Six million dollars were up for grabs as the 2024 PFL championships ended in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last Friday LIVE on DAZN. Brendan Loughnane came up short as he battled through injury during fight camp, and Dakota Ditcheva made it look effortless against UFC veteran Talia Santos.
After losing out in last year’s tournament, and at 35 years of age, Loughnane decided to have another run at the PFL championships, which consist of four fights within eight months to determine who is the best of their respective divisions. Heading into his third season after winning the 2022 version, the Mancunian won all three of this year’s contests, resulting in meeting the unbeaten Russian Timur Khirziev.
Today on the Fight Disciples podcast, news broke that Brendan came into the fight carrying an MCL injury. However, through sheer grit and determination, he powered through fight camp in a bid to win $1,000,000 for a second time. At the back end of his career, the prospect of adding to his legacy by becoming a two-time featherweight champion was too exceptional to pull out of.
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Coming into the co-main event with a reputation and body of work to keep any opponent up at night, Timur Khirziev dominated all aspects of the fight with Loughnane. He showed the world why he’s unbeaten, causing significant damage to the former champion, winning all five rounds on each scorecard. A shut-out victory meant he joined fellow countrymen Shamil Musiev, Gadzhi Rabadanov, and Denis Goltsov as winners in this season’s championship finals.
Along with the four Russian champions, a relatively unknown Asian country, Turkmenistan, now has a champion in a major worldwide mixed martial arts promotion with Dovlet Yagshimuradov and another champion for England with Dakota Ditcheva. Both train at American Top Team, and the latter is being touted as one of, if not the hottest talent outside of the UFC.
Dangerous Dakota
At just 26 years of age, the Mancunian holds a record of 14-0 with twelve finishes, one submission and one decision win. ‘Dangerous’ has obliterated every challenger she’s ever faced in the Professional Fighters League and now finds herself as the current world flyweight champion, $1,000,000 richer and options on the table. Talia Santos was by far Ditcheva’s toughest test to date in the championship fight this past weekend and with the Brazilian a UFC veteran that’s had to win three fights to reach the point she has, led many to believe she would be provide a tougher fight than what unfolded.
Santos was stopped in round two from vicious shots to the body after having no answer to the puzzle of Ditcheva, who had a visible size and range advantage, towering over the Brazilian, who winced as the punches connected, making it look extremely easy against an opponent who arguably gave current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko her toughest fight to date.
DITCHEVA STOPS SANTOS WITH SICKENING BODY SHOTS. WATCH HERE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC-ChghpSy2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
The newly crowned champion took to the microphone post-fight and pleaded with the promotion to get an event booked for Manchester during the first half of 2025. With Brendan Loughnane seemingly out of tournament MMA, he could be featured as the headline in a ‘last dance’ fight. There is also Kane Mousah who originally operated under the Bellator banner, and hot prospect Lewis McGrillen in the promotional stable, ‘McGrizzla’ fights in the fourth season of the European championship finals in Lyon next weekend.
A host of names from the great fighting city that is Manchester, along with a few up-and-coming UK contenders and international fighters, is probably enough to suggest that a big event can be held at the AO arena, which holds 18,000. Maybe with a reduced capacity but still achieving good numbers on the gate, as the PFL has a sensible price structure, with standard tickets around £50 compared to the UFC, which starts at around £150.
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Is Ditcheva destined for the UFC?
If you have watched the ‘Dangerous’ fight and seen how she represents herself on camera, you will agree with me when I say she is worth every dime that it will cost for the PFL to keep hold of her and build her into their long-term superstar. Ultimately, the Champions League of MMA, which is the UFC, will be calling soon, and the attraction of fighting the best flyweights may be too much to turn down.
Her frame is not typical of a flyweight. She stands at 173cm tall and has a ridiculous range of 70 inches. Enabling herself to utilise her best assets and blowing the opposition away quickly regularly has served her well in the PFL championships structure.
Still in her mid-20s and constantly improving at American Top Team, she feels there is no better place for her to progress throughout her mixed martial arts career.
Full Undercard Results:
Main Card
PFL featherweight final: Timur Khizriev def. Brendan Loughnane via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)
PFL women’s flyweight final: Dakota Ditcheva def. Taila Santos via TKO (punches) at 4:41 of R2 | Watch KO
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