MMA News

Tag: PFL World Tournament

  • ‘Archie Colgan Is A Contender’ – Fans React To Archie Colgan Putting On Scrappy Performance In Win At PFL Wichita

    ‘Archie Colgan Is A Contender’ – Fans React To Archie Colgan Putting On Scrappy Performance In Win At PFL Wichita

    Archie Colgan remained undefeated with a gritty decision victory over Mansour Barnaoui in a lightweight showcase bout during the PFL Wichita card as part of the PFL World Tournament.

    Barnaoui started strong with range strikes and clinch knees during the opening frame, but Colgan controlled the exchanges with consistent, sharp right hands. Colgan also scored a key takedown in the round, where he also busted Barnaoui’s nose up.

    Barnaoui appeared to clip Colgan early in the second round, but Colgan’s wrestling was relentless, landing multiple takedowns and threatening an arm-triangle choke. He also shook off submission attempts from Barnaoui from the bottom.

    Colgan then put a battering on Barnaoui in the third round after an early scare, landing plenty of damaging strikes.

    Barnaoui entered tonight with 10 wins in his last 12. He had most recently defeated Alfie Davis at the PFL World Championships card this past November.

    Colgan entered tonight undefeated in MMA. He had most recently fought at the Bellator event in London this past September, scoring a decision win over Manoel Sousa.

  • ‘Beat Jake Hadley To A Pulp’ – Fans React To Marcirley Alves Showing No Mercy To Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    ‘Beat Jake Hadley To A Pulp’ – Fans React To Marcirley Alves Showing No Mercy To Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    Marcirley Alves put on a dominant striking display, busting up Jake Hadley badly as he took the win in their bantamweight semifinal bout at the PFL World Tournament card in Wichita, Kansas.

    Alves set the tone early with crisp combination and relentless body work, frequently pressuring Hadley and controlling the pace. Things got more brutal in the second round, rocking Hadley with the body shots and dropping him with a strong left. By the end of the second round, Hadley was a bloody mess.

    Alves continued this body shot attack domination throughout the third, even landing a takedown in the closing seconds to seal the deal.

    Marcirley Alves Puts One-Sided Beatdown On Jake Hadley In PFL World Tournament Bout

    Alves has now won five of six, reaching tonight’s semifinals with an upset win over Leandro Higo in April. He’ll now face Justin Wetzell in the finals in August.

    Hadley had advanced to tonight with a Scottish twister submission of Matheus Mattos.

  • ‘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.

  • ‘Extremely Lackluster Main Card Opener’ – Fans Blast Justin Wetzell Win Over Mando Gutierrez To Start PFL World Tournament Card In Wichita

    ‘Extremely Lackluster Main Card Opener’ – Fans Blast Justin Wetzell Win Over Mando Gutierrez To Start PFL World Tournament Card In Wichita

    Gutierrez had early striking success and attempted a guillotine in the opening round. Wetzell, however, reversed into top control and landed consistent ground-and-pound.

    That focus on the guillotine may have been Gutierrez’s downfall. The second round saw Wetzell assert more control with takedowns, positional advances, and steady ground striking. Gutierrez’s rubber guard and submission attempts weren’t enough for sustained offense.

    Wetzell continued to pressure and press the action on the ground in the third en route to a decision win.

    Justin Wetzell Earns Decision To Advance To PFL World Tournament Finals

    https://twitter.com/100PEAKTEAM/status/1936220890909601908

    Wetzell has now won five straight. He advanced to the semifinals with a decision over Kasum Kasumov in April.

    Gutierrez sees a three-fight win streak snapped. He earned tonight’s spot with a submission over Francesco Nuzzi.

  • ‘Class Grappling’ – Fans React To Jena Bishop Securing PFL World Tournament Finals Spot With Choke

    ‘Class Grappling’ – Fans React To Jena Bishop Securing PFL World Tournament Finals Spot With Choke

    Jena Bishop put on a submissions masterclass in her win over Ekaterina Shakalova, scoring a second-round finish to move on to the finals of the PFL women’s flyweight World Tournament.

    Bishop looked for submissions early in the opening round, as Shakalova attempted to pressure early, only to be thwarted by Bishop’s takedown attempts. Bishop constantly attacked from the bottom, adding hammerfists into attempts of a triangle, heel hook, and calf slicer — though Shakalova landed strong shots from up top.

    But in the second round, Bishop took quick control of the action, quickly advancing into mount and then taking the back. She sunk in a choke and scored the victory from there.

    Jena Bishop Advances To World Tournament Finals With Submission-Filled Performance

    https://twitter.com/easedbeecod/status/1936206356085653732

    Bishop made it to the semifinals of last year’s women’s flyweight season, losing to eventual champion Dakota Ditcheva. Bishop had made it into tonight’s semifinals with a win over Kana Watanabe in April.

