“Missed” is putting it mildly. Vieira was wide by a country mile, or just north of seven pounds in any case. Yet Cyborg, not wanting a chance at defending her PFL title snatched from her grasp, accepted the bout as a title fight, albeit one-sided, despite the chasm in weight. Vieira wouldn’t be eligible to win the belt, but at PFL Tampa on Friday, Cyborg was absolutely able to lose it.

Early, it was Vieira pressing the attack, while Cyborg countered. Midway into the round, the champ looked to pursue a takedown, and struggled with the size of Vieira, who seemingly would not budge. The champ went back to working from the outside, moving laterally, while Vieira walked her down. Cyborg mixed in kicks, with Vieira firing a few of her own, not quite as fluidly.

Vieira continued to press in round two, looking noticably thick and standing toe-to-toe with the fearsome, legendary Cyborg. The best strike of the round might have been a Cyborg leg kick, but Vieira connected with a right hand just after that resulting in a quick, violent exchange between the pair before they clinched up.

Round three finally saw the pair go to the ground, Cyborg on top, looking to land heavy punches. She would back off then re-engage, sneaking in a few more right hands before getting back in guard. Cyborg appeared to be cruising through the round, but when they came up along the fence, Cyborg landed a low knee, leading to a break in the action.

When they got back underway, Cyborg appeared to have tired, and was tagged by a left hand in the final minute, during an exchange. There wasn’t a ton behind it, however, and they fought on. Vieira found herself getting hit with a left and right to the body.

Round four of the PFL Tampa main event saw Cyborg chopping at Vieira’s lead leg, then firing a kick to the midsection that fell short. She jabbed to the body as well, ducked under a punch but couldn’t land the takedown that followed. A kick to the side did land for Cyborg, though it might have been thrown with the intent of hitting the head. Later in the round, they’d go to the ground with Vieira settling in on top, landing some serious damage on the champ.

Round five started with an interesting question: was the fight tied? Or could Vieira even be up? Cyborg landed an early takedown, after her corner suggested the fight was tied 2-2 after four rounds. Vieira didn’t stay down long, and was right back to her feet. Not long after it was Vieira’s turn to get the fight down, and she stayed heavy on the champ. Not doing any damage, but not letting her move. Cyborg would get up before the horn, all of a minute to go, and smashed Vieira with a right hand! She would fire knees in a clinch, with the final move of the fight an overhand right from the champ.

At age 41, that right hand may be the final punch of Cris Cyborg’s decorated MMA career, though she has signaled she intends to continue to compete as a boxer. Asked what’s next, Cris Cyborg replied “I’m ready for anybody. I’m a free agent, I’m excited. Eight years undefeated. I’m ready for anybody. Any time, any weight.” Though first up, she’s becoming a grandmother, with her daughter having a son any day now. She also still called for a fight with Claressa Shields, then singled out UFC champ Kayla Harrison, who was cageside.

So, perhaps not done in MMA after all then.

Official Result: Cris Cyborg (c) def. Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)

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Receiving a hero’s welcome walking out for the final fight of the evening, Battle’s reception was in stark contrast to that of Rosta, who cupped his ear while fans at the Bojangles Coliseum serenaded him with boos.

Perhaps that welcome was why Rosta refused to touch gloves when the offer was extended.

Friday’s three-round main event opened with Battle on the outside, the pair trading kicks. Dalton jabbed the body, feinted, and feinted again while Battle circled outside. An inside leg kick landed to Rosta, who went outside next. Battle worked his jab, but Rosta finally inched forward enough to change levels and land his first takedown of the fight. And while Battle was quickly back up, “Hercules” Rosta stayed on him, bodylock firmly in place.

That led to the fight stalling on the fence as Battle fought hands to break the lock, and Rosta fired knees to the thigh. Rosta finally dragged Battle down, but a scramble saw Bryan come out on top, and they were back on the feet almost immediately, leading to a quick-paced exchange. At round’s end it was Battle shooting forward, though he could not finish the takedown.

Round two opened with both men firing side kicks, and Rosta going high with a hook kick. They’d clinch up a minute in, but it was Battle taking control, at least for a moment, until Rosta reversed. Battle would break free, and the pair re-engaged at center, Battle landing a kick to the body that was almost caught. Rosta found some success with his hands, capping off a combination with a left. Battle landed a left hook of his own moments later.

