Chicago — Heavyweight Oleg Popov is going to another PFL tournament final.
This year, it’s the PFL World Tournament final that Popov (21-2) finds himself in; there, he’ll be facing Alexandr Romanov. Romanov’s own entry into the heavyweight final was a strange one, as at Friday’s PFL Chicago, he was the victim of a low blow landed by Valentin Moldavsky.
With the fight in the first round still, the bout ended in a No Contest, with Romanov exiting on a stretcher. Yet in a grand prix, win or go home tournament, someone had to move on. The judges were polled, and Romanov got the nod.
Popov, who lost to Denis Goltsov in the PFL’s 2024 season finale, defeated UFC vet Rodrigo Nascimento earlier in the night on Friday. After the bout, he told media outlets including Cageside Press that “I feel very healthy, wonderful, and I’m ready to go,” adding his own breakdown of Romanov. “Big, heavy, strong wrestler. That’s going to be tough.”
It seems Russia’s Popov is quite happy with the PFL these days. So happy, in fact, that if the UFC were to come calling, he’d turn them down.
“This is my second time reaching the final. A great responsibility. I finally want to win, I hope I can do it,” exclaimed Popov. “The organization is good. Each time, events are better and better organized. Overall, a cool promotion. If they offer me to go to the UFC, I probably won’t go.”
Especially if he wins a half million in prize money in August, no doubt.
Watch the full PFL Chicago post-fight press conference with Oleg Popov above.
