PFL World Championship 2024 live updates: Round-by-round results and highlights for all six $1 million finals on Black Friday
Dakota Ditcheva and Taila Santos face off for $1 million at the 2024 PFL World Championships. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
Uncrowned has PFL World Championship 2024 results, live round-by-round updates, start time, and highlights for 2024’s PFL championships on Friday at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Six tournament final matchups take place on the main card, with six $1 million grand prizes hanging in the balance for the winners.
In the main event, 2022 featherweight season winner Brendan Loughnane hunts for his second $1 million night with a finals showdown against undefeated Timur Khizriev.
The much-anticipated co-main event features burgeoning PFL star Dakota Ditcheva face her toughest test to date against one-time UFC title challenger Taila Santos in the women’s flyweight finals.
The PFL World Championship 2024 start time for the main card is at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Follow along with Uncrowned’s live PFL World Championship 2024 results and live blog below.
Main Card (ESPN+ at 1 p.m. EST)
PFL featherweight final: Brendan Loughnane vs. Timur Khizriev
PFL women’s flyweight final: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos
PFL light heavyweight final: Dovlet Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay via TKO (punches) at :58 of R1 | Watch KO
PFL welterweight final: Shamil Musaev def. Magomed Umalatov via TKO (punches) at 1:44 of R3 | Watch KO
PFL lightweight final: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Brent Primus via KO (punches) at 2:31 of R3 | Watch KO
PFL heavyweight final: Denis Goltsov def. Oleg Popov via submission (triangle choke) at 2:55 of R1 | Watch finish
Preliminary Card
PFL MENA featherweight final: Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. Maraoune Bellagouit via TKO (punches) at 3:21 of R1 | Watch KO
PFL MENA welterweight final: Omar El Dafrawy def. Mohammad Alaqraa via KO (punches) at :57 of Round 2 | Watch KO
Hattan Alsaif def. Lilia Osmani via TKO (knees) at 1:37 of R2 | Watch KO
PFL MENA bantamweight final: Ali Taleb def. Rachid El Hazoume via KO (punch) at 1:25 of R1 | Watch KO
PFL MENA lightweight Final: Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Georges Eid via unanimous decision
Mansour Barnaoui def. Alfie Davis via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:41 of R3 | Watch finish
Slim Trabelsi def. Abraham Bably via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Gabriel Braga def. Jeremy Kennedy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Asael Adjoudj def. Jose Perez via submission (guillotine) at 1:10 of R3 | Watch finish
Costello van Steenis def. Joao Dantas via KO (head kick) at :48 of R1 | Watch KO
125 pounds: Dakota Ditcheva (-400) vs. Taila Santos (+300)
How the PFL didn’t make this the main event is beyond me.
Ditcheva has been one of the promotion’s proudest developmental successes since she arrived in 2022. But when we talk about levels of competition, this matchup is universes apart — Santos has Ditcheva beat with ease, even despite Santos’ pre-UFC record being arguably one of more padded of all time, with her first 14 opponents’ owning a meager 19 combined fights of experience at the time of their bouts.
Santos, 31, is essentially the more evolved version of what Ditcheva, 26, can become and the odds are reflective of how strong the PFL marketing machine has been in boosting Ditcheva. Santos’ Muay Thai is fierce and technical, accompanied by an incredibly sound grappling game that led her to wins over strong wrestlers Liz Carmouche and Roxanne Modafferi. Additionally, many thought Santos beat Valentina Shevchenko for the UFC flyweight title in June 2022, however the judges scored the bout in favor of the champion via split decision.
Santos is still one of the best in the world, but Ditcheva is legit despite still having been largely untested. She’s defeated her opponents with performances she should be delivering relative to the skill gaps. Ditcheva is as « Dangerous » as her nickname suggests, utilizing soul-shattering knees in the clinch, powerful punches, and an improving, patient defensive grappling game.
Realistically, the odds should be flipped in this fight. You can’t teach killer instinct though. Ditcheva has that and will come through to propel her superstardom to a new level.
Pick: Ditcheva
Co-main event up next!
