Suddenly, Rettinghouse, himself a replacement for Magomed Magomedov, was in need of replacing. That duty went to Marcirley Alves, a tournament alternate who had been scheduled to face Vilson Ndregjoni in the first bout of the evening.

Vilson Ndregjoni was left without a dance partner, resulting in the card being shifted back half an hour. End result, PFL 2 has a very different look, especially when Taila Santos dropped out of the PFL World Tournament previously.

Quite the scramble, but the tournament continues with women’s flyweight and bantamweight semifinals now locked in. Also on the card, UFC veterans Jake Hadley and Matheus Mattos faced off in prelim action. All fights are quarterfinals in the PFL World Tournament.

Where to Watch PFL 2

This year’s PFL 2 card takes place on April 11, 2025 at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. The action gets underway at 9PPM ET, 6PM PT, airing live on ESPN2/ESPN+ and DAZN. Full results from the event can be found below.

2025 PFL 2: Higo vs. Alves Results

Main card

Marcirley Alves def. Leandro Higo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Liz Carmouche def. Ilara Joanne by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:25
Mando Gutierrez def. Francesco Nuzzi by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:13
Justin Wetzell def. Kasum Kasumov by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary card

Ekaterina Shakalova def. Juliana Velasquez by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:05
Jake Hadley def. Matheus Mattos by submission (Scottish twister), Round 3, 2:16
Jena Bishop def. Kana Watanabe by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Elora Dana def. Diana Avsaragova by submission (neck crank), Round 1, 4:48

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Then, he was booked into the PFL World Tournament, which has the promotion introducing the 135lb division this year. A high profile opponent, Magomed Magomedov, pulled out, replaced by Josh Rettinghouse. Incredibly, on weigh-in day on Thursday, Rettinghouse was pulled, not cleared to compete by the doctors.

Enter back-up Marcirley Alves. At least Higo still has a fight.

Speaking during Wednesday’s media day, Higo (23-6) addressed the prospect of becoming champion, and earning a very solid payday in the process.

“To me it’s great. We have a saying in Brazil, ‘killing two rabbits with one shot.’ And I have the opportunity to fight for the tournament, to win the title and get the prize money,” he exclaimed. “In every organization that I’ve been through I was able to get the belt, except for Bellator because now the promotion doesn’t exist anymore. But I got close to it, I had a title fight against Patchy Mix that ended up being cancelled, but I believe it would have happened if that fight went through. but now I’m here in PFL and I have the chance to be the first [bantamweight] champion in the promotion.”

Higo plans on using the prize money, $500,000 U.S. this year on top of his purses throughout the tournament, to help out his family. “500K is going to give me and my family a big help for the entirety of our lives. So it all means a lot to me, and being the champion also brings a lot of good things, and I welcome all those things that will be coming to me after I win this tournament.”

Back when Rettinghouse was still his opponent, all of two days ago, Higo said the change in opponent “doesn’t change much. Because my focus now is implementing my game. Doing what I want to do. Instead of worrying whether this guy is going to do this or that, I’m the one dictating everything.”

Presumably, that still applies after yet another switch-up.

Watch Leandro Higo’s full 2025 PFL 2 media day appearance above.

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Rettinghouse’s removal from the card followed Thursday’s official weigh-in, a result of the fighter being denied medical clearance to compete. As it happens, his involvement in the fight was as a replacement for Magomed Magomedov, who withdrew from the tournament.

PFL officials announced the news on social media, revealing that a new main event had been set. Former Bellator star and LFA champ Leandro Higo (23-6), who was booked opposite Magomedov, then Rettinghouse, will now face tournament alternate Marcirley Alves.

Brazil’s Alves (12-4) had been scheduled to face Vilson Ndregjoni in a bantamweight alternate bout. Ndregjoni is now without a fight.

Alves enters the new-look 2025 PFL 2 main event off a loss on the Bellator Champions Series. He went 1-1 under the Bellator banner, and is a former Jungle Fight bantamweight champion in his native Brazil.

As for Higo, he sits on a two-fight win streak and is coming off a victory over Ireland’s James Gallagher.

PFL 2 takes place on Friday, April 11, 2025 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

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Included will be former Bellator MMA title challenger Magomed Magomedov, as well as his Bellator compatriot, Brazil’s Leandro Higo. PFL MENA champ Ali Taleb will be moving up to the PFL Global ranks to take part in the world tournament, while England’s Jake Hadley joins the promotion after a short stint in the UFC. Hadley’s involvement was first reported by MMA Mania.

