After the original plans for the 2026 season kickoff were postponed, PFL MENA’s first event for this calendar year has now been officially rescheduled.
Per an announcement from the PFL, the first PFL MENA card of 2026 will now take place on Sunday, May 24.
For the first time, a PFL MENA card will take place outside of Saudi Arabia. This event will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This is the same arena that has hosted two PFL Champions Series events in 2025, both headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes, and PFL Dubai this past February, which featured Nurmagomedov vs. Alfie Davis.
“Dubai is a key market for PFL MENA and a global hub for sport and entertainment, making it the ideal stage for our 2026 season opener, aptly titled ‘Pride of Arabia,’” PFL MENA General Manager Jerome Mazet said in a statement. “Dubai has consistently shown its passion for MMA, and we are excited to bring local stars like Mohammad Yahya and Zamzam Al Hammadi to perform in front of a home crowd.
“As the beating heart of sport and entertainment in the Arab world, Dubai offers a truly unique atmosphere, with athletes representing multiple nations, we know fans from across the region will be in the arena to support their own. There’s no city that connects cultures, fans and fighters quite like Dubai.”
PFL MENA’s first event of 2026 was originally scheduled for Friday, May 8, at the Dhahran Expo in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. PFL announced the event’s postponement in a press release on April 9.
Though PFL did not give a reason for the postponement in its cancellation press release, it is assumed the decision was made due to ongoing tensions and conflict in the Middle East. Despite this, the PFL is going forward with a PFL event in May.
The May 24 card will feature opening-round matchups in the promotion’s featherweight and lightweight tournaments.
The main event will see Mohammad Yahya face Mehdi Saadi in a featherweight tournament contest. The co-main event will be a lightweight tournament bout that pits unbeaten Salah Eddine Hamli against Ylies Djiroun.
PFL Chicago results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The main event will feature a bantamweight bout between Sergio Pettis and Mitch McKee. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!
Sergio Pettis vs. Mitch McKee – Bantamweight Main Event
Pettis is 2-0 since arriving in the PFL, giving him two straight wins and eight wins in his last 10 fights. After dropping the Bellator bantamweight title to Patchy Mix in the promotion’s final event, Pettis fought Kyoji Horiguchi in RIZIN before debuting in the PFL last year. Pettis’ 2025 saw him earn a decision over Raufeon Stots and score a highlight knockout of Magomed Magomedov.
This is the PFL debut for the 10-0 McKee. The highly touted prospect is an LFA and Bellator veteran. McKee most recently fought at LFA 217 in September, knocking out Pedro Nobre.
The co-main event will be a middleweight battle between the undefeated Jordan Newman and PFL veteran Josh Silveira.
Newman is 8-0 and fought exclusively in Bellator before the promotion’s closing. He made his PFL debut last August, needing just one round to put away Eslam Abdul Baset.
Since coming to the PFL from the LFA, where he was a champion, it’s been a case of “the bridesmaid but never the bride” for Silveira. The 15-5 fighter is a veteran of the promotion’s old light heavyweight and middleweight tournaments, consistently falling short. Silveira made the 2023 PFL light heavyweight tournament final, only to lose to Impa Kasaganay.
Silveira is 3-3 in his last six but has won two of his last three. He most recently fought in August, scoring a decision over Murad Ramazanov.
If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from PFL Chicago!
PFL Africa results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa. The main event will feature a bantamweight bout between Nkosi Ndebele and Michele Clemente. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!
Nkosi Ndebele vs. Michele Clemente – Bantamweight Main Event
Ndebele is a former Brave CF bantamweight champion and competed in a trilogy with Jose “Shorty” Torres during his time with the promotion. Ndebele went through Mahmoud Atef, Simbarashe Hokonya, and Boule Godogo to win last year’s PFL Africa welterweight tournament.
Clemente makes his PFL debut today on a five-fight win streak and with a 7-1 professional MMA record. Clemente last fought in OKTAGON in June 2024, submitting Aleksandar Čoti.
The co-main event will be a heavyweight contest between Justin Clarke and Abdoulaye Kane.
Clarke made it to last year’s PFL Africa heavyweight final, defeating Jashell Ticha Awa and Maxwell Djantou Nana before losing to Abraham Bably.
Kane was disqualified in his quarterfinal matchup with Joffie Houlton last year but rebounded with finishes of Emmanuel Mukam and Ticha Awa.
This PFL Africa card will also feature the quarterfinals of the first tournament for the PFL Africa season, highlighting the welterweights.
If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from PFL Africa 1!
How to Watch PFL Africa 1
Date: Friday, April 10, 2026
Venue: SunBet Arena, Pretoria, South Africa
Streaming: YouTube
Prelims: 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT
Main Card: 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT
2026 PFL Africa 1 Results & Highlights
Preliminary Card (YouTube, 12 PM ET)
Women’s Strawweight: Felista Mugo vs. Annet Kliza
Result: Felista Mugo def. Annet Kliza via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Bantamweight: Shannon von Tonder vs. Asiashu Tshitamba
Result: Asiashu Tshitamba def. Shannon von Tonder via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Featherweight: Jean-Jacques Lubaya vs. Shadrick Dju Yemba
“The Professional Fighters League today announced that PFL MENA 9, originally scheduled to take place in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia on May 8, has been postponed as the league finalizes updated event plans for the 2026 PFL MENA season,” the statement read. “All previously announced bouts will move forward as part of the 2026 PFL MENA season opener, with updated event details, including date and location, to be announced soon.
