Dakota Ditcheva is the problem.
The Manchester native won the Professional Fighters League European Championship in less than 365 days with a five-fight KO/TKO win and was crowned the youngest-ever PFL World Champion at the PFL 2024 Season Championship on Friday. It became. She defeated Tyra Santos in two rounds (22-4).
We may be witnessing the birth of a bona fide superstar in the world of women’s mixed martial arts. Dicheva (14-0) is a monster. She has shown that she has the wrestling ability to shut out recent Ultimate Fighting Championship title challengers and has an incredible ability to run anyone who gets in her way into the dirt. Santos is a world-class fighter and was one round away from winning the UFC flyweight title, but Dicheva blew her out of the water. Her Muay Thai skills are deadly and relentless.
Timur Khizryev’s name can be written in the history books of the Dagestan Empire. The undefeated featherweight defeated former PFL tournament champion Brendan Loughnen by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) in the main event Friday at King Saud Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. , won a prize of $1 million. Arabia.
Locknein (29-6) spent much of camp preparing for Hiszuliev’s formidable wrestling, but the Manchester native wasn’t counting on Hiszuliev’s incredibly fast hands or fluid head movements. Hizriyev (18-0)’s pace troubled Loughnane all night, but there was nothing the former champion could do to stop Hizriyev. Loughnane was bloodied and battered from the second round, forced to survive on his mettle until the final bell. Athletes from Dagestan had little difficulty collecting belts around the world. Martial artists like Khizriyev, Islam Makhachev, and Usman Nurmagomedov have esteemed wrestling pedigrees at their disposal and have delivered elite striking performances on the biggest stages.
There were many memorable matches at the PFL Championship, but none as shocking as the light heavyweight final.
After winning the tournament last year, many expected Impa Kasanganay to become the first light heavyweight champion to win back-to-back titles, but Dobrezhan Yagshimuradov put a dent in that. The tornado from Turkmenistan swept through Kasanganay in just 60 seconds, stirring up countless haymakers. Kasanganay (18-5) has been disciplined throughout his time in the PFL, but the decision to trade slugger Yagshimuradov so soon will come back to haunt him. Once cut, there was no place to hide and the former champion could do nothing but brace himself and pounce. The 35-year-old Yagshimuradov (25-7-1) won his first world title and extended his winning streak to seven.
Two undefeated welterweights entered the Smart Cage for a chance at $1 million, but only one remained with an undefeated record. Shamil Musayev (18-0-1) KOs the Eagles’ MMA piece in the third round (1 minute, 44 seconds), mercilessly ending fellow Russian Magomed Umaratov’s (17-1) unblemished winning streak. I stole it.
This fight was highly anticipated after both men progressed towards the championship. Still, Moussev proved to be on another level. His wrestling was just as strong as Umalatov’s, but the difference in hand speed was staggering. The two undefeated champions showed respect throughout the first two rounds. It was an interesting chess match, but the crowd grew restless. Musaev dropped Umalatov with a picture-perfect left hand and then delivered a match-ending flurry of blows on the mat, giving the fans a cheer at the end.
A new lightweight champion has been born. His name is Gazi Rabadanov.
The Dagestani wrestling expert proved he’s more than just a grappler by defeating former Bellator MMA champion Brent Primus for the PFL Lightweight Championship with a textbook third-round KO (2 minutes, 31 seconds). Rabadanov (24-4-1) appeared on a nine-game winning streak and led Primus (15-4) to 39 points. Rabadanov pushed Primus onto his back and applied nonstop pressure while in guard. In the second round, he crushed Primus with a right hand that left him sitting on the seat of his pants. Labandov would defeat Primus two more times before ejecting him for good.
Denis Goltsov has been one of the best heavyweights in the PFL for the past five years, but until Friday he was never the best.
It takes less than three minutes to change that. “The Russian Bogatyr” won the top spot and $1 million in prize money with a triangle choke on Oleg Popov 2 minutes and 51 seconds into the first round of the championship match. Goltsov (36-8) had a dominant performance throughout the regular season, but after falling short in last year’s final game, many wondered if Goltsov was destined to finish as a runner-up forever. I thought. Popov (19-2) entered this bout on a 17-fight winning streak and wasted little time getting the older man to the mat. Goltsov inched closer to the fence, patiently moving his feet over Popov’s head. Goltsov is best known for his punching power, earning his ticket to the big dance with three consecutive TKO wins, but he’s also a skilled grappler. Popov found out the hard way after being put to sleep by Goltsov’s python-like pressure. Goltsov is hoping to secure a superfight with Francis Ngannou after his career-defining victory.
