In the co-headliner, it was back-to-back eye pokes landed by Dovlet Yaghimuradov on ex-Bellator champ and UFC contender Corey Anderson, giving “Overtime” some adversity to fight through. In the main event, a rematch between Bellator lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul “Big News” Hughes, it was a low blow suffered by the challenger.

Both fighters were able to carry on.

For Anderson, the full twenty-five minutes were required to secure a second major title in MMA. The American was given a frosty reception by fans in Dubai, UAE during his entrance, but ignored it and fought his fight, falling back on his wrestling after taking some damage immediately following the consecutive eye pokes – going on to win a unanimous decision with scores of 49-45, 48-47, 49-45.

Despite all three judges awarding Anderson the victory, the 48-47 score still raised eyebrows, with most observers feeling Anderson had won four of the five rounds. A rematch of the pair’s 2021 meeting that also saw Anderson emerge victorious, the right man had his hand raised regardless.

Corey Anderson has now won titles with both Bellator and the PFL since requesting his release from the UFC back in 2020, a wise decision in retrospect.

As for the main event, Paul Hughes showed solid takedown defense early on in his own rematch with Usman Nurmagomedov. That defense faltered in the championship rounds, with Nurmagomedov getting Hughes down in round four with a trip; he briefly took the back. Usman, however, didn’t do much with the position, catching a breather more than anything before Hughes escaped.

Champ Nurmagomedov had won the pair’s first encounter earlier in 2025, claiming victory in a tight majority decision victory and becoming the first man to defeat Norther Ireland’s Hughes. The rematch, as a result, was one of 2025’s most anticipated non-UFC MMA fights.

Hughes, however, was showing damage by the end of round four, and when he did find his way inside on the champ, he wasn’t able to connect with anything significant. Eating a body shot and nearly a high kick from Nurmagomedov late in the round, Hughes headed to the final frame possibly in need of a finish.

He’d connect with a jab early, only for Nurmagomedov to later dump in. Hughes scrambled up, and was in the fight throughout. Another foul halted the action, an accidental clash of heads, with little over a minute remaining. Still, it was clear the judges were going to be required to determine the outcome of the main event. And while close (and with some concern about questionable judging earlier in the night), there was little question Usman Nurmagomedov would be retaining his title, especially after one final takedown in the fifth.

Official Result: Corey Anderson def. Dovlet Yagshimuradov by unanimous decision (49-45, 48-47, 49-45)

Usman Nurmagomedov def. Paul Hughes by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)

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Nurmagomedov and Hughes first met earlier this year, with Northern Ireland’s Hughes giving the undefeated lightweight champion his toughest test to date. Having made quick work of Gabriel Braga since then, Hughes has earned himself another shot at Nurmagomedov, with the champ’s old Bellator title being replaced by the PFL Champions Series belt.

Another PFL world title will be on the line, when Corey Anderson faces Dovlet Yagshimuradov for 205lb gold.

Full results from today’s weigh-in can be found below.

PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai – The Rematch Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Lightweight: Usman Nurmagomedov (155.0 lbs) vs. Paul Hughes (155.0 lbs) – for the PFL lightweight world championship
Light Heavyweight: Corey Anderson (204.6 lbs) vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov (205.0 lbs) – for the PFL light heavyweight world championship
Bantamweight: Magomed Magomedov (135.0 lbs) vs. Sergio Pettis (135.4 lbs)
Lightweight: Archie Colgan (155.6 lbs) vs. Jay-Jay Wilson (155.7 lbs)
Bantamweight: Jack Cartwright (139.8 lbs) vs. Caolan Loughran (140.0 lbs)