“All ticket holders will receive a full refund, which will be processed within the next 30 days. The Professional Fighters League remains committed to the continued growth of mixed martial arts across the region and intends to return to Al Khobar later this year as part of its 2026 event calendar.”
Though no reason was given in the press release, it’s assumed the PFL MENA postponement is due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Last year’s PFL MENA season saw Mohammad Alaqraa win the welterweight tournament title, Salah Eddine Hamli win at lightweight, Islam Reda win at featherweight, and Nawras Abzakh win at bantamweight.
The PFL’s other regional-based promotion, PFL Africa, begins its second season tomorrow, Friday, April 10, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa.
The UFC is scheduled to appear in the region on June 27 with their second UFC Baku event in Azerbaijan, as they did last June. Like the last couple of years, the UFC is also targeting Fight Night events in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. The UFC has also held an autumn pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi annually since 2019 (except the period when “Fight Island” was used during the COVID era).
The UFC has not announced any plans to postpone these plans.
The relationship between the PFL and Francis Ngannou reached an end when the two sides cut ties on the morning of March 6, bringing a disappointing end to a massive contract signed.
The news was first reported by Mike Pendleton of Sherdog.
BREAKING: @PFLMMA is releasing superstar heavyweight Francis Ngannou
Ngannou departed the UFC to join PFL in 2023 with a game-changing contract. He was chairman of PFL Africa, won a PFL SuperFights Title in 2024.
“The Professional Fighters League has made the decision to part ways with Francis Ngannou,” the statement reads. “We have great respect for Francis as both an athlete and a person, and we wish him success in the next chapter of his combat sports career. The PFL remains focused on recruiting and signing the best athletes in the sport while continuing to deliver world-class competition for fans around the globe.”
The PFL signed Ngannou to a massive contract in May 2023, four months following Ngannou’s public departure from the UFC as heavyweight champion. The contract, for the then-PFL “Super Fights” pay-per-view division, had various provisions that included Ngannou guaranteeing opponents a $2 million minimum payday, as well as serving on the PFL’s global advisory board and as chairman of PFL Africa.
Ngannou was allowed to compete in boxing as part of this deal as well. He fought twice in the boxing ring, going to a decision in a loss to then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and getting knocked out by former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou only fought once in the PFL, knocking out Renan Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights heavyweight championship at the 2024 Battle of the Giants event.
The tumultuousness in the relationship between Ngannou and the PFL was also seen when he did not appear for the first two PFL Africa events last year. Ngannou openly criticized the promotion for not focusing on Africa-born fighters.
In recent months, the PFL has gone through a restructuring period, parting ways with various members of their organization that included longtime president Ray Sefo and founder Donn Davis, who stepped down from his role.
Ngannou is an immediate free agent, able to sign with whatever promotion he chooses.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) continues to build its Women’s Flyweight Division, recently adding former LFA champ Cheyanne Bowers to the roster.
NEW PFL SIGNATURE
🇺🇸Cheyanne Bowers (7-2) has signed with the PFL ! The former LFA fighter was highlighted in my 20 Female Fighters the UFC needed to sign in 2026, but PFL cut the queue and signed her first.
“The Boss” is riding a two-fight winning streak, with both victories coming by first-round submission last year. The 31-year-old American last tasted defeat in January 2025, when she suffered a split decision loss to Shannon Clark at LFA 200.
The PFL announced the signing on its website recently. The addition of Bowers aims to bolster the women’s talent pool.
What Is Cheyanne Bowers’ Pro Record Coming Into PFL?
Cheyanne Bowers carries a 7-2 professional record, with five of those victories coming by submission since turning pro in October 2022.
“The Boss” is set to enter a competitive PFL women’s flyweight division that features notable names such as Dakota Ditcheva, Taila Santos, and Liz Carmouche. Details regarding her promotional debut, including the date and opponent, are expected to be announced in the near future.
Ray Sefo, a legendary kickboxer who has been a long prominent face of the PFL’s executive team, has parted ways with the MMA organization.
The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani on the January 13 edition of The Ariel Helwani Show. Helwani added that Sefo is one of several names in the organization’s behind-the-scenes team who have also parted ways with the PFL.
Sefo had a highly successful kickboxing career, winning championships with the ISKA and World Muay Thai Federation, along with being the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 runner-up.
He transitioned to an executive role following the end of his fighting career. In 2012, Sefo became one of the founding members of the World Series of Fighting, being named its president. Sefo found himself in a similar role when the WSOF re-branded to the PFL in 2017.
As noted by Helwani, however, Sefo’s role seemed to be diminished during the PFL’s 2025 campaign.
PFL Parts Ways With Longtime President Ray Sefo
Sefo is the second major PFL executive to depart the promotion.
Earlier this week, the PFL announced that Peter Murray, the former CEO of PFL and the recent CEO of PFL International, was leaving the organization.
Under the vision of John Martin, who was named the new PFL CEO in July 2025, the PFL has gone through recent reorganization and changes ahead of 2026.
The PFL’s first event of 2026 will be on February 7 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The card will feature Usman Nurmagomedov defending his lightweight title against Alfie Davis and Ramazan Kuramagomedov facing Shamil Musaev for the PFL welterweight championship.
The PFL MENA season wrapped up on Friday, December 5, and we have all the results and highlights from the action here at MMA News!
PFL MENA was set up last year as part of the promotion’s expansion efforts, and alongside the already-established PFL Europe and PFL Africa, and the soon-to-debut PFL Pacific, PFL MENA has ventured on into its second season.
