Tag: Brent Primus

  • ‘That Second Round Was Magic’ – Fans React To Alfie Davis Putting On Striking Display In PFL World Tournament Semifinal Win Over Former Bellator Champion

    ‘That Second Round Was Magic’ – Fans React To Alfie Davis Putting On Striking Display In PFL World Tournament Semifinal Win Over Former Bellator Champion

    Alfie Davis put on quite the striking show as he defeated Brent Primus in their semifinal match in the PFL World Tournament card in Wichita.

    Primus controlled much of the opening round, thanks to an early takedown and repeatedly threatening submissions with his rubber guard. He added in elbows, which resulted in Davis bleeding from one of the sides of his head.

    Davis, however, turned things around in the second, preventing Primus’s takedown efforts and landing sharp strikes. He peppered Primus with combinations, and he even stunned the former Bellator champ with a spinning elbow despite Primus’s attempts to pressure.

    Davis continued to press the action with his strikes in the third, but Primus got back on top on the ground and threatened full mount. Davis scrambled and reversed the position, however, landing strong shots from up top late in the fight.

    Davis scored 29-28 totals on all three judges’ scorecards.

    Alfie Davis Edges Out Brent Primus In PFL World Tournament Matchup

    Davis has now won five of his last six. He entered tonight’s semifinal off a stunning knockout win over Clay Collard in April.

    Primus has now lost two of his last three. He had secured his semifinal spot with a submission of Vinicius Cenci.

  • PFL Lightweight World Tournament Lineup Includes Former Champions And Ex-UFC Contender

    PFL Lightweight World Tournament Lineup Includes Former Champions And Ex-UFC Contender

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is continuing to roll out the rosters for eight World Tournaments set for 2025, with the latest release being the lightweight lineup.

    Major change is coming to the PFL this year, with the promotion making the decision to eliminate the season and playoff format from its yearly structure. Replacing that and the $1 million prize money will be Grand Prix-style tournaments across eight divisions, with the winners of each collecting $500,000.

    Afterย confirming the dates and venue for four events that will host first-round matchupsย earlier this month, the PFL has been announcing the full rosters. Thus far, the welterweight, featherweight, women’s flyweight, bantamweight and middleweight lineups have been confirmed.

    And this week, the rollouts continued with the eight men set to compete in the inaugural lightweight tournament. Among the most notable inclusions is Gadzhi Rabadanov, a former Bellator contender who enjoyed a successful first year under the PFL banner, winning the 2024 lightweight season.

    He won’t be the only fighter with championship history competing. The man he defeated in last year’s final, ex-Bellator champion Brent Primus, will also feature in the bracket.

    Joining them will be the likes of former UFC contender Marc Diakiese, ex-Bellator title challenger Alexander Shabliy, and PFL veteran Clay Collard.

    See below for the full eight-man roster for this yearโ€™s lightweight World Tournament.

    • Gadzhi Rabadanovย (24-4-2)ย 
    • Alexander Shabliyย (24-4)
    • Marc Diakieseย (18-7)
    • Jay Jay Wilsonย (10-1)
    • Mads Burnellย (20-6)
    • Alfie Davisย (17-5-1)
    • Brent Primusย (15-4)
    • Clay Collardย (25-14)
      • Alternate –ย Sergio Cossioย (27-10-1)
      • Alternate –ย Robert Watleyย (15-3)
  • 2024 PFL World Championship Results & Highlights: Khizriev Dominates Loughnane, Ditcheva Stops Santos

    2024 PFL World Championship Results & Highlights: Khizriev Dominates Loughnane, Ditcheva Stops Santos

    The 2024 PFL World Championship took place on Friday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    This week saw the Professional Fighters League back in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to crown its title winners for this year โ€” both PFL Global and PFL MENA โ€” following the conclusion of the regular season and semifinals.

    After a set of showcase bouts featuring the likes of Costello van Steenis, Slim Trabelsi, and Mansour Barnaoui, four inaugural kings were crowned as part of the promotion’s Middle East and North Africa expansion.

    The main card followed, with six fighters on the global roster walking away with championship gold and $1 million in prize money.

    Brendan Loughnane and Impa Kasanganay both failed in their bid to experience that for the second time, with the featherweight suffering a lopsided five-round loss to Timur Khizriev in the main event and the light heavyweight standout falling victim to Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov’s power in under a minute.

