Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following 2024 PFL Championship in Riyadh.
2024 PFL Championship took place this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it produced a massive update in the women’s rankings.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] stopped Taila Santos in the women’s flyweight championship bout in a stellar performance to claim the title and $1 million.
Entering the week at No. 14, Ditcheva’s performance vaulted her to No. 5, replacing Santos.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
Dakota Ditcheva’s $1 million PFL title win over Taila Santos was an eye opener, and now we ponder if she’s better than her UFC counterparts.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] achieved a breakthrough moment in more ways than one this past Friday at 2024 PFL Championship.
Ditcheva (14-0) completed a one-sided run through the women’s flyweight season when she defeated former UFC title challenger Taila Santos by second-round TKO to claim the belt and $1 million prize. Additionally, the 26-year-old became the youngest PFL season winner of all time.
The manner in which she dismantled Santos and the previous opponents before her has garnered plenty of attention toward the Brit, and it has some in the MMA community craving matchups with the best UFC women’s flyweights.
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On Monday’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to debate where Ditcheva stacks up among the best in the world, what’s next for her in the PFL and much more.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
https://www.youtube.com/live/QS2G4RQdRo0
A PFL fighter’s win has been overturned to a no contest.
[autotag]Zafar Mohsen[/autotag]’s PFL debut win has been overturned.
MMA Junkie confirmed Monday with Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation chief Mike Mazzulli that Mohsen submitted a fight night drug test for PFL: Battle of the Giants in October that was flagged as positive in the days that followed. The Mohegan Tribe commission regulated the Oct. 19 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mohsen (14-3) defeated [autotag]Husein Kadimagomaev[/autotag] (11-1) by unanimous decision, but the result has since been changed to a no contest, according to Mazzulli. Additionally, Mohsen has been suspended one year and fined an undisclosed amount.
The fight marked the promotional debut for both Mohsen and Kadimagomaev, who were elevated to a spotlighted pay-per-view main card fight. The contract statuses of the two fighters beyond the Oct. 19 event is unclear, though both are still listed on PFL’s website.
The PFL will increase events by a substantial number year-over-year until 2026, according to Peter Murray.
There’s more PFL on the way.
According to company CEO Peter Murray, the promotion plans to increase the number of events from 2024 to 2025 and then again from 2025 to 2026.
“We have a regular cadence for every property,” Murray told talkSPORT on Friday during 2024 PFL Championship. “This year, we had 28 events. Next year, we’ll have 36 events. Come 2026, we’ll have 50 events. So we’re focused on our global franchise events and then regional league events.”
Murray referenced 28 PFL events in 2024. However, that number is actually 26. That means the number of events will increase more than 38 percent year-over-year.
There were also Bellator event cancellations in Chicago, Paris, and Saitama, Japan. Murray’s answer was in response to a question regarding the recent surge in unhappy Bellator fighters vocalizing their displeasure about inactivity.
But don’t expect the Champions Series events to go anywhere. Though the Bellator name has been removed from the branding, there’s one scheduled for Jan. 25 in Dubai. It seems like the four-tiered approach to PFL events will be maintained in the new year.
“It’s a great call,” Murray said. “I think with the acquisition of Bellator, some fighters and fans don’t understand where that fits in. But now that we’ve established the Champions Series, it’s the super fights on top, then the Champions Series, then the global season, and the international leagues. That’s the architecture and that’s the pathway for fighters.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Championship.
Fresh off her 2024 PFL women’s flyweight championship, Dakota Ditcheva is unsure if she will return to the tournament format in 2025.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] is unsure what lies ahead after winning the PFL women’s flyweight championship.
At 2024 PFL Championship, Ditcheva (14-0) picked former UFC title challenger Taila Santos apart to win the title and a $1 million prize. On paper, Santos (22-4) was the toughest challenge for Ditcheva of her career, but she shined in a fantastic performance that resulted in a second-round stoppage.