The card took place at the Dhahran Expo in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and featured the finals in all four weight classes PFL MENA has tournaments in — welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight.
The main event saw Mohammad Alaqraa, who fell short in last year’s PFL MENA welterweight final, capture this year’s tournament title by defeating Badreddine Diani. The fight was primarily a kickboxing battle to start, with Alaqraa bringing more of the forward pressure and landing the cleaner power shots in the first 10 minutes. The third round was more competitive and saw brief grappling exchanges, but Alaqraa solidified his momentum with top positioning and short strikes throughout the fourth round. Diani pushed his own grappling in the final round, looking for takedowns and back control, but Alaqraa would take the decision and tournament title.
In the co-main event, Salah Eddine Hamli captured the PFL MENA lightweight tournament title with a submission win over Mohammad Fahmi. Fahmi opened the fight aggressively, but Hamli steadily answered with low kicks and sharp counters. After Hamli stunned Fahmi in the first, Fahmi appeared to be tiring out in the second round through multiple takedown attempts. Hamli controlled the action, landing the more effective strikes. After one more takedown attempt from Fahmi, Hamli locked up a D’Arce choke to score the second-round submission and PFL MENA tournament title.
Islam Reda captured the tournament title at featherweight, defeating Yanis Ghemmouri. Though neither man took clear control in the first round, with both having their moments, Ghemmouri scored a takedown in round two and looked to do damage. But Reda used headlocks and chokes threats to counteract, resulting in a grinding battle between the two. Reda would lock up a D’Arce choke on the ground in the final minute of round two to claim the title.
The title fights opened with Nawras Abzakh winning the 2025 PFL MENA bantamweight title in mere seconds. After a level change attempt by opponent Islam Youssef to counter Abzakh’s forward pressure, Abzakh locked him up in a guillotine. A slam was attempted by Youssef but was unsuccessful in freeing him, leading to a 36-second submission for Abzakh.
The event was broadcast on DAZN in most countries, as well as on the PFL App in the U.S and on Vice TV. If you couldn’t watch any of the action, MMA News has you covered with the full results and all the highlights below.
2025 PFL MENA Championships Results & Highlights
Welterweight Tournament Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Badreddine Diani via unanimous decision (49–46, 48–47, 48–47)
Lightweight Tournament Championship: Salah Eddine Hamli def. Mohammad Fahmi via submission (brabo choke) (R2, 4:05)
Featherweight Tournament Championship: Islam Reda def. Yanis Ghemmouri via submission (anaconda choke) (R2, 4:46)
Bantamweight Tournament Championship: Nawras Abzakh def. Islam Youssef via submission (guillotine choke) (R1, 0:36)
Flyweight: Malik Basahel def. Mahmoud Atef via TKO (R1, 3:13)
Lightweight: Ahmed El Sisy def. Abbas Khan via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27
Welterweight (Amateur Bout): Ahmed Albrahim def. Mohamed Nabil via TKO (punches) (R2, 2:45)
Ahmed El Sisy earns a hard fought unanimous decision over Abbas Khan as the action keeps rolling in Khobar, Saudi Arabia!@PFLMENA Finals LIVE NOW on the PFL App | 8p ET on @VICETVpic.twitter.com/kxXg1VLE7o
Saudi Arabia's own Malik Basahel continues to impress!
He improves to 3-0 inside the PFL Cage after a first round TKO finish over Mahmoud Atef!@PFLMENA Finals LIVE NOW on the PFL App | 8p ET on @VICETVpic.twitter.com/9x6sH12I6V
Mohammad Alaqraa's redemption tour is complete as he is your 2025 PFL Mena Welterweight Champion as he defeats Badreddine Diani via unanimous decision @PFLMENA Finals LIVE NOW on the PFL App | 8p ET on @VICETVpic.twitter.com/amLxo8rnkl
Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 had many discussing the judging and refereeing aspects of the contest in the aftermath, with a standout performer from that same PFL Dubai card weighing in.
Archie Colgan is the referenced mixed martial artist here, and Colgan defeated Jay Jay Wilson by way of a unanimous decision at PFL Dubai on October 3rd in a lightweight bout.
When touching on the Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 fight, and how it seemed like there was a certain level of controversy surrounding the judges’ scorecards. When asked if he has any thoughts on the Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2 scorecards at all, Colgan said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Not really. I think that, you know, there was a scorecard that said 50-45, meaning that Paul Hughes didn’t win any round.”
“I don’t see that one. I think he won. In my head, fresh when I was watching the fight right there in front of me, I thought it was like 4-1.”
“Maybe you could do a 3-2. But I thought Usman won the fight. So yeah, but you know I think the controversy was in somebody saying it was 50-45, that he won no rounds.”
“Yeah, I disagree with that as well. But I definitely don’t agree with some of the people saying like it was a robbery.”
“As in you know Usman should have lost. I was like ah no, I thought it was pretty decisive who was winning the fight. But how many rounds you give, like I don’t know.”
When touching on the instance in the championship clash, where it looked like Usman connected with a headbutt of sorts when a round had ended. Giving his thoughts on that sequence in the bout and commenting on his own curious situation with his appointed referee at PFL Dubai, Colgan stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, I forgot about that. I forgot about that. That was; especially for to [have] no referee intervention between that and being like hey, you know, that was kind of a weird moment.”
“But I mean that kind of happened all night too. Even in my fight, like me and my opponent kind of got like, in between rounds, second and third round, I think.”
“Like staring at each other, and the ref shoved me. Like I stumbled backwards.”