    Perhaps the most intriguing clash on the lineup came in the co-headliner, meanwhile, as the undefeated Dakota Ditcheva faced the toughest test of her blossoming career thus far. She ultimately followed her PFL Europe success last year with global glory, getting the better of former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in shockingly dominant fashion.

    With that said, see below for the full results, followed by all the best highlights.

    2024 PFL World Championship Results

    PFL World Championship Card:

    • Featherweight Championship: Timur Khizriev def. Brendan Loughnane via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
    • Womenโ€™s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva def. Taila Santos via TKO (body punches): R2, 4:41
    • Light Heavyweight Championship: Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay via TKO (punches): R1, 0:58
    • Welterweight Championship: Shamil Musaev def. Magomed Umalatov via TKO (punches): R3, 1:44
    • Lightweight Championship: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Brent Primus via KO (punches): R3, 2:31
    • Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov def. Oleg Popov via submission (triangle choke): R1, 2:51

    PFL MENA Championship Card:

    • MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. Maraoune Bellagouit via TKO: R1
    • MENA Welterweight Championship: Omar El Dafrawy def. Mohammad Alaqraa via KO (hammerfists): R2, 0:57
    • Amateur Womenโ€™s Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif def. Lilia Osmani via TKO (knees): R2, 1:37
    • MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb def. Rachid El Hazoume via KO (punches): R1, 1:25
    • MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Georges Eid via unanimous decision

    Showcase Fight Card:

    • Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui def. Alfie Davis via submission (rear-naked choke): R3, 3:41
    • Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi def. Abraham Bably via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
    • Featherweight: Gabriel Braga def. Jeremy Kennedy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj def. Jose Perez via submission (guillotine choke): R3, 1:10
    • Middleweight: Costello van Steenis def. Joao Dantas via KO (head kick): R1, 0:48

    Costello van Steenis Def. Joao Dantas

    Asael Adjoudj Def. Jose Perez

    Gabriel Braga Def. Jeremy Kennedy

    Slim Trabelsi Def. Abraham Bably

    Mansour Barnaoui Def. Alfie Davis

    Mohsen Mohammadseifi Def. Georges Eid

    Ali Taleb Def. Rachid El Hazoume

    Hattan Alsaif Def. Lilia Osmani

    Omar El Dafrawy Def. Mohammad Alaqraa

    Abdullah Al-Qahtani Def. Maraoune Bellagouit

    Denis Goltsov Def. Oleg Popov

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Def. Brent Primus

    Shamil Musaev Def. Magomed Umalatov

    Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov Def. Impa Kasanganay

    Dakota Ditcheva Def. Taila Santos

    Timur Khizriev Def. Brendan Loughnane

  • ‘Million Dollar Faceplant’ – Fans React As Gadzhi Rabadanov Becomes Latest From Team Khabib To Win Gold At PFL World Championship

    ‘Million Dollar Faceplant’ – Fans React As Gadzhi Rabadanov Becomes Latest From Team Khabib To Win Gold At PFL World Championship

    Dagestan now has another world champion in MMA after Gadzhi Rabadanov pulled off a strong finish of Brent Primus to become this year’s lightweight title winner at the 2024 PFL World Championship in Saudi Arabia.

    Rabadanov and Primus traded strikes early, with the former landing low kicks and his American counterpart responding with elbows and submission attempts when the fight went to the ground.

    Primus notably looked for a guillotine, and even a rare gogoplata. The Dagestani defended the attempts well, delivering ground-and-pound as the ex-Bellator champ looked for openings.

    Rabadanov dropped Primus in the second round with a strong right hand. Despite the veteran’s attempts at the rubber guard and more submission attempts, the Russian controlled the fight on the mat and landed some notable ground strikes.

    The teammate of reigning UFC champion Islam Makhachev and former kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov then put Primus away early in the third with a powerful one-two that faceplanted him.

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Wins PFL Lightweight Title With Third-Round Finish

    A former Combat Sambo world champion, Rabadanov joined the PFL following its acquisition of Bellator. He reached today’s title fight after wins over Solomon Renfro, Elvin Espinoza, and Michael Dufort this season.