    Shakalova made it to this semifinal fight with a major upset over former Bellator champion Julianna Velasquez in their opening round encounter.

  • VIDEO: Watch Vinicius Cenci Lock Up Fast Triangle Choke Submission At PFL Wichita

    VIDEO: Watch Vinicius Cenci Lock Up Fast Triangle Choke Submission At PFL Wichita

    Before the PFL World Tournament semifinals kicked off in Wichita, a series of showcase bouts showed fighters looking to make an impact and standout in their performances.

    Vinicius Cenci appeared to understand the assignment, scoring a first-round submission over Antonio Caruso in under two minutes during the event’s early card.

    Caruso had pressed Cenci into the fence and was looking for a takedown, only for Cenci to turn the tables on him. After Cenci looked for a guillotine initially, he threw up his guard for a triangle choke attempt.

    Vinicius Cenci Scores Triangle Choke Over Antonio Caruso In Early Card Of PFL Wichita

    Caruso looked to slam Cenci, but that just tightened the choke, with Cenci scoring the submission.

    Cenci rebounds after losing his PFL lightweight tournament first-round bout against former Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus in April.

    Caruso had won two straight but now finds himself 0-2 in the PFL.

  • ‘Thad Jean By Robbery’ – Fans & Fighters Debate Thad Jean’s Narrow, Controversial Split Decision Win Over Jason Jackson In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    ‘Thad Jean By Robbery’ – Fans & Fighters Debate Thad Jean’s Narrow, Controversial Split Decision Win Over Jason Jackson In PFL World Tournament Semifinal

    The rise of the “Silverback” continues, as Thad Jean edged out former Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson in a split decision in the main event of the PFL World Tournament semifinals event in Nashville.

    As a result of his win, Jean will now meet former interim Bellator welterweight champion Logan Storley in the PFL welterweight World Tournament finals.

    It was a back-and-forth encounter, with Jackson relying on his wrestling and clinch control. He landed multiple takedowns throughout the fight, pressing Jean against the fence. Jean, however, responded with some crisp striking, including a knockdown from a jab in the opening seconds of the fight.

    Jean also made use of sharp counterstriking and did damage to the body in the later frames of the fight. While both men had their moments, it was Jean’s cleaner shots and timely reversals that most likely helped him earn the nod.

    One judge each scored the bout 29-28 for a fighter, while the third had Jean winning all three rounds to seal the split decision in his favor.

    Thad Jean Edges Out Jason Jackson To Earn Final Spot In Welterweight PFL World Tournament

    https://twitter.com/BenTheBear69/status/1933393007455158427

    Jean, an alumnus of the PFL Challenger Series from 2023, is now 10-0 in MMA, including a now 5-0 PFL record with three finishes in the PFL cage.

    Jackson has now lost two of his last three. His April first-round win over Andrey Koreshkov had been a rebound after dropping his welterweight title last year to Ramazan Kuramagomedov.

  • ‘One Of The Top 10 Featherweights On The Planet’ – Fans React To Jesus Pinedo Quickly KOing Gabriel Braga To Move On To Featherweight PFL World Tournament Final

    ‘One Of The Top 10 Featherweights On The Planet’ – Fans React To Jesus Pinedo Quickly KOing Gabriel Braga To Move On To Featherweight PFL World Tournament Final

    After each man scored a win over the other, Jesus Pinedo and Gabriel Braga met in a trilogy bout that also served as a semifinal in the 2025 PFL World Tournament at featherweight.

    And just like in their second encounter, which saw Pinedo win the 2023 PFL featherweight title, Pinedo knocked out Braga to claim the spot in the tournament final.

    After a brief couple of exchanges, Pinedo landed a sharp counter right hook that stunned Braga, followed by another hook that dropped Braga. Pinedo landed ground-and-pound briefly to put the fight, and rivalry, away for good.

    Jesus Pinedo Delivers Stunning Fast KO Of Gabriel Braga In Trilogy Bout, Moves On To Featherweight Final

    BACKGROUNDS

  • ‘Super NyQuil’ – Fans Critical Of Logan Storley’s Performance As He Moves On To PFL World Tournament Finals

    ‘Super NyQuil’ – Fans Critical Of Logan Storley’s Performance As He Moves On To PFL World Tournament Finals

    Logan Storley’s wrestling was on full display as he took a decision win over Masayuki Kikuiri at the PFL World Tournament event in Nashville to clinch a spot in the welterweight final.