“I was like, “Hey, chill out, man.” So, like, you know, he was on the other spectrum of that where he was doing too much, the other ref didn’t do enough [laughs].”
“It was just a cluster of emotion” with Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2, says Colgan
When touching on the different dynamics with assigned referees that can inform how differently his Wilson fight was handled versus how the other assigned ref handled Nurmagomedov vs. Hughes 2, Colgan quipped [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I mean, that was a weird situation. I don’t know if it was like; again, I’d have to watch it back and see it.”
“Because especially if you’re watching it live. It looked more of like a head-to-head. Like you guys are talking s**t to each other, and then like an extra push.”
“But you know, I assume it was probably more of that than, like just a straight-up headbutt. But I don’t know.”
“I’d have to see that like on camera because even in person, it looked like it was just a cluster of emotion, really.”
It’s unfortunately not uncommon for an MMA card to feature a fighter who missed weight for their bout. UFC Rio, however, presented us with a truly ridiculous case.
The opening bout of the evening saw Luan Lacerda taking on Saimon Oliveira — a fighter who missed weight by eight pounds. The bout ended up contested at 144 pounds, making it more like a featherweight contest than a bantamweight one. Oliveira also had to weigh in under a certain amount for the fight to even go on.
Lacerda won the fight anyway, avoiding the controversial idea of a fighter missing weight on purpose to get an advantage in the fight — as well as fighter pay issues in circumstances such as these. Oliveira, in fact, looked terrible and drained, and his UFC future is probably in doubt.
Photo By Tim Wheaton
But that doesn’t get us away from the debate over how weight misses in MMA should be handled. Oliveira ended up forfeiting 50 percent of his fight purse, which means he didn’t make a lot of money for this loss. Traditionally, commissions penalize MMA fighters 20-30 percent of their purse for such weight misses, so this kind of fine is a good statement.
Perhaps that could set a precedent for other potential penalties that could be “perfect” solutions for these kinds of issues.
Percentage Increase For Fines With Each Weight Miss
This idea is based off of the bigger fines for bigger weight misses in MMA — and the extreme case in the case of Oliveira from UFC Rio.
Essentially, in this scenario, a second (or later) weight miss after an initial one results in an increased set minimum of fine for the fighter that misses weight. While, as discussed, most circumstances see an MMA fighter get fined a minimum of 20 percent of their fight purse for a weight miss, a second weight miss would mean the fighter’s minimum fine gets increased to 25 percent.
Let’s use Charles Oliveira as an example. The weight miss for his 2012 bout with Cub Swanson would have resulted in the normal 20 percent purse fine. But his second weight miss, which came against Jeremy Stephens, would see a minimum of a 25 percent purse fine with this rule, and a minimum 30 percent for his weight miss against Myles Jury. That said, an extreme case — such as Oliveira’s 10-pound miss against Ricardo Lamas — could result in a percentage fine that is more than the minimum.
This rule can also apply to just a certain timespan, such as 12-18 months. In a case like this, Charles Oliveira’s weight miss against Stephens would still just be a 20 percent minimum, since it came two years after the Swanson fight. But the weight miss against Jury would see the bump up in minimum since it came a year later.
Forcing Fighters To Move Up After Two Weight Misses
If weight cutting isn’t going to go away in this sport, since MMA fighters and their teams love to have the size advantage in a fight, then perhaps we need to more strictly come down on fighters who can’t keep up on the weight cutting responsibility to maintain such advantages.
In this circumstance, a second weight miss results in the fighter being mandated to move up in weight class. There are no exceptions. Whether it’s a fighter who is fighting on the undercard, or a fighter who was nearing a title shot in a weight class, a second weight miss means their run in that division is over. They must move up in weight or they will not be permitted a license to fight.
It sounds harsh. But the intention is to fight back against the harm done to one’s body during a weight cut — and to fight back against a fighter who might willingly miss on purpose (like Yana Santos accused Macy Chiasson of doing recently). The California State Athletic Commission, in fact, has rules in place that can force fighters to move up depending on how much weight they are cutting and rehydrating to, or fight cancelations depending on the extremity of an MMA fighter’s weight miss.
But with this case, it’s not just fighters and state athletic commissions who have to take responsibility, it would also be on the promotions to be required to follow such measures.
Image: UFC/Facebook
Automatic One-Point Deduction On The Scorecards
This is perhaps the harshest of all circumstances, but I believe it is one that might be necessary to get improvements moving — and it is the one I most support.
In this circumstance, a fighter who misses weight is brought to the center of the cage right away and issued a one-point deduction immediately as the fight starts. This means that this fighter can only earn a maximum of nine points for the opening round and essentially must sweep three rounds on two judges’ scorecards to get a decision win. Losing a round would mean a fight that goes to the scorecards sees that fighter only able to earn a draw at best.
The PFL did something like this when using its regular season-playoff format. A fighter who missed weight lost one point in the standings, and that later saw a change where that fighter was unable to earn any points in the standings. There was also the controversial losing one point implementation in PFL Europe’s tournament format. Regardless of what you think of the PFL’s usage of these created ideas, I think they were getting somewhere with how hard you need to come down on fighters for this circumstance.
Making weight is a matter of professionalism. And if we can’t get rid of it in MMA, then we have to come down harshly on it for the respect of those fighters who are responsible with their weight cutting and for those MMA fighters who hold making weight in necessary regard.
Who knows if any of these ideas actually get implemented in the future? But hopefully we as an MMA community can discuss these ideas to bring about necessary change for the sake of the fighters and the sport as a whole.
