The PFL wrapped up this year’s semifinal round in Washington, D.C. on Friday, and the welterweight and featherweight finals are now set.
All four main card playoff fights went the distance, a rather surprising turn of events given some of the names involved.
2022 champ Brendan Loughnane headlined the show opposite Kai Kamaka III, the rugged Hawaiian best known for his run in Bellator MMA. Loughnane fought a smart game plan, attacking the lead leg and mostly staying out of range of the powerful right hand of Kamaka.
In the second frame, Loughnane connected with a solid spinning back kick. Unfortunately, especially for Kai Kamaka, it landed low, leading to a brief pause in the action. Back underway, Loughnane would continue to work the leg of the Hawaiian, who showed flashes of power, but lacked in volume.
Round three saw Kamaka pick up in terms of volume, leading to a very even fight across the entirety of three rounds. Loughnane was showing some damage to the nose, and looked to finish strong, firing another spinning kick – legal, this time, with about 20 seconds left in the fight. Another one came just ahead of the bell.
Come the final bell, for the seventh straight bout, the judges’ services were required. And it was Loughnane, care of a split decision with 30-27 and 29-28 scores in his favor, awarded the win. The dissenting judge had the fight 29-28 for Kamaka.
Loughnane, a long ways removed from being overlooked on Dana White’s Contender Series, now has a chance to repeat as champion after missing out on the playoffs in 2023. He’ll face Timur Khizriev, who remained undefeated care of a split decision win of his own, against Gabriel Braga.
On the welterweight side, Shamil Musaev and Magomed Umalatov left no doubt, both winning unanimous decisions over Murad Ramazanov and Neiman Gracie, respectively. Both fighters are undefeated in their pro careers, with Umalatov improving to 17-0 on Friday, while Musaev extended his own unbeaten record to 19-0-1. They’ll face off in perhaps one of the most intriguing PFL finals set this year.