    From the opening bell, Storley imposed his gameplan with relentless wrestling and pressure, delivering on early takedown attempts and suffocating top control and ground-and-pound. Kikuiri showed some resilience with the pressure, and he appeared to do some damage with his striking during the second round.

    Storley, however, repeatedly grounded him and maintained control with clinch knees and mat returns. Storley continued his grind in the third round, delivering more on takedowns and pressure against the fence, leaving Kikuiri little room to do much damage, as the former Bellator interim champion cruised to a decision win.

    Logan Storley Earns Welterweight Final Spot In PFL World Tournament With Win Over Masayuki Kikuiri

    https://twitter.com/MmaRicky/status/1933373659227279406

    Storley has now won four of his last five, showing some rebounding after losing his welterweight title shot against Yaroslav Amosov in February 2023 and missing the playoffs in the 2024 PFL season.

    Kikuiri now sees a five-fight win streak snapped, which included three straight finishes between Bellator and PFL performances.

  • ‘Dominant And Drained Him’ – Fans React To Movlid Khaybulaev Putting On Grappling Master Class To Lock Up Featherweight PFL World Tournament Final Spot

    ‘Dominant And Drained Him’ – Fans React To Movlid Khaybulaev Putting On Grappling Master Class To Lock Up Featherweight PFL World Tournament Final Spot

    Movlid Khaybulaev put on a dominant display of takedowns and grappling pressure, as he took a clear decision over Taekyun Kim at the PFL World Tournament semifinal event in Nashville to lock up a spot in the 145-pound final fight.

    From the opening round, Khaybulaev repeatedly grounded Kim with takedowns, neutralizing his offense and constantly wearing him down with clinch control, top pressure, and knees to the legs. Kim showed heart in trying to escape Khaybulaev’s relentless grappling offense, especially in the later moments of the fight, but it all was for naught.

    Khaybulaev’s takedowns, top control, and consistent damage proved to be too much over the course of 15 minutes, totaling nine takedowns in that timeframe. The last takedown came in the closing seconds to seal a dominant win, with Khaybulaev sweeping the scorecards.

    Movlid Khaybulaev Clinches Finals Spot With Win Over Taekyun Kim In PFL World Tournament

    https://twitter.com/strongandjacket/status/1933365566443532769

    Khaybulaev, the 2021 PFL featherweight champion, remains unbeaten and now advances to the finals, where he will meet the winner of the trilogy fight between Jesus Pinedo and Gabriel Braga.

    Kim, a veteran of Brave CF and UAE Warriors, suffers just the second loss of his professional MMA career.

  • VIDEO: Magomed Umalatov Delivers Faceplant, Walk-Off KO To Bounce Back From First Defeat, Weight Miss

    VIDEO: Magomed Umalatov Delivers Faceplant, Walk-Off KO To Bounce Back From First Defeat, Weight Miss

    After the last half-year proved to be one to forget for him, Magomed Umalatov is back in a big way, scoring a first-round knockout of Anthony Ivy during the early card of the PFL World Tournament semifinals event in Nashville, Tennessee.

    Umalatov stuffed an early takedown attempt from Ivy and appeared to do damage with a knee to the body. He then got the better of Ivy on the ground, showing off effective pressure and ground-and-pound.

    Ivy made his way back to his feet, but as he tried to push forward, Umalatov cracked him with a quick left hand. Another one from Umalatov immediately after then sent him crashing to the mat face-first, as Umalatov immediately celebrated before the referee officially stepped in to wave off the bout.

    Umalatov finished as the runner-up in the 2024 PFL welterweight tournament, falling short against fellow countryman Shamil Musaev. It was the first loss of Umalatov’s MMA career, and he fell just short again of a PFL title.

    Umalatov then was scheduled to compete in the welterweight portion of the PFL World Tournament this year before missing weight and medical issues forced him off his originally scheduled bout with Logan Storley in April.

    Ivy, who missed weight for this bout, was riding a seven-fight win streak, coming into this bout off a submission of Jaleel Willis in a showcase bout during last year’s PFL Playoffs.

  • ‘Just Sniped Him’ — Fans React To Phil Davis Dropping Rob Wilkinson For First Finish In Nearly Six Years

    ‘Just Sniped Him’ — Fans React To Phil Davis Dropping Rob Wilkinson For First Finish In Nearly Six Years

    In his first fight in the sport after nearly two years, Phil Davis showed that he’s still competing at the highest level of the game, defeating Rob Wilkinson in the main event of the PFL’s World Tournament first round event on May 1.

    Wilkinson got the edge in the fight early on, making use of low kicks and strong combinations. Davis answered back, but his attempt to level change was picked on by Wilkinson, who pressed him into the fence. Wilkinson continued to assert his control with a series of one-twos throughout the second half of the first round.

