordan Newman def. Eslam Baset via TKO (fighter retirement) (R1, 5:00)
Preliminary Card:
Catchweight (160 lbs): Jakub Kaszuba def. Sergio Cossio via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Thad Jean will test skills against Logan Storley for the welterweight tournament championship at PFL World Tournament 8 on August 1st. Jean appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts and when asked about the momentum of beating a former champion in former Bellator MMA titleholder Jason Jackson to punch his ticket for this PFL title bid, Jean said,
“Yeah, exactly that. I mean, I wish the fight would have been me versus Jason Jackson for the finals actually. That would have been such a fun fight. But I’m cool with whatever I get because at the end of the day since the beginning of the year I’ve been saying that, I’ve been praying that in the name of Jesus that I would be the PFL welterweight 2025 tournament champion.”
“Before I was even called up as an alternate. So this all just is something that’s falling into place. I’m just coming here to collect what’s mine and everything that comes with it is just an added bonus, a side quest. Which is really fun to do and I like playing games. So I love doing side quests [laughs].”
While Jason Jackson is also a teammate of Storley’s at Kill Cliff FC, ‘The Silverback’ does not put much stock into the idea that Jackson can impart his anecdotal experience fighting Jean to Storley that will meaningfully inform this fight.
Thad Jean thinks Logan Storley is not ‘there yet’, sees first round finish
Thad Jean mentioned being into playing games earlier and also has an affinity for anime. The arc of an anime hero typically sees that figure face incrementally stronger adversaries as time goes on and when asked if Storley fits with that kind of anime narrative progression in his PFL Smart Cage journey, Jean stated,
“No. No, not at all. I don’t think Logan is there yet, you know. I feel like if Logan was on my side of the bracket, he wouldn’t be in the finals. Does that make sense to you? I feel like if I was where Logan was and Logan was where I was, I would have been in the finals still and he would not have, you know. I had the harder side of the bracket. He won against good opponents but I would say none on the level that my side were on or that I am on or one that he’s on.”
The unbeaten pro MMA fighter mentioned seeing Logan Storley as a one-dimensional fighter with a singular wrestling focus, also mentioning instances of seeing fatigue set in within Storley’s heavy wrestling approach at key junctures in the fight and how Jean plays that into his perceived path to victory. As far as what the headlines will read after the dust settles on this PFL welterweight tournament championship outing, Jean quipped,
“Haitian representative Thad Jean, Thad ‘The Silverback’ Jean, TKO’s, knocks out Logan Storley in the first round. Gaining himself his first world MMA title, becoming the 2025 PFL welterweight tournament champion. Solidifying his position as one of the top welterweights. I think that’s what it’s going to say. I know it’s going to say something like this [laughs].”
History will be made in Atlantic City!
The 2025 PFL Welterweight Tournament Champion will be crowned on August 1st! 🏆
Logan Storley respects Thad Jean heading into their welterweight tournament title fight inside the PFL Smart Cage on August 1st, but he is focused on getting a measure of redemption against someone who bested one of his teammates. Storley appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts and touched on the points-based structure he was a part of last season and contrasted it with the more straight-ahead, defined tournament bracket this year.
The former Bellator MMA interim champion prefers the win-and-advance bracket style this year and while it has certain hallmarks to his days as an amateur wrestler with the single elimination tournament style, it also feels like this year is easier for PFL fans to understand things better, according to the tournament finalist. On route to said finals, Storley secured a pair of unanimous decision wins over Joseph Luciano as well as Masayuki Kikuiri, and when touching upon that path to the PFL finals, Storley said,
“They were both big, strong kids, you know. So really just setting the pace on them and dominating the grappling. Getting your ground and pound in there. Making sure there’s no questions about it, you know. Dominate those fights and set a really good pace. I felt like I did that.”
Speaking to Thad Jean’s path through this year’s tournament, he punched his ticket to the finals to face Storley here by defeating one of Storley’s Kill Cliff FC teammates, Jason Jackson. When touching upon that tendril of this matchup in the coming days, Logan Storley stated,
“He’s a talented young kid. Good striker, a lot of power, athletic. Does a good job in all positions. Jason and him had an extremely close fight, and Thad obviously got the nod. So you know, I was impressed with the way Thad competed so far this whole season. I’m excited to go out there and represent Kill Cliff and go get this W for our gym. For myself, for my coaches, you know, all those people that support you. But yeah, no, he’s performed great so far.”
