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| Russia's Timur Khizriev was crowned PFL Featherweight World Champion in a historic 2024 PFL MMA World Championship fight night held last November 29, 2024 inside King Saul University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Image Source: Fightbook MMA/Professional Fighters League) |
The 2024 Global Season of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) reached a thrilling conclusion at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last November 29, 2024 as the fastest-growing and most innovative combat sports league crowned six global champions on a historic night in the Arab nation. In the main event, Russia’s Timur Khizriev delivered a masterclass against 2022 PFL champion Brendan Loughnane to become the Featherweight World Champion following a comfortable unanimous decision. The unbeaten 29-year-old controlled the fight from start to finish against his British opponent, dominating the striking exchanges and grappling to leave Loughnane with a bloody face and struggling with exhaustion by the end of the fight. Khizriev’s professional MMA record is now 18-0 and he will be a forced to be reckoned with after such a comprehensive win over a formidable former champion.
In the co-main event, Dakota Ditcheva made history as the first British woman to win an MMA world title thanks to a clinical two-round destruction of Brazil’s Taila Santos for the Women’s Flyweight World title. Ditcheva used her superior height and reach advantage to regularly beat Santos to the strike, and her impressive leg strength allowed her to resist the Brazilian’s takedown attempts. Eventually the accumulation of punishment proved too much for Santos and Ditcheva earned the stoppage with a series of body shots. On the keys to her impressive victory, Ditcheva said, “Just being myself. We know how strong I am and how much confidence I have in myself. I knew I had all the attributes to beat her, so I just had to be myself. Every fight for me is important, so I never underestimate anyone when I’m fighting the best. But I’m also the best.” Speaking about her experience in Saudi Arabia, Ditcheva added, “Obviously this is something that will stand out for a very long time, my first world title. But also being part of this event and seeing how much it’s all growing, it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever been on. I was super lucky to be part of it.”
In the fight before the co-main event, American Impa Kasangaway entered the cage as the only defending world champion on the card. However, his reign was ended in stunning fashion as Turkmenistan’s Dovlet Yagshimuradov produced a crisp flurry of punches to capture the Light-Heavyweight World Title inside the first minute. In the later of two all-Russian fights, Shamil Musaev was crowned the PFL Welterweight World Champion following a third-round knockout of Magomed Umalatov. A clever feint from the 30-year-old created an opening for him to land a powerful left hand, which sent Umalatov to the canvas. A rapid combination of ground punches then secured the win for Musaev, who extended his unbeaten record to 20 fights and one draw. The second fight of the PFL World Championship card delivered another victory for Russia as Gadzhi Rabadanov claimed a clinical knockout of American Brent Primus to become the PFL Lightweight World Champion. In a display of striking mastery, Rabadanov dropped Primus twice before landing the fight-ending combination in the third round with a powerful barrage that had the American stunned before he had hit the canvas. The 31-year-old has now won 10 straight fights and boasts a record of 24-4-2. Rabadanov paid tribute to the support he received in Saudi Arabia, saying, “This is now the second time I’m here and I think I’ll be coming back again. It feels like they are my people, it feels like home.” On what’s next for his career, Rabadanov added, “We’ll see, I don’t know. Right now, I’m happy and I don’t think about anything – just my team, my belt and what’s next, we’ll see.”
The Global Season Championship card began in spectacular style as Denis Golstov snapped Oleg Popov’s world-leading heavyweight win streak of 17 fights with a first-round submission. In an all-Russian battle, Golstov erased the pain of last year, when he fell short in the final, by submitting Popov via triangle choke to become the PFL World Heavyweight champion. The victory moves Golstov’s record to 36-8 and sees the 34-year-old collect the $1M (one million dollars) winner’s prize in his fifth PFL season. Speaking in the cage after his victory, Golstov said, “I’m really happy because it’s my fifth time when I tried but this year for me it’s very good because I feel my condition is much better than past years. And now I’m ready and I want a big fight against the big guys. Maybe next year you can see me in the cage again.” When asked who he wants to face when he moves into the Super Fights series, Golstov added, “Of course, Francis Ngannou.”
2024 PFL Championship Global Season Results: >
• PFL Featherweight World Championship: Timur Khizriev (18-0) def. Brendan Loughnane (30-6) via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x2)
• PFL Women's Flyweight World Championship: Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) def. Talia Santos (22-4) via TKO at 4:41 of round two
• PFL Light Heavyweight World Championship: Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (25-7-1) def. Impa Kasanganay (18-5) via KO at :58 of round one
• PFL Welterweight World Championship: Shamil Musaev (20-0-1) def. Magomed Umalatov (17-1) via KO at 1:44 of round three
• PFL Lightweight World Championship: Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) def. Brent Primus (15-4) via KO at 2:31 of round three
• PFL Heavyweight World Championship: Denis Goltsov (36-8) def. Oleg Popov (19-2) via submission [triangle choke] at 2:55 of round one
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| (Image Source: Fightbook MMA/Professional Fighters League) |
Meanwhile, the inaugural PFL MENA Championship delivered an unforgettable spectacle at the same venue on the same night as local hero Abdullah Al-Qahtani thrilled the home crowd by claiming the Featherweight PFL MENA Championship title. The Saudi Arabian fighter, known as “The Reaper”, was one of four PFL MENA champions crowned on a watershed night for mixed martial arts in the region as part of a five-fight card featuring Arab fighters. Competing in the headline bout of the PFL MENA Championship ahead of the PFL Global Season Championship, Al-Qahtani ensured a fitting end to the historic occasion with a brilliant first-round knockout of Morocco’s Marouane Bellagouit. The final move began with a perfect right hand that sent Bellagouit flying to the ground, and sensing a finish, Al-Qahtani moved in to complete the job with a barrage of powerful punches to claim the title and send the packed crowd into raptures. The 27-year-old’s professional record now stands at 10-2. On what it means to win the PFL MENA title on front of his home fans, Al-Qahtani said, “I’ve been waiting for this belt for a long time. To win the belt here in Saudi Arabia, I dedicate it to all my people and my family. I’m very happy for this.” Al Qahtani thanked the crowd for their support and providing him the energy to get the victory, adding, “When I’m in the cage I feel that it’s not just me who’s fighting – all the crowd, all the people are with me and it gives me a big push.”
