Chicago, IL — “Still hungry” is how Magomed Umalatov phrased the feeling ahead of his return to action at the 2024 PFL 3 card in Chicago this Friday.
Umalatov (14-0) is paired up with former Bellator MMA welterweight champ Andrey Koreshkov in the main event at the Wintrust Arena, and is one of the favorites to win it all this year.
That has been the case since Umalatov arrived in the league. He has struggled to remain healthy, however, despite entering two consecutive seasons as a fighter to watch. After joining the promotion in 2021 and featuring in a couple of non-tournament bouts, he was forced out of the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to illness and injury.
Last year, after winning both regular season bouts, the Russian failed to return for the playoffs. “I got sick for three weeks unfortunately,” he told Cageside Press during this week’s PFL 3 media day. “I hope this year will be mine. Now I’m healthy, I’ve got good rest, I’m ready.”
Koreshkov is not the only Bellator ex-pat arriving in this year’s PFL tournament. There are several more including Kai Kamaka III; on the flip side, the last three PFL welterweight champs will not be returning.
Umalatov addressed that by saying “to have a couple more guys from Bellator, tough guys, I think our division is more interesting, and more harder from last couple years.”
As for Koreshkov, who Umalatov will headline the PFL 3 card opposite, “he’s a strong guy, he’s a former Bellator champion. It’s going to be a good fight.”
Watch the full PFL 3 media day appearance by Magomed Umalatov above.