In the pre-fight lead up Jean described Storley as a one-dimensional fighter with a singular wrestling-minded approach. When responding to that characterization some fighters have of him and even some fans have of him that he comes to the cage with a myopic approach to the contest, Logan Storley quipped,
“Everyone can say whatever they want, right. You look at the best of the best, a lot of them have been wrestlers, right, who go to their game plan. Dominate guys and maul guys and drag them into deep waters. So I’m gonna do what I’m the best at. So you can say it’s one-dimensional, whatever you want, but not very many people have ever been able to stop it.”
“So I’m going to continue setting a high pace, dragging guys to deep waters, and just competing at the highest level. That’s what I think I do better than anyone is just compete. Ability to make changes mid-fight, ability to push the pace, ability to win scrambles, and the ability to always try to win every single position. So yeah, I think that’s kind of what I do. So I guess if people call it one-dimensional, they can call it one-dimensional [laughs].”
Logan Storley on the headlines to come and showing his level
As for what the headlines will read when the dust settles post-August 1st, Logan Storley said,
“That I’m the best in the world. That nobody can hang with my wrestling. That the pace, smothering, scrambles after scrambles, that’s what I do better than anyone else. So I think that’s what the headlines will read. Just a high, high pace and a smothering pace and just me competing in all positions. Being focused for twenty-five minutes was enough to go out there and really be dominant.”
When asked if there is an additional degree of satisfaction to handing an unbeaten fighter his first loss, and while that surging fighter has been bantering with you no less, Logan Storley stated,
“Yeah, I mean, for sure. You always want to go out there and you want to be that guy to give them their first loss and show them that there’s levels and that he’s not quite there yet. So that’s my plan is to go out there and set the bar and give him that first loss and win a world title.”
PFL sensation Dakota Ditcheva has made it clear that she’d be interested in a superfight against Valentina Shevchenko.
As we know, Dakota Ditcheva is easily one of the most exciting fighters in women’s mixed martial arts right now and that’s been the case for quite some time. She continues to thrive under the PFL umbrella and while many want to see her make the switch over to the UFC, she’s decided to continue plying her trade with the PFL, recently signing a new deal with the promotion.
Of course, given her flyweight success, Dakota Ditcheva has often been linked with an eventual superfight against the one and only Valentina Shevchenko. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be happening anytime soon, but the masses still want to see it.
In a recent interview, Dakota Ditcheva spoke about the possibility of that bout coming to fruition.
Dakota Ditcheva looks ahead to possible superfight
“I don’t know if UFC super-fight is in my immediate future, but if PFL champ versus UFC champ happens, I’m happy to do it. That would be a serious, history-making fight.”
Ditcheva has many years ahead of her in MMA as she celebrates her 27th birthday today. As far as the UFC is concerned, you’d have to imagine they’ll be keeping a close eye on her – and with so much potential clearly yet to be brought to the forefront, we can’t imagine they’ll turn their nose up at signing her one day.
Will Valentina still be at the top? We’ll have to wait and see.
UFC commentator Laura Sanko wants to see Dakota Ditcheva join the promotion sooner rather than later.
As we know, Dakota Ditcheva is one of the biggest stars in women’s mixed martial arts today. That’s saying something, too, given that she has yet to step foot into the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s octagon.
Instead, Dakota Ditcheva has been making a name for herself in the PFL. It’s all been smooth sailing so far and as we look ahead to the future, it certainly seems as if she’s gearing up to become the new face of the promotion – if she isn’t already.
In a recent video, the aforementioned Laura Sanko made it known that she’s very interested in seeing Dakota Ditcheva make the switch over to the UFC.
Laura Sanko wants Dakota Ditcheva in UFC
“For me, it’s Dakota Ditcheva. What a fighter. Talk about a women’s division needing a superstar… She is a violent Cinderella. Bring her to the UFC as soon as you possibly can.”
Ditcheva is set to turn 27 years of age tomorrow and you’d think that she would be interested in making her way over to the UFC at this point in her career. Alas, perhaps she wants the best deal possible, and would rather make as much money and build as much hype as she can with the PFL before the jump.
Either way, Dakota has the potential to do some incredible things in the sport, and it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out (sorry Dana).
The Professional Fighters League announced today the addition of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum to its global ownership group, signaling increased commitment to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Sheikh Mohammed, founding Chairman of Alpha MBM Investments, joins the group as the league expands its regional reach. “I am delighted to join the PFL’s ownership group as I believe in PFL’s global vision to grow the sport of MMA, and I am excited by PFL’s momentum in staging world-class fight events in Dubai and the UAE region,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
Alpha MBM Investments, based in Dubai, has interests across multiple sectors, including sports. Under Sheikh Mohammed’s leadership, the company has supported economic innovation and established partnerships aligned with the UAE’s long-term strategy.