Interestingly enough, the PFL’s Bantamweight World Tournament will consist entirely of fighters sourced outside of North Amercia, as there is not a single American, Canadian, or Mexican fighter in the bunch.

The tournament roster includes:

• Magomed Magomedov (24-4) of Russia
• Leandro Higo (23-6) of Brazil
• Sarvarjon Khamidov (16-0) of Tajikistan
• Ali Taleb (12-1) of Sweden
• Ciaran Clarke (10-0) of Ireland
• Kasum Kasumov (16-1) of Russia
• Jake Hadley (11-4) of England
• Zebenzui Ruiz (12-3) of Spain

The tournament alternates for the PFL’s bantamweight division will be Italy’s Francesco Nuzzi (10-1) Brazilian Matheus Mattos (14-3-1).

PFL officials confirmed the full roster in a press release issued on Friday. That release also included the names of the alternates for the women’s flyweight tournament, the main roster of which was previously announced. Serving as alternates for that weight class will be Ukraine’s Ekaterina Shakalova (8-2) and Mexico’s Saray Orozco (8-6).

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In execution, however, the merger of two promotions under one roof (but still run as separate entities of sorts, with Bellator MMA now the “Bellator Champions Series“) has been anything but smooth.

Picking up a broadcast deal with HBO MAX, the Bellator side of things promised eight events in 2024, then delivered just five, with dates in Paris, Chicago, and Japan scrapped. That has led to fighters under the Bellator banner struggling to compete, and in recent days, bantamweight champ Patchy Mix, featherweight champ Patricio Pitbull, and bantamweight contender Leandro Higo have voiced their frustrations publicly.

“I’ve been training my ass off for the last half of year for nothing. This is frustrating in the prime of my career and I’ve had my fight in November cancelled?” a clearly aggravated Mix wrote on social media. “Then now again I’m being told I’m off January Dubai card? I am the best in the world and I want to fight to prove it.”

Mix had been scheduled to face Leandro Higo at Bellator Paris in November, one of the cancelled events. Bellator’s next show is set for Dubai in January, billed as the Road to Dubai, and headlined by lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov.

“This is very frustrating. We have no clue about when we might be fighting after two fight cancellations in a row,” a post to Higo’s Twitter/X account said in response. “Time is of the essence in this game, we can’t waste our primes on the sidelines. I’m working hard to take that title, spending money, sweat and blood. What’s going on?

Featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull (or whoever manages his social media presence) had a longer statement.

“I haven’t fought since February. I wanted to fight 3x this year, but I was told I’d have to wait until December 31st and found out online my opponent would fight someone else,” Pitbull began. “Then they had a replacement, I bring people over, spend more money with the camp and there’s no fight.”

“They said things didn’t work out with Japan and that it wasn’t their fault. Ok. So why don’t you stage a show somewhere else? What kind of promotion can’t give fighters at least two fights a year? Some haven’t even fought this year! Bellator used to be BIG. Things worked and we always had answers. They never just cancelled a show and said they had no idea when we would be booked. Even regional promotions have dates set for April of next year already! This merger has been a disaster to the sport of MMA. Meanwhile we have to see the top brass talking about offering tens of millions of dollars to social media personalities and semi-retired fighters, while cutting 90% of the roster and telling guys making 30+30 they’re too expensive. How can you become number 1 in the world if you don’t stage events and don’t want to pay fighters?”

“I am very worried about the future of Bellator and MMA in general. I feel very sorry for all the fighters who didn’t even get to fight this year or were cut because they just don’t make shows or think they’re expensive, and all the fighters who were forced to take paycuts,” Pitbull continued. “This is wrong. We need answers, we need the fighters and fans to be respected. This is not a game or just some business, these are people’s lives we are talking about. A serious promotion would give fighters the chance to fight at least 3 times a year if they’re healthy.”

Light heavyweight champ Corey Anderson also chimed in. “Aging like warm cheese over here waiting for [PFL MMA] to give me a call. But don’t get it twisted…. we still ready to defend the strap against ANYBODY! Young or Old!!” he wrote on his own social media account.

Josh Hill and Sabah Homasi were among the fighters who were released following the PFL’s purchase of Bellator MMA. So far, the only fight scheduled for a Bellator event between now and January 25 is Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes. However, a number of the promotion’s names were added to the PFL Championship/PFL MENA card later this month.

