The news was first reported by the Miami Herald.

The post Logan Storley Arrested, Charged With Felony Sexual Battery in Key West appeared first on Cageside Press.

Undefeated 2025 PFL World Tournament winner Thad Jean (11-0) will face Shamil Musaev (20-1-1) for the organization’s vacant welterweight title at PFL D.C. on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

The event, which takes place at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., was announced via press release on Wednesday.

The PFL welterweight title was previously held by Ramazan Kuramagomedov, who retired immediately after winning the belt against Musaev in February. The league suggested in Wednesday’s press release that the Russian fighter had been stripped of the title, something PFL CEO John Martin stated on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday.

It’s unclear why the promotion felt the need to strip Kuramagomedov of the title if he was in fact retired.

Thad Jean had a breakout 2025 en route to winning the World Tournament, defeating a trio of former Bellator fighters including two former champs. After defeating Mukhamed Berkhamov in the World Tournament quarterfinals, Jean went on to get the better of ex-Bellator welterweight champ Jason Jackson, then former Bellator interim welterweight champion Logan Storley in the tournament final.

Shamil Musaev has not fought since his title fight loss to Kuramagomedov, but had been undefeated prior to that. He was also the 2024 PFL Global tournament champion.

No other fights have been announced for PFL D.C. as of yet.

The post Thad Jean vs. Shamil Musaev Headlines PFL D.C. in July appeared first on Cageside Press.

Announced by the promotion on Wednesday, the Austin, Texas card on July 18, 2026 at Moody Center will be headlined by champ Costello van Steenis (18-3) taking on Johnny Eblen (17-1) for the second time.

The pair’s first meeting saw van Steenis claim gold, sinking in a rear-naked choke to win via submission late in the fifth and final round. Since that July meeting, van Steenis successfully defended his title against Fabian Edwards, a longtime contender in Bellator and the PFL who won the promotion’s World Tournament last year.

Eblen, who suffered his first and only loss against van Steenis last July, bounced back at the end of March with a submission win against UFC veteran and Ultimate Fighter winner Bryan Battle. Eblen, an American Top Team standout, holds notable victories over Gegard Mousasi, Impa Kasanganay, Fabian Edwards, and others.

Winning the Bellator MMA middleweight title in 2022, he defended it three times before facing van Steenis for the inaugural PFL middleweight championship last year.

“This is the fight that fans have been asking for since the moment Costello secured the rear-naked choke in the final seconds of their first world championship fight,” said PFL CEO John Martin in a press release issued on Wednesday. “There were a lot of opinions about how that fight ended, and both fighters have something to prove. Now we have a massive rematch with everything on the line, validation for The Spaniard, or redemption for Pressure. I can’t wait to see how it plays out on July 18.”

No other fights have been announced for PFL Austin thus far.

The post Costello van Steenis vs. Johnny Eblen 2 Booked for PFL Austin appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Saturday, PFL Sioux Falls will see Logan Storley competing close to home, as he takes on Florim Zendeli in the welterweight main event of PFL Sioux Falls.

Storley went to the final of the World Tournament last year, coming up short against Thad Jean. The former Bellator interim champ remains ranked at #3 in the 170lb division, however, and meets the #6-ranked Zendeli to cap off the fight.

Gadzhi Rabadanov, Emiliano Sordi, and Renan Ferreira, Francis Ngannou’s last opponent in MMA (at least for a few more weeks) also feature on the PFL Sioux Falls card.

Results from Friday’s official weigh-in are below.

PFL Sioux Falls: Storley vs. Zendeli Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Logan Storley (170.4lbs) vs. Florim Zendeli (171lbs)
160-Pound Catchweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov (159.6lbs) vs. Alex Chizov (160lbs)
Light Heavyweight: Simeon Powell (205.6lbs) vs. Emiliano Sordi (205.8lbs)
Heavyweight: Renan Ferreira (262.8lbs) vs. Sergei Bilosteeniy (262.2lbs)
137-Pound Catchweight: Magomed Magomedov (136.8lbs) vs. Leandro Higo (135.6lbs)

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight: Rasul Magomedov (205.2lbs) vs. #10-Rafael Xavier (204.8lbs)
134-Pound Women’s Catchweight: Cheyanne Bowers (131.8lbs) vs. Sabrinna de Sousa (133.2lbs)
Featherweight: Humberto Bandenay (145.6lbs) vs. Sang Won Kim (145.6lbs)
Women’s Flyweight: Taila Santos (125.8lbs) vs. Qihui Yan (126lbs)
Lightweight: Angel Alvarez (155.2lbs) vs. Bryce Logan (156lbs)
Welterweight: Brett Bye (169.8.lbs) vs. Taylor Michels (170.4lbs)
Heavyweight: Maxwell Djantou Nana (262.2lbs) vs. #10-Karl Williams (256.8lbs)

The post PFL Sioux Falls: Storley vs. Zendeli Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I switched to management and within like three weeks of working with my new manager he was like ‘hey, I know we’re still kind of like getting to know each other, but I want to know how you feel about PFL as an option,” Bowers recalled, “At this point I am open to anything bigger and better, so he presented me with the opportunity.”