The PFL’s women’s flyweight division has added a pair of experienced names to its ranks, as Viviane Araujo and Ariane da Silva have signed with the promotion.
Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of both women, confirmed the signings to Sherdog.
UFC veterans Ariane da Silva (formerly Lipski) and Viviane Araujo have both signed with PFL, per manager Ali Abdelaziz.
Some fresh potential opponents for Dakota Ditcheva enter the scene at 125 pounds. pic.twitter.com/CPLKQupkZC
The two former UFC stars will add a bit of name power to the PFL’s women’s flyweight division and give some competition for Dakota Ditcheva.
It is currently unclear if one or both of the women will compete in the women’s flyweight World Tournament in 2026 or potential face Ditcheva to determine a PFL women’s flyweight champion.
Viviane Araujo, Ariane Da Silva Sign With PFL
Araujo, the former Pancrase women’s strawweight champion, made her UFC debut at UFC 237 in May 2019, defeating Talita Bernardo. She went 7-6 in the promotion, earning wins over the likes of Alexis Davis, Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, and Jennifer Maia.
Araujo and the UFC parted ways about two weeks after her loss to Tracy Cortez at UFC 317.
Da Silva (formerly Ariane Lipski) is a former KSW women’s flyweight champion who made her UFC debut in January 2019. She went 6-8 in the promotion with wins over JJ Aldrich and Casey O’Neill, while also having bouts with the likes of Molly McCann, Montana De La Rosa, and Jasmine Jasudavicius.
Da Silva was released by the UFC days after her loss to Wang Cong at UFC 316.
The PFL MENA season continues on Saturday, September 27, and we have all the results and highlights from the action here at MMA News!
PFL MENA was set up last year as part of the promotion’s expansion efforts, and alongside the already-established PFL Europe and soon-to-debut PFL Africa and PFL Pacific, PFL MENA has ventured on into its second season.
The card takes place at The Arena Riyadh Venue for Exhibitions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will feature the semifinals in all four weight classes PFL MENA has tournaments in — welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight.
The main event will feature a semifinal in the welterweight tournament, as Mohammad Alaqraa takes on Ayman Galal. Alaqraa, the runner-up of last year’s welterweight tournament, reached tonight’s semifinal with a decision win over Omar Hussein in July. Galal, meanwhile, originally lost his first-round matchup with Mohamed Zarey, but the result was overturned to a no-contest after a failed drug test, resulting in Galal advancing.
The co-main event will see Mohsen Mohammadseifi facing Mohammad Fahmi in a lightweight semifinal bout. Mohammadseifi, last year’s lightweight tournament champion, began his quest for a second straight title with a decision win over Ahmed El Sisy in May. Fahmi pulled off a stunning first-round submission of Georges Eid on that same card.
The event will be broadcast on DAZN in most countries, as well as on the PFL App in the U.S. If you can’t watch any of the action, MMA News has you covered with the full results and all the highlights below.
2025 PFL MENA 3 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Welterweight: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Ayman Galal via TKO (injury) (R1, 0:21)
Lightweight: Mohammad Fahmi def. Mohsen Mohammadseifi via submission (rear-naked choke) (R1, 4:25)
Flyweight Showcase: Malik Basahel def. Ahmed Mostafa via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 1:54)
Bantamweight: Islam Youssef def. Xavier Alaoui via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Lightweight: Salah Eddine Hamli def. Souhil Tairi via submission (arm-triangle choke) (R3, 1:30)
Featherweight: Islam Reda def. Taha Bendaoud via unanimous decision (30-26 x2, 30-27)
Preliminary Card:
Catchweight (160 lbs) Amateur Bout: Hassan Ahmed Moustafa def. Abdulaziz bin Moammar via split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Badreddine Diani def. Amir Fazli via split decision in a @PFLMENA Welterweight semifinal
Amir Fazli was announced the winner in error. Victory goes to Badreddine Diani#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/EwcazGoBzQ
Nawras Abzakh defeats Moktar Benkaci via unanimous decision in a Bantamweight Semifinal#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/ypLQgVOUxK
Hassan Ahmed Moustafa defeats Abdulaziz Bin Moammar via split decision in a catchweight amateur showcase bout#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/BXZNLKZvOC
Salah Eddine Hamli defeats Souhil Tairi via arm triangle submission in the third round! #PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/tzNBZ5yDqQ
Islam Youssef defeats Xavier Alaoui via unanimous decision in a Bantamweight Semifinal!#PFLMENA | 🇺🇸▶️Streaming LIVE & FREE in the PFL App pic.twitter.com/Llv8JTdlLc
PFL CEO John Martin is hoping to gain clarity into what the future is for the promotion and Francis Ngannou, who has not fought since the PFL Battle of the Giants event in October 2024.
Part of that press release stated that the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title Ngannou won last year was a “special, one-time designation” and that “going forward, those belts may be used only for occasional special events.”
Martin, who took over as the new CEO of PFL this past July, added that “importantly, I will be engaging directly with Francis to determine what’s next for him in the PFL.”
John Martin To “Engage Directly” With Francis Ngannou Over Future
After his UFC departure at the start of 2023, Ngannou and the PFL agreed to a contract in May, with Ngannou competing in the pay-per-view Super Fights division and receiving perks such as becoming the owner and chairman of the PFL Africa promotion and being a member of the PFL’s global advisory board.
Ngannou’s fight with Ferreira, however, has been the only fight he’s had in the PFL thus far. Ngannou, meanwhile, competed twice in boxing, nearly upsetting then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in October 2023 before getting knocked out by Anthony Joshua in March 2024.