PFL’s Growth in Dubai and the MENA Region
Earlier this year, the PFL became the first global MMA organization to hold a major event in Dubai. The Champions Series Dubai event stood out for what many considered the most exciting title fight of the year—a matchup between Russian fighter Usman Magomedov and Irish athlete Paul Hughes.
Peter Murray, CEO of PFL International, welcomed the new partnership, stating, “PFL is excited to welcome Sheikh Mohammed and his expertise to our ownership group. This marks another major milestone in our global expansion strategy and reinforces our long-term commitment to expanding our presence in the Middle East.”
The PFL’s commitment to the region is further visible through the ongoing PFL MENA franchise, now in its second season. The regional league has produced notable talents, such as PFL MENA Champions Abdullah Al Qahtani and Omar El Dafrawy, and highlighted figures like women’s MMA pioneer Hattan Alsaif. The third event of the PFL MENA season is scheduled for September.
PFL’s Global and Regional Stars
PFL has raised several fighters to global stardom, such as Francis Ngannou and Dakota Ditcheva, plus:
Usman Magomedov: Undefeated Russian fighter who headlined the Champions Series Dubai event.
Paul Hughes: Rising Irish contender and prominent figure in recent PFL events.
Abdullah Al Qahtani and Omar El Dafrawy: MENA champions who have advanced through the regional franchise.
Hattan Alsaif: A trailblazer for women’s MMA in the Middle East.
Image: PFL MMA
About PFL and PFL MENA
The Professional Fighters League is recognized for its “win and advance” tournament format, offering fighters clear paths to championships. Its three main products are:
PFL World Tournament
PFL Champions Series
PFL International Leagues
Founded with backing from international investors and sports owners, PFL is broadcast worldwide and continues to position MMA as a key sport for a global audience.
PFL MENA, based in Saudi Arabia, operates in association with SURJ Sports Investment. Its events are streamed live, with STARZPLAY as the exclusive regional broadcast partner. STARZPLAY’s reach includes over 2.5million subscribers across MENA and Pakistan.
Is Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou on the table? Tom Aspinall, the undisputed UFC heavyweight king and poster child for “I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime,” has publicly declared he’s ready to defend his title against none other than Francis Ngannou. Yes, that Francis Ngannou – the man still regarded as the lineal UFC champion (he never lost his belt in the Octagon), newly-minted PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Champion, and possibly the most dangerous puncher the heavyweight division has ever known.
Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou
On paper, a clash between Aspinall and Ngannou is combat sports fantasy writ large. You’ve got the reigning champ with British steel, technical ability, and the self-proclaimed willingness to “never turn down a fight,” up against the immovable Cameroonian juggernaut who KO’d his way out of the UFC and into a new era at PFL. Ngannou may have swapped UFC gold for PFL millions, but many in the MMA world still see him as the true lineal king.
And Aspinall? He’s almost taunting fate. “The day I start ducking out of fights and turning opponents down is the day I’m going to retire,” he reaffirmed, clearly not planning an early exit from the champion’s hot seat. “I’ll fight anyone. I’ll fight anytime and I’ll fight anywhere. Never turned down a fight in my life. Never will.”
In a recent interview, Tom Aspinall was easked about Francis Ngannou and explained:
“I’m not sure on his circumstances… I know he didn’t have the best relationship with the UFC, so I don’t know if that’s repairable. But like I said, I’ll fight anybody. He’s very, very dangerous. I think I’m a smart fighter with a good fight IQ, and I think I could navigate that danger well. But, man, you never know. This is heavyweight MMA at the top level. You never know until you get in there. It’s a fight I’d definitely be interested in.”
But before Dana White gets too excited, here’s the rub: Ngannou’s UFC exit was as storied as it was messy. He left in 2022 after the two sides couldn’t agree on contract terms – Ngannou wanted more freedom, the ability to box, better pay for himself and all fighters, and a bit of good, old-fashioned respect from the top brass. The UFC? Not exactly in the business of co-promoting or bending the rules for departing stars, no matter the payday.
Ngannou’s current PFL deal is equally ironclad – exclusive, lucrative, and, crucially, not constructed to let him stroll into the Octagon for a one-night-only grudge match. Both camps have the legal teams on speed dial; any “crossover” bout would require unprecedented cooperation. And, yes, plenty of zeroes on the checks.
It appears Dakota Ditcheva’s future will remain within the PFL.
Perhaps the newest face of the PFL, Ditcheva confirmed her re-signing with the PFL following her victory over Sumiko Inaba in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series 2 (one of two cards that made up PFL Cape Town).
The deal is apparently for multiple years, according to Ditcheva.
“I have just re-signed with PFL,” Ditcheva announced in her post-fight interview. “We’ve come to a great agreement, and I’m going to look forward to the next few years together.”
