Light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay was looking to repeat at the PFL Championship 2024, where he was paired up with Bellator MMA vet Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.
Kasanganay was looking to join the likes of Ray Cooper III and Kayla Harrison as a two-time PFL champ.
There was no return to glory for Impa Kasanganay on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, however. Instead, a fired up Yagshimuradov put an end to those dreams early. Kasanganay, who had been booed by the pro-Yagshimuradov crowd on his walk out, engaged in a firefight, and it cost him. Yagshimuradov landed lefts, rights, and uppercuts, backing Kasanganay up to the fence before what felt like the fourth or fifth uppercut finally dropped him.
The win for Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov was both a major accomplishment for himself, and a bit of revenge for his team. Yagshimuradov represents American Top Team, while Impa Kasanganay trains with rival Kill Cliff, and had twice defeated Josh Silveira, an ATT member and son of one of the team’s top coaches.
Yagshimuradov also earns a little redemption for himself, after being bounced from Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix early back in 2021. The Turkmenistani fighter said in his post-fight interview that the support of the fans “motivates me a lot,” adding that “Impa is a very good fighter, but today I was better than him.”
Official Result: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay by TKO, Round 1, 0:58