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight: Pouya Rahmani (256.4 lbs) vs. Slim Trabelsi (233.8 lbs)
Welterweight: Omar El Dafrawy (170.6 lbs) vs. Florim Zendeli (171.0 lbs)
Lightweight: Luann Sardinha (154.9 lbs) vs. Mirafzal Akhtamov (156.0 lbs)
Lightweight: Takeshi Izumi (155.8 lbs) vs. Vinicius Cenci (155.2 lbs)
Lightweight: Makkasharip Zaynukov (156.0 lbs) vs. John Mitchell (155.8 lbs)
Middleweight: Jarrah Al-Selawe (185.5 lbs) vs. Gregory Babene (185.0 lbs)

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The Professional Fighter’s League announced on Wednesday morning that the highly anticipated rematch between now former Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and Irish sensation Paul Hughes is set for October 03 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

In January, the two young talents engaged in a razor close five round contest that saw Nurmagomedov (19-0) edge out Hughes (14-2) to take home the decision.  Since then, anticipation to see the two engage in a rematch with official gold on the line for the winner.  While Nurmagomedov has not fought since, Hughes stopped Bruno Miranda in the first round in Ireland in May.  Notably, the fight is now for the official PFL lightweight world championship.  Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the promotion would be dissolving the remnants of the Bellator brand and the titles held by several of the fighters as it moved to create new belts streamlined under the PFL banner.

In the co-main event, the now final Bellator light-heavyweight champion Corey Anderson (19-6) will be competing for the new PFL world title in the same weight class.  His opponent will be the 2024 tournament winner, Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-7-1), who rides a seven fight win-streak going into the bout.

In other featured action, former BareKnuckle FC star and UFC veteran Artem Lobov (14-15-1) will meet Zubaira Tukhogov (20-6-1) who fights out of the Abdulmanap School in Dagestan.  The two were notable for being the catalyst for one of the most infamous incidents in MMA history as the two entered an altercation in 2018 where Tukhogov, a teammate of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, confronted Lobov at the fighter hotel in Brooklyn, New York ahead of UFC 223.  While no physical altercation occurred it did lead to retaliation by Lobov’s teammate, MMA superstar Conor McGregor, who went on to throw a moving dolly at the team bus containing several fighters containing UFC fighters including Nurmagomedov.  The bad blood between Nurmagomedov and McGregor went on to sell the most bought UFC pay-per-view of all-time and led to a post-fight brawl that became as wide spread as the fight itself.

Other bouts that were announced include a bout between undefeated heavyweights Pouya Rahmani (4-0) and Slim Trabelsi (8-0) and a welterweight bout between Omar El Dafrawy (14-5) and Florim Zendeli (10-1-1).

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A pair of Bellator alums in Corey Anderson and A.J. McKee each came away with big wins at the event, with both seeing their first action in 2025.

Anderson, coming into the event with pal Ben Askren undergoing a double lung transplant, made his heavyweight debut for the promotion in a fight against PFL Global heavyweight champion Denis Goltsov. Anderson, still the reigning Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion (announced as such), didn’t give up much in height or weight, already a massive 205’er who had fought at heavyweight early in his career. That might have been key, as “Overtime” was able to hold his own against the veteran heavyweight, controlling the action up against the cage.

In the second round, Anderson found his opening, putting away Goltsov for a TKO victory.

Anderson (19-6, 1NC) has now won three straight, and should probably defend his light heavyweight title next, which will presumably transfer over to the PFL Champions Series with Bellator having been mothballed.

The return of former Bellator featherweight champ A.J. McKee was up next, with McKee looking to bounce back from a split decision loss against Paul Hughes when he took on Dagestan’s Akhmed Magomedov, with Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner.

Akhmed Magomedov dumped McKee early in the opening round on Saturday, off a caught kick, but that allowed McKee to throw up a triangle attempt. The Dagestani would have to be careful even on top, given McKee’s ability to pull off dazzling submissions from his back, but after readjusting, Magomedov was able to settle in, heavy on top. While that might have been bad news for many fighters, McKee was able to roll to one side, get an underhook, and threaten to sweep, ultimately getting to his feet and going straight into his own takedown before they moved back to center.