Dakota Ditcheva To Remain With PFL
Ditcheva seems to have become perhaps the face of the PFL brand following her move to the global season from PFL Europe in 2024 — occuring around the same time that Kayla Harrison jumped from the PFL to the UFC.
Ditcheva became the inaugural PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion in 2023 and then made her way through the likes of Jena Bishop and Taila Santos to become the PFL women’s flyweight champion in 2024.
Ditcheva returned to the cage for the first time since her title win at PFL Cape Town, defeating Inaba. Ditcheva, however, appeared to break her hand during the contest, and the extent of time she will miss is unknown as of press time.
In what will surely go down as one of the greatest comebacks the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has ever seen, Costello Van Steenis’ hearty performance earned him a submission victory in the closing moments of his fight with the now previously-undefeated Johnny Eblen.
As a result of his win over Eblen, the final Bellator middleweight champion, Van Steenis is now recognized as the new PFL middleweight champion.
The fight headlined PFL Champions Series 2 — the second part of the PFL Cape Town card on July 19 in Africa.
The fight started with Eblen dominating the early rounds, using his wrestling to control position, land ground-and-pound, and suffocate Van Steenis against the fence. Van Steenis showed flashes of offense, but Eblen consistently secured takedowns and threatened submissions.
But in round four, things really began to change. Van Steenis stuffed shots, landed kicks and combinations, and even wobbled Eblen with a head kick at one point. Still, Eblen did enough to stop Van Steenis where need be, putting him in a huge must-finish situation.
Eblen looked to ride the fifth round out with his grappling. But Van Steenis fought with fire, staying composed and reversing position. With mere seconds to go in the fifth, Van Steenis took the back and sank in a rear-naked choke. Eblen was unable to survive, going unconscious with 10 seconds remaining to give Van Steenis a Hollywood ending.
Costello Van Steenis Wins PFL Middleweight Title, Ends Johnny Eblen’s Undefeated Record At PFL Cape Town
OH MY GOD VAN STEENIS JUST PUT EBLEN TO FUCKING SLEEEEEP WITH THE BUZZER BEATER RNC 😭😭😭 I’m sitting here watching PFL in the background and just casually witnessed one of the craziest comeback wins I’ve seen in a long ass time wtf
Insane comeback from Van Steenis. Never thought Elben was world level but I'm not going to crap on him. Van Steenis is a very good. https://t.co/RZemyBbsnF
Eblen captured the Bellator middleweight title with a win over Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282 and retained the belt against Anatoly Tokov and Fabian Edwards (the latter twice).
Van Steenis earned this match with a pair of victories last year against Gregory Babene and João Vitor Dantas.
Dakota Ditcheva put on a dominant display over Sumiko Inaba, having a striking clinic in a one-sided decision victory in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series 2 — as part of PFL Cape Town.
Ditcheva’s striking was on display from the opening minute, using clinch control and sharp knees to repeatedly halt the consistent pressure of Inaba. Inaba had success with flurries and body shots, but Ditcheva’s elbows and knees were the key to success here.
Ditcheva picked up the pace more in the second round, rocking Inaba with a knee and overwhelming her with clinch work and combinations, controlling every aspect of the fight. Ditcheva’s full control stretched into the third, sweeping the scorecards for a strong victory.
Dakota Ditcheva Takes One-Sided Win Over Sumiko Inaba At PFL Cape Town
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dakota Ditcheva could beat all the girls in the UFC #PFLcapetown
Feels like Dakota Ditcheva is very clearly the best women's fighter on the planet right now and we all just kinda have to ignore it because shes in PFL
I don't understand what the @PFLMMA is doing with Dakota Ditcheva. she's fighting fights but not defending a belt in 5 round fights, not working her way to another belt? #PFLCapeTown
Ditcheva won the inaugural PFL Europe women’s flyweight title in 2023 before running through Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, Jena Bishop and Taila Santos to become the PFL women’s flyweight title in 2024. This was her first fight since winning the global season title.
Inaba entered tonight with two straight wins and an 8-1 record. Coming over to PFL from its purchase of Bellator, Inaba scored a split decision over Saray Orozco and a finish of Mackenzie Stiller last year.
A.J. McKee has made a statement in his return to featherweight, defeating Akhmed Magomedov via decision in the PFL Champions Series 2 portion of PFL Cape Town.
Round one saw both men trading strikes early, with Magomedov landing cleaner on the body and scoring a takedown. McKee, however, threatened submissions off his back and reversed position. McKee also turned up his striking pace late in the round.
Magomedov scored an early takedown in round two, but McKee quickly reversed and took the back with a body triangle. He hunted for a choke and struck Magomedov while maintaining control. McKee’s pressure was key for him in the second round.
