Usman Nurmagomedov, arguably the PFL’s biggest star, looked to defend his lightweight title against World Tournament winner Alfie Davis on Saturday.
The lightweight title fight headlined PFL: Road to Dubai at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, the first card of 2026 for the promotion.
An “Usman! Usman! Usman!” chant immediately broke out in the arena, while Davis flashed stance switches in response to Nurmagomedov’s kicks. The champ followed suit with a stance change of his own. While Davis would connect with a probing leg kick, Nurmagomedov’s kicks were significantly stronger. Kicks were key through the first two minutes, with the champ employing a front kick, and even a spinning wheel kick.
After battling it out on the feet for four minutes, mostly kicks with the odd punch thrown into the mix, Nurmagomedov landed the first takedown of the fight. The champ found himself in half guard, Davis along the fence, locking his hands together, trying to prevent Nurmagomedov from improving position. No such luck, but Davis ate enough time to escape the round.
Nurmagomedov opened round two with another spinning kick, with Davis blocking and escaping. The challenger was firing the odd kick of his own, but found himself outperformed in terms of volume. Davis did fire a trio of kicks, the final attack a spinning kick. Nurmagomedov fired a head kick, but slipped. As the round progressed, Davis loosened up, with lots of creative kicks of his own fired. The problem was, champ Nurmagomedov avoided most of them, slipping under the best of the bunch.
Round three opened with a Nurmagomedov takedown, a considerable change of pace following a second frame that was getting a bit wild by the end. Nurmagomedov found enough space to drill some punches to the body and side of the head. Davis struggled to escape but would eventually return to his feet, only to be met with front kicks and forward pressure from the champ.
Then, a takedown attempt, a follow-up, and Nurmagomedov was back on top. This time, Davis was cramped against the fence, went belly down, and Nurmagomedov was able to get the hooks in. He got an arm under the neck, flattening Davis out, and forced the tap!
Official Result: Usman Nurmagomedov (c) def. Alfie Davis by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 4:41
