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| (Image Source: Fightbook MMA/Professional Fighters League) |
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, has announced that the co-main event of Road To Dubai Champions Series on January 25, 2025 at the Coca-Cola Arena located at Dubai's City Walk will be a Heavyweight trilogy bout between the last two men to hold the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship, Vadim Nemkov (18-2, 1 NC) and Corey Anderson (18-6,1 NC). In a highly anticipated trilogy bout between two of the most recognizable names in the sport, reigning Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Corey Anderson will make the move up to the Heavyweight division to take on a familiar foe in Vadim Nemkov.
Anderson saw a resurgence in his career when he signed with Bellator in 2020 as he dominated the Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix, stringing together three-straight TKO victories. The Illinois’ native first met the Russian powerhouse during the finals of the Grand Prix in 2022 where $1 million dollars were on the line. Anderson was seemingly en route to a world championship but the bout was deemed a no contest due to an accidental clash of heads in the third round. Later that same year, Anderson and Nemkov collided once again with Nemkov displaying a striking masterclass, defending his title in the process. Since then, Anderson inserted himself back into the win column after a closely contested battle with former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Phil Davis and at Bellator Champion Series Belfast, Anderson struck gold as he defeated the surging Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator Light Heavyweight title. A protégé of MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, Nemkov has proven to be amongst the upper echelon of the Light Heavyweight division, being at the helm for three years. Boasting victories over the likes of former Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader, Phil Davis, and MMA superstar Yoel Romero, Nemkov has since decided to take his talents to the Heavyweight division. His debut in the weight class earlier this year during the stacked Champions vs. Champions card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Nemkov squared off against Brazil’s Bruno Cappeloza, emerging victorious after he secured a second-round submission. On January 25, Nemkov will welcome Anderson to the Heavyweight division in the debut Road To Dubai Champions Series. Three additional main card bouts are also official, with the news that one of the top young British prospects in the sport, undefeated Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) will take on Ireland’s Kenny Mokhonoana (5-1) at Featherweight. Unbeaten Khasan Magomedsharipov (10-0), the younger brother of Zabit Magomedsharipov, will fight Irish standout Nathan Kelly (11-2), who is in the midst of an 11-fight winning streak, at Featherweight. Rounding out the newly announced main card bouts is a Bantamweight tilt featuring Russia’s undefeated Renat Khavalov (8-0) going toe-to-toe with Brazil’s Cleiver Fernandes (9-1), a former Shooto Brazil Bantamweight Champion that is currently on an eight-fight winning streak.
An undercard featuring top MMA talents from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and around the world has also been announced. The marquee preliminary bout of the night will see Tarek Suleiman (13-8) square off against Ahmed “Lee” Samy (11-4). Dubai’s very own Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1) will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing his undefeated record in his PFL debut this past July, as he fights in front of a home crowd against former RSF champion Ruel “Bagsik” Pañales (5-2). Dubai-based fighter Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) will put his unblemished record on the line against Jordan’s experienced Jarrah “Jordanian Lion” Al-Selawe (20-7), while Dubai’s 971 Academy product John Mitchell (9-2), a five-time Irish MMA champion, will enter the SmartCage against PFL MENA’s Algerian competitor Souhil Tairi (7-5-1). In addition, Emirati fighter, Youssef Al Housani (4-1), will face off against Egypt’s undefeated Assem Ghanem (4-0). Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Nada (9-3) riding a five-fight win streak, will face the British-Pakistani PFL debutant Haider “Darth” Khan (8-1) who has won his last four bouts. The undercard will also feature Dubai-based Uzbek fighter, the undefeated Mirafzal “Mirko” Akhtamov (7-0-1), who has an impressive six finishes in his career, will take on England’s knockout specialist, Mike “Lefty” Thompson (7-2), with five of his seven victories coming by way of KO/TKO. These fights join a historic event headlined by “Dagestan vs. Ireland’ the undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion, Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) looking to defend his title against Ireland’s Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-1) who is coming off the biggest victory of his MMA career at PFL “Battle of the Giants” after defeating AJ McKee.
Road To Dubai Champions Series is the inaugural “Road To Dubai” event following the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Sports Council (DSC), and the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The first-of-its-kind partnership will see MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA. All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as “Road To Dubai”, as each show culminates to the finale set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati star fighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL Champions. PFL is the only organization in MMA with a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The PFL roster boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
Completed Road To Dubai Champions Series Main Card:
• Lightweight World Title Bout: Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) vs. Paul Hughes (13-1)
• Heavyweight Co-Main Event: Vadim Nemkov (18-2, 1 NC) vs. Corey Anderson (18-6,1 NC)
• Featherweight Main Card Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) vs. Kenny Mokhonoana (5-1)
• Featherweight Main Card Bout: Khasan Magomedsharipov (10-0) vs. Nathan Kelly (11-2)
• Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Renat Khavalov (8-0) vs. Clever Fernandes (9-1)
Road To Dubai Champions Series Preliminary Card:
• Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Tarek Suleiman (13-8) vs. Ahmed Samy (11-4)
• Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (5-1-1) vs. Ruel Pañales (5-2)
• Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) vs. Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-7)
• Lightweight Preliminary Bout: John Mitchell (9-2) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-5-1)
• Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs. Assem Ghanem (4-0)
• Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs. Haider Khan (8-1)
• Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1) vs. Mike Thompson (7-2)
