Now, he has his sights set on another former UFC star: Francis Ngannou.

Ngannou has fought just once since signing with the PFL, in MMA anyway. Two bouts in boxing, with a third potentially coming later this year, have monopolized much of his time. With the PFL World Tournament at an end, however, many expect that Popov could be facing Ngannou next.

“The Predator” himself has downplayed that, but Popov is certainly open to it. Speaking in Russian with a translator, he displayed interest in both Ngannou and Denis Goltsov, who he has a previous loss to (the following translations are a mix of machine translation and Popov’s translator).

“He won’t get up from the floor. He can’t deny [my] wrestling,” Popov stated when asked about the potential match-up with Ngannou, still considered MMA’s lineal heavyweight champ. “His power, his clinch will never help him.”

“I’m faster, I’m better at fighting. Better wrestling. He has just heavy shots, that’s it.”

Of course, there’s the loss to Goltsov that Oleg Popov would like to avenge. “Ngannou is more promising,” he admitted. “I want Goltsov, but if PFL suggests to me Ngannou, let’s do it.”

Goltsov, it should be noted, is coming off a loss at this point. Making a match-up with the PFL World Tournament champ something of a question mark. Many now see Popov as deserving of the shot at Ngannou, given he’s lost just once since 2018, and only twice in a pro career that has him sitting at 22-2.

“I’m all for it. I’m all for a big name,” said Popov.

Earlier, he’s spoken of the fight with Romanov going the distance. Not exactly according to plan.

“I now understand that I can fight five-round fights without any worries, but the plan was not five rounds at all. I thought not. I thought he would get tired faster. He surprised me.”

Watch the full PFL Hollywood post-fight press conference with Oleg Popov above.

The post PFL Hollywood’s Oleg Popov on Ngannou Match-Up: “He Won’t Get Up From the Floor” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both competitors are known as dominant grapplers which made this a very interesting style matchup. Romanov had a near thirty pound weight advantage on fight night; Popov was a smaller Heavyweight in stature but is one of the most skilled fighters on the PFL roster.

In round one, both fighters started out cautious exchanging low leg kicks early. Romanov initiated the clinch and landed a knee to the body of Popov. Each fighter again was locked up in the clinch battling for position at the midway point of the round. Once separated Popov threw a big overhand right that barley connected. Popov seemed to be the quicker fighter in round one landing a few leg kicks and jabs at distance. After five minutes Popov jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in all likelihood.

To start round two both fighters almost immediately locked up in the clinch staling time against the fence. Romanov was eventually shrugged off and landed a knee on the break. Popov bounced back and forth landing a low leg kick and forcing the fight back to the fence. Once against the cage, Popov dropped down on a double leg takedown and dragged Romanov to the floor. After returning to their feet, Romanov landed a straight left hand but Popov walked through the shot and continued to march forward. With little action on the feet for the remainder of the round, Popov could have won this round as well.

The third began with each fighter exchanging kicks early before entering the clinch again. This was starting to look more like a sparring match then a world title fight as the crowd in Florida began to grow restless of the continuous clinch fighting. Romanov began stalling time against the fence in the clinch , as the referee had no interest in breaking up the action. At the midway point of the round, Popov shot in on a single leg takedown, but abandoned the attempt and landed a few good punches upstairs on Romanov.

In round four, Popov started off with a good low leg kick but the fight quickly entered the clinch. Romanov plotted forward looking to land a big left hand, but Popov was able to get away from danger. As Popov retreated Romanov connected on a big uppercut that was his best shot of the fight. Popov covered up and started to retreat from “King Kong”. A damaging elbow from Romanov landed a home before Popov forced the fight to the clinch. Romanov pushed Oleg up to against the fence and started to have his best moments in the fight. Another big elbow landed for Romanov as he exited the clinch. The fourth was the best round of the fight for Romanov but he may have been too far behind.

The fifth and final round saw Popov come out on the aggressive. A big left hand connected for Popov before Romanov started to land quality shots in the clinch. Both fighters seemed to be relatively fresh in this final five minutes. Romanov looked for a takedown against the fence, but was unsuccessful and ate a few good shots from Popov as he circled away. With a minute remaining, Popov landed a low leg kick and Romanov missed on a spinning back kick. After five rounds it was more than likely Popov who would come away with the victory.