Another grappling-heavy exchange in the final round saw Magomedov land a takedown, only to be swept and caught in a triangle attempt. McKee continued to threaten, taking Magomedov’s back again and landing strong ground-and-pound.
McKee scored a unanimous decision for the win.
A.J. McKee Successful In Featherweight Return, Defeats Akhmed Magomedov At PFL Cape Town
AJ McKee rallied a strong ending to R1 into R2 and hit some beautiful scrambles in R3, should easily get the nod here. Fought a bit differently than I expected, but I didn’t mind, showed some new stuff I liked to see. 145 is definitely his home, just looks so much better here.…
Let's just say that there is a reason that the UFC hasn't looked into bringing in AJ McKee… Dominant but boring. Hasn't finished a fight since 2021… #PFLCapeTown
McKee had won four straight between Bellator and PFL since moving up to lightweight but came up short against Paul Hughes in a close split decision at PFL Battle of the Giants in October.
Magomedov has now lost two of his last three. He defeated Nathan Kelly in January — his first fight in over two years after losing to Henry Corrales.
With the crowd heavily behind him thanks to coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, Artur Zaynukov was able to come away with a dominant decision over Takeshi Izumi during the PFL Champions Series 2 portion of PFL Cape Town.
Izumi looked to assert pressure, but Zaynukov’s wrestling led to several takedowns and plenty of control time. Izumi scrambled well, but Zaynukov had the edge in terms of grappling exchanges.
Both men landed cleanly in round two, with Zaynukov’s power and timing beginning to shine. A key momentum shift came when Zaynukov reversed and Izumi takedown and dominated positionally, nearly taking the back and landing plenty of ground strikes.
Izumi threatened positional advances during the third round, but Zaynukov’s defense shut him down, adding in another takedown before the end of the round to cap off the decision win.
Artur Zaynukov Scores Decision Over Takeshi Izumi At PFL Cape Town
Dominant win for Zaynukov, Khabib’s gym continues to dominate!#PFLCapeTown
— In The Corner Podcast (@InTheCorner_Pod) July 19, 2025
Fight goes the distance. Zaynukov likely secures the decision win with strong control and grappling! ⏳🧠 #PFLCapeTown | #PFLMMA
Zaynukov appears to be getting looser with the striking, and utilizing great take down d with real good transitions. Although Izumi is no slouch. Really good at getting back to his feet. Round 2 again goes to Zaynukov. #PFLCapeTown
Zaynukov takes the decision, but there is a lot left to be desired there. His wrestling is good, but not at an elite level yet. Stout & Out moves to 5-5 on the night. #PFLCapeTown
Corey Anderson appeared to make a statement in his first heavyweight bout in years, making relatively easy work of Denis Goltsov to open up the PFL Champions Series 2 card portion of PFL Cape Town.
The fight started with both men exchanging jabs and low kicks, but it was Goltsov who initially controlled the clinch exchanges against the fence. Anderson reversed position and scored a takedown, controlling Goltsov along the cage. Despite Goltsov managing to get back to his feet multiple times, Anderson’s grappling pressure was relentless.
In round two, Anderson continued to press before scoring another takedown. This time, he was able to take advantage of Goltsov’s fatigue and get into full mount, landing ground-and-pound from there and side control until the ref stepped in.
Corey Anderson Stops Denis Goltsov At PFL Cape Town
Textbook performance from Corey Anderson. I had no idea how he'd look at heavyweight, but he dominated Denis Goltsov #pflchampionsseries
This was Anderson’s first fight since defeating Karl Moore for the Bellator light heavyweight championship last year. It was also his first heavyweight bout since competing on, and winning, season 19 of The Ultimate Fighter.
This was Goltsov’s first fight since finishing previously-unbeaten Oleg Popov to become the 2024 PFL heavyweight champion.
What should have been an impressive win for Abdoulaye Kane in under a minute now turns to a disqualification loss as a result of a pair of fouls — one especially egregious — during the PFL Africa 1 card.
Abdoulaye Kane faced Joffie Houlton in a heavyweight first-round tournament matchup. The two had a brief exchange which resulted in Houlton crumbling to the mat, appearing to have been stunned.
Instead of going for the finish there, however, Kane stepped back and landed a knee to a clearly grounded Houlton, which is a foul.
Replay then showed that the initial pain from Houlton was not from a punch, but from an eye poke, meaning Kane actually committed back-to-back fouls.
The doctor entered the cage, and after observing Houlton for a few minutes, deemed Houlton could not continue, resulting in a disqualification of Kane.