    Quickly into the second, however, Davis yanked control away, landing a strong right to the head. Davis would then land a right hand-leg kick combination before another right hand that sent Wilkinson stumbling. Davis would continues to attack before dropping Wilkinson for an early second-round knockout.

    This is the first time Davis has scored a win not by decision since his Bellator 231 win over Karl Albrektsson.

    Phil Davis Moves On In PFL World Tournament After KO’ing Former PFL Champ Rob Wilkinson

    Though Davis has now won three of his last four, this fight marked his first since facing Corey Anderson at Bellator 297 back in June 2023.

    Wilkinson, the 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion, has now lost two straight after a nine-fight unbeaten streak. Wilkinson was a semifinalist in the PFL championship tournament last year.

  • ‘Throw The Whole Promotion Away’ – Fans React To Valentin Moldavsky Earning Disputed Decision Win Over Sergey Bilostenniy In PFL World Tournament

    ‘Throw The Whole Promotion Away’ – Fans React To Valentin Moldavsky Earning Disputed Decision Win Over Sergey Bilostenniy In PFL World Tournament

    Despite being rocked early in the fight, Valentin Moldavsky managed to battle back and come out on top over Sergey Bilostenniy in the co-main event of the PFL World Tournament first round event on May 1.

    Bilostenniy and Moldavsky both had their fair share of hard strikes, with Bilostenniy looking for a quick start to controlling the fight. He used plenty of kicks, from heavy leg kicks to flashy spinning back kicks. Moldavsky looked to counter that by working combinations, eventually finding his rhythm and landing several left hands. Bilostenniy cracked Moldavsky and threw a flurry before the bell, but Bilostenniy managed to survive.

    Moldavsky focused on body attacks in the second round, as well as answering Bilostenniy’s leg kicks with his own. Bilostenniy used effective head movement and counters to try and catch Moldavsky in his attacks. The exchanges were competitive, though Bilostenniy appeared to be landing the more clean and effective strikes. Moldavsky did press forward, however, looking to pressure Bilostenniy as the two went toe-to-toe.

    Moldavsky then continued his pace by looking to use his grappling advantage, pressing Bilostenniy into the fence several times during the final frame. Moldavsky landed inside in the clinch, trying to wear him down.

    Despite Bilostenniy’s strong work, Moldavsky was awarded the decision on all three judges’ scorecards 29-28.

    Valentin Moldavsky Earns Controversial Decision Over Sergey Bilostenniy

    https://twitter.com/OnlyRuggs/status/1918145153287823373
    https://twitter.com/Caleb2x___/status/1918144844129538146

    Moldavsky, the former interim Bellator heavyweight champion, had defeated Ante Delija but lost to Linton Vassell, missing the heavyweight playoffs during the 2024 PFL season.

    Bilostenniy had won three straight and eight of nine entering tonight’s bout.

  • ‘Them Hellbows Were Nasty’ – Fans React As Simeon Powell Throws Flurries Of Fury In Second-Round TKO

    ‘Them Hellbows Were Nasty’ – Fans React As Simeon Powell Throws Flurries Of Fury In Second-Round TKO

    A statement was made by Simeon Powell, as the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight finalist impressed in the opening round of the PFL World Tournament.

    Powell scored a finish of Karl Albrektsson in a bout that opened up the main card of the PFL World Tournament event on May 1.

    Powell didn’t seem to have much going for him in the opening round, as the action was primarily controlled by Albrektsson. Albrektsson used low kicks and grappling combined to force Powell against the fence for a majority of the opening frame.

    Powell ended that first round with a couple of strong elbows, and that would foreshadow the finish to the fight in the second. After getting pinned against the fence once more, Powell got behind Albrektsson and nearly scored a takedown. Against the fence, he connected with an elbow that rocked Albrektsson.

    Powell then unleashed a flurry of shots, including another strong elbow, to wobble Albrektsson, who continued to eat shots until the referee waved off the bout.

    Simeon Powell Makes Statement In Securing PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    Powell made it to the finals of the 2023 PFL Europe light heavyweight tournament but fell to Jakob Nedoh. He then competed at the Bellator event in London this past September, defeating Rafael Xavier.

    Albrektsson has now lost four of his last five, with his sole victory in this stretch coming against Dovlet Yagshimuradov at Bellator 268.

  • VIDEO: Alexandr Romanov Locks Up Standing Guillotine, PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    VIDEO: Alexandr Romanov Locks Up Standing Guillotine, PFL World Tournament Semi-Final Spot

    Once someone who appeared to be a rising name in the UFC’s heavyweight division, Alexandr Romanov now appears to be someone to watch for in the PFL’s World Tournament at heavyweight.

