Brendan Loughnane would love a second $1 million PFL title, but unbeaten Timur Khizriev stands in his way.
[autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] and [autotag]Timur Khizriev[/autotag] meet Saturday for the featherweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev2024 PFL Championship preview
Brendan Loughnane
Brendan Loughnane (30-5) is no stranger to the PFL final. He got an oversized $1 million cardboard check (plus the actual money, we’d presume) in 2022 when he knocked out Bubba Jenkins. He missed the playoffs in 2023, but was back with a vengeance in the regular season this year with knockouts of Pedro Carvalho and Justin Gonzales. He outworked Kai Kamaka III to reach the final.
PFL 9: Washington DC Playoffs at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Timur Khizriev (17-0) has yet to taste defeat in his pro career, and largely speaking, opponents know what they’re going to get. The 29-year-old Russian wrestling standout has 75 percent of his wins by decision, including all six of his bouts for Bellator and the PFL. This year, he grinded out Brett Johns, Enrique Barzola and Gabriel Braga to reach the final.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev 2024 PFL Championship odds
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Brendan Loughnane vs Timur Khizriev during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Khizriev is a fairly prohibitive favorite around 3-1 – though that’s the lowest betting line for him since he came onto the Bellator scene in 2022.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev 2024 PFL Championship expert pick, prediction
There is a pocket of support from our staff members for former winner Loughnane with three upset picks.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev 2024 PFL Championship start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Loughnane and Khizriev are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 5 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Dakota Ditcheva has dominated so far in her pro career. Can ex-UFC fighter Taila Santos pull the upset?
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] and [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] meet Saturday for the women’s flyweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos 2024 PFL Championship preview
It’s largely been a breeze for the 26-year-old Dakota Ditcheva (13-0), who has combat sports in her blood thanks to a kickboxing standout mother. She hasn’t gone do a decision since she signed with the PFL – and has seven of those eight stoppages in the first round. She quieted any potential detractors who may have criticized her level of competition in her PFL Europe run by shutting down Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett and Jena Bishop on her road to the $1 million final.
Taila Santos def. Jena Bishop at 2024 PFL 4
Taila Santos (22-3) dropped back-to-back fights in the UFC to then-former, but newly current champion Valentina Shevchenko and Erin Blanchfield, then found herself in need of a bounce back. That came in the PFL, where she submitted Ilara Joanne in April, then outworked Bishop and former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche to reach the final.
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos 2024 PFL Championship odds
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Dakota Ditcheva vs Taila Santos during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
At -345, Ditcheva is the second biggest favorite of the six $1 million fights.
[autotag]Ante Delija[/autotag] (24-6) takes on [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (17-2-1) in a heavyweight bout on Jan. 25 at Coca-Cola Arena, promotion officials announced Friday morning.
𝙃𝙐𝙂𝙀 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙑𝙔𝙒𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝘾𝙃𝙐𝙋 😤
🇷🇺 Vadim Nemkov vs. Ante Delija 🇭🇷
Former Bellator and PFL Champions clash in Dubai as Vadim Nemkov takes on Ante Delija on Saturday 25th January at the Coca-Cola Arena!
Can Impa Kasanganay win a second straight $1 million PFL title?
[autotag]Impa Kasanganay[/autotag] and [autotag]Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov[/autotag] meet Saturday for the light heavyweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Impa Kasanganay vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov 2024 PFL Championship preview
Impa Kasanganay (18-4), a former welterweight, won the 205-pound $1 million title in 2023 against Josh Silveira. He’s coming off a split-call setback against Bellator champ Johnny Eblen, but in he tore through the regular season with finishes of Alex Polizzi and Jakob Nedoh, then beat Silveira a second time to reach the final.
Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov def. Rob Wilkinson – 2024 PFL Playoffs 2
Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (24-7-1) lost his first two Bellator fights in 2021, but has been on a roll ever since. He wrapped his tenure in that promotion with three straight wins, then stopped Nedoh in the first round to open his first PFL season. He outworked Simon Biyong to reach the semifinals, then beat Rob Wilkinson to get a shot at $1 million.
Impa Kasanganay vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov 2024 PFL Championship odds
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Impa Kasanganay vs Dovlet Yagshimuradov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Kasanganay is only about a -175 favorite. The only time he hasn’t been a favorite in the PFL was his fight with Eblen earlier this year.
Only one of our staff pickers took Yagshimuradov in an upset.
Impa Kasanganay vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov 2024 PFL Championship start time, how to watch
As the fourth $1 million fight on the main card, Kasanganay and Yagshimuradov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Check out these photos from the fights at the 2024 PFL Championship.
Check out these photos from the fights at the 2024 PFL Championship, which took place at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photos courtesy of PFL MMA)
A pair of unbeaten welterweights battle for $1 million in Saudi Arabia.
[autotag]Magomed Umalatov[/autotag] and [autotag]Shamil Musaev[/autotag] meet Saturday for the welterweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev 2024 PFL Championship preview
PFL 9: Washington DC Playoffs at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
The road to his first PFL championship bout included a decision win over former Bellator champion Andrey Koreshkov in April, an anaconda choke finish of Brennan Ward and a decision over Neiman Gracie for Magomed Umalatov (17-0).