The judges scored this contest split with the first two going in separate directions. The third judge scored the fight for Oleg Popov as he was awarded the victory. This was a massive ride back to the title for Popov who fell just short last year in the final.

Official Result: Oleg Popov def. Alexander Romanov by split decision (47–48, 49–46, 49–48)

The post Oleg Popov Outpoints Romanov in Competitive Split Decision, Wins PFL Heavyweight World Tournament Final appeared first on Cageside Press.

In a battle of former Bellator stars, Fabian Edwards and Dalton Rosta headlined the card, with Edwards looking to work his way back to a title shot. He’d come up short against Johnny Eblen for the Bellator title (now the PFL Champions Series belt) late last year; since then, Costello Van Steenis had dethroned Elblen.

Rosta, meanwhile, had avenged the only loss of his pro career earlier in the tournament.

At heavyweight, Alexander Romanov had landed in the World Tournament final after being unable to continue due to a low blow in his semifinal bout. An odd quirk of the rules saw the judges make the call regardless; he was set to take on Oleg Popov.

Where to Watch the PFL World Tournament

PFL Hollywood takes place on Thursday, August 21, 2025 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, FL. The card airs live on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S., and DAZN elsewhere. Full results can be found below. The action kicks off at 6PM ET, 3PM PT, with the main card starting at 9PM ET/6PM PT.

PFL Hollywood: Edwards vs. Rosta Results

Main card

Middleweight: Fabian Edwards def. Dalton Rosta by KO (head kick), Round 3, 1:28 – World Tournament Final
Heavyweight: Oleg Popov def. Alexander Romanov by split decision (47–48, 49–46, 48–47) – World Tournament Final
Light Heavyweight: Antônio Carlos Júnior def. Sullivan Cauley by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:44 – World Tournament Final

Preliminary card

Featherweight: Alexei Pergande def. Ethan Goss by submission (brabo choke), Round 1, 3:52
Bantamweight: Lazaro Dayron def. Bryce Meredith by TKO (punches), Round 3, 4:06
Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay def. Andrew Sanchez by TKO, Round 3, 4:31
Light Heavyweight: Rasul Magomedov def. Guilherme Viana by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Sergey Bilostenniy def. Karl Williams by TKO, Round 2, 4:11
Middleweight: Josh Silveira def. Murad Ramazanov via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Catchweight (175lb): J.P. Saint Louis def. Tyler Ray via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post PFL Hollywood: Edwards vs. Rosta Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The fight is one of three World Tournament finals on the PFL Hollywood card, and perhaps one of the more surprising. Romanov, a former UFC standout, advanced after his last fight ended early due to a low blow. Technically a No Contest, the judges still selected Romanov to advance.

Popov (21-2), speaking via translator, didn’t have much to say about that during the PFL Hollywood media day. “I’m a fighter, I’m not a judge. I cannot judge. The judge knows best, I guess,” he told Cageside Press and other media outlets.

Romanov was spotted playing translator for Popov once back in Orlando, but according to Popov, they aren’t quite friends. Just a pair of Russian speakers in a foreign land.

“We’re not friends, we’re just acquaintances. We never trained together, we never helped each other. Just, we know each other and have good relations.”

When it comes to what he expects in the fight, Oleg Popov stated that “we are both wrestlers. He’s a wrestler, I’m a wrestler. We’re going to have a lot of clinching. I’m not going to avoid the fight the way he does. So I think there will be a lot of wrestling work.”

As for what could come after the World Tournament, there’s a potential fight with either Vadim Nemkov or Corey Anderson. Of course, only one interests Popov. “Vadim’s my teammate, I don’t want to fight with him. But Corey’s a really tough opponent, I can fight him.”

Watch the full PFL Hollywood media day appearance by Oleg Popov above.

The post Oleg Popov Expects Plenty of Wrestling in PFL World Tournament Final appeared first on Cageside Press.

⚖️ PFL World Tournament Final: Hollywood Weigh Ins

Middleweight Tournament Title Bout:
Fabian Edwards: 185 lbs
Dalton Rosta: 185 lbs

[ #PFLWorldTournament | Thursday, August 21st | Early Card 6pm | Main Card 9pm | ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/k8t6yrfjcW

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 20, 2025

The final event of the PFL World Tournament is set for Thursday August 21, 2025 and it will feature three title fights on the main card.  The bad blood between Fabian Edwards and Dalton Rosta leads the event after the two middleweights have gone back-and-forth in the media leading up to the fight.