    Romanov made a statement by scoring a quick submission of veteran and former Bellator interim heavyweight title challenger Tim Johnson. The two headlined the early card portion of the PFL World Tournament action on May 1.

    After a battle for pressure and control in the early going, the fight had a brief pause when Romanov was hit low. It didn’t take long after the fight’s resumption for Romanov to lock up Johnson in a standing guillotine choke. Johnson was lifted and forced to tap, appearing to also injure a rib in the process.

    Alexandr Romanov Submits Tim Johnson In PFL World Tournament First-Round Matchup

    This fight marked Romanov’s PFL debut after a stint in the UFC between 2020 and 2024. Romanov went 7-3 with the promotion, with his losses coming against Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida. Romanov last fought at UFC Edmonton in November, defeating another name who made his way over from the UFC to the PFL with a win tonight — Rodrigo Nascimento.

    Johnson has now lost three in a row and is 1-3 in the PFL.

  • VIDEO: Sullivan Cauley Rains Down Elbows For Vicious First-Round Finish In PFL World Tournament

    VIDEO: Sullivan Cauley Rains Down Elbows For Vicious First-Round Finish In PFL World Tournament

    Sullivan Cauley appeared to take on the form of prime Travis Browne, as he finished Alex Polizzi quickly during the early card of the light heavyweight and heavyweight portion of the PFL World Championships on May 1.

    The first-round bout saw Polizzi quickly score a pair of takedowns on Cauley. Though Cauley scrambled up the first time, he had to battle force and pressure brought on by Polizzi’s ground game to return to the feet. When Cauley did, however, he attacked with elbows as Polizzi continued to press for the takedown.

    The elbows landed strongly, rocking Polizzi. Cauley continued to rain blows down before the referee stepped in, finishing the action in less than two minutes.

    Sullivan Cauley Scores Quick Finish With Elbows While Being Grappled

    Cauley fought exclusively in Bellator until its folding, going 6-1 in the promotion. He was originally scheduled to take on Marcelo Nunes before Nunes’ withdrawal hours before tonight’s event.

    Polizzi, a former LFA light heavyweight champion, has now lost four of his last five. He was originally booked for an alternate fight with Rafael Xavier before replacing Nunes on last-minute notice.

  • PFL World Tournament Week 4: Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights Collide in Orlando

    PFL World Tournament Week 4: Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights Collide in Orlando

    The Professional Fighters League returns tonight with World Tournament Week 4 at Universal Studios Florida, featuring critical light heavyweight and heavyweight quarterfinal bouts with playoff implications.

    Former Bellator champion Phil Davis (24-7) headlines against 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson (19-3) in a clash of former title holders. “In his heyday, Davis was one of the most athletic light heavyweights to grace an MMA cage”, having secured wins over Alexander Gustafsson, Lyoto Machida, and Glover Teixeira throughout his career.

    Making his PFL debut, the 40-year-old Davis faces questions after nearly two years away from competition. Meanwhile, Wilkinson aims to rebound from his 2024 playoff loss, bringing “explosive power and aggressive fighting style, he has achieved 14 first-round stoppages throughout his career”.

    The co-main event features a heavyweight showdown between former Bellator interim champion Valentin Moldavsky and Sergey Bilostenniy, described as “a showdown that could produce a highlight-reel finish at any time”

    With single-elimination format determining playoff seeding, tonight’s card emphasizes finish bonuses and debuts the PFL’s new biometric tracking technology to enhance broadcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

    Event Information:

    • Main Card: 10:00 PM ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+
    • Early Card: 7:30 PM ET on ESPN+
    • Venue: Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida

    The card also features former PFL champion Antonio Carlos Jr. taking on Karl Moore in light heavyweight action, while Alexander Romanov faces Timothy Johnson at heavyweight in critical tournament bouts where “Fighters only get one shot!”

  • Fabian Edwards Out Of PFL World Tournament Days On From Brother Leon’s Latest UFC Setback

    Fabian Edwards Out Of PFL World Tournament Days On From Brother Leon’s Latest UFC Setback

    March has been a month to forget for the Edwards brothers.

    Fabian was in the corner of his brother Leon earlier this month as the former UFC welterweight champion looked to bounce back from his title defeat to Belal Muhammad last July. But inside The O2 in London, “Rocky” fell to the first two-fight losing skid of his career courtesy of Sean Brady’s grappling prowess.

    Leon’s preparation for that took place alongside training for Fabian’s own return under the PFL banner. After a second failed attempt at unseating Johnny Eblen last October, the Bellator veteran was set to be part of the inaugural PFL World Tournament.