Not only is the option bigger than where she was, but Bowers believes that the 125lbs division in PFL might be as good as anywhere. She’s excited for the challenges on the way – especially the one at the top.

“It’s a step-up – there’s a ton of really good girls in the PFL. Within the next year to two years I would love to fight Dakota [Ditcheva],” she said. “I don’t think it’s really any different in my eyes compared to the UFC. I feel like it’s very well-rounded and it has a deep 125 pool right now.”

It’s not only flyweight kingpin Dakota Ditcheva that has her interested. When looking up and down the division, Bowers sees plenty of exciting matchups as well as fighters she looks up to.

“I actually just noticed yesterday they added another girl fight to the Sioux Falls card with Talia Santos on it. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers even before she fought Valentina for the the UFC belt. Super pumped to see that in person,” Bowers said. “Other girls like Jenna Bishop and Angela Hill I’ve always like been googly-eyed in love with – they’re just such cool fighters. So to know that I’m in the same pool as Jenna Bishop is super awesome because I’m a big jiu-jitsu girl.”

However, it’s not just the existing stars that makes PFL’s flyweight division so good. Their commitment to grabbing the top upcoming talent in the division also gives it real growth potential.

“Overall like there’s a lot of up-and-comers like myself that are that are entering the division a lot of girls that are undefeated like 6-0, 7-0 somewhere like that,” she said. “There’s a lot of rising talent that I think we’re going to see kind of explode over the next year or two.”

Bowers will get her first crack at one of those undefeated names when she faces Sabrinna de Sousa at PFL Sioux Falls. That fight takes place as part of the prelim portion of the card, which begins at 7pm EST this Saturday on ESPN 2.

The post PFL Sioux Falls’ Cheyanne Bowers: PFL 125ers as Good as Anywhere appeared first on Cageside Press.

Carmouche (25-8) will face fellow UFC alum Viviane Araujo (13-7) in the co-main event of PFL San Diego on June 27, 2026, promotion officials announced on Wednesday. The card takes place at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

“The Girl-Rilla” is Louisiana born but called San Diego home for years, fighting out of the San Diego Combat Academy. The PFL World Tournament winner, former Bellator MMA women’s flyweight champion and UFC title challenger has more recently called Tennessee home, but has continued to train both in San Diego and Virginia as well.

Last year, Carmouche, who turned 42 in February, went on a three-fight tear to defeat Ilara Joanne, Elora Dana, and BJJ star Jena Bishop to claim the PFL’s World Tournament crown at flyweight. Most then widely suspected a fight with #1 ranked flyweight and promotional darling Dakota Ditcheva, but that has not yet come to pass.

Ditcheva had been paired up with Denise Kielholtz in February, but was forced out of the fight due to injury.

Instead, Carmouche gets the #8-ranked women’s flyweight in the PFL, with Liz herself sitting at #2. Araujo made her PFL debut earlier this month, earning a unanimous decision over Shanna Young.

PFL San Diego is headlined by a featherweight match-up featuring the #2-ranked AJ McKee taking on #6-ranked Salamat Isbulaev.

The post Liz Carmouche vs. Viviane Araujo Added As PFL San Diego Co-Main appeared first on Cageside Press.

AJ McKee (24-2), the aforementioned “Mercenary,” is set to take on Salamat Isbulaev (10-0) in the main event of PFL San Diego on June 27, 2026.

News of the event and headliner was announced by PFL officials in a press release issued Thursday. No other match-ups have been revealed for the card, which takes place at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA.

McKee, a former featherweight champ in Bellator who started his pro MMA run a perfect 18-0, will look to build on back-to-back victories over Akhmed Magomedov and Adam Borics. The bout will be contested at featherweight, where McKee returned last year after a brief stint at lightweight that ended with a split decision loss to Paul “Big News’ Hughes.

Once one of Bellator’s best and brightest, McKee holds notable wins over former Bellator double-champ Patricio Pitbull, Clay Collard, Sidney Outlaw, UFC alum Spike Carlyle, ex-Bellator champ Darrion Caldwell, ex-Bellator champ Pat Curran, and others. He defeated Pitbull to win both the Bellator featherweight title and the division’s one million dollar grand prix in 2021.

Russia’s Isbulaev is a perfect 10-0, and won his debut in the PFL earlier this year, stopping Jesus Pinedo with elbows. With a lengthy amateur record including an IMMAF tournament win, Isbulaev has been a standout, though his record is not without criticism: his most recent bout prior to joining the PFL was flagged by record keeper’s at Tapology for legitimacy issues, noting the fight was not “hard-fought to international standards.”