In other action, Oleg Popov is in his second straight tournament final and will look to complete his run this time around as he takes on UFC veteran Alexandr Romanov in a heavyweight title fight.  Finally, former champion Antonio Carlos Jr aka “Shoeface” will look to win his second tournament as he faces Bellator veteran Sullivan Cauley who missed all of 2024 due to injury.

The event will air be simulcast live on ESPN and ESPN+ in the United States starting at 6pm ET/3pm PT.

PFL Hollywood Weigh In Results:

Main Card:

Middleweight Final: Fabian Edwards (185) vs Dalton Rosta (185)

Heavyweight Final: Alexandr Romanov (263.2) vs Oleg Popov (249.6)

Light-Heavyweight Final: Sullivan Cauley (204.8) vs Antonio Carlos Jr (204.6)

Preliminary Card:

Featherweight: Alexei Pergande (145.6) vs Ethan Goss (145.6)

Bantamweight: Bryce Meredith (135) vs Lazaro Dayron (136)

Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay (185) vs Andrew Sanchez (185.2)

Light-Heavyweight: Raul Magomedov (205.8) vs Guilherme Viana (205.6)

Heavyweight: Sergey Bilostenniy (253.6) vs Karl Williams (253.4)

Middleweight: Josh Silveira (184.4) vs Murad Ramazanov (184.8)

Catchweight: Jean-Pierre St. Louis (176) vs Tyler Ray (175.4)

The post PFL Hollywood Weigh In Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

This year, it’s the PFL World Tournament final that Popov (21-2) finds himself in; there, he’ll be facing Alexandr Romanov. Romanov’s own entry into the heavyweight final was a strange one, as at Friday’s PFL Chicago, he was the victim of a low blow landed by Valentin Moldavsky.

With the fight in the first round still, the bout ended in a No Contest, with Romanov exiting on a stretcher. Yet in a grand prix, win or go home tournament, someone had to move on. The judges were polled, and Romanov got the nod.

Popov, who lost to Denis Goltsov in the PFL’s 2024 season finale, defeated UFC vet Rodrigo Nascimento earlier in the night on Friday. After the bout, he told media outlets including Cageside Press that “I feel very healthy, wonderful, and I’m ready to go,” adding his own breakdown of Romanov. “Big, heavy, strong wrestler. That’s going to be tough.”

It seems Russia’s Popov is quite happy with the PFL these days. So happy, in fact, that if the UFC were to come calling, he’d turn them down.

“This is my second time reaching the final. A great responsibility. I finally want to win, I hope I can do it,” exclaimed Popov. “The organization is good. Each time, events are better and better organized. Overall, a cool promotion. If they offer me to go to the UFC, I probably won’t go.”

Especially if he wins a half million in prize money in August, no doubt.

Watch the full PFL Chicago post-fight press conference with Oleg Popov above.

The post PFL Chicago’s Oleg Popov Says if UFC Comes Calling, He Probably Won’t Go appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the opening moments of the fight both competitors met in the center of the cage, with Goltsov landing a jab early. Shortly after, Popov took Goltsov to ground landing a takedown against the fence. Goltsov expertly threw up a triangle that no one including Popov saw coming. Popov struggled to survive and get his head out of the dangerous position, but Goltsov put the surging prospect to sleep with the submission.

An incredible victory for Goltsov who finally captured PFL gold after coming up short just last year. Goltsov earned himself 1 Million dollars and possibly a matchup against PFL Heavyweight Francis Ngannou. After snapping Popov’s impressively long win streak, Goltsov has positioned himself for the biggest fight of his career.

During his post-fight interview Goltsov stated “I am really happy because this is my fifth time… I feel my condition was much better than last year… Now I’m ready I want a big fight!” Goltsov also said that he “of course” wants to fight Ngannou in a Super-Fight next October.

Official Result: Denis Goltsov def. Oleg Popov by submission (triangle choke), Round 1, 2:55

The post Denis Goltsov Earns 2024 PFL Heavyweight Title, Eyes Super-Fights appeared first on Cageside Press.