    But while a first-round clash with Impa Kasanganay on April 18 would have provided a quick opportunity to boost morale in the team following Leon’s setback, that bout is no more.

    The promotion announced Sunday that Edwards has withdrawn from the middleweight tournament and has been replaced by the undefeated Jordan Newman.

    It remains to be seen when Fabian’s return will be rescheduled for, and what the PFL will have planned for him following a swift exit from the 2025 World Tournament.

  • PFL Unveils First-Round Matchups For 2025 World Tournament

    PFL Unveils First-Round Matchups For 2025 World Tournament

    The brackets for eight inaugural PFL World Tournaments in 2025 are set.

    After ditching its season and playoff format this year, the Professional Fighters League will kick off a new era next month with the launch of its inaugural World Tournaments.

    The Grand Prix-style structure will see eight fighters in each weight class compete in a single elimination format, culminating in championship finals worth $500,000 for the winners.

    Having completed its rollout of the eight divisional rosters last week, the PFL staged a bracket reveal show on Tuesday to unveil the first-round matchups set to play out across four events in the coming weeks.

    For those bouts, including returns for the likes of Jason Jackson, Jesus Pinedo, Taila Santos, Liz Carmouche, and Alexandr Romanov, see the schedule below.

    2025 PFL World Tournament 1: First Round – April 3

    Main Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 10 PM ET):

    • Welterweight First Round: Jason Jackson (18-5) vs. Andrey Koreshkov (28-5)
    • Featherweight First Round: Jesus Pinedo (23-6) vs. Adam Borics (19-2)
    • Welterweight First Round: Magomed Umalatov (17-1)vs. Logan Storley (16-3)
    • Featherweight First Round: Jeremy Kennedy (19-4) vs. Movlid Khaybulaev (21-0-1)

    Early Card (ESPN+, 7 PM ET):

    • Welterweight First Round: Mukhamed Berkhamov (17-2) vs. Florim Zendeli (10-1-1) 
    • Featherweight First Round: Gabriel Braga (15-2) vs. Yves Landu (21-9) 
    • Welterweight First Round: Giannis Bachar (9-2) vs. Masayuki Kikuiri (10-2-1)
    • Featherweight First Round: Nathan Kelly (11-3) vs. Taekyun Kim (10-1)
    • Welterweight Alternate: Joseph Luciano (10-2) vs. Thad Jean (8-0)
    • Featherweight Alternate: Fred Dupras (8-1) vs. Nathan Ghareeb (10-3)

    2025 PFL World Tournament 2: First Round – April 11

    Main Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 11 PM ET):

    • Bantamweight First Round: Magomed Magomedov (20-3) vs. Leandro Higo (23-6)
    • Women’s Flyweight First Round: Taila Santos (24-4) vs. Juliana Velasquez (13-3)
    • Bantamweight First Round: Savarjon Khamidov (16-0) vs. Jake Hadley (11-4)
    • Bantamweight First Round: Ciaran Clarke (10-0) vs. Kasum Kasumov (16-1) 

    Early Card (ESPN+, 8 PM ET):

    • Women’s Flyweight First Round: Liz Carmouche (22-8) vs. Ilara Joanna (12-9)
    • Bantamweight First Round: Ali Taleb (11-1) vs. Zebenzui Ruiz (12-3) 
    • Women’s Flyweight First Round: Kana Watanabe (13-3-1) vs. Jena Bishop (7-2) 
    • Women’s Flyweight First Round: Elora Dana (7-0) vs. Diana Avsaragova (6-1)
    • Bantamweight Alternate: Francesco Nuzzi (10-1) vs. Matheus Mattos (14-3-1)
    • Women’s Flyweight Alternate: Ekaterina Shakalova (8-2) vs. Saray Orozco (8-6) 

    2025 PFL World Tournament 3: First Round – April 18

    Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 PM ET):

    • Middleweight First Round: Impa Kasanganay (18-5) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-4) 
    • Lightweight First Round: Alexander Shabliy (24-4) vs. Brent Primus (15-4-0, 1 NC)
    • Lightweight First Round: Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) vs. Marc Diakiese (18-7) 
    • Lightweight First Round: Mads Burnell (20-6) vs. Jay-Jay Wilson (10-1)

    Early Card (ESPN+, 4:30 PM ET):

    • Middleweight First Round: Sadibou Sy (17-8-2, 1 NC ) vs. Dalton Rosta (9-1)
    • Middleweight First Round: Josh Silveira (13-4) vs. Mike Shipman (17-4)
    • Lightweight First Round: Clay Collard (25-14) vs. Alfie Davis (17-4-1) 
    • Middleweight First Round: Aaron Jeffery (15-5) vs. Murad Ramazanov (12-2)
    • Middleweight Alternate: Khalid Murtazaliev (17-3) vs. Jordan Newman (7-0)
    • Lightweight Alternate: Sergio Cossio (27-10-1) vs. Robert Watley (15-3)

