All six of PFL’s 2024 championship matchups are now set, with the last two bouts having been confirmed this weekend from The Anthem in Washington, D.C., USA on Friday evening. The featherweight and welterweight talents fought in semi-final clashes on Friday night, setting up grand final matchups which will sit alongside bouts at bantamweight, lightweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight later this year.
Here’s what went down.
Former Champ Loughnane Returns To PFL Finals Against Khizriev
Brendan Loughnane will search for a second PFL title when he meets Timur Khizriev in the featherweight finals later this year.
2022 champ Loughnane had a close three-round clash against former UFC talent Kai Kamaka III in the main event of the night, delivering a solid striking performance to get the nod in a split decision outcome.
Loughnane stole the opening round of the fight after unloading a quick flurry of shots with a minute to go. A back-and-forth round suddenly swung his way after he dropped Kamaka III with a series of knees to the head, providing the opening for him to follow up with ground and pound shots until the clock expired.
Kamaka III recovered from opening round beating, getting back into the fight and making it a close clash in the later rounds. After a hard-to-call second round, Kamaka III seemingly gained momentum even more in the final five minutes.
The result continued Loughnane’s impressive 2024 run, getting into the playoffs after stopping Pedro Carvalho and Justin Gonzales in the regular season.
Friday’s main event ended a five-fight streak of wins from Kamaka III, including a trio of performances in Bellator and two wins from this year’s PFL regular season.
In a competitive stand-up clash, undefeated Khizriev out-landed a game Gabriel Braga for a split decision result.
Khizriev had a higher output and better accuracy on the feet, narrowly out-landing Braga through all three rounds. Braga was constantly the advancing fighter, including a strong third round where he aggressively chased down Khizriev. However, Khizriev was able to do enough off his backfoot, with two judges seeing him earn a three-round sweep on scorecards.
Russia’s Khizriev, a fighter who joined the PFL roster this year following a three-fight run in Bellator, will now get a chance at his first major MMA title. He got into this weekend’s playoffs after decision wins over experienced talents in the regular season, getting past Enrique Barzola and Brett Johns.
Braga, who was appearing in his second PFL season, got into the semi-finals following back-to-back finishes earlier in the year.
Russia’s Umalatov, Musaev To Battle For Welterweight Title
It will be an all-Russia matchup in the PFL welterweight finals later this year, as undefeated contenders Magomed Umalatov and Shamil Musaev will collide in a five-round bout.
Short-notice fighter Neiman Gracie gave Umalatov a run for his money in the co-main event, staying in their semi-final fight for all three rounds but ultimately losing via unanimous decision. Umalatov’s ability to resist falling too deep into grappling exchanges with Gracie and his striking skills allowed him to get the scorecard nod.
Gracie, who stepped into the playoff fight after an injury forced Don Madge out of the tournament, showed heart by aggressively looking for ways to win the fight. He gained confidence on the feet as the bout progressed, marching forward and landing shots against Umalatov. He started to tap into his grappling background late in the fight, looking for a submission after struggling to get the edge in stand-up exchanges.
Umalatov is now scheduled for his first championship bout in the PFL since he first joined the promotion in 2021. He beat a pair of Bellator veterans earlier in the year, submitting Brennan Ward and beating Andrey Koreshkov on scorecards.
Gracie, who was an alternate for the bracket, finishes his 2024 PFL run with one win through three appearances.
Musaev had a dominant performance in a rematch against Murad Ramazanov, remaining undefeated with a one-sided outing.
Ramazanov looked to take the fight to the ground throughout the 15 minutes of action, but Musaev’s stellar takedown defence allowed him to keep the fight in positions he was more comfortable with. He significantly out-landed Musaev, scoring shots in clinch positions and at stand-up range.
Musaev scored a brutal knockout win against Ramazanov just two months prior, stopping him in the second round of a regular season bout. He now has an impressive record of 19 wins as a pro, with the 20th victory having title implications involved.
Ramazanov was looking to avenge his sole pro loss in the semi-final fight. The former ONE Championship talent qualified for the playoffs due to his quick victory over UFC alum Laureano Staropoli, submitting him in the first round of a bout earlier this year.
Quick Results
Main Card (10:00PM EDT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 9: Brendan Loughnane def. Kai Kamaka III via Decision, Unanimous (Featherweight Semi-Final)
Bout 8: Magomed Umalatov def. Neiman Gracie via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Semi-Final)
Bout 7: Timur Khizriev def. Gabriel Braga via Decision, Split (Featherweight Semi-Final)
Bout 6: Shamil Musaev def. Murad Ramazanov via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Semi-Final)
Preliminary Card (7:00PM EDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 5: Mukhamed Berkhamov def. Ray Cooper III via Decision, Split (Welterweight Alternate)
Bout 4: Enrique Barzola def. Tyler Diamond via Decision, Unanimous (Featherweight Alternate)
Bout 3: Jose Perez def. Jesse Stirn via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Kent Mafileo via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:52)
Bout 1: Shido Boris Esperanca def. Tyler Hill via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:30)
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