With 90 seconds on the clock in round two, Rosta fired a left then shot under it, landing an easy takedown. Battle was able to reverse on the way up, only to be returned to the mat again shortly after. Back up, Battle still had Rosta all over him.

It was Battle in the driver’s seat early in round three, driving Rosta into the fence. Back at center, he doubled up on his jab. Battle walked forward, and fired a front kick, then fought off a clinch and stuffed a follow-up takedown with a sprawl. Rosta, however, stayed on the attempt. Battle would reverse, and get in the driver’s seat, but the grueling, grappling-heavy round proved unpopular with fans, and posed a question: even should Battle win the third, which was quite possible, had he managed to claim either the first or second?

Two judges felt he had done enough. Battle picked up the split decision win, taking 29-28 scores from two of the judges. He said after the win that he wants to stay busy, adding “whoever wants some can get some,” and calling it “a pleasure” to fight at home. Not a barnburner or even all that memorable in the end, but Battle gets back in the win column, shaking off a loss to Johnny Eblen.

Official Result: Bryan Battle def. Dalton Rosta by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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In Battle’s case, he had dropped his promotional debut to Johnny Eblen, who would go on to win interim gold and book himself a rematch with Costello van Steenis. That left Battle looking to regroup, the former UFC fighter and TUF winner having moved to the PFL after a pair of wins in Dirty Boxing.

For Dalton Rosta, the former Bellator standout entered Friday’s bout having lost back-to-back fights against Impa Kasanganay and Fabian Edwards.

With middleweight being one of the PFL’s deeper weight classes, a win was key for both men.

Where to Watch PFL Charlotte

Friday, August 7, 2026 saw PFL Charlotte take place at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, NC. The preliminary card gets underway at 6:30PM ET, 3:30PM PT, and airs live on the ESPN App, followed by main card action on ESPN. Full results can be found below.

PFL Charlotte: Battle vs. Rosta Results

Main Card

Bryan Battle def. Dalton Rosta by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Simeon Powell def. Dovlet Yagshimuradov by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
Aaron Jeffery def. Josh Silveira by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Lewis McGrillen def. Brandon Lewis by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Josh Fremd def. Jhony Gregory by TKO, Round 2, 1:44

Preliminary Card

Denis Goltsov def. Hasan Mezhiev by TKO, Round 1, 0:52
Cheyden Leialoha def. Robbie Ring by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Cheyanne Bowers def. Elora Dana by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:36
Landry Ward def. Michael Boylan by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Bruno Cappelozza def. Valentin Moldavsky by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
Jonathan Martin def. Wilson Lopshire by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-27)
Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Eduardo Neves by TKO (body shot), Round 3, 2:01
Trey Waters def. Trukon Carson by TKO, Round 1, 4:37

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That’s exactly the situation the PFL no doubt was hoping for, just a day after announcing they were merging into Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotion (MVP).

Ditcheva, for one, made her return to the cage after a year out of action when she faced off against ex-Bellator title challenger Denise Kielholtz at PFL New York at the UBS Arena in Belmont.

The striker versus striker match-up looked to be right up Ditcheva’s alley, and came with 2025 PFL World Tournament winner Liz Carmouche waiting in the wings, and the promotion’s women’s flyweight title sitting vacant.

Ditcheva looked loose early in the card’s co-main event, getting her hands going while Kielholtz worked to slip and dodge punches. Ditcheva was equally elusive when Kielholtz returned fire; the former kickboxer was at a sizeable disadvantage in terms of reach in contrast to Ditcheva. A kick to the body landed for Ditcheva, and they’d go on to have a fairly competitive opening round.

After a solid kick and right hand to the body, Ditcheva took Kielholtz down early in round two, though Kielholtz would work to take control and Dakota was soon back to her feet, wagging her finger. Ditcheva landed a trip just past the midway mark that put her firmly on top and in control, working from half guard until Kielholtz created enough space to scramble up. In a fight that was fairly evenly balanced on the feet, Ditcheva’s ability to control on the ground, as she would once more before round’s end, had the potential to be a significant factor should the fight go to the judges.

Which it did. Another back-and-forth round in the third saw the pair go the distance. Kielholtz was game enough on the feet, able for the most part to keep up with Ditcheva. Yet after a year away, Dakota Ditcheva didn’t appear to have much rust and was perhaps a half-step ahead of veteran Kielholtz.