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On Tuesday, promotion officials announced via press release that champ Patchy Mix (20-1) will face Leandro Higo (23-6) in the main event of Bellator Paris on November 16, 2024 at the Adidas Arena.

In addition, French welterweight Baissaingour Chamsoudinov (8-0) will take on Oliver Enkamp (11-4) in the card’s only other announced bout.

Patchy Mix will be looking to make the second defense of his bantamweight title, which he won from Sergio Pettis in November of 2023, in Paris. “No Love” earned his shot at undisputed gold by winning Bellator’s bantamweight grand prix, and an interim title in the process, earlier that year. This past May, at the second Bellator Champions Series card, also in Paris, Mix successfully defended his title opposite Magomed Magomedov.

Brazil’s Leandro Higo was the inaugural LFA bantamweight champion, and made the move to Bellator MMA in 2017. The following year, he earned a shot at gold, taking on then-champ Darrion Caldwell, only to be submitted.

A loss to Aaron Pico followed, then a three-fight win streak marred by back-to-back weight misses. Since exiting the Bellator bantamweight grand prix in the quarterfinal round, however, Higo has won two straight. He’s coming off a unanimous decision victory over James Gallagher.

Bellator was purchased by rival PFL in late 2023, who now run the promotion as the Bellator Champions Series.

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Gallagher was met by a tough test in the form of LAW MMA’s James Gonzalez, in what marked the Irishman’s first bout since suffering a loss to Patchy Mix in November 2021. “The Alley Cat” entered the bout with some momentum following a first-round knockout victory on the PFL Challenger Series, though Gallagher was hungrier than ever and managed to showcase his improved skills en route to a narrow split-decision victory.

“I did what I had to do,” Gallagher said in the post-fight press conference. “I won and that’s the main thing. I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot to grow – a lot to improve. It was a tough, tough fight, but I was calm. I won the first two rounds and then I just coasted in the last one…I had to do what I had to do. Winners f***ing win.”

Despite winning his first fight in nearly two years just moments prior, Gallagher already had his sights set on the next one – and even has an opponent in mind.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for (Leandro) Higo. Good fighter, tough challenge. If he wants to go 145 in Dublin in 40 days – I’m ready,” Gallagher said. “I’ll do that – no f***ing problem. I respect him, that’s a hard fight for me and that’ll be another win. I’m very, very interested in that.”

Higo called out Gallagher after winning his fight on Friday night, and while he fights at bantamweight as opposed to 145, it’ll be interesting to see whether Higo is up for the challenge and makes the move to featherweight to challenge “The Strabanimal”.

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with James Gallagher above.

James Gallagher def. James Gonzalez by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

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On Thursday, Bellator officials announced via press release the addition of fights in the bantamweight, women’s flyweight, and other divisions for the August card. Among the bouts announced, Leandro Higo (21-6), ranked #7 in the 135lb weight class, will face Nikita Mikhailov (10-2), a member of Fedor Team who has picked up wins in three of his four Bellator MMA fights to date.

Higo had a three-fight win streak snapped when he ran into Danny Sabatello in the Bellator bantamweight grand prix last year. Prior to that, the Brazilian had earned wins against ex-champ Darrion Caldwell, Ricky Bandejas, and Shawn Bunch.

Mikhailov, who previously fought for Fight Nights Global, is coming off his own win over Caldwell.

Also on the Bellator 298 card, Mikhailov’s countrywoman Diana Avsaragova (6-0) returns, putting her undefeated record on the line against UFC veteran Justine Kish (8-6). Kish is 1-4 in her last five fights dating back to her UFC run, with the lone win against former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane sandwiched between losses to DeAnna Bennett.

Max Rohskopf (7-2) will face Brazil’s Jairo Pacheco (7-1) in a lightweight match-up, while Ukraine’s Katerina Shakalova (7-1) debuts in a women’s featherweight fight against #7-ranked Dayana Silva (10-8). Finally, ex-LFA bantamweight champ Jerrell Hodge (10-3) makes his own debut against Marcirley Alves da Silva (11-3).