    2025 PFL World Tournament 4: First Round – May 1

    Main Card (ESPN2/ESPN+, 10 PM ET):

    • Light Heavyweight First Round: Phil Davis (24-7, 1 NC) vs. Rob Wilkinson (19-3,1 NC) 
    • Heavyweight First Round: Valentin Moldavsky (13-4) vs. Sergey Bilostenniy (13-3) 
    • Light Heavyweight First Round: Antonio Carlos Jr. (16-6, 2 NC) vs. Karl Moore (12-3)
    • Light Heavyweight First Round: Karl Albrektsson (14-6) vs. Simeon Powell (10-1) 

    Early Card (ESPN+, 7 PM ET):

    • Heavyweight First Round: Alexandr Romanov (18-3) vs. Tim Johnson (18-11) 
    • Heavyweight First Round: Linton Vassell (25-10) vs. Oleg Popov (19-1) 
    • Light Heavyweight First Round: Sullivan Cauley (6-1) vs. Marcelo Nunes (11-2) 
    • Heavyweight First Round: Pouya Rahmani (4-0) vs. Abraham Bably (5-1) 
    • Light Heavyweight Alternate: Alex Polizzi (11-4) vs. Rafael Xavier (13-8) 
  • PFL Reveals Locations For 2025 World Tournament Semifinals

    PFL Reveals Locations For 2025 World Tournament Semifinals

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will be taking the SmartCage to Nashville, Kansas, and Chicago for this year’s World Tournament semifinal events.

    PFL will be shaking things up this year after a 2024 that was marred by fighter complaints and a largely unsuccessful merger with the Bellator MMA roster. Over a year on from the acquisition, the promotion has decided to eliminate the Bellator brand moving forward.

    And that’s not the only change in strategy in 2025. The PFL will also be abandoning its season and playoff format after many had questioned its sustainability. Instead, Grand Prix-style tournaments will take place across eight divisions, with $500,000 prize money going to each winner.

    The promotion has completed its roll-out of the roster lists for each tournament, featuring the likes of Taila Santos, Jason Jackson, Movlid Khaybulaev, Liz Carmouche, Fabian Edwards, Jake Hadley, and Alexandr Romanov.

    Those names will begin their campaigns with first-round bouts across four events on the backlot of Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida on April 3, April 11, April 18, and May 1. And the dates and locations for the subsequent semifinal cards in the summer have now been confirmed.

    On Thursday, June 12, 2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals will take place at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, with tickets ranging from $35 to $300.

    Eight days later, the promotion makes its debut in ‘Cowtown’ with the 2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Tickets range from $40 to $250.

    The last semifinal event is scheduled for June 27 and will be held at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with ticket prices ranging from $50 to $350.

  • PFL World Tournament HW & LHW Rosters Revealed

    PFL World Tournament HW & LHW Rosters Revealed

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has finished announcing the rosters for eight World Tournaments set for 2025, with the final releases being the heavyweight and light heavyweight lineups.

    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.

    After confirming the dates and venue for four events that will host first-round matchups, the PFL has been announcing the full rosters. Prior to this week, the welterweight, featherweight, women’s flyweight, bantamweight, middleweight, and lightweight lineups were confirmed.

    And the rollouts have now concluded with the 16 men set to compete in the inaugural heavyweight and light heavyweight tournaments.

    Among the most notable inclusions for the former bracket is Alexandr Romanov, a once highly touted UFC prospect who went 7-3 in the Octagon, losing only to top 10 names in Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura, and Jailton Almeida.

    See below for the full eight-man roster for this year’s heavyweight World Tournament, as announced in a recent press release.

    • Valentin Moldavsky (13-4) 
    • Alexandr Romanov (18-3)
    • Oleg Popov (19-2)
    • Linton Vassell (25-10)
    • Sergey Bilostenniy (13-3)
    • Tim Johnson (18-11)
    • Pouya Rahmani (4-0)
    • Abraham Bably (5-1)

    At 205 pounds, meanwhile, former PFL champions Rob Wilkinson and Antonio Carlos Jr. feature, alongside PFL Europe standout Simeon Powell and ex-Bellator light heavyweight kingpin Phil Davis.

    See below for the full eight-man roster for this year’s light heavyweight World Tournament, in addition to a pair of alternates.