At the same time, during Wednesday’s media day, Popov (18-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press that there was a point he doubted such success would ever come for him.

“Everything is going well. If I keep winning and doing exactly that, I’m going to be training and pursuing [a title]. That means I’m going to be at a higher stage,” said Popov. “I’ll be able to have bigger and better fights, and I’ll establish myself as one of the great fighters.”

“Having said that, there was a time when I thought that I wouldn’t be able to do it, and I wouldn’t be able to make it this far,” Popov added.

Popov is a member of Fedor Team, the camp eponymously named for heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko. That puts Popov in good company, alongside the likes of Vadim Nemkov and Valentin Moldavsky, the latter of whom Vassell is replacing on Friday.

As for Vassell, he predicted a second round finish ahead of the fight. Popov, in response, said he’s expecting a great fight.

“He said the second round? Wow that’s going to be interesting. That means it’s going to be a great fight,” Popov suggested. “If he got the news three weeks before the fight, but he also fought two months before that, I’m pretty sure he’s going to be in great shape. And once again, he said in the second round, so we’re going to see what’s up with that in the fight.”

Popov also addressed being a smaller heavyweight in a division full of big men.

“It’s something that, I’m always a little bit smaller as a heavyweight compared to all the other guys. For me, it’s something that I’m used to. I’m going to wrestle and box him.”

Watch the full PFL Nashville media day appearance by Oleg Popov above.

The post PFL Nashville’s Oleg Popov Once Doubted He’d Make It This Far appeared first on Cageside Press.

Uncasville – PFL heavyweight Oleg Popov clinched a spot in the playoffs with a win over Davion Franklin at PFL 4 on Thursday night leaving the possibility of facing teammate Valentin Moldavsky at some point.

“Honestly I only think about the fight as it’s coming up so I didn’t really think about it,” Popov told reporters including Cageside Press through a translator at his post-fight scrum.

“I was concentrating on this fight 100%. I don’t want to think about it. Few days to think things over and just reset again. You have to work your ass off to get to the finals.”

Popov (18-1) took a decision victory over Franklin who showed very good takedown defense throughout the fight.

“Honestly even Moldavsky has better defense. He was way bigger than I am. I didn’t have any problems,” he said.

Training with the famed Fedor Team led by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko the standard is set very high for their fighters. Popov wasn’t happy with the performance, but knew the win was the important thing.

“Sometimes you prepare 100%, you’re ready for the fight, you get inside the cage, and something goes wrong. Was one of those days where something went off, not according to plan, and I apologize to my fans,” he said.

“The fight was pretty boring I think. I’ll try to do it better next time.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Oleg Popov above.

The post Oleg Popov Not Thinking About Moldavsky Matchup appeared first on Cageside Press.

Popov (15-1) will face off with Turkey’s Gokhan Saricam (8-1) as part of February’s Bellator 291 card. Promotion officials announced the match-up on Saturday. The bout joins several other significant match-ups at Bellator’s first European show of 2023, including the return of welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov.

With 11 of 15 wins coming via stoppage, Popov has been on the radar for some time. Riding a 13-fight win streak dating back to 2015, Popov most recently picked up a TKO win over former UFC title challenger Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

Welcoming the 30-year old Russian to the Bellator cage next year will be Gokhan Saricam, who will look to make it five wins in a row in the fight. Saricam’s only defeat came at the hands of fellow heavyweight standout Steve Mowry just over three years ago.

Bellator 291 takes place on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. A welterweight title unification bout between Yaroslav Amosov and interim champ Logan Storley headlines, while the following match-ups have been announced for the card:

Yaroslav Amosov (c) vs. Logan Storley (ic) – for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship / title unification bout
Pedro Carvalho vs. #5-Jeremy Kennedy
Sinead Kavanagh vs. Janay Harding
Gokhan Saricam vs. Oleg Popov
Oliver Enkamp vs. Luca Poclit
Karl Moore vs. Maciej Różański
Brian Moore vs. Luca Iovine
Daniele Scatizzi vs. Dmytrii Hrytsenko
Piotr Niedzielski vs. Richie Smullen
Charlie Ward vs. Mike Shipman
Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Andy Manzolo
Asaël Adjoudj vs. Calum Murrie
Elina Kallionidou vs. Jena Bishop

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