The judges certainly felt that was the case, with all three awarding every round to Ditcheva. There’s almost certainly a title fight in her future, against Carmouche most likely. It’s hard to imagine any scenario where the fight does not happen.

That performance gave way to Usman Nurmagomedov putting on a show-stopping performance, while defending his PFL lightweight title against Archie Colgan in what could be the champ’s final fight in the PFL. With free agency looming, it was a pair of undefeated Bellator vets throwing down to close out the night in New York.

Colgan came close with a right hand early; Nurmagomedov found success with his kicks. But it wasn’t long before the Dagestani showed just why he’s one of the most dangerous lightweights in the world.

A Nurmagomedov kick sailed high, catching Colgan on the side of the head, with a punch then dropping him. Colgan survived, and got back to his feet, but ate a couple of punches and folded backwards. With Nurmagomedov swarming, and Colgan pretty much out, the ref made the save! An incredible performance by the champ, who, should he choose to explore free agency, will do so off one of the biggest performances of his career.

USMAN NURMAGOMEDOV WITH THE FIRST ROUND KO 😱#PFLNY | Main Card Live NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/mikFN1ZLFx

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 1, 2026

Jake Paul, set to be a frequent face in the PFL now that it’s being rebranded as part of MVP, then entered the cage, which brought out a chorus of boos. Not a commentary on Nurmagomedov’s performance, but perhaps a reminder that Paul is far from beloved in combat sports even if he is a draw. Suggesting that Nurmagomedov would make light work of UFC lightweight champ Justin Gaethje, who was in attendance, Paul did what he could to put Nurmagomedov over.

As for Usman himself, he noted that MVP loves to talk trash, while the UFC doesn’t want to pay their fighters. It sounds like Nurmagomedov is willing to test free agency, and see who’s willing to pay up.

Asked during the post-fight show about what it will take to stay with MVP, Nurmagomedov hammered that home. “Money, bro.”

“Jake Paul talking about ‘Dana White doesn’t pay his fighters,’ yes? Now he has a chance to show how he has to pay people, when they deserve [it],” he added. “23-0, undefeated, undisputed lightweight champion of the world. What do you think I deserve?”

The PFL, or MVP now, would be crazy not to re-sign Usman Nurmagomedov. The UFC would be crazy not to make a play for him, since the storyline for a fight with Gaethje sells itself. Which means things could get interesting on that front in the coming months.

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Headlining PFL New York, Usman Nurmagomedov, the undefeated PFL (and former Bellator) lightweight champ, was set to defend his title against fellow undefeated Bellator alum Archie Colgan. Adding to the intrigue surrounding the bout, aside from being two undefeated talents, Nurmagomedov was entering the final fight of his PFL deal. The UFC might be a logical next step, with teammate Islam Makhachev now at welterweight, but the PFL/MVP merger might make remaining with that camp a more lucrative option.

In the co-main event of PFL New York, Dakota Ditcheva was set to take on Denise Kielholtz. The fight had been booked months back, only for Ditcheva to pull out due to injury; the booking also raised questions about the promotion’s matchmaking, given Liz Carmouche had won last year’s PFL World Tournament, and the women’s flyweight title remains vacant.

Where to Watch PFL New York

PFL New York takes place at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY on Friday, July 31, 2026. The card airs live on ESPN and the ESPN App in the U.S., with prelims getting underway at 4:30PM ET, 1:30PM PT. Full results can be found below.

PFL New York: Nurmagomedov vs. Colgan Results

Main Card

Usman Nurmagomedov (c) def. Archie Colgan by knockout, Round 1, 3:42 – for the PFL lightweight championship
Dakota Ditcheva def. Denise Kielholtz by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Amru Magomedov def. Angel Alvarez by TKO, Round 2, 4:28
Moustapha Diakhaté def. Darryl Walker by TKO, Round 1, 2:35

Preliminary Card

Lazaro Dayron def. Raufeon Stots by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Sean Gauci def. Allan Begosso by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Omar El Dafrawy def. Jonathan Piersma by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Tatiana Postarnakova def. Montana De La Rosa by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Levan Khabalaev def. Chamy Delva by TKO, Round 1, 1:44

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Earlier this year, Ramazan Kuramagomedov had claimed welterweight gold against Shamil Musaev, but after Kuramagomedov retired immediately after the fight, Musaev was granted a second shot at gold. That was to have come against Jean at PFL Washington on Saturday, but complications with Musaev’s weight cut took him out of the right.