    • Phil Davis (24-7) 
    • Rob Wilkinson (19-3)
    • Karl Moore (12-3)
    • Marcelo Nunes (11-2)
    • Antonio Carlos Jr. (16-6)
    • Simeon Powell (10-1)
    • Karl Albrektsson (14-6)
    • Sullivan Cauley (6-1)
    • Alternate – Alex Polizzi (11-4)
    • Alternate – Rafael Xavier (13-8)
  • 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.

    After confirming the dates and venue for four events that will host first-round matchups 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 year’s lightweight World Tournament.

    • Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) 
    • Alexander Shabliy (24-4)
    • Marc Diakiese (18-7)
    • Jay Jay Wilson (10-1)
    • Mads Burnell (20-6)
    • Alfie Davis (17-5-1)
    • Brent Primus (15-4)
    • Clay Collard (25-14)
      • Alternate – Sergio Cossio (27-10-1)
      • Alternate – Robert Watley (15-3)
  • Fabian Edwards Featured In Lineup For PFL Middleweight World Tournament

    Fabian Edwards Featured In Lineup For PFL Middleweight World Tournament

    The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced a stacked lineup for its 2025 middleweight World Tournament, featuring a mix of seasoned veterans and rising contenders.

    Eight fighters will compete for supremacy in the 185-pound division, all vying for the $500,000 prize money in a new format that will be replacing the promotion’s usual season and playoff structure.

    The tournament includes several notable names, headlined by former Bellator middleweight title challengers Fabian Edwards and Aaron Jeffery, both of whom bring high-level experience to the competition.

    Adding intrigue, Impa Kasanganay, the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion, will drop down a weight class to compete at 185 pounds. Former Bellator middleweight contenders Dalton Rosta and Mike Shipman will also be in the mix, alongside former ONE Championship standout Murad Ramazanov.

    Rounding out the field are Josh Silveira, the 2023 PFL light heavyweight runner-up, and Sadibou Sy, the 2022 welterweight champion.

    Two additional fighters, Jordan Newman and Khalid Murtazaliev, have been named tournament alternates and are prepared to step in if needed.

    The tournament will kick off with the quarterfinals on April 18, taking place at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN and ESPN+. Official matchups have yet to be announced.

    This marks the PFL’s return to a bracketed middleweight tournament, a format last used in its inaugural 2018 season. The division was temporarily removed in 2019 to make room for the women’s lightweight division, which gained prominence with the rise of Kayla Harrison.

    Now, with a deep talent pool and a return to its roots, the middleweight World Tournament promises to deliver some intriguing matchups.

  • PFL Founder Reveals New ‘World Tournament’ After Scrapping Season Format

    PFL Founder Reveals New ‘World Tournament’ After Scrapping Season Format

    The PFL season format is no more following some big changes that the promotion has made before hosting their first event of the year in 2025. For a long time, the promotion’s primary focus and unique selling point has been the World Championship tournaments that take place each year with a $1 million cheque waiting at the end for the winners of each weight class.

    Whilst the points-based system was certainly different, it also had its issues and fans didn’t seem to connect with it. Along with reports that the prize money for the winner would be cut in half to $500,000, there was also talk of the tournament format changing significantly.

    The announcement that divisional PFL titles will be created and defended at the PFL Champions Series events means that participating in and winning the tournaments is no longer the ultimate prize in the promotion.

    PFL founder Donn Davis posted on X to give fans a look at the new “PFL World Tournament” that will take place in 2025 across eight weight classes. Rather than trying to bring something new to the sport like in the past, this will see the promotion revert to a more conventional Grand Prix style tournament with eight fighters competing in a single elimination bracket in order to crown winners at women’s flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.

    The graphic posted by Davis also lists the dates that three stages of the tournament will take place on, as seen below:

    First round: April 3, April 11, April 18, May 1

    Semifinal: June 12, June 20, June 27

    Finals: August 1, August 15, August 21

    Along with the way that fighters progress through the tournament and the prize waiting at the end, there are a few other key changes here from the way that the PFL have things done in the past. For a start, all of the final matchups will not take place on the same night as has been the case for the season format.

    Whilst that gives the promotion one big event to build towards throughout the year, it also creates a card that features six five-round title fights which can make for a long and tiring viewing experience. This new world tournament will also feature two new divisions which haven’t previously been a part of the PFL’s seasons with bantamweight and middleweight being added into the mix.

    When the promotion acquired Bellator towards the end of 2023, it was unclear how they were going to cater for Bellator titleholders like Patchy Mix and Johnny Eblen when the promotion didn’t have active 135 or 185-pound divisions at the time. It remains unclear at this time what will happen to those titleholders and how the new PFL champions will be crowned.