Best fight of the weekend is up next. Massive opportunity here for Dakota Ditcheva to become the promotion’s biggest homegrown breakout star since Kayla Harrison.
Taila Santos is no joke, though. Can’t wait for this one.
Official result
PFL light heavyweight final: Dovlet Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay via TKO (punches) at :58 of R1.
Impa Kasanganay vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov – Round 1
Let’s see if Impa Kasanganay can keep his storybook PFL run going. They come out firing. Heavy leg kick from Yagshimuradov. Kasanganay wades inside swinging bombs! Yagshimuradov catches him with a counter right!! Kasanganay is hurt! YAGSHIMURADOV FLOORS HIM!!! This is done!
Gigantic flurry of punches is what did it. Lots of right uppercuts in there. That was crazy.
205 pounds: Impa Kasanganay (-185) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (+150)
If you don’t like Impa Kasanganay’s story then you’re just tough to please.
The turnaround the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion has undergone is still a marvel to behold since finding himself on the wrong end of an all-time knockout loss in 2020. You know the one.
Kasanganay has gone 8-1 in the PFL with his lone loss coming via a close split decision to Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen. He’s an all-around athlete who can fight anywhere the fight goes and packs a knockout shot in either hand to boot. However, the same can be said for Bellator veteran Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.
« Yag-Nasty » has gained serious momentum since his two-fight losing skid in 2021. He’s won six straight since and continues to impress, overcoming former champions like Rob Wilkinson and Rafael Carvalho.
As a natural light heavyweight, Yagshimuradov will have the size advantage in this one, which will catch up to former welterweight Kasanganay eventually. Kasanganay has fit into his 205-pound division well, but certain hitters will still be a lot to deal with throughout 25 minutes. It won’t be easy, as both are evenly matched, but Yagshimuradov has been putting things together as of late and I like his chances.
Pick: Yagshimuradov
Official result
PFL welterweight final: Shamil Musaev def. Magomed Umalatov via TKO (punches) at 1:44 of R3.
Shamil Musaev is no joke, man. Violent, thumping knockout.
The crowd is starving for some action right now and you can feel it. Right hand from Umalatov misses. Musaev comes back with a jabbing teep kick. Umalatov marches forward and ducks low for a single-leg takedown, but can’t get it. Big left hand lands on the counter for Musaev. OOOHHHH ANOTHER HUGE LEFT HAND TO THE FACE FROM MUSAEV!!! Umalatov is down! This is done, son. Good lord. That came out of nowhere.
He faked the right hand then demolished Umalatov with a perfect left hook. Wow.
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev – Round 2
Let’s see if business picks up here in Round 2. More tentativeness to start. Umalatov finally punches his way inside and hunts for a double-leg takedown. Musaev takes advantage in the ensuing scramble and squirms his way to Umalatov’s back standing. Musaev briefly gets Umalatov down against the fence but Umalatov quickly pops back up. Nice inside elbow from Umalatov. They trade inside knees from the clinch. We’re back to the center of the cage and now Umalatov on the one applying forward pressure. Umalatov shucks off a takedown attempt.
10-9 Musaev. (20-18 Musaev.)
Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev – Round 1
Man, this is such a high-level fight. Very interested in this one. They touch ’em up and we’re off. Early feeling out process here and the fans are already getting restless. Two minutes in and nothing much has happened. Both men very wary of the other. Musaev lets loose with a left hook followed by a right hand. Big flurry from Musaev. There we go. Musaev ties up along the fence then trips Umalatov to the floor. Umalatov breaks free and resets in the center of the cage. More boos rain down as the action slows. Not a great first round.
10-9 Musaev.
PFL welterweight final: Magomed Umalatov vs. Shamil Musaev – Prediction
170 pounds: Shamil Musaev (-250) vs. Magomed Umalatov (+200)
Somebody’s zero has to go in the welterweight finals.
This is a pretty crazy fight to see happen. In battling their way through the 2024 season, Shamil Musaev and Magomed Umulatov remained undefeated with 17 wins apiece. The only blip on either’s résumé is Musaev’s majority draw with Michal Pietrzak from his final KSW appearance in 2022.
