The event featured former Bellator MMA 205lb champ Phil Davis headlining against ex-PFL light heavyweight champ Rob Wilkinson. While neither man had held gold in recent years, it was still a champ versus champ battle of sorts, underscored by the fact that Davis was making his PFL debut in the fight. He had not competed since a 2023 fight under the Bellator banner, prior to the promotion being acquired by the PFL.

Also in action on Thursday, former Bellator interim heavyweight champ Valentin Moldavsky, former UFC heavyweights Tim Johnson and Karl Williams, and ex-PFL champ Antonio Carlos Junior.

All of the scheduled bouts at Thursday’s PFL 4 were quarterfinals in the PFL World Tournament.

Where to Watch 2025 PFL 4

Thursday, May 1, 2025 found the PFL at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida for PFL 4. The card airs live on ESPN2/ESPN+ in the U.S., and DAZN elsewhere. Full results from the event can be found below. The preliminary card kicks off at 7:30PM ET, 4:30PM PT.

2025 PFL 4: Davis vs. Wilkinson Results

Main card

Light Heavyweight: Phil Davis def. Rob Wilkinson by TKO, Round 2, 0:51
Heavyweight: Valentin Moldavsky def. Sergey Bilostenniy by split decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Light Heavyweight: Antônio Carlos Júnior def. Karl Moore by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)
Light Heavyweight: Simeon Powell def. Karl Albrektsson by TKO, Round 2, 2:05

Preliminary card

Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov def. Timothy Johnson by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 1:53
Heavyweight: Oleg Popov def. Karl Williams by split decision (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)
Light Heavyweight: Sullivan Cauley def. Alex Polizzi by TKO, Round 1, 1:36
Heavyweight: Rodrigo Nascimento def. Abraham Bably by split decision (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)

The post 2025 PFL 4: Davis vs. Wilkinson Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Wilkinson (19-3) no longer has to deal with the season points format as PFL has adopted a strict tournament style. Still it’s not all shiny and new for the Aussie.

“I don’t think it’s completely new. I think it’s mainly with the tournament, or the season, it’s the back to back fighting. Getting your body and mind right for that,” Wilkinson told reporters including Cageside Press on Tuesday.

“Making sure you don’t burn out from training and that you can recover after each fight. Get ready for the next fight.”

PFL has also changed the controversial “no elbows” rule and fighters will now be able to strike with them. With a nickname like ‘Razor’ Wilkinson welcomes the change.

“It’s good that the PFL are doing elbows now. I’m not sure why they weren’t really. I always thought it was because they didn’t want cuts for back-to-back fights. We’re still fighting 8-weeks apart. I think it’s good,” he said.

This main event bout against Davis isn’t the first time Wilkinson is supposed to face him. Their previous fight was canceled due to Davis withdrawing from the bout. It’s made for a sort of extended fight camp for Wilkinson.

“I prepared last year of him. This camp’s a bit different. I moved back to Australia to do my camps now living back home,” he said.

“Excited to be back home training out of Australia for this one.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Rob Wilkinson above. He faces Phil Davis in the main event of PFL World Tournament Week 3 this Thursday night.

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In the main event, a champion versus champion battle, with former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion taking on PFL ex-champ Rob Wilkinson. Both men were UFC veterans who had found considerable success after leaving that promotion; Davis was making his PFL debut in the fight, having last competed for Bellator in 2023.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, former Bellator interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky, a student of the legendary Fedor Emelianenko, was paired up with Sergey Bilostenniy in a heavyweight quarterfinal bout. All fights set for Thursday’s 2025 PFL 4 card were, in fact, quarterfinals in the PFL World Tournament, with the lone exception of the 205lb tournament alternate bout featuring Alex Polizzi and Rafael Xavier.

Weigh-ins for the 2025 PFL 4 card take place Wednesday, April 30 in Orlando; results can be found below.

2025 PFL 4: Davis vs. Wilkinson Weigh-In Results

Main card

Light Heavyweight: Phil Davis (206) vs. Rob Wilkinson (206)
Heavyweight: Valentin Moldavsky (236.8) vs. Sergey Bilostenniy (240.8)
Light Heavyweight: Antônio Carlos Júnior (205.6) vs. Karl Moore (205.8)
Light Heavyweight: Karl Albrektsson (204.8) vs. Simeon Powell (206)

Preliminary card

Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov (264.2) vs. Timothy Johnson (264.6)
Heavyweight: Karl Williams (259) vs. Oleg Popov (249.2)
Light Heavyweight: Sullivan Cauley (205.6) vs. Marcelo Nunes (205.6)
Heavyweight: Rodrigo Nascimento (256.6) vs. Abraham Bably (248.4)
Light Heavyweight: Alex Polizzi (204.2) vs. Rafael Xavier (205.2) – alternate bout

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The PFL’s heavyweight World Tournament will see former Bellator star Valentin Moldavsky in action, along with recently released UFC heavyweight Alexander Romanov. Linton Vassell, who competed for gold under the Bellator banner at light heavyweight, continues his heavyweight run. UFC/Bellator Vet Tim Johnson also returns.

Johnson, who made it to the semifinals last season, was last seen losing a short-notice scrap with Vadim Nemkov at the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai event in January.

The heavyweight roster, minus alternates, looks as follows:

• Valentin Moldavsky (13-4) of Russia
• Alexander Romanov (18-3) of Moldova
• Oleg Popov (19-2) of Russia
• Linton Vassell (25-10) of England
• Sergey Bilostenniy (13-3) of Russia
• Tim Johnson (18-11) of U.S.A.
• Pouya Rahmani (4-0) of U.A.E.
• Abraham Bably (5-1) of England

Light Heavyweight sees the return to action of “Mr. Wonderful” himself, Phil Davis, a former UFC contender and Bellator MMA champion. Also returning is Rob Wilkinson, a former PFL champ, and fellow PFL light heavyweight champion and UFC alum Antonio Carlos Junior. RIZIN and Bellator alum Karl Albrektsson is also in the mix.

The light heavyweight tournament will include:

• Phil Davis (24-7) of the United States
• Rob Wilkinson (19-3) of Australia
• Karl Moore (12-3) of Ireland
• Marcelo Nunes (11-2) of Brazil
• Antonio Carlos Jr. (16-6) of Brazil
• Simeon Powell (10-1) of England
• Karl Albrektsson (14-6) of Sweden
• Sullivan Cauley (6-1) of U.S.A.

Light heavyweight alternates will be Alex Polizzi (11-4) of the U.S., best known for his Bellator MMA run, and Rafael Xavier (13-8) of Germany.

The post PFL Announces Roster for Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight World Tournament appeared first on Cageside Press.

Lightweights and light heavyweights were in action, with Impa Kasanganay, the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion, headlining the show in a rematch with Josh Silveira. American Top Team’s Silveira was the man Kasanganay had defeated last year to win the title and million dollars in prize money; the rematch would either reaffirm Kasaganany’s dominance, or give Silveira his revenge.

2022 champ Rob Wilkinson could be found in the other 205lb semifinal, taking on Bellator alum Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov. Wilkinson had failed a drug test in 2023 that cost him the entirety of the season.

At lightweight, former Bellator champ Brent Primus faced PFL mainstay Clay Collard in one semifinal, while