    Primus, meanwhile, earned wins over Bruno Miranda, Renfro, and Clay Collard to reach the Riyadh-held event on Nov. 29.

  • 2024 PFL World Championship Weigh-In Results

    2024 PFL World Championship Weigh-In Results

    The 2024 PFL World Championship takes place on Friday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    The upcoming show takes place Friday, November 29, at the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card of global title fights begins at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT, with the MENA championship card and showcase card starting at 9:30 AM ET/6:30 AM PT and 7:15 AM ET/4:15 AM ET, respectively.

    In the main event. England’s Brendan Loughnane will shoot for his second title in the SmartCage, having previously emerged with gold in his possession at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

    To repeat that feat, he must upset the odds to hand 17-0 Russian Timur Khizriev his first professional defeat in mixed martial arts.

    Perhaps the most intriguing matchup comes in the co-headliner as another UK standout challenges for season glory. Striking specialist Dakota Ditcheva will get her toughest test to date, with former UFC title challenger Taila Santos marking the latest looking to take her ‘0’ inside the cage.

    2024 PFL World Championship Weigh-In Results

    PFL World Championship Card (3 PM ET, ESPN+):

    • Featherweight Championship: Brendan Loughnane (144.8lbs) vs. Timur Khizriev (144.7lbs)
    • Womenโ€™s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva (124.9lbs) vs. Taila Santos (125lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay (204.6lbs) vs. Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (204.1lbs)
    • Welterweight: Championship: Magomed Umalatov (168.8lbs) vs. Shamil Musaev (169.8lbs)
    • Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (154.3lbs) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155lbs)
    • Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov (245.8lbs) vs. Oleg Popov (249.5lbs)

    PFL MENA Championship Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):

    • MENA Featherweight Championship: Maraoune Bellagouit (144.8lbs) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (144.4lbs)
    • MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (169.6lbs) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (170lbs)
    • Amateur Womenโ€™s Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif (105.4lbs) vs. Lilia Osmani (108.3lbs)**
    • MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (134lbs) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (134.8lbs)
    • MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (154.6lbs) vs. Georges Eid (155lbs)

    Showcase Fight Card (7:15 AM ET, ESPN+):

    • Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui (153.6lbs) vs. Alfie Davis (155.7lbs)
    • Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi (243.5lbs) vs. Abraham Bably (251.8lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo (152lbs)* vs. Jeremy Kennedy
    • Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj (145.9lbs) vs. Jose Perez (145lbs)
    • Middleweight: Costello van Steenis (185.9lbs) vs. Joao Dantas (185lbs)

    *Jesus Pinedo missed the featherweight limit by 6 pounds, replaced by Gabriel Braga

    **Lilia Osmani missed the atomweight limit by 2.3 pounds, fight to proceed at catchweight of 109 pounds

  • PFL World Championship Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Loughnane vs. Khizriev, Ditcheva vs. Santos, & More

    PFL World Championship Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Loughnane vs. Khizriev, Ditcheva vs. Santos, & More

    The 2024 PFL World Championship is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this week’s long lineup.

    The upcoming show takes place Friday, November 29, at the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card of global title fights begins at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT, with the MENA championship card and showcase card starting at 9:30 AM ET/6:30 AM PT and 7:15 AM ET/4:15 AM ET, respectively.

    At the lengthy event, plenty of gold will be handed out as the latest global champions and the inaugural MENA kingpins are crowned following the conclusion of this year’s regular seasons.

    And the headlining spots have gone to a pair of British standouts, with 2022 featherweight title winner Brendan Loughnane shooting for two-time status in the main event opposite Timur Khizriev. Before that comes a matchup long pointed to as one of the most intriguing in the promotion, as last year’s PFL Europe flyweight queen Dakota Ditcheva meets former UFC title challenger Taila Santos.

    Also competing for championships will be the likes of Impa Kasnaganay, Brent Primus, and Denis Goltsov, while notable names like Mansour Bernaoui, Slim Trabelsi, Jesus Pinedo and Costello van Steenis will appear in showcase bouts.

    2024 PFL World Championship Betting Odds

    Listed below are the latest betting odds for this year’s PFL World Championship (as of 11/27), courtesy of DraftKings.

