Budding Star among the Six New Champion Crowned at the 2024 PFL Championships
The 6th PFL season has concluded with six new champions and five getting it done without the judges.
Timur Khirzeiev has Brendan Loughnane on the back foot early breaking the Englishman’s nose with a stern jab. Khirzeiev coming in with 13 of his 17 wins by decision was hungry for a finish. In the second it appeared a finish was close to materializing after an uppercut staggered the 2022 featherweight champion. The offense kept mounting as Khirzeiev kneed Loughnane to the ground and cut him open outside the right eye in the third. The double tough Loughnane would make it to the final bell wearing a crimson mask. A total domination in the main event.
The rise of English phenom Dakota Ditcheva continues and may have the biggest potential of all the champion crowned on the evening. The expectations have been sky high and somehow, she continues to exceed them. The lone time Talia Santos got a takedown Ditcheva popped right to her feet. The Brazilian’s takedown attempts were met with knees & slicing elbows. Forced to trade on the feet Santos was mostly defense while Ditcheva worked the head including teaps to the face. Tied up in the clinch Ditcheva stuck a knee in Santos liver, tapping the organ again with a left hook folded Santos up for the finish. Ditvheva becomes the first fighter to go from PFL Europe champion to global champion. Her tear through the season taking just over 21 minutes of in cage time. The question is now who can give Dakota a challenge.
Light heavyweight knockout artists Impa Kasangany & Dovlet Yagshimuradov got right to trading bombs in the pocket. The larger Yagshimuradov clipped Kasangany with a left hook, followed up with a right hook knocking last year’s champion bag to the fence. Yagshimuradov firing uppercuts till the ref jumped in.
The battle of the unbeaten Welterweights was won by Shamil Musaev. The two Dagestan wrestlers cancelled each other out against the fence. A hard right hand from Musaev the thin separator between himself and Magomed Umalatov. Loading up on a right hand which was the disguise for a stance switch, Musaev drops Umalatov with a left hook the strikes on the grounds finishing the job.
Gadzhi Rabadanov captured the PFL Lightweight championship with his 10th win in a row. Rabadanov took control of the fight early on putting Brent Primus on his back in the first. A right hand sat down Primus in the second. Rabadanov has heard the criticisms of six consecutive decisions on his way to the playoffs. Just like in the opening round of the playoffs Rabadanov staggered his opponent with a left hook. A follow up right hook had an unconscious Primus falling to the ground.
The third time was the charm for Denis Goltsov. After falling just short in 2019 & 2023 Denis Goltsov is champion in 2024. Goltsov was taken down by Oleg Popov snuck a leg through putting Popov to sleep in just under three minutes into the first round.
In the end the night belongs to the Russian contingent along with breakout star Dakota Ditcheva.
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