It feels safe to assume that there’ll be no easy night against McKee come June.

The post McKee vs. Isbulaev Tops PFL San Diego on June 27 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a press release issued on Thursday, league officials revealed that the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates would play host to PFL MENA: Pride of Arabia.

Mohammad “The UAE Warrior” Yahya (12-6) faces off against Tunisia’s Mehdi Saadi (6-2) in a featherweight quarterfinal bout that also serves as the card’s main event. A three-fight UFC veteran, Yahya will be making his PFL debut in the fight.

Unlike the main PFL brand, PFL MENA continues to use the tournament format this year.

Announced for the card on Thursday are the following match-ups (bouts are subject to change, and two fighters are still waiting for opponents to be confirmed):

• Mohammad Yahya vs. Mehdi Saadi — featherweight quaterfinal
• Salah Eddine Hamli vs. Ylies Djiroun — lightweight quarterfinal
• Hamza Kooheji vs. Taha Bendaoud — featherweight quarterfinal
• Zamzam Al Hammadi vs. TBD — amateur bout
• Mohammad Fahmi vs. Assem Ghanem — lightweight quarterfinal
• Ahmed El Sisy vs. Harda Karim — lightweight quarterfinal
• Georges Eid vs. Hussein Fakher — lightweight quarterfinal
• Abdullah Saleem vs. Basel Shalaan — lightweight alternate bout
• Hamad Marhoon vs. Saher Qasmieh
• Ahmed Albrahim vs. Khaled Mahmoud
• Butti Suwaid Alameri vs. TBD — amateur bout

The post Dubai to Host PFL MENA Season Opener in Wake of Saudi Arabia Cancellation appeared first on Cageside Press.

Originally expected to feature Paul “Big News” Hughes in the headliner, an injury to the local star forced him out of a lightweight fight with Jay Jay Wilson. Instead, Wilson will face Darragh Kelly, a fellow former Bellator athlete and a product of SBG Ireland with an undefeated 9-0 record.

Also on the card, former UFC talents including the likes of Rhys McKee, Tyson Pedro, Caolan Loughran and others.

Weigh-ins for PFL Belfast took place Wednesday morning local time. Full results can be found below.

PFL Belfast: Kelly vs. Wilson Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Lightweight: Darragh Kelly (155.3) vs. Jay Jay Wilson (156)
176lb Catchweight: Alex Lohore (175) vs. Rhys McKee (176)
Light Heavyweight: Tyson Pedro (205.8) vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov (205.2)

Preliminary Card

Bantamweight: Ciaran Clarke (135.2) vs. Dean Garnett (135.6)
Featherweight: Caolan Loughran (143.9) vs. Alan Philpott (144.8)
Welterweight: Chris Mixan (170.8) vs. Eoin Sheridan (170.9)
Bantamweight: Sean Gauci (135.3) vs. Liam Gittins (135.7)
166lb Catchweight: Pedro Carvalho (164.7) vs. Sergio Cossio (165.6)
Bantamweight: Eoghan Masoliver (135.7) vs. Shane Mullen (136)
Welterweight: Omran Chaaban (170.6) vs. Chequina Noso Pedro (169.8)
176lb Catchweight: Giannis Bachar (175.5) vs. David Martinez (175.7)
Women’s flyweight: Chelsea Hackett (124.8) vs. Andrea Vazquez (125.9)

The post PFL Belfast: Kelly vs. Wilson Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Headlined bantamweights Sergio Pettis and Mitch McKee, the card was relatively deep by PFL standards: McKee was an undefeated prospect making his promotional debut against ex-Bellator champ Pettis, while Gabriel Braga, Raufeon Stots, Viviane Araujo, Rodrigo Nascimento, Biaggio Ali Walsh and others were all in action.

In particular, Stots had a key fight with the unbeaten Renat Khavalov, a protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov who was also undefeated. Between the main event and Stots vs. Khavalov, it was possible that the PFL’s 135lb title picture might sort itself out on Saturday.

Full results from Friday’s PFL Chicago weigh-in can be found below. 

PFL Chicago: Pettis vs. McKee Weigh-In Results

Main card

Bantamweight: Sergio Pettis vs. Mitchell McKee
Middleweight: Jordan Newman vs. Joshua Silveira
Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots vs. Renat Khavalov
Featherweight: Gabriel Braga vs. Cheyden Leialoha

Preliminary card

Women’s Flyweight: Viviane Araújo vs. Shanna Young
Women’s Flyweight: Jena Bishop vs. Borena Tsertsvadze
Welterweight: Omar El Dafrawy vs. James Vake
Women’s Flyweight: Kana Watanabe vs. Paulina Wiśniewska
Heavyweight: Rodrigo Nascimento vs. Alexander Romanov
Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Dashiande Harris-Moore
Welterweight: Nate Jennerman vs. Valanti Atsas

The post PFL Chicago: Pettis vs. McKee Weigh-In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.