Bellator 298 is set to be headlined by a welterweight showdown between Logan Storley and Brennan Ward at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 11, 2023. The following match-ups have been reported/announced for the event:

• Logan Storley vs. Brennan Ward
• Valentin Moldavsky vs. Steve Mowry
• Dalton Rosta vs. Aaron Jeffery
• Sidney Outlaw vs. Islam Mamedov
• James Gallagher vs. TBD
• Lucas Brennan vs. Weber Almeida
• Michael Blockhus vs. Eli Mefford
• Alfie Davis vs. Aalon Cruz
• Leandro Higo vs. Nikita Mikhailov
• Diana Avsaragova vs. Justine Kish
• Max Rohskopf vs. Jairo Pacheco
• Katerina Shakalova vs. Dayana Silva
• Jerrell Hodge vs. Marcirley Alves da Silva

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On Wednesday, promotion officials announced the addition of six new fights to the Bellator 297 card, including a couple of ranked fighters.

Foremost among the newly added match-ups is a middleweight contest featuring former title challenger Austin Vanderford (11-2), ranked #5 in the division, taking on undefeated Dagestani prospect Imamshafi Aliev (9-0).

Aliev will be entering the Bellator cage for the second time in the fight, and will be getting his toughest test yet against American Top Team’s Vanderford, a former Dana White’s Contender Series competitor who was denied a contract despite finishing on the show in 2018.

Also added to the docket on June 16, Leandro Higo (21-6), ranked #7 in the bantamweight division, looks to bounce back from a loss in the Bantamweight World Grand Prix against Danny Sabatello when he takes on Russian Nikita Mikhailov (9-2).

Higo joined Bellator in 2017, and faced Darrion Caldwell for the promotion’s 135lb title the following year.

Another middleweight fight freshly added to Bellator 297 sees Jordan Newman (5-0) take on Matthew Perry (5-3), while at lightweight Mike Hamel (10-5) takes on Shamil Nikaev (10-0). Featherweight prospect Cody Law (6-2) returns against newcomer Edwin Chavez (6-4), and rounding on the new additions, Wladmir Gouvea (1-0) takes on Kevin Childs (1-1) at heavyweight.

Bellator 297 is led by a pair of title fights, as light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov takes on Yoel Romero, and featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, a former 155lb title holder, drops to bantamweight in search of a third championship against Sergio Pettis.

The following fights have been reported for Bellator 297 on June 16, 2023:

• Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero — for the Bellator MMA light heavyweight championship
• Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull — for the Bellator MMA bantamweight championship
• Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis
• Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam
• Kyle Crutchmer vs. Bobby Nash
• Austin Vanderford vs. Imamshafi Aliev
• Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Pieter Buist
• Leandro Higo vs. Nikita Mikhailov
• Jaleel Willis vs. Ramazan Kuramagomedov
• Alex Polizzi vs. Karl Moore
• Wladmir Gouvea vs. Kevin Childs
• Archie Colgan vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
• Mike Hamel vs. Shamil Nikaev
• Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Kamil Oniszczuk
• Timur Khizriev vs. Richie Smullen
• Jordan Newman vs. Matthew Perry
• Cody Law vs. Edwin Chavez
• Max Metzgar vs. David McKinney

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Strabane, Northern Ireland’s James Gallagher (11-2) will face Brazilian Leandro Higo (21-6) at the event on March 10, 2023, in a bantamweight match-up.

Severe MMA was first to report the news on Wednesday, with Gallagher later confirming the match-up on social media.

Gallagher last fought at Bellator 270 in November 2021, where he was submitted by Patchy Mix. That setback snapped a four-fight win streak for Gallagher, who had three submission wins during that stretch.

Higo saw a three-fight win streak of his own snapped back in June, when he was defeated by Danny Sabatello. The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 alum has been with Bellator MMA since 2017.

Bellator 292 will take place on March 10, 2023 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. Two lightweight quarterfinal bouts top the event, including Usman Nurmagomedov defending his 155lb title against ex-UFC champ Benson Henderson.

• Usman Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Benson Henderson – for the Bellator MMA lightweight championship / lightweight grand prix quarterfinal
• Tofiq Musayev vs. Alexander Shabliy – lightweight grand prix quarterfinal
• Linton Vassell vs. Valentin Moldavsky
• Josh Hill vs. Cass Bell
• Leandro Higo vs. James Gallagher
• Keri Taylor-Melendez vs. Bruna Ellen
• Laird Anderson vs. Rogelio Luna
• Wladmir Gouvea vs. Sean Tucker
• Theo Haig vs. Adam Wamsley
• Dupree Stewart vs. Demetri Georgiades
• Érik Pérez vs. Enrique Barzola
• James Gallagher vs. Leandro Higo

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