The relationship with the PFL and Ngannou, however, has seemed to hit a bit of a rocky road. PFL Chairman Donn Davis expressed disappointment in Ngannou for not attending either of the first two PFL Africa events this summer. Ngannou would respond on The Ariel Helwani Show in August, expressing disappointment in how the PFL Africa brand has been built in comparison to the vision he had for it. Ngannou specifically noted not as much of a focus on African fighters as he preferred.
Since John Martin took the reigns of the PFL during the summer, many in the MMA community have wondered what changes could potentially come under the new CEO. And it appears that Martin’s first mission is to address the PFL’s championship situation.
After a 2025 season that was filled with uncertainty over what would happen with Bellator champions, the re-branding of the regular season to the World Tournament and making championships for them and PFL world titles, Martin is looking to make things simple.
“My goal is clear: one champion, one division, one world title, a system that is simple for athletes to chase and for PFL fans to follow,” Martin said in a press release.
The PFL’s champions originally were determined annually through the regular season-and-playoffs format that was in effect from the inaugural 2018 season through 2024. The championship pictures, however, became more complicated over the past couple of years since the PFL’s purchase of Bellator in November 2023. Bellator champions defended their titles in Bellator Champions Series branded events, which became PFL Champions Series events following the full dissolution of the Bellator brand.
PFL CEO John Martin Clarifies PFL Championship Picture
Martin stated that the annual champions did create “some confusion about who truly sat atop of each division” and admitted the handling of Bellator’s brand and champions left “fans unclear on who was the definitive champion in each weight class.”
“We are now simplifying our championship system,” Martin said. Going forward, each division will have one PFL World Champion, the single, undisputed titleholder in that weight class.”
A PFL middleweight champion was crowned at PFL Cape Town in July, which saw Costello Van Steenis score a last-minute, come-from-behind submission of Johnny Eblen to win the title. The rematches between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Huges and Corey Anderson and Dovlet Yagshimuradov to be held next week at PFL Champions Series 3 will determine the PFL lightweight and light heavyweight champions, respectively.
Martin additionally announced two world title fights to be held at the 2025 PFL Europe Championships in December — a PFL heavyweight title fight between former Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov and 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, and a women’s featherweight title fight that will see the legendary Cris Cyborg face Sara Collins.
The PFL title picture may have more confusion thanks to the PFL Battle of the Giants event held in October 2024, which saw Francis Ngannou beat Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title and Cyborg defeat Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Super Fights women’s featherweight title.
Martin, however, claimed these title were special one-off titles that could be used occasionally for special events. Martin further claimed he will speak with Ngannou about what is next for him and the PFL.
Former UFC fighter turned analyst Din Thomas thinks the UFC should trade off Magomed Ankalaev for PFL star Dakota Ditcheva.
Trades between MMA organizations are extremely rare. In fact, it’s only happened once. In October 2018, the UFC sent former flyweight king Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Akren. Now, Thomas thinks it’s time for the the UFC to initiate another trade, this time sending it’s reigning light heavyweight champion over to Donn Davis and Co. in exchange for their British bombshell.
Din Thomas thinks UFC should trade Magomed Ankalaev for PFL’s Dakota Ditcheva pic.twitter.com/NgFLZDwVTl
“We gotta understand that MMA is a star-driven sport,” Thomas said on The Casuals MMA podcast back in February. “We have a star problem in the UFC. [PFL] got Dakota Ditcheva, who’s a star. I’m like, ‘Yo, please listen, if you guys like MMA, do this for MMA. Trade her to the UFC, you know she belongs in the UFC.’ Just trade, listen, get rid of Ankalaev in the UFC, trade her for Ankalaev, we don’t need Ankalaev, you know what I’m saying.”
Is Dakota Ditcheva the Next Big Thing in Women’s MMA?
Meanwhile, Ditcheva continues to take the world MMA world by storm despite having a limited number of viable opponents to contend with under the PFL banner. After handily defeating Taila Santos—who once took Valentina Shevchenko to the limit—to win the 2024 PFL flyweight tournament, Ditcheva scored a decisive decision victory over Sumiko Inaba during the promotion’s inaugural event in Cape Town, South Africa.
Given her 15-0 record and 80% finish rate inside the Smart Cage, it’s clear that Ditcheva is ready for the next level of competition—something she’s unlikely to get in the PFL.
As for Ankalaev, he’ll put his gold up for grabs on October 4 when he runs it back with ‘Poatan’ at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. Ankalaev bested Pereira at UFC 313 after the Brazilian bruiser delivered an uncharacteristically lackluster performance in their light heavyweight headliner.
Ankalaev is currently trending as a 2-to-1 favorite to retain his title.
Battle was released from the UFC on August 20 after missing weight for a scheduled fight with Nursulton Ruziboev at UFC 319, causing the bout’s cancelation. Battle weighed in at 190 pounds for the fight, four pounds over the non-title middleweight limit.
This was after Battle had already missed weight by four pounds at welterweight for a fight with Randy Brown that took place at UFC 310 this past December.
Bryan Battle Signs With PFL
After an 8-2 amateur record between 2017 and 2018, Battle made his professional MMA debut in July 2019. He’d go 5-1 before participating in season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, going on to defeat Kemran Lachinov, Andre Petroski, and Gilbert Urbina to win the middleweight portion of the tournament.
Battle went 7-1 (1 NC) in the UFC.
In the time between his UFC release and PFL signing, Battle took a short-notice bout with Derik de Freitas at DBX 3 for Mike Perry’s Dirty Boxing promotion. Battle won the bizarre bout in just under a minute.