There, A.J. began finding his range, tagging Magomedov a couple of times and wobbling him once. Yet Magomedov managed to connect on McKee against the fence once himself, before McKee reversed, finishing a competitive first round with a body kick.

The tone had been set in the opening frame; to start round two, Magomedov immediately went into takedown mode, but struggled to get McKee down, eventually finding himself reversed. When they did go down, it was off a big slam, with McKee taking the back. Hooks in, McKee began slowly working towards a possible rear-naked choke, mixing in a few punches to create an opening.

Eventually Magomedov would escape up, but McKee stayed on him, and Magomedov was warned for grabbing the fence. McKee would land another body shot at the end of the frame, forcing Magomedov in on a takedown attempt he couldn’t land.

Ahead of round three, Magomedov was told he’d see a point deducted if he grabbed the fence again. The Dagestani came out hot, throwing hands then moving in on a takedown that saw McKee defend for a good thirty seconds before Magomedov finally finished and got on top. McKee then used the fence to roll, fired upkicks, and caught Magomedov in a triangle, though he was able to pull his head out. Still, a reminder that McKee was always, always dangerous off his back, even late in a fight. McKee then lifted a knee and was able to sweep, getting in on a guillotine and using it to transition to the back.

A.J. got hooks in with a minute left on the clock, and got a body triangle in place while seated. Not enough time was left, however, to find a finish. They’d go the distance, with McKee earning the unanimous decision victory and improving to 23-2 overall.

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Yet there’s been a bigger fight that Anderson (18-6, 1NC) has been paying attention to as well: the battle that Ben Askren has been fighting over the past six weeks or so. Askren, suddenly falling ill and suffering a severe case of pneumonia, received a double lung transplant recently. The former Bellator and ONE Championship welterweight star’s sudden health struggle took many by surprise, and Anderson previously opened up about how much Askren had meant to both his personal and professional life.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Anderson revealed that Askren had encouraged him to pursue MMA, and even invited him to the gym where he met his wife. On Wednesday, during the PFL Africa media day, the former UFC light heavyweight told Cageside Press and other media outlets that seeing Askren talking and breathing under his own power again was “a blessing.”

“It’s great. It’s a blessing. You pray on it, you pray on it. Me and the wife pray on it. I talked to the wife before I came down here, I guess she talked to his wife and they’re still in hospital and they’re recovering and going through things,” Anderson stated. “It’s still a long uproad battle before he’s out and completely fine, but the aspect of seeing Ben talking and breathing again on his own, without a machine pumping him, and interacting with people- he’s sending out text messages now, he’s reposting posts, he’s actually doing posts himself, talking on the camera. That kind of brings tears to your eyes, because at one point in time you’re at the lowest point thinking the guy that kind of helped you find the life you have and helped you find a career and family almost no longer existed.”

Anderson lives four hours away from Askren when he’s not in fight camp, and while he hasn’t been home in a bit, he plans to visit Askren soon. “When this fight is over I’m going to get back and make sure I make it to his house someway, somehow and go see him and tell him exactly how much he really means to me. Show him how thankful I am before, who knows- anything can happen with his new lungs or anything can happen in life, and he’s gone and I’m not able to tell him that.”

Watch the full PFL Africa media day appearance by Corey Anderson above.

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Announced on Friday, PFL Cape Town has added former Bellator featherweight champ A.J. McKee (22-2), taking on Akhmed Magomedov (11-1, 1NC) at 145lbs – a return from his recent endeavors at lightweight. As well, Bellator light heavyweight champ Corey Anderson (18-6, 1NC) will return to action for the first time since winning his title, taking on Denis Goltsov (36-8) in a heavyweight fight.

Goltsov claimed heavyweight gold in the PFL tournament in 2024, making the fight a champ versus champ affair of sorts, weight classes not withstanding.