As a result, Ernesto Rodriguez stepped into the title fight on short notice, despite having just a single fight under the PFL banner. Timing is everything in MMA, and Rodriguez had a chance to show that on Saturday.

Light heavyweights Tyson Pedro and Rafael Xavier served as the night’s co-headliner.

Where to Watch PFL Washington

Saturday, July 25, 2026 found the Professional Fighters League setting up shop at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. The card airs live on ESPN and the ESPN App, with prelims starting at 8PM ET, 5PM ET and the main card expected to kick off at 10ET/7PT. Full results from the event can be found below.

PFL Washington: Jean vs. Rodriguez Results

Main Card

Thad Jean def. Ernesto Rodriguez by TKO, Round 3, 2:44 – for the vacant PFL welterweight championship
Rafael Xavier def. Tyson Pedro by TKO, Round 1, 4:59
Rasul Magomedov def. Sullivan Cauley by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Eliezer Kubanza def. Chris Mixan by submission (D’arce choke), Round 2, 2:34

Preliminary Card

Bryce Meredith def. Michael Cyr by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Nkosi Ndebele def. Brandon Davis by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Coby Bradford def. Chad Yard by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:57
Noah Hermosillo def. Jacob Pais by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Either way, Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganay met at the Moody Center in a pivotal main event, the winner assured a shot at Costello van Steenis, the champ who had been forced off the card and out of his own rematch with Eblen.

Like Eblen and CVS, “Pressure” and Kasanganay had met once before, at the PFL vs. Bellator card a couple of years back. Eblen had come away with a decision win that night; he was looking for a more definitive outcome on Saturday.

The opening round of Eblen vs. Kasanganay 2 was a spirited one, both men landing, both men forcing the other back at times. A round that played out pretty much entirely on the feet, with both middleweights throwing hard. What might have been an even round, however, took a dramatic shift when Eblen knocked down his opponent in the dying seconds of the round.

Suddenly, the cadence of the fight had taken a significant shift up.

Round two opened with Kasanganay seemingly wanting to punch his way back into the fight, taking it to Eblen only for the former Bellator champ to give right back. American Top Team’s Eblen, known as he was for his wrestling prowess, appeared ready and willing to stand and bang with Kasanganay, a former PFL Global tournament winner who had pocketed the million dollars in prize money a few years back.

Kasanganay landed a couple of right hands about 90 seconds into the second frame that forced Eblen to clinch up. No question, Eblen wasn’t loving the damage he had taken from those. He fired a short elbow before the pair broke.

Later in the frame, Eblen would work the body in a clinch.

Things took another dramatic shift in the third round. More accurately, they came to a crashing halt. After more back-and-forth early, Eblen fired a knee, then popped off an elbow and a couple of punches. It was the elbow that dropped Impa Kasanganay really, with all but one final hammerfist glancing or missing. Either way, Impa was out, and Eblen had the win, celebrating while champ van Steenis sat cageside, belt draped over his shoulder.

They’d face off in the cage shortly after the smoke had cleared from the PFL Austin main event, setting the stage for their rematch to finally take place hopefully later in the year.

Official Result: Johnny Eblen def. Impa Kasanganay by knockout, Round 3, 2:39

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The pair had first met at the PFL vs. Bellator crossover card a couple of years back, where Eblen saw his hand raised in a close decision. Originally booked into a rematch with Costello van Steenis in Austin, an injury to the champ saw the PFL instead place an interim title on the line in Eblen vs. Kasanganay 2.

Biaggio Ali Walsh, grandson of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, UFC vets Caolan Loughran and Julio Arce, and PFL standout Jesus Pinedo were also in action in Austin.

Where to Watch PFL Austin

The PFL set up shop at the Moody Center in Austin, TX on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The card airs live on ESPN 2 and the ESPN App in the U.S. starting at 5:30PM ET, 2:30PM PT (prelims). Full results can be found below.