    PFL World Championship Card (3 PM ET, ESPN+):

    • Featherweight Championship: Brendan Loughnane (+260) vs. Timur Khizriev (-325)
    • Womenโ€™s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva (-380) vs. Taila Santos (+300)
    • Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay (-180) vs. Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (+150)
    • Welterweight: Championship: Magomed Umalatov (+220) vs. Shamil Musaev (-270)
    • Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (+410) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (-550)
    • Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov (+110) vs. Oleg Popov (-130)

    PFL MENA Championship Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):

    • MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (-115) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-105)
    • MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (-410) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (+320)
    • MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (-290) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (+235)
    • MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (-218) vs. Georges Eid (+180)

    Showcase Fight Card (7:15 AM ET, ESPN+):

    • Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui (-298) vs. Alfie Davis (+240)
    • Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi (-148) vs. Abraham Bably (+124)
    • Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo (-290) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (+235)
    • Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj (-142) vs. Jose Perez (+120)
    • Middleweight: Costello van Steenis (-625) vs. Joao Dantas (+455)
  • VIDEO: PFL Finalists Have First Faceoffs In Riyadh Ahead of 2024 Championship

    VIDEO: PFL Finalists Have First Faceoffs In Riyadh Ahead of 2024 Championship

    The fighters set to compete for gold at this year’s PFL World Championship stood toe to toe days out from their title showdowns in the Middle East.

    After completing its main and regional seasons,ย itโ€™s championship time for the Professional Fighters League. Before the sophomore PFL Europe champions are crowned next month, the global and MENA kings โ€” as well as one queen โ€” will be decided.

    A long lineup featuring plenty of notable names is set for the 2024 PFL World Championship this Friday, Nov. 29 at the King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    Following a series of showcase fights and four MENA finals, six global champions will emerge on the main card, where the headline spots have gone to a pair ofย UK standouts in 2022 PFL featherweight king Brendan Loughnaneย and last year’s PFL Europe flyweight champ Dakota Ditcheva, who are slated to collide with Timur Khizriev at featherweight and Taila Santos, respectively.

    Ahead of the main and co-main events, those fighters faced off under the observation of former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy this week, as did heavyweights Denis Goltsov and Oleg Popov, light heavyweights Impa Kasanganay and Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov, welterweights Magomed Umalatov and Shamil Musaev, and lightweights Brent Primus and Gadzhi Rabadanov.

    Before those matchups play out inside the SmartCage, MENA gold will be wrapped around waists for the very first time, with the likes of Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Ali Taleb looking to end their 2024 campaigns with title glory in Riyadh.

    Meanwhile, the showcase bouts that will kick off proceedings at 7:15 AM ET on ESPN+ will include the return of 2023 featherweight title winner Jesus Pinedo, the next fight for top Bellator middleweight contender Costello van Steenis, and an outing for undefeated heavyweight Slim Trabelsi.

    For the first time, the PFL championship matchups will see the fighters permitted to throw elbows, which have previously been banned throughout the season and playoff format.

  • 2024 PFL 8 Playoffs Results & Highlights: Impa Kasanganay Makes Second Straight Championship Final

    2024 PFL 8 Playoffs Results & Highlights: Impa Kasanganay Makes Second Straight Championship Final

    The 2024 PFL Playoffs continued on Friday night with the second of three semifinal events in the postseason, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    Theย Professional Fighters Leagueย was back this week, with the championship finals at light heavyweight and lightweight decided inside the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida.

    In the 205-pound main event, 2023 PFL kingpin Impa Kasanganay returned for the next step in his pursuit of back-to-back titles. To reach a second consecutive final, “Tshilobo” got the better of his championship opponent from last year, Josh Silveira, again.

    Having won that contest, Kasanganay will face either former Bellator fighter Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov with $1 million prize money and this year’s light heavyweight title on the line. That’s after the Turkmenistani outpointed 2022 champ Rob Wilkinson in the co-headliner.

    The lightweight bracket, meanwhile, included Clay Collard’s attempt to make his second straight championship final and keep his hopes of a first title win alive. He ultimately failed in that task, with Brent Primus instead advancing to meet Russia’s Gadzhi Rabadanov, who knocked out Canada’s Michael Dufort.

    Outside of semifinal action, notable names like Biaggio Ali Walsh and Danny Sabatello will also took to the SmartCage in “The Sunshine State.”

    With the event concluded, check out the full results below, followed by all the highlights!