Since moving to lightweight in 2022, McKee has posted a 4-1 record, competing for Bellator MMA (and on a co-promotion with RIZIN) and the PFL. He’ll be looking to bounce back from just his second career loss, a split decision dropped to Paul Hughes last October.

McKee last fought as a featherweight when he lost his Bellator title in a rematch with Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 277 in April 2022, after having won the belt the year prior.

PFL Cape Town is headlined by Johnny Eblen, taking on Costello Van Steenis in a middleweight title fight. Dakota Ditcheva has been booked opposite Sumiko Inaba; the card is part of the PFL Champions Series, taking place live on July 19, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa.

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Not Tim Johnson. Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson.

“We didn’t even consider him as an opponent to begin with. when it was announced, we talked to PFL, we asked them to renegotiate the contract, offer better money or ask for the contract to be for a title fight let’s say, for the heavyweight division title with the belt on the line but the PFL refused to do so,” Nemkov told MMAFighting.

“So that fight didn’t make any sense. You’ve been around for a while, you know every fight has to make sense.”

PFL had announced his fight this weekend in Saudi Arabia would be against Anderson. Not long after it was announced that the fight was off which left Anderson with no fight.

“Fights off an according to Bellator/PFL Nemkov was being a crybaby about the fight. They agreed then declined because I’m “too tough of a fight,” Anderson said in a social media post.

“But wai!! There’s more, he wants to stay on the card, but wants to fight a lesser opponent… Last time we fought, his cameraman said I was easy work and didn’t deserve to fight him again… then, after I earned it, his cameraman then said he was now too big to fight LHW.”

“Honestly speaking it’s from the perspective of what I can get out of this fight. There’s nothing that I can gain from it,” said Nemkov.

“There was another fight that was offered to me, which we agreed on. The second fight (with Anderson), the PFL announced the fight before we agreed to it. Afterwards, we started negotiating. Because there was a possibility that we would fight if the money was different, if the contract was different.”

At this point in Nemkov’s career there must be something to gain for him to consider a fight. Now that he’s a heavyweight he has no interest in moving down to fight at 205, and Anderson lacks the heavyweight experience to be considered a contender for that title.

“if he would fight someone else and he would be (ranked) and it was going to be a fight with a belt on the line or something else that I could gain out of it,” Nemkov said. The two have already fought before. “It was a pretty easy fight. He likes to run his mouth and he does it best.”

Vadim Nemkov faces Tim Johnson this Saturday night at PFL Road To Dubai: Champions Series.

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A few weeks back, Nemkov was announced as facing Ante Delija at the Champions Series (it appears the Bellator name has been dropped) event. Almost immediately, multiple sources came forward to state that Delija was recovering from surgery.

Then, just days back, promotion officials announced a new co-main event for the January 25, 2025 card in Dubai: Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson. The fight would be contested at heavyweight, where Nemkov recently moved, and would close out their trilogy.

That match-up made all the sense in the world, but it seems it’s not to be. At least according to Anderson, who says the PFL has told him that Nemkov wants a “lesser” opponent for his return.

“Fights off an according to Bellator/PFL Nemkov was being a crybaby about the fight. They agreed then declined because I’m “too tough of a fight,” wrote Anderson on social media, encouraging doubters to “fact check me!!”

“But wai!! There’s more, he wants to stay on the card, but wants to fight a lesser opponent… Last time we fought, his cameraman said I was easy work and didn’t deserve to fight him again… then, after I earned it, his cameraman then said he was now too big to fight LHW [light heavyweight].”

Anderson went on to question what the excuse was now, tagging Nemkov’s cameraman and pointing out that he was moving to heavyweight to make the fight happen. “I come to HWT and yall still running from the fight…”

Anderson finished by suggesting Nemkov be pulled from the rankings, adding “scared money don’t make no money!”