Shamil Musaev def. Murad Ramazanov – 2024 PFL 6: Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Friday, June 28, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Shamil Musaev (19-0-1), just 30, burst onto the PFL scene in April when he upset Logan Storley with a second-round knockout. He followed that with a 5-point second-round TKO of Murad Ramazanov. He met Ramazanov again in the semifinals and outworked him to get his $1 million shot.
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev 2024 PFL Championship odds
Musaev is as much as a 3-1 favorite in the fight. The return on Umalatov has been in the +200 range.
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Magomed Umalatov vs Shamil Musaev during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Our staff members picked Musaev at a 7-4 clip, showing there’s still a camp whose members think Umalatov is a live ‘dog.
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev 2024 PFL Championship start time, how to watch
As the third fight on the main card, Umalatov and Musaev are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 2:45 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Can a former Bellator champ shut down the main card’s biggest $1 million favorite?
[autotag]Brent Primus[/autotag] and [autotag]Gadzhi Rabadanov[/autotag] meet Saturday for the lightweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov 2024 PFL Championship preview
Brent Primus def. Solomon Renfro 2024 PFL 5
Fans have seen a lot more of former Bellator champion Brent Primus (15-3) in recent years, and an upset win would make him a titleholder in two major promotions. After he dropped the Bellator belt in his first attempted title defense in 2018, it’s been up and down – but lately up since he arrived at the PFL. He submitted Bruno Miranda and Solomon Renfro, then outworked Clay Collard in the semifinals three months ago.
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Michael Dufort – 2024 PFL 8: Hollywood Playoffs at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, Friday, Aug. 16, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Gadzhi Rabadanov (23-4-2) lost the Eagle FC lightweight title in 2020, but hasn’t looked back. He has nine straight wins, including five for Bellator and three in this current PFL season. Rabadanov is a grinder. Although he knocked out Michael Dufort in the semifinals, seven of his previous eight wins were decisions.
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov 2024 PFL Championship odds
Rabadanov is the biggest favorite on the main card at as much as 6-1. The comeback on Primus is around +400.
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov 2024 PFL Championship expert pick, prediction
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Brent Primus vs Gadzhi Rabadanov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Our staff members had Rabadanov as their only unanimous pick on the main card.
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov 2024 PFL Championship start time, how to watch
As the second fight on the main card, Primus and Rabadanov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 2 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Who has the edge with $1 million on the line in the 2024 heavyweight final?
[autotag]Denis Goltsov[/autotag] and [autotag]Oleg Popov[/autotag] meet Saturday for the heavyweight $1 million title at the 2024 PFL Championship. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup.
Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov 2024 PFL Championship preview
Denis Goltsov def. Tim Johnson – 2024 PFL 7: Nashville Playoffs
The 34-year-old Goltsov (35-8) will be going after a bit of redemption. He reached the 2023 playoff final against Renan Ferreira, but was knocked out in the second round. On his road back, he finished Linton Vassell with a third-round knockout to open the 2024 season, then knocked out Thiago Santos and Timothy Johnson in less than half a round each.
Oleg Popov def. Davion Franklin at 2024 PFL 4
Popov (19-1), a 32-year-old Russian, has not lost in eight years. His current 17-fight winning streak will be on the line against his countryman. After a knockout of former UFC heavyweight Antonio Silva in 2022 and a Bellator win in 20023, Popov knocked out prospect Steve Mowry in April, then outworked Davion Franklin and Vassell to reach the final.
Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov 2024 PFL Championship odds
From a betting standpoint, Goltsov-Popov is the closest pick on the main card. The fight started at near pick’em range, but has settled in with Popov as a slight favorite around as high as -150. The best comeback price on Goltsov is +125.
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Denis Goltsov vs Oleg Popov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Our staff members were as down-the-middle as they could be, too, and had Goltsov with a 6-5 edge over Popov in the picks.
Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov 2024 PFL Championship start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Goltsov and Popov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 1:15 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Is Donn Davis failing in his mission to make PFL the co-leader to UFC in the MMA space? And is it too late to fix things?
The PFL schedule is nearing its conclusion for the year, with 2024 PFL Championship marking penultimate event.
It’s a significant one, too, with six new $1 million champions set to be crowned in Saudi Arabia. However, it also comes in the midst of some negative headlines for the organization, with several Bellator champions venting complaints about inactivity right around the one-year anniversary of when PFL acquired the company.
The entire situation has generated conversation about whether PFL is doing enough to be a legitimate No. 2 option to the UFC in the MMA space, or if it has come up short of co-founder Donn Davis’ mission to become a co-leader in the industry.
MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn reviewed the state of PFL and Bellator going into 2025 on his “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie staff reporter Nolan King, and you can watch the entire conversation above.
Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Denis Goltsov vs. Oleg Popov
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Denis Goltsov vs Oleg Popov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Brent Primus vs Gadzhi Rabadanov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Records: Primus 15-3, Rabadanov 23-4-2 Past five: Primus 4-1, Rabadanov 5-0 Division: Lightweight Rankings: None Odds(as of 11.28.24): Primus +425, Rabadanov -575 Junkie pick results: Rabadanov 11, Primus 0
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Magomed Umalatov vs Shamil Musaev during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Impa Kasanganay vs Dovlet Yagshimuradov during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Dakota Ditcheva vs Taila Santos during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
2024 PFL Championships faceoff off between Brendan Loughnane vs Timur Khizriev during the ceremonial weigh-ins at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
