PFL Welterweight Title Fight Headlines Return to Washington, D.C.
The Professional Fighters League is bringing championship MMA back to the nation’s capital this summer, as undefeated rising star Thad Jean faces former tournament champion Shamil Musaev for the vacant PFL Welterweight World Championship on July 25 at CareFirst Arena.
The highly anticipated main event will headline PFL D.C., airing live in the United States on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET, with preliminary fights streaming earlier in the evening on the ESPN app starting at 7 p.m. ET.
The championship bout comes after former titleholder Ramazan Kuramagomedov was stripped of the welterweight crown after retiring, opening the door for the league’s last two tournament champions to compete for the division’s top prize.
Jean enters the fight with an undefeated 11-0 record and the momentum of a breakout 2025 campaign that saw him capture the PFL Welterweight Tournament Championship. Along the way, he delivered a first-round knockout victory over Mukhamed Berkhamov, defeated former Bellator champion Jason Jackson, and earned a five-round unanimous decision over former interim Bellator titleholder Logan Storley.
For Jean, the July showdown represents more than another victory opportunity — it is a chance to establish himself as one of the premier welterweights in the sport.
Standing across from him is one of the division’s most accomplished competitors. Musaev, the 2024 PFL Welterweight Tournament Champion, has built a reputation as one of the organization’s most dangerous fighters. His résumé includes a knockout victory over Storley, two wins against Murad Ramazanov, and a third-round TKO victory over Magomed Umalatov to secure the 2024 tournament championship.
PFL CEO John Martin called the matchup one of the biggest welterweight title fights the organization has staged.
“Thad Jean did everything that was asked of him,” Martin said. “He won the 2025 tournament, beat elite competition, took the hardest path, and now he can finish the job and become PFL Welterweight World Champion on July 25. Standing across from him is Shamil Musaev, one of the most proven and dangerous welterweights in the world.”
The Washington event marks the second of three consecutive weeks of PFL cards featuring world championship fights, underscoring the promotion’s busy summer schedule.
Tickets for PFL D.C. at CareFirst Arena will be available through Ticketmaster, with presale access opening Friday, May 15, at 1 p.m. ET. Additional fights for the card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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