    2024 PFL 8 Playoffs Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Light Heavyweight Semifinal Main Event: Impa Kasanganay def. Josh Silveira via decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
    • Light Heavyweight Semifinal Co-Main Event: Dovlet Yagshimuradov def. Rob Wilkinson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
    • Lightweight Semifinal: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Michael Dufort via KO (punches): R2, 1:51
    • Lightweight Semifinal: Brent Primus def. Clay Collard via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
    • Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Brian Stapleton via KO (punches): R1, 0:55

    Preliminary Card:

    • Bantamweight: Danny Sabatello vs. Lazaro Dayron ends in majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
    • Lightweight: Mads Burnell def. Elvin Espinoza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Welterweight: Thad Jean def. Chris Brown via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Featherweight: Jordan Oliver def. Braydon Akeo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
    • Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague def. Marilia Morais via submission (rear-naked choke): R1, 1:44

    Michelle Montague Def. Marilia Morais

    Jordan Oliver Def. Braydon Akeo

    Thad Jean Def. Chris Brown

    Mads Burnell Def. Elvin Espinoza

    Danny Sabatello vs. Lazaro Dayron (Majority Draw)

    Biaggio Ali Walsh Def. Brian Stapleton

    Brent Primus Def. Clay Collard

    Gadzhi Rabadanov Def. Michael Dufort

    Dovlet Yagshimuradov Def. Rob Wilkinson

    Impa Kasanganay Def. Josh Silveira

  • 2024 PFL 8 Playoffs: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira Weigh-In Results

    2024 PFL 8 Playoffs: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira Weigh-In Results

    The 2024 PFL Playoffs will resume this Friday with matchups from the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions. Before the bouts can be official, the fighters weighed in today.

    Brian Stapleton was the only fighter to miss weight for his short-notice lightweight bout against Biaggio Ali Walsh. The matchup has changed to a catchweight fight, and Stapleton will give up a percentage of his purse.

    PFL will host the continuation of the playoffs at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. The main event is a light heavyweight rematch between Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira.

    In their first clash, Kasanganay won by unanimous decision to become the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion. The former UFC fighter found success by outpacing Silveira for five rounds to get the judges’ approval. Kasanganay comes into the fight after amassing 11 points to qualify for the playoffs and will target a win to secure a second straight championship finale. That said, his opponent will be motivated to avenge last year’s result and keep his hopes of moving on to the championship alive.

    The co-main event, meanwhile, will feature Rob Wilkinson taking on Dovlet Yagshimuradov in another light heavyweight semifinal. Both fighters are on impressive win streaks and qualified for the playoffs, tied with nine points in the regular season. Currently, DraftKings has 2022 champ Wilkinson as a slight favorite to advance to the next tournament round.

    The PFL 8 preliminary card is expected to kick off the event at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT on ESPN+. The main card will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+ at 9 PM ET/ 6 PM PT. 

    PFL 8: Impa Kasanganay vs. Josh Silveira Weigh-In Results

    (Fight Card Is Subject To Change)

    Main Card (ESPN & ESPN+):

    • Light Heavyweight Semifinal: Impa Kasanganay (203.8 lbs) vs. Josh Silveira (205.2 lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight Semifinal: Rob Wilkinson (206 lbs) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (205.6 lbs)
    • Lightweight Semifinal: Gadzhi Rabadanov (155.8 lbs) vs. Michael Dufort (155.8 lbs)
    • Lightweight Semifinal: Brent Primus (155.2 lbs) vs. Clay Collard (155.6 lbs)
    • Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh (155.4 lbs) vs. Brian Stapleton (160.5 lbs)*

    Preliminary Card (ESPN+):

    • Bantamweight: Danny Sabatello (135.6 lbs) vs. Lazaro Dayron (135.8 lbs)
    • Lightweight: Mads Burnell (155 lbs) vs. Elvin Espinoza (156 lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Thad Jean (170.8 lbs) vs. Chris Brown (170.4 lbs)
    • Featherweight: Jordan Oliver (145.8 lbs) vs. Braydon Akeo (146 lbs)
    • Women’s Featherweight: Michelle Montague (145 lbs) vs. Marilia Morais (145.8 lbs)

    *Brian Stapleton missed the lightweight limit by 4.5 pounds.