Abdoulaye Kane DQ’d Following Illegal Strikes On Joffie Houlton At PFL Africa 1
Kane what an idiot all u had to do was punch him a few more times and it was over. That knee come from an IQ of a gold fish #PFLAfrica
Houlton, who has never seen the scorecards in any of his fights, now moves on to the semifinals of the PFL Africa heavyweight tournament (pending medical suspension and/or injuries).
Kane, who had finishes in his first three pro fights, loses for the first time in his career.
Abraham Bably put on a violent display in the first PFL event in Africa, finishing Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze at the literal final second of the first round with a devastating right hand.
Bably and Gnaze opened with striking exchanges, as Bably landed early shots and Gnaze presses for clinches. After some back-and-forth control early on, Bably overtook momentum with a right hand that stunned Gnaze. Bably would score a takedown and land devastating ground-and-pound that nearly earned him a stoppage — even as Gnaze got back to his feet.
Bably didn’t let up near the round’s end, however, and found the finish when he landed a right hand that landed on the button, crumbling Gnaze to the mat.
Abraham Bably KOs Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze With Powerful Right Hand At PFL Africa 1
Abraham Bably at the bell!😱#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/iPBUkJmUzM
With the win, Bably advances to the semifinals of the PFL Africa heavyweight tournament. The PFL Challenger Series alumnus now improves to 3-2 in the PFL after a pair of losses in PFL Europe last year.
PFL Cape Town presents a historic night for the PFL and Africa, as global MMA action has touched down in the continent with both the second edition of the PFL Champions Series and the first-ever PFL Africa event — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
A card in Africa has been a longtime coming for the PFL since its signing of Francis Ngannou in 2023 — with Ngannou being named a part-owner and chairman of PFL Africa. PFL Africa is the latest region-specific venture of the PFL’s, following its launch of PFL Europe in 2023 and PFL MENA in 2024.
This evening will simultaneously mark the second edition of PFL Champions Series — developed as part of the slew of changes made by PFL for 2025 that included the elimination of the Bellator brand.
Those championships will carry on, however, as seen in the main event of PFL Champions Series 2, as now-PFL middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defends the title against Costello Van Steenis.
Eblen won the then-Bellator middleweight title by defeating Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 282, retaining the belt against Anatoly Tokov at Bellator 290 and Fabian Edwards at Bellator 299. Since the PFL’s purchase of Bellator, Eblen scored a split decision win over Impa Kasaganay at PFL vs. Bellator Champions and retained against Edwards again at PFL Battle of the Giants last October.
Van Steenis comes into this title shot off two straight wins, submitting Gregory Babene at the Bellator Champions Series event in Paris in May 2024 before a 48-second head kick knockout of João Vitor Dantas at the PFL World Championships last fall.
Dakota Ditcheva, the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion and 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion, returns to action tonight against Sumiko Inaba, who defeated Saray Orozco and Mackenzie Stiller last year.
The PFL Africa 1 portion of the evening will see the African-focused promotion’s tournaments kick off with first-round heavyweight and bantamweight action.
PFL Cape Town begins with PFL Africa 1 action at 10am ET/7am PT on the PFL App, while PFL Champions Series 2 starts at 2pm ET/11 am PT on ESPN+. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
PFL Cape Town: PFL Champions Series 2: Johnny Eblen vs. Costello Van Steenis & PFL Africa 1 Results & Highlights
PFL Champions Series 2:
Middleweight Championship: Costello Van Steenis def. Johnny Eblen via submission (rear-naked choke) (R5, 4:51)
Juliet Ukah takes the first W of the day over Ceileigh Niedermayr!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/fnyXpzl8r0
Abraham Bably at the bell!😱#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/iPBUkJmUzM
The referee takes a point away from Frans Mlambo for the illegal blow to the back of the head.#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/CUEttVM5G9
The fight between Abdoulaye Kane & Joffie Houlton has been called off due to an illegal knee to the head by Abdoulaye Kane. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/IPv5B2eQlY
Things are heating up between Asiashu Tshitamba & Karim Henniene in Round 1 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/SC86uBcAw6
Karim Henniene is the ultimate showman 😂🙌#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/xzZkJ5vqtU
Jashell Ticha Awa comes out HOT! 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/JFcGstODRJ
Justin Clarke wins it by TKO due to advice from the doctor to stop the fight. He remains undefeated. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/KolLMHuCvy
Boule Godogo lands a BIG left hand! 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/KhhNN0b46g
Maxwell Djantou Nana & Mickaël Groguhe are throwing heavy blows in this one. 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/YUkUET7ukA