In the co-main event of the PFL MENA card, Egypt’s Omar El Dafrawy continued his remarkable resurgence with a sensational second-round TKO of Kuwaiti Mohammad Alaqraa to claim the PFL MENA Welterweight title. Following four straight defeats, the 29-year-old has rebuilt his MMA career in stunning style and his win on Friday night was his seventh in a row to take his record to 13-6. El Dafrawy had to weather a storm in the first round but came out firing in the second. He caught a body kick from Alaqraa and rained down punches and hammer fists for an incredible knockout victory. On his stunning career turnaround, El Dafrawy said, “It’s these details in the mental game that were lacking. Not because I didn’t know what to do, it was because I was just rushing into things when I had so much stuff going on outside [of MMA] in my personal life. A professional athlete needs to be very clear. I live in one of the most laidback places on Earth: Bali. Have you heard of a fighter who lives in Bali? No one! But this is where I found my peace and it takes a lot of discipline. So when you know how to discipline yourself in very distracting environments, you can rule the world.” It was for the third PFL MENA bout when the event truly came alive as the sizeable crowd inside the arena threw their support behind Saudi trailblazer Hattan Alsaif who duly delivered with superb stoppage of Algeria’s Lilia Osman. Alsaif made history as the first Saudi woman to sign with a major global MMA promotion when she joined the PFL in January and the rising star made sure to delight her fans throughout an exhilarating fight. The 23-year-old fed off the sizzling energy of the fans, her every strike, takedown, and grapple greeted with thunderous cheers. A high-octane first round saw both fighters have degrees of success, although Alsaif always looked far more dangerous. The knockout came in the second round as Alsaif landed a series of thumping knees to Osman’s body to send the Algerian debutant to the canvas, sparking a roaring reaction from the fans. Alsaif’s amateur MMA record now reads 3-0 with all three victories coming by stoppage. Asked to reflect on her performance, Alsaif said, “All of my fights are tough to be honest, because you need to prepare mentally, physically, strength – you need to be prepared for everything. You never know what plan your opponent has for you. So it was a hard fight but I enjoyed every single moment and I’m ready for what is to come next.”
In the second bout on the PFL MENA Championship card, Iraq’s Ali Taleb collected the Bantamweight title with a spectacular first-round knockout of Moroccan Rachid El Hazoume. Taleb got hold of El Hazoume’s right leg and loaded up a massive right hand to knock his opponent out cold in the opening round. The emphatic victory, Taleb’s third in succession, extends the Sweden-based fighter’s pro MMA record to 12-1. On becoming the first PFL MENA Bantamweight champion, Taleb said, “I feel like I’m dreaming but I’m not dreaming. It’s hard work I put in during training that paid off.” Commenting on his one-punch knockout, Taleb added, “This hand, bro, when I connect, they sleep. All respect to all of my opponents, but it’s true, when I connect, they sleep.” Kicking off the action, Iran’s Mohsen Mohammadseifi clinched the Lightweight MENA Championship title with a unanimous decision victory over George Eids of Lebanon. An intriguing contest burst into life during the fourth round when Mohammadseifi sent Eids to the canvas but the Lebanese fighter recovered quickly and finished the round strong, much to the delight of the strong and vocal Lebanese crowd. Mohammadseifi, a five-time kung-fu world champion, ultimately did enough to secure the victory on the scorecards; his higher strike volume and land rate and superior stamina proving the difference in this title fight to extend his win streak to seven bouts. The Iranian’s professional MMA record now stands at 7-2. PFL MENA is creating a pathway for athletes from the region to compete in the PFL Global Season. The championship bouts, for both the Global Season and PFL MENA, were five, five-minute rounds, and for the first time in the history of the PFL Championships, the rule set allowed elbows.
PFL MENA Championships Results:
• PFL MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdullah Al-Qahtani (10-2) def. Marouane Bellagouit (6-1) via TKO at 3:21 of round one
• PFL MENA Welterweight Championship: Omar El Dafrawy (13-6) def. Mohammad Alaqraa (7-1) via TKO at :57 of round two
• Hattan Alsaif (3-0) def. Lilia Osmani (0-1) via KO at 1:37 of round two
• PFL MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (12-1) def. Rachid El Hazoume (15-4) via KO at 1:25 of round one
• PFL MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (7-2) def. Georges Eid (10-5) via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 49-46)
PFL Showcase Bouts Results:
• Mansour Barnaoui (22-6) def. Alfie Davis (17-5-1) via submission [rear-naked choke] at 3:41 of round three
• Slim Trabelsi (8-0) def. Abraham Bably (5-1) via split decision (29-28×2, 28-29)
• Gabriel Braga (15-2) def. Jeremy Kennedy (19-5) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Asael Adjoudj (9-1) def. Jose Perez (9-2) via submission [guillotine choke] at 1:10 of round three
• Costello van Steenis (16-3) def. Joao Dantas (7-2) via KO at :48 of round one
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