PFL 2024 Season Crowns Six World Champions As History Is Made In Riyadh

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – The 2024 PFL season reached a thrilling conclusion at King Saud University on Friday as the Professional Fighters League crowned six global champions on a historic night in Riyadh.

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 $1 million 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.”

The PFL World Championship card took place after the inaugural PFL MENA Championship, which crowned four new champions, including Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani, who claimed the Featherweight title in the Main Event.

2024 PFL Championship Global Season Results:

Timur Khizriev (18-0) def. Brendan Loughnane (30-6) via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x2)
Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) def. Talia Santos (22-4) via TKO at 4:41 of round two
Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (25-7-1) def. Impa Kasanganay (18-5) via KO at :58 of round one

Shamil Musaev (20-0-1) def. Magomed Umalatov (17-1) via KO at 1:44 of round three

Gadzhi Rabadanov (24-4-2) def. Brent Primus (15-4) via KO at 2:31 of round three

Denis Goltsov (36-8) def. Oleg Popov (19-2) via submission [triangle choke] at 2:55 of round one