Maxwell Djantou Nana wins by unanimous decision! He will face Justin Clarke in the Heavyweight Semifinal. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/Q0dBmtnvPB
THAT'S IT! Nkosi Ndebele takes the W in Cape Town! #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 2pm on ESPN+ | 🇺🇸10am on the PFL App pic.twitter.com/YuGcKrdWrw
Corey Anderson with the 2nd Round TKO!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 2pm on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Yi4lCZuUYV
WHO WANTS IT MORE?! Artur Zaynukov vs. Takeshi Izumi is heating up! 🔥#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 2pm on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/W6Mp2bbRto
AJ McKee lands a BIG body kick at the end of Round 1. Was Akhmed Magomedov saved by the bell? 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/0477xISqHG
WHAT A FIGHT! This one will go to decision. 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/zFyfGAU1ZV
Dakota Ditcheva comes out HOT. #PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/22nvTSM1pD
Dakota Ditcheva is showing off. 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/y5Kfs52Byj
WHO ELSE?! Dakota Ditcheva moves to 15-0!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/Dmva6qQsCN
It's been a grappling match! Who do you have winning? 👀#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/qbGtpxvSLn
WHO WANTS IT MORE?! Eblen & Van Steenis refuse to get tired 💪#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/hauQeUruKm
Costello Van Steenis lands a beautiful calf-kick!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/8xVr7X4BVM
WHAT A WAY TO END ROUND 4 😤 Costello Van Steenis refuses to give up!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/QHXLs8S9ZK
COSTELLO VAN STEENIS REAR NAKED CHOKE WITH 10 SECONDS LEFT!!#AndNew PFL Middleweight World Champion!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/eAby40lnU6
Winner by rear-naked choke #AndNew PFL Middleweight World Champion Costello Van Steenis!#PFLCapeTown 🇿🇦 | TODAY | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa | 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/A7IXXWDdsM
Dana White and Francis Ngannou have an infamous public rivalry with one another but there are people in the combat sports world who seem to manage to be on good terms with both. Appearing on MMA Canada, Karim Henniene will now take on Asiashu Tshitamba at PFL Africa 1 on July 19th. At the time of the recording, Antero dos Santos was the initial opponent for Henniene before dos Santos withdrew.
Combing back through some of his earlier outings on the Canadian mixed martial arts scene, it was referenced when Henniene got a photo op with Dana White in Toronto. This meeting took place at Unified MMA 55 which went down amid the UFC 297 fight week that transpired in the same Ontario city. When discussing the win inside of Rebel that night and the meeting with the UFC figurehead, Henniene said,
“Yeah, I got to be honest, that was surreal. Like I don’t know. I’ve watched all the interview(s) of Dana. I’m watching the UFC since Royce Gracie and yeah, he was just there. I saw him and I was just, ‘hey, Dana, I fought tonight.’ He told me ‘did you won?’ I was like ‘of course’ and he was like ‘come over here’ and then we talked. He was like ‘oh, how old are you? What’s your record?’ Like we had a little chat. It was nice and afterward we got a picture and that was all. But yeah, that was really a great experience to fight in front of the UFC.”
PFL Africa’s magnitude in the eyes of Karim Henniene
‘The Kryptonian’ is fairly well travelled over the big Canadian regional circuits despite his relatively brief career at 4-0 in professional mixed martial arts. Henniene has cut his teeth for Unified MMA (as mentioned) which many see as the biggest MMA show in Canada today, Samourai MMA which has a strong presence in Quebec, and his first two pro fights being with BTC Fight Promotions who have been stalwarts in a sometimes tragically underserved Ontario market.
While he mentioned it was great to fight in front of the UFC figurehead in Toronto, that same feeling seems to be there heading into this Smart Cage foray that will see him fight in front of the PFL Africa chairman Francis Ngannou. When addressing his excitement being part of this inaugural foray into Africa for the PFL, Henniene stated,
“Yeah, for sure. I’m excited to see Francis Ngannou here, courtside or ringside we call it. But yeah, it’s a pleasure to fight in front of Francis Ngannou and the PFL team.”
For his finals parting thoughts in the interview, Henniene quipped,
“I’m ahead to make history. I’ll be the first Algerian-Canadian to win the belt in PFL Africa. So yeah, keep up with my journey and I’ll do the work just for my fans.”
PFL Africa 1 is headlined by Johnny Eblen who will defend his middleweight strap against Costello Van Steenis on Saturday.
MMA legend Randy Couture is back at home after spending time over the last week hospitalized following a car crash at a pro racetrack.
Per TMZ Sports, Couture was released from a burn center he was at and is now home recovering from injuries he suffered during practice runs at a racetrack in Kansas City. MMAFighting’s Damon Martin added that Couture is now undergoing outpatient treatments.
Couture suffered first and second-degree burns in the accident, as well as broken ribs and smoke inhalation.