PFL Austin: Eblen vs. Kasanganay 2 Results

Main Card

Johnny Eblen def. Impa Kasanganay by knockout, Round 3, 2:39 – for the vacant PFL interim middleweight championship
Rafael do Nascimento def. Lewis McGrillen by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:07
Julio Arce def. Caolan Loughran by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Jesus Pinedo def. Joey Ruquet by TKO, Round 1, 4:50

Preliminary Card

Gamid Khizriev def. Biaggio Ali Walsh by submission (twister), Round 1, 2:32
Aleksandra Savicheva def. Andrea Vazquez by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Ashley Thiner def. Mia Grawe by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jackson Glass def. Zak Flessas by TKO, Round 1, 0:47
Victoria Alba def. Borena Tsertsvadze by TKO, Round 3, 4:50

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McKee (25-2), once a Bellator featherweight champ, faced off against the previously undefeated Salamat Isbulaev, and battled through three hard-fought rounds to come away with a unanimous decision victory.

It was far from easy. A competitive scrap saw the pair both have their moments on the feet, while McKee appeared to have the advantage in several thrilling grappling exchanges. The American was sporting a cut over one eyebrow in the end, though Isbulaev was cut as well. Luckily, neither wound had any direct impact on the action, with the bout going the full 15 minutes.

Triplicate 30-27 scores outlined just how successful AJ McKee was in the bout, though Isbulaev was never fully out of it. Afterwards, McKee admitted that he had “underestimated” his opponent, referring to him as a champion.

It’s reclaiming gold that is on McKee’s mind next however, and he called for just that following the win. The PFL’s 145lb title sits vacant, and only Timur Khizriev, #1 at featherweight, sits ahead of AJ McKee.

The 31-year old was joined in the winner’s circle on Saturday by a familiar face to fight fans. Liz Carmouche also made her case for a title shot undeniable at PFL San Diego, though that’s not what the #2-ranked women’s flyweight called for at the end of the night.

Carmouche (26-8), a former Bellator flyweight champ, as well as a title challenger in both Strikeforce and the UFC, won the 2025 PFL World Tournament, and found herself paired up with fellow UFC vet Viviane Araujo at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA. The bout saw Araujo and Carmouche spend plenty of time clinched up along the fence, but in the second round, it was “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche hitting a guillotine choke and forcing the tap.

At age 42, Carmouche has looked as good as ever, with just PFL promotional darling Dakota Ditcheva perched ahead of her in the rankings. The British star skipped the World Tournament last year, and has been out with injury; she’s set to return against Denise Kielholtz later this summer.

Should she win, Ditcheva vs. Carmouche for the vacant women’s 125lb title seems like a no-brainer. Yet in the cage on Saturday, Carmouche called for something she’s desired for a long time: a shot at a second title, at bantamweight. Neither Bellator nor the PFL have featured a women’s bantamweight division, and Carmouche very much wants to lead one.

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The winner of the bout should be lined up for a championship engagement, given the league’s 145lb title sits vacant. The San Diego card, meanwhile, is the first of six big shows in eight weeks for the PFL, which will make stops in Austin, TX, Washington, DC, and New York coming up.

In the night’s co-headliner on Saturday, former UFC title challenger and Bellator MMA women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche was in action, taking on Viviane Araujo. Carmouche, who fought for a Strikeforce title early in her career, had won the PFL World Tournament in 2025; Araujo was looking to build off a win over Shanna Young in her promotional debut just a few months back.

Where to Watch PFL San Diego

PFL San Diego takes place on Saturday, June 27 at the Pechanga Arena San Diego in San Diego, CA. The card airs live on the ESPN App and ESPN2 (main card only) in the U.S. Full results can be found below. The action kicks off at 8PM ET, 5PM PT.

PFL San Diego: McKee vs. Isbulaev Results

Main Card

AJ McKee def. Salamat Isbulaev by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Liz Carmouche def. Viviane Araújo by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 2:07
Alexander Shabliy def. Alfie Davis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Rob Wilkinson def. Abraham Bably by TKO, Round 2, 3:23

Preliminary Card

Khasan Magomedshairpov def. Josh Weems by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 1, 2:10
Jena Bishop def. Ariane Lipski da Silva by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:08
Sarvarjon Khamidov def. Justin Wetzell by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 4:11
Shannon Clark def. Ilara Joanne by TKO, Round 3, 1:43
Cobey Fehr def. Daniel Bzdigian by submission (Anaconda choke), Round 1, 2:00

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