Since that Petrzak draw, Musaev has scored impressive knockouts of Logan Storley and Alexey Kunchenko as well as back-to-back wins over Murad Ramazanov. Holding an extensive Wushu Sanda background, Musaev has been a high-caliber finisher on the feet, but Umulatov matches his opponent identically in victory methods with his combat sambo base. Each fighter owns 11 knockouts, four decisions, and two submissions. I had to do a double-take when I first saw it. Talk about bizarre stuff.
Ultimately, Musaev is no slouch on the ground either and is defensively sound enough to halt Umulatov’s offense. This is a highly competitive matchup no matter how it’s sliced, but stylistically, I like what we’ve seen more from Musaev and the oddsmakers agree.
Pick: Musaev
Official result
PFL lightweight final: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Brent Primus via KO (punches) at 2:31 of R3
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov – Round 3
Rabadanov comes out firing. He downs Primus with a big right hand through the guard early! Rabadanov again refuses to capitalize on the moment. He lets Primus back up and resets to the center of the cage. Rabadanov working off his back foot, trying to coax Primus into something. Rabadanov ducks under a spinning backfist and cracks Primus with a right hand. MONSTER FLURRY FROM RABADANOV!!! Oh my goodness. Primus melts to the canvas! Rabadanov finally swarms and this one is done. What a gorgeous combination to finish it off. Take your $1 million check, Gadzhi, because that was sick.
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov – Round 2
Good chance the judges gave that one to Rabadanov but they really shouldn’t — he didn’t do anything. Very measured attacks on the feet from both men over the first minute of this second round. Both staying patient. HUGE right hand from out of nowhere knocks down Primus!!! What is Rabadanov doing? He just jumps in Primus’ guard and settles in, totally allowing Primus to recover. Lost opportunity there and Primus is already back to working his rubber guard from the bottom. Rabadanov finally breaks free and stands up. He smacks Primus’ legs with a few kicks then dives back into top control. Primus trying to create some space with a knee shield. We’re pretty much in a stalemate.
10-9 Rabadanov. (19-19 overall.)
Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov – Round 1
Primus looks massive compared to Rabadanov. Primus wades forward with looping punches. He’s owning the center of the cage thus far. Rabadanov slips and bull-rushes into a double-leg takedown in the center, settling into full guard. Primus tries to use a rubber guard to get something going but Rabadanov powers through it. Primus goes right back to it but Rabadanov again powers through it, this time reaching half guard. Very little offense coming from Rabadanov right now. Primus tosses out a few elbows from the bottom. Good chance he just won that round off his back.
10-9 Primus.
PFL lightweight final: Brent Primus vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov — Prediction
155 pounds: Brent Primus (+400) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (-550)
Brent Primus has had an interesting career as one of the sport’s most underrated grapplers.
Anyone you speak to who knows Oregon’s Primus and trained with him will tell you just how insane he is on the mat, and he’s proven that with submissions as rare as the unicorn-esque gogoplata. It’s been a bit of a resurgent run for the former Bellator champion in his first PFL season, which has seen him submit Bruno Miranda and Solomon Renfro then dispatch Clay Collard with a unanimous decision.
There are some parallels to be made between this fight and Ditcheva vs. Santos. Gadzi Rabadanov has accrued a deeper résumé than Ditcheva comparatively, but against Primus, he’ll face a decent step-up in name value and competition level. His nine-fight winning streak isn’t to be taken lightly, though; Rabadanov earned his role as the betting favorite with impressive showings against Koji Takeda, Jay-Jay Wilson, Daniel Carey and Michael Dufort, in particular.
Although the odds gap might feel a little large, we’ve seen Primus’ kryptonite be strong wrestlers who can match him in that department and stifle submission threats from the top. Rabadanov was choked out once in 2016, but has improved significantly since then and will cruise to his first PFL title.
Pick: Rabadanov
Denis Goltsov finally gets it done. First round triangle. Gotta feel good for the big man.