PFL hosted their annual world championship event on Friday night, determining which six fighters would end 2024 with gold around their waist.
The card, which took place from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was the culmination of a 10-event tour throughout the year. Finalists as part of the show previously fought in a pair of regular season bouts, and also succeeded in a semi-final fight to secure their spot in their championship bout on Friday.
Here’s a rundown of your new PFL champs:
Khizriev Puts Together One-Sided Win Against PFL Vet Loughnane
Timur Khizriev displayed a five-round clinic against PFL vet Brendan Loughnane in the main event of the night, taking all but one round on scorecards to become the new PFL Featherweight Champion.
Russia’s Khizriev had Loughnane’s number no matter where the fight went.
On the feet, he out-skilled Loughnane in striking exchanges. Khizriev won most interactions at stand-up range and was even able to wobble the English fighter at times with his boxing. The impossible-to-hide proof of Khizriev’s damaging shots became apparent on Loughnane’s face early due to a busted-up nose, and only became more visible as the fight continued.
Khizriev also had a fair amount of success on the ground, scoring well-timed takedowns against an off-balanced Loughnane to control the fight. His output slowed late in the title bout once he had developed a significant lead on scorecards, possibly explaining why Loughnane was able to pick up a round in what was a relatively dominant fight.
Khizriev’s win capped off a pair of show-wide trends which will be revisited throughout this report: The 29-year-old was, like many others, finding championship success as a PFL fighter after being transitioned over from the Bellator roster earlier this year. And in another major trend of the night, Khizriev was one of four world champions representing Russia.
The Dagestan-based fighter’s patient style brought him to the finals this weekend, having gone the distance earlier in the year against names like Gabriel Braga, Enrique Barzola, and Brett Johns.
Loughnane, a PFL talent since 2019, was hoping to follow up on his 2022 championship run and gain a second title in the promotion.
Ditcheva Stops Ex-UFC Talent Santos To Become First PFL Flyweight Champ
Undefeated Dakota Ditcheva’s rise hit a new high on Friday night, getting past former UFC title challenger Taila Santos to become PFL’s first-ever flyweight champion.
A striking clinic by Ditcheva came to a close in the second round after the Manchester-based fighter targeted the midsection of Santos. In an exchange where Santos was up against the cage, Ditcheva stunned her with a clean left hook to the body. Ditcheva followed up with a series of shots to the gut as Santos covered up, continuing until the referee finally stopped the bout.
Ditcheva had an impressive showing against Santos before the finish, proving to have significantly more developed striking skills. Avoiding takedown attempts and clinch positions initiated by Santos, Ditcheva instead kept the fight at stand-up range and out-landed her opponent.
The victory was a statement win for Ditcheva, who has been pushed as one of PFL’s rising stars but had yet to become the undisputed top name in the promotion’s 125-pound division. While she had previously faced fighters with the same amount of experience or even less than what she had done, Friday was the first time Ditcheva went against a more tested and historically successful fighter.
Santos, a former opponent of current UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko, entered this weekend with the experience of more than two dozen pro fights, many of which have come at the highest level of the sport. She advanced into the finals after beating one of the promotion’s top 125-pound talents, getting by Bellator Flyweight Champion Liz Carmouche in a semi-final bout.
At just 26 years old, Ditcheva now has an undefeated record of 14 wins since turning pro in 2021. She finished all three of her previous PFL bouts this year within a round.
“The world is mine,” Ditcheva said during her post-fight interview. “I’ll have to sit together with the PFL and see what we can come up with [next]. I just beat the best girl that’s out there outside of any other divisions.”
Ditcheva joined PFL’s first-ever flyweight season after winning a European tournament hosted by the promotion last year. This makes her the first fighter to win belts in both a feeder league and the main PFL tour, a once-hypothetical advancement through the brand’s ecosystem which has been mentioned on event broadcasts before.
Turkmenistan’s Yagshimuradov Stops Former Champ Kasanganay In 58 Seconds
Dovlet Yagshimuradov shut down Impa Kasanganay’s attempt at becoming a two-time PFL Light Heavyweight Champion, stopping him in just 58 seconds to capture the title on Friday night.
Yagshimuradov ended up being the more successful striker in a hectic exchange initiated by Kasanganay in the opening moments of the fight, ultimately determining who would take home the belt. While Kasanganay advanced early and looked to connect with his own strikes, it was a long series of shots on the return from Yagshimuradov that put the American in trouble and dropped him.
The combination of punches, including hooks and uppercuts to the head of Kasanganay, got him to the ground and put an end to the bout in just moments.
Yagshimuradov, a former Bellator fighter, ends his first year in the PFL with a title around his waist. He picked up three wins in past months, including a victory over former world champ Rob Wilkinson as part of the semi-finals.
“Impa was a very good fight, but today I was better than him,” said Yagshimuradov, who mentioned that he plans to return for the 2025 season.
Kasanganay, PFL’s 2023 champ, was looking to go back-to-back with another title win this year. He was on the road to doing so earlier this year, getting into the finals after a pair of regular season wins and a playoff victory against former LFA champ Josh Silveira.
Musaev Ends Umalatov’s Undefeated Record In Welterweight Final
Shamil Musaev pitched a near shutout against Magomed Umalatov, snapping the fellow Russian’s undefeated record with a third-round stoppage in the welterweight grand final.