“That’s the first person that I feel like I’ve looked up to and watched in the UFC, and now I’ve just fought,” Ditcheva told talkSPORT MMA in a post-fight interview. “For me, it’s a very big moment. I actually feel like – I was sat just talking to myself before the fight, and I was like, this doesn’t even feel like crazy pressure that I’m fighting for $1 million or a world title. It feels like I’m going in there to beat Santos. … It was a really strange mentality that I had, but I feel like that’s maybe what helped me.”
The undefeated Ditcheva has now won two tournaments in the PFL: the 2023 PFL Europe championship and the 2024 PFL championship. She’s confident her skills are a level above the competition in the tournament format, and wonders if it’s time to compete in the PFL’s Superfight series.
“I don’t know, we haven’t spoke about it too much with PFL,” Ditcheva said. “I think it’s difficult because for me, I just beat the top girl that there is out there. So, if you put me back in the tournament, I’m gonna get more stick for fighting the same girls and people that are lower level.
“So, does it make sense to do that with someone that’s like, I feel like I bring in a lot of attention and stuff like that, so I feel maybe a super fight might suit a little bit better, but then, is anyone gonna watch the season without me in it? I don’t know. We’ll see what happens.”
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Two-time PFL season winner Magomed Magomedkerimov wants his release so he can test his skills in the UFC.
A two-time winner of the PFL welterweight season, [autotag]Magomed Magomedkerimov[/autotag], is reportedly eyeing a move to the UFC.
Magomedkerimov (34-6) has spent nearly half his professional fighting career under the PFL banner. He’s found plenty of success by winning the PFL’s welterweight tournament in 2018 and 2023, but after last year, the Russian expressed his desire to move away from the season format.
His wish was granted, and a fight against former Bellator champion Jason Jackson was set for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions in February. However, Magomedkerimov withdrew due to an undisclosed injury, and has not competed in 2024. His last fight was a season-winning submission of Sadibou Sy at 2023 PFL Championship last November.
Now, Magomedkerimov, 34, would like to be released from the PFL so he can join the UFC.
“I’m waiting for PFL to let me go,” Magomedkerimov told Meta Ratings in Russian (translated by Google). “I want to test my strength in the UFC. If I can come to an agreement with the management to terminate the contract, I will talk about moving to the UFC. If not, I will have another fight.”
Magomedkerimov said he currently has a fight offer on the table to face Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, but would still like a change of scenery.
“At the moemnt, we are waiting for the situation with PFL to be resolved,” Magomedkerimov said. “After that, we will start communicating with UFC.”
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While Jon Jones deals with his “haters,” Francis Ngannou took the opportunity to make another call out.
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] may never actually cross paths inside the cage, but that hasn’t “The Predator” from hyping up the fantasy match.
PFL heavyweight superfights champ Ngannou (18-3) was once in a position to be able to face Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) when they were both in the UFC. Unfortunately, during Jones’ three-year transition from light heavyweight to heavyweight, Ngannou left the promotion to join the PFL after he could not come to terms on a new deal with the UFC.
Although they are now under different promotions and the UFC is unwilling to cross-promote, Ngannou and Jones have continued to discuss the potential fight, most famously during an impromptu faceoff last year at a PFL event in Atlanta.
Jones, the current UFC heavyweight champion, is coming off his first title defense at UFC 309, where he stopped Stipe Miocic. Leading into the fight and coming out of it, Jones has been labeled a “duck” for being dismissive of interim champion Tom Aspinall.
“Crazy how being called a ‘duck’ pays better than most of you Internet tough guys will make in a lifetime,” Jones wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Two fights in four years and still one of the biggest names in the sport? that’s not ducking, that’s winning. God’s blessings hit different, stay mad.”
Ngannou took the opportunity to reply to Jones’ message with a clever call out, keeping the conversation of the fantasy fight between the two alive.
“Blessings make haters uncomfortable, but they can’t change it,” Ngannou wrote on X. “There’s only one fight, the right fight that will multiply your blessings. #NgannouVSJones”
Blessings make haters uncomfortable, but they can’t change it.