The final of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Hollywood, Florida 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 middleweight tournament final between former Bellator title challenger Fabian Edwards and Dalton Rosta. Edwards, the younger brother of former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, reached tonight’s final through a finish of 2023 light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay and a decision over Josh Silveira. Rosta has won three straight since suffering the sole loss of his career, including victories over former 2022 welterweight champion Sabidou Sy and Aaron Jeffrey (the one man to beat him) to reach tonight’s final.
The co-main event will be the heavyweight tournament final featuring Oleg Popov and Alexandr Romanov. After Popov fell short to Denis Goltsov in last year’s final, snapping a long winning streak for Popov, he reaches tonight’s final through decision wins over Karl Williams and Rodrigo Nascimento. Romanov submitted Tim Johnson in the first round of the tournament before a no contest with Valentin Moldavsky in the semifinals. Romanov, however, advanced to the final based on a judges’ decision from what went down in the fight with Moldavsky up to that point.
Also featured will be the light heavyweight tournament final featuring Sullivan Cauley and Antonio Carlos Jr. Cauley advanced to the final through victories over Alex Polizzi and former Bellator light heavyweight champion Phil Davis. “Shoeface,” who won PFL light heavyweight gold in 2021, reached the finals through wins over Karl Moore and Simeon Powell.
2025 PFL World Tournament Week 10 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Middleweight Final: Fabian Edwards def. Dalton Rosta via KO (R3, 1:28)
Heavyweight Final: Oleg Popov def. Alexandr Romanov via split decision (47-48, 49-46, 48-47)
Light Heavyweight Final: Antonio Carlos Junior def. Sullivan Cauley via submission (rear-naked choke) (R2, 3:44)
The second of three events to mark the conclusion of the PFL’s 2025 World Tournaments goes down in Charlotte, North Carolina 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 lightweight tournament final between defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov and Alfie Davis. Rabadanov, who defeated Brent Primus to claim the 2024 lightweight title, looks to become just one of a handful of PFL fighters to become a back-to-back tournament champion, let alone a two-time PFL tournament champion. Rabadanov made it to the finals with a pair of first-round finishes against Marc Diakiese and Kevin Lee. Davis, meanwhile, advanced here with a first-round knockout of Clay Collard and a decision win over Primus.
The co-main event will be the women’s flyweight tournament final between Liz Carmouche and Jena Bishop. Carmouche, the former Bellator women’s flyweight champion, reached the finals through an 85-second finish of Ilara Joanne and a decision over Elora Dana. Bishop reached with a unanimous decision over Kana Watanabe and a second-round submission of Ekaterina Shakalova.
Also featured will be the bantamweight tournament final featuring Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell. Alves made it to the final through decision wins over Leandro Higo and Jake Hadley. Wetzell scored decision wins over Kasum Kasumov and Mando Gutierrez.
2025 PFL World Tournament Week 9 Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Lightweight Final: Alfie Davis def. Gadzhi Rabadanov via unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
Women’s Flyweight Final: Liz Carmouche def. Jena Bishop via KO (R3, 2:56)
The PFL will stage a major championship event in Dubai on October 3, headlined by two world title bouts at the Coca-Cola Arena. The card, titled PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai – The Rematch, will feature the return meeting between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes, as well as a light heavyweight title clash between Corey Anderson and Dovlet Yagshimuradov.
Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes 2
The main event will see undefeated lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov (19-0, 1 NC) defend his title against Ireland’s Paul Hughes (14-2). The pair fought earlier this year in January at the same venue, producing a five-round contest that many regarded as one of the best fights of the year. Nurmagomedov was declared the winner by decision, though the result was the subject of fan debate. Hughes has since returned with a rapid 42-second win over Bruno Miranda in May, using his post-fight interview to directly call for the rematch.
Nurmagomedov, known for his technical control and tactical approach, holds notable wins over former champions Patricky Pitbull and Benson Henderson, competing in what is considered one of MMA’s most competitive divisions. The October meeting will mark his latest defence against one of his closest rivals.
Corey Anderson vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov
The co-main event will revisit a previous encounter between former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Corey Anderson (19-6) and reigning PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-7-1). Anderson won their first match in the 2021 Bellator World Grand Prix Quarterfinal by third-round stoppage. Since that bout, Anderson has collected the Bellator title and recently halted 2024 PFL Heavyweight Champion Denis Goltsov. Yagshimuradov, representing Turkmenistan, has gone unbeaten in his last seven fights, securing the PFL light heavyweight belt with a victory over Impa Kasanganay.
2025 PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series: at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, Saturday, Saturday, January, 25, 2025. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)
PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai – The Rematch
The undercard will include an undefeated heavyweight meeting between Pouya Rahmani (4-0) and Slim Trabelsi (8-0). Also scheduled is a 165-pound grudge bout between Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6-1) and Artem Lobov (14-15-1), originally planned for 2018 but cancelled after the UFC 229 post-fight incident. In welterweight action, 2024 PFL MENA Champion Omar El Dafrawy (14-5) meets PFL Europe Champion Florim Zendeli (10-1-1), with both fighters riding unbeaten streaks.
2025 PFL Road to Dubai Champions Series: at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, Saturday, Saturday, January, 25, 2025. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)
The event is part of the PFL’s ongoing “Road to Dubai” initiative, run in partnership with the Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Launched in November 2024, the campaign has brought multiple international MMA cards to the UAE and will culminate in the Road to Dubai Finale in January.