Corey Anderson won Bellator’s vacant light heavyweight title back in March, and has not fought since. Nemkov, who previously held the title, vacated it in January to move up to heavyweight. The pair’s first meeting, part of Bellator’s light heavyweight grand prix, ended in a No Contest due to an accidental headbutt. Nemkov claimed victory in their second meeting.

Promotion officials have yet to comment on the situation.

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Bellator made the announcement on Wednesday.

Nemkov (18-2) is undefeated in his Bellator run. The former Bellator light heavyweight champion made his move up the heavyweight after defending his 205 title for a fourth time. Training under MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko he’s put together a 9-0-1 record in Bellator with one victory under PFL. He holds one victory over Anderson as their first bout was declared a No Contest after Nemkov suffered a cut over his left eye due to a headbutt.

Anderson (18-6) took the light heavyweight title shortly after Nemkov vacated it by beating Karl Moore in March. The light heavyweight champion has gone 5-1-1 in Bellator following a 10-5 run in the UFC earlier in his career.

It’s said closed mouths don’t get fed, and it seems to be true in Anderson’s case. Recently some of the top fighters in Bellator have taken to social media expressing frustration with lack of fight bookings.

Anderson joined Patchy Mix, Patricio Pitbull, Leandro Higo and others in expressing their disappointment with Bellator and PFL.

Seems like Bellator must have been listening as Anderson gets the call to fight Nemkov after Delija withdrew.

Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai takes place on Jan 25 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Currently the card looks as follows:

• Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes – Bellator Lightweight Championship
• Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderso – Heavyweight Bout

The post Vadim Nemkov And Corey Anderson Set For Bellator Jan 25 appeared first on Cageside Press.

After losing in his bid for two belts in Cage Warriors, Moore moved to Bellator and reeled off four straight wins at his usual weight of 205-lbs, earning him this title opportunity at the right time to headline in his birth city. In beating fellow UFC alumnus Phil Davis, Anderson bounced back from his duology with Vadim Nemkov, where he lost the second fight after being on his way to winning the first bout before an accidental foul resulted in a no-contest. With Nemkov vacating the belt to move up to heavyweight just as PFL bought Bellator, he too got his opportunity to fight for the belt, which he won on this third chance and became Bellator light-heavyweight champion.

When the bout began, Anderson immediately got to pressuring and putting his hands to work. The threat of the takedown helped him get an early lead in strikes, but Moore landed a few big shots that turned the tides and got the Irish faithful cheering two minutes into the first round. However the veteran turned those cheers to boos by taking down their countryman with a powerful shot. Anderson pinned Karl in half-guard for much of the rest of the round and landed short punches to secure a 10-9 on the scorecards in his favor for the first of five rounds.

Much of the second round involves Anderson holding Moore against the fence and attempting takedowns with little success. However, Moore had even less success getting offense off as his back was constantly scraping against the links of the cage.

The third round began with Anderson catching an ill-advised Karl Moore head-kick and taking down the Irishman. Moore almost finished the fight when he snatched an armbar and forced Corey to scramble out of it, but Anderson did just that and then settled back in Karl’s full-guard for most of the round. Moore got back up and got trapped in the clinch but broke free with seconds left and landed a few good strikes before the bell rang.

The championship rounds began with another early takedown from Anderson. He smushed Moore into the fence for half the round once more until Karl stood back up with the help of the fence. Little happened in the striking before Anderson got another takedown and the pattern repeated again until the round ended.

Anderson began the final round with a stunning right hand into a double leg. Moore tried to throw up subs from guard but with no success. Eventually he got back up and the pattern of the entire fight went around again. The only interesting moment of the round was the referee standing Corey up because he felt Anderson was using his head to strike Moore illegally from on top. Of course, after that he just clinched Karl again to stifle him for the rest of the fight.

The Irish crowd booed, loyal to the end despite the knowledge that their man had lost even before the scorecards were read, making Corey Anderson a champion of a major MMA promotion at long last.

Official Result: Corey Anderson def. Karl Moore by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 50-45)

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