There’s only one fight, the right fight that will multiply your blessings.#NgannouVSJones https://t.co/7HhNDM4OD6— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) November 30, 2024
PFL execs Donn Davis and Peter Murray have often spoken supportively about a potential cross promotion fight between Ngannou and Jones, urging the UFC to play ball. UFC CEO Dana White has shut it down the idea, reiterating that business is not conducted in that manner for the Las Vegas-based promotion.
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Dakota Ditcheva reacts to her big title win over Taila Santos at Friday’s 2024 PFL Championship in Saudi Arabia.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] made herself known this year.
After a successful run in the 2024 PFL tournament, Ditcheva took the women’s flyweight title – and the $1 million prize – at Friday’s 2024 PFL Championship in Saudi Arabia, and she did so by impressively stopping former UFC title challenger Taila Santos. This was by far the biggest test for Ditcheva (14-0), yet she was able to get through Santos (22-4) with ease.
“I’ve been telling you,” Ditcheva said in her in-cage post-fight interview. “I’ve been trying to tell you. Maybe (the haters will listen to me), I’m sure they’ll still be moaning about it, but I’ll just keep proving them wrong.”
At 26, Ditcheva feels unstoppable with such a big win under her belt. She didn’t confirm if she’ll now compete under PFL’s Super Fight series or continue in the season format.
“I don’t know, the world is mine,” Ditcheva said. “I’ll sit with PFL and see what we can come up with. I just beat the best girl that’s out there out of any division, so I don’t know, PFL and I will come up with something amazing.”
As far as the performance, Ditcheva expected to finish Santos. She was confident she was going to get the job done despite the discrepancy in experience.
“She’s a tough girl, but I knew what I was capable of,” Ditcheva said. “I’ve worked so hard. My team knew what I was capable of. Right from the beginning of the season, if I would’ve gotten her in the first round, I would’ve done the same thing. They’ve been talking, and she’s been saying, ‘She’s just a Barbie and a model.’ Well, a model just beat your ass in round two, so shut up.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Championship.
Check out these photos from Timur Khizriev vs. Brendan Loughnane at 2024 PFL Championship, a featherweight title bout for $1 million.
Check out these photos from [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag]’s unanimous decision victory over Brendan Loughnane to win $1 million at 2024 PFL Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos by Jose Peñuela, PFL MMA)
Timur Khizriev spoiled Brendan Loughnane’s fourth attempt at winning gold at the 2024 PFL Championship.
[autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] spoiled [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag]’s fourth attempt at winning PFL gold.
Khizriev defeated Loughnane in a unanimous decision in the main event of 2024 PFL Championship this Friday at King Saudi University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was almost a flawless performance, as Khizriev (18-0) won 50-45 and two 49-46 scorecards, beating Loughnane (30-6) with no controversy. The undefeated Dagestani wins the 2024 PFL featherweight title and the $1 million prize.
Khizriev pretty much dominated the action from the start to finish. He pressed Loughnane in relentless fashion while picking him apart with his boxing. As the rounds went on, Khizriev battered and bloodied Loughnane’s face. He also began using his wrestling more, and getting ahead even farther in the fight.
Timur Khizriev remains undefeated #andNOW is the 2024 PFL Featherweight World Champion!#PFLWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/4co9SjSqNU
— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024
With this result, Khizriev maintained his undefeated record. This was the first time Khizriev participated in a PFL tournament. Prior to his 2024 participation, Khizriev competed under the Bellator banner, where he went 3-0. The 29-year-old adds Loughnane to the list of notable fighters he’s beat such as Enrique Barzola, Brett Johns, and Daniel Weichel.
For Loughnane, this was his 15th fight under the PFL banner and fourth season he’s competed in, as he fought in the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 featherweight tournaments. Out of all those seasons, the Englishman was able to crown himself champion in 2022. Loughnane made his first big waves in the MMA world after defeating Bill Algeo in a solid showing on Dana White Contender Series in 2019, yet, to many’s surprise, not getting a UFC contract while getting criticized by UFC CEO Dana White.
Timur Khizriev left no doubt en route to claiming the 2024 Featherweight World Title! #PFLWorldChampionship pic.twitter.com/xWOuRwwU3M
— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Championship.