Randy Couture Released From Burn Center, Still Recovering From Racetrack Injuries
Couture, an avid motorcyclist, was set to compete with the National Hot Rod Association, originally scheduled to make his debut later this year. Couture reportedly went through licensing in order to compete in the NHRA’s new Pro Mod program.
It is still unclear what caused the accident. The vehicle Couture was in was totaled in the accident.
Mixed martial arts legend Cris Cyborg has opened up on her plans to retire from the sport after an incredible career.
While she may be 40 years of age, Cris Cyborg is still more than capable of going out there and putting on a show. She’s been doing it for a long time now across multiple sports, but after all of that success, it appears as if she’s finally starting to see the end of the road.
Cris Cyborg has won belts in a plethora of major organizations including the UFC, and when the dust settles, she’ll almost certainly go down in history as one of the greatest female fighters of all time.
In a recent interview, Cris Cyborg spoke candidly about her plans to retire from mixed martial arts, seemingly after two more fights.
“The reality is this decision has literally been (there) longer,” Cyborg said in an interview with James Lynch. “When I signed this current contract, we had already made the plan to finish the contract and retire, because we started the legacy tour when I fought against Larissa Pacheco. So I have two fights left, and I’m ready for the next chapter. Some fighters will never know when to end. I just turned 40 years old, I feel great, but we have to know when it’s time to stop.”
“I like to do step by step,” Cyborg said. “My next fight, I believe, is going to be Sara Collins. She’s undefeated, she beat Leah McCourt, she’s No. 1 in Australia, she fought girls at the top at 145 pounds. I believe she’s going to be next, and I like to think about the next one.”
PFL star Dakota Ditcheva has praised teammate Kayla Harrison for both her work ethic and the way in which she was able to defeat Julianna Pena to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight championship.
Kayla Harrison is one of the greatest female fighters of all time and that much goes without saying. In addition to her remarkable Olympic success, she’s also had a phenomenal career in mixed martial arts – and some would argue she’s still got a lot left in the tank.
As she prepares to battle Amanda Nunes in a superfight at some point in the future, Kayla Harrison has been receiving a great deal of praise from the MMA community for what she’s accomplished over the years. That includes Dakota Ditcheva, one of PFL’s biggest stars, who had the following to say about her teammate recently.
Dakota Ditcheva praises Kayla Harrison’s success
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I’ve actually got goosebumps when you think about it,” Ditcheva told MMA Fighting. “Like her journey through MMA, or just through martial arts sport has been crazy.
“After she won out there was loads of things online, I was just reading it all because, for me, a journey like that — Olympic gold medalist, comes to PFL, cleans everyone out there. Goes to UFC, cleans everyone out there. Within two or three fights, she’s got the UFC belt. That journey that she’s been on is absolutely crazy.”
“The weight cuts, the dedication she’s got to training, when she’s saying in these interviews, she’s not missed a day running or biking, that girl is in the gym every morning, every afternoon, and between them sessions, she’s walking, she’s running,” Ditcheva explained. “She’s the hardest worker in that gym.
“So to have someone like that around us and set such an example like that for us girls in the gym is like second to none. That’s why we’re the best, best gym in the world because we’ve got examples like that around us. How can we not be inspired and want to keep working hard when we see people like Kayla Harrison doing that?”
UPDATE: Timur Khizriev’s management team tells Mike Bohn of MMAJunkie that the fighter’s “life is not in danger” but is currently hospitalized.
Note: This is a developing breaking news story that will be updated as more information comes out.
Timur Khizriev, the featherweight champion of the 2024 PFL season, has been reportedly shot during an ambush attack in his native Russia.
Russian MMA media outlet Вестник ММА (Vestnik MMA) took to social media to post video of the incident.
Khizriev is still alive and is in surgery as of press time.
🚨В Махачкале расстреляли чемпиона PFL Тимура Хизриева (18-0).
Двое в масках подкараулили Тимура во дворе жилого дома на улице Даниялова. Когда он вышел из гелендвагена, нападавшие открыли стрельбу. В спортсмена попали 5 пуль от травмата пистолета. Хизриев в операционной, жив. pic.twitter.com/KnUN4NYRKX
2024 PFL Featherweight Champion Timur Khizriev In Surgery After Being Shot Five Times
According to the report, Khizriev was ambushed in the courtyard of a residential building located on Daniyalov Street, located in Chunya Village in Dagestan.
Khizriev was getting out of a vehicle when the two attackers approached and open fire. He was hit and wounded by five bullets, which were fired by a traumatic pistol.
Khizriev is currently 18-0 in his professional MMA career. After a three-fight stint with Bellator, Khizriev joined the PFL for its 2024 season after it purchased Bellator in late 2023.
