The first Professional Fighters League show of the new year will put the combined roster to good use.
The promotion announced the top two matches of PFL’s Road to Dubai, also known as Champions Series Dubai, through a press release. The event, which will be rebranded as the Bellator MMA Champions Series starting in 2024, will take place on January 25th at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The centerpiece will be the lightweight championship attraction, with Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0, 1 NC) putting his Bellator belt on the line against Paul Hughes (13-1). Additionally, the co-headliner will be at heavyweight as former Bellator kingpin Vadim Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC State) takes on PFL veteran Ante Delija (24-6).
Nurmagomedov returned after his lightweight title defense against Brent Primus ended in a no-contest after a post-fight drug test showed an undisclosed substance. This promotion allowed him to retain and continue to defend the belt, stopping Alexandre Chablis in September to remain undefeated. Nurmagomedov claimed the title against Patrick Freire in 2022 and retained it the following year by tapping Benson Henderson.
Ireland’s Hughes defeated AJ McKee on the scorecards in a close contest to win the 155-pound gold medal. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship featherweight champion defeated Bobby King in pound pound action in June and is now in the major leagues in preparation for a matchup with McKee. “Big News”‘ only loss was to Jordan Vucenic, and he got revenge three games later.
Nemkov, a former light heavyweight champion, returned to heavyweight in February and extended his undefeated streak to 13 straight when he put Bruno Caperozza to sleep with an arm triangle choke. Prior to his move, Nemkov broke Bellator’s record for most title defenses at 205 pounds and vacated the belt himself. Nemkov says this is the last fight in his Bellator-PFL contract and that he has his sights set on greener pastures after this fight.
Looking to liven up the party is 2022 PFL Heavyweight Tournament winner Deliyah. In April, the Croatian fighter’s five-fight winning streak ended when he was outclassed by Valentin Moldavski in less than half a round. Prior to his knockout loss, Deliya had won the PFL title that year with three knockouts in five wins, including stoppages of Renan Ferreira and Mateusz Scheffel. For now, the co-main event is official as per the promotion, but a source close to the situation told Sherdog that Delija may undergo surgery soon and no bookings have been confirmed yet. .