PFL CEO John Martin called the October event one of the league’s biggest nights, noting the significance of staging two championship fights in Dubai. He cited the city’s growing position as a host for major MMA events and the PFL’s role in presenting high-level competition on a global stage.
The PFL has arrived to Johannesburg as it presents PFL Africa 2 — and MMA News has you covered with all the action.
The PFL’s expansion efforts began a couple of years ago with the launch of PFL Europe, followed by the establishment of PFL MENA last year. Now, as was once promised when the PFL signed Francis Ngannou in 2023, the PFL has officially launched PFL Africa this year.
It was just three weeks ago when the PFL held the first global MMA event on African soil with PFL Cape Town — a night that featured both the first-ever PFL Africa card, as well as the second PFL Champions Series event, the latter playing host to Costello Van Steenis’ historical comeback to win the PFL middleweight title.
Just like the first PFL Africa event, PFL Africa 2 will see the African-focused promotion’s tournaments kick off with first-round action, this time focusing on featherweights and welterweights.
The featherweights will be in the main event tonight, as Patrick Ocheme takes on Mohamed Camara. Ocheme enters this fight 6-1 and on a four-fight win streak, most recently scoring a first-round finish of Kaleka Kabanda in the EFC this past November. Camara, meanwhile, comes into tonight 5-2-1, most recently battling Ali Yazbeck to a split draw back in May 2024 at a UAE Warriors event.
Welterweight action will be featured in the co-main event with Shido Boris Esperanca facing PFL Europe and Bellator veteran Ibrahima Mane.
PFL Africa 2 actions begins at 12pm ET/9am PT on the PFL App. If you can’t watch the action, MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights below.
PFL Africa 2 Results & Highlights
Featherweight: Patrick Ocheme def. Mohamed Camara via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
Welterweight: Shido Boris Esperanca def. Ibrahima Mane via submission (rear-naked choke (R1, 0:34)
Welterweight: Octave Ayinda def. British Boloyouang via submission (verbal) (R1, 1:55)
Official #PFLJoburg Result: Kunle Lawal def. Desmond Tamungang via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)#PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 📺 Live on SuperSport & Canal+ 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/TBappALNoz
Abderrahman Errachidy drops Elbert Steyn with a perfectly timed knee to the body! #PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/AHRGFv9My0
Dwight Joseph makes a statement in Johannesburg with a jumping knee KO over Wilker Namo! 🤯#PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 📺 Live on SuperSport & Canal+ 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/KUMUWd70XY
Another finish! Wasi Adeshina gets the W with a second round rear naked choke! #PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 📺 Live on SuperSport & Canal+ 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/OH5oHi9ZOl
Emilios Dassi gets the first knockout after nearly being caught in a triangle! #PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 📺 Live on SuperSport & Canal+ 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/cpuFE8YfeJ
Yabna N’tchala defeats Sanon Sadeck via unanimous decision #PFLJoburg | LIVE NOW! 📺 Live on SuperSport & Canal+ 🇺🇸 Live on The PFL App pic.twitter.com/vwE2H3M4vn
South African mixed martial artist Elbert Lukas Steyn is preparing for one of the biggest moments of his career at PFL Africa 2 in Johannesburg. The undefeated fighter, nicknamed “Pikachu,” has built a reputation for his grappling ability and submission finishes, but his journey to this stage has been far from straightforward.
Elbert Lukas Steyn
Steyn’s entry into combat sports began through wrestling, a path he describes as the toughest discipline he has ever undertaken. “With wrestling, you get your cauliflower ears, your experience, and the most important thing is the discipline that you learn over the years,” Steyn said during an interview with MMA News leading up to the event. His achievements included qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games at 17, but making weight was a major challenge. “I used to cut down to 63kg… that was killer for me at that time.”
His introduction to MMA came almost by accident. Growing up without internet access at home, Steyn happened upon a downloaded George St-Pierre highlight reel on a friend’s hard drive. “When I saw what this guy was doing to people, I just fell in love with it,” he said. The energy of the sport’s crowds, particularly in GSP’s hometown of Montreal, also left a mark. By the age of 15, he was training with an MMA career in mind.
In his amateur years, Steyn struggled with nerves and the pressure of competition. “I hated MMA as an amateur. I feared the cage, I feared the feeling, I feared the pressure,” he said. That led to a six-year break from competition after defending a local amateur belt. He returned to training through wrestling, was offered a fight within two months, and made his professional MMA debut. The shift in mindset was immediate. “The moment I walked out as a pro, I knew this is what I was going to do, before I knew the outcome of the fight.”
A key factor in overcoming those pre-fight anxieties was a change in perspective. “The anxiety I felt doing nothing for those six years was much worse than losing in front of millions of people… or rather be the loser on the screen than the loser watching the screen,” Steyn explained. He learned to manage the adrenaline dump that can sap fighters in competition, describing the challenge as “more mental fatigue than fitness.”
PFL Africa 2 represents both a personal and professional milestone for Steyn. The event is part of the Professional Fighters League’s expansion on the continent, with the Johannesburg card showcasing some of Africa’s top talent in tournament action. Steyn, facing Moroccan opponent Abderrahman Errachidy in a catchweight bout, is eager to make the most of the opportunity.
“From my point of view as a South African fighter, we didn’t really have many mentors from our country to look up to,” he said. “To be part of a platform this big… I’d match PFL with the UFC. The level is there, if not surpassing it.” He sees fighting at home as a chance to inspire the next generation and to perform in front of a local crowd without the prohibitive travel costs that South African fighters often face.
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