After having all of the top moments throughout the fight, like strong flurries of strikes and takedowns, Musaev closed out the show with a left hook. Showing his finishing instincts after the knockdown, Musaev took the back of Umalatov immediately after to unload ground and pound strikes. It didn’t take long for the referee to officially stop the fight after some Musaev ground and pound, crowning him the new champ.
Musaev extended his undefeated record to an impressive 20 wins on Friday night and now has earned a title for the first time in his pro career. He previously earned a stoppage win over Bellator vet Logan Storley and snatched the undefeated record of ONE vet Murad Ramazanov earlier in the year.
Umalatov, a long-time PFL talent, was appearing in his first-ever title grand finals bout in the promotion. He competed as part of the 2022 and 2021 seasons, but due to outside-of-the-cage complications had to withdraw from both tournaments before realizing a title opportunity.
Rabadanov Stops Veteran Primus To Capture Lightweight Title
Gadzhi Rabadanov continued Russia’s successful night in the lightweight title bout of the evening, putting away former Bellator champ Brent Primus in the third round with strikes.
While Rabadanov spent large amounts of the fight in control on the ground, it was his striking on the feet which was more notable and eventually led to the bout’s conclusion.
Rabadanov scored a pair of knockdowns early in the fight, connecting with a right cross in the second round and an overhand right a round later to get Primus to the mat. The damage eventually became too much for Primus, who found himself in trouble after getting floored for a third time.
Rabadanov scored a left hook, then followed up with a hard right hand as Primus was on his way to the mat. This combination face-planted veteran fighter Primus onto the canvas, ending the fight just moments later.
Rabadanov, a fighter who joined the PFL roster this year following the promotion’s acquisition of Bellator, has now put together 10 consecutive wins. He made it to the finals this weekend following a pair of decision wins the season, then a second-round stoppage over Michael Dufort as part of the semi-finals.
Primus, a fighter who controversially captured a Bellator title back in 2017 with a win over Michael Chandler, was looking to secure a major MMA title for the second time in his career. He got to this weekend’s finals after earning a pair of submissions earlier this year, then beating PFL vet Clay Collard in the semi-finals.
PFL Vet Goltsov Finally Earns Heavyweight Title
Denis Goltsov, a heavyweight who has competed as part of PFL’s seasons since 2019, captured his first-ever title in the promotion this weekend with a fast submission win.
Making the best of being on the receiving end of a takedown, Goltsov secured a triangle choke from bottom position which put opponent Oleg Popov to sleep and subsequently ended the bout in just over two minutes.
The quick win continued a year of fast victories for Goltsov. He beat a series of veterans on his road to a title shot, stopping Linton Vassell, Thiago Santos, and Tim Johnson in recent months.
Goltsov showed persistence through the years to capture a PFL title, as 2024 was his fifth season with the promotion. In past tournament runs he made it to the semi-finals three times and went as far as the championship bout in 2023.
Goltsov took his gloves off after the win, making it seem as if he was considering a retirement. However, afterward, he clarified that he doesn’t plan to leave MMA just yet. Instead, the 34-year-old Russian hopes to take a season off and return by the end of 2o25.
And who would he want to face at that time? “Of course, Francis Ngannou,” he said.
The loss for Popov snapped a lengthy winning streak, which included a trio of victories from earlier this year. Before this weekend, Popov hadn’t suffered a loss since 2016.
Quick Results
Main Card (1:00PM EST / 9:00PM AST) (ESPN+)
Bout 16: Timur Khizriev def. Brendan Loughnane via Decision, Unanimous (PFL Featherweight Championship)
Bout 15: Dakota Ditcheva def. Taila Santos via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 4:41) (PFL Flyweight Championship)
Bout 14: Dovlet Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:58) (PFL Light Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 13: Shamil Musaev def. Magomed Umalatov via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 1:44) (PFL Welterweight Championship)
Bout 12: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Brent Primus via TKO, Strikes (RD 3, 2:31) (PFL Lightweight Championship)
Bout 11: Denis Goltsov def. Oleg Popov via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 1, 2:55) (PFL Heavyweight Championship)
PFL MENA Finals (9:30AM EST / 4:30PM AST) (ESPN+)
Bout 10: Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. Maraoune Bellagouit via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:21) (PFL MENA Featherweight Championship)
Bout 9: Omar El Dafrawy def. Mohammad Alaqraa via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:57) (PFL MENA Welterweight Championship)
Bout 8: Hattan Alsaif def. Lilia Osmani via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 1:37) (Amateur)
Bout 7: Ali Taleb def. Rachid El Hazoume via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:25) (PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 6: Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Georges Eid via Decision, Unanimous (PFL MENA Lightweight Championship)
Preliminary Card (7:15AM EST / 2:15PM AST) (ESPN+)
Bout 5: Mansour Barnaoui def. Alfie Davis via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 3, 3:41)
Bout 4: Slim Trabelsi def. Abraham Bably via Decision, Split
Bout 3: Grabriel Braga def. Jeremy Kennedy via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 2: Asael Adjoudj def. Jose Perez via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 3, 1:10)
Bout 1: Costello van Steenis def. Joao Vitor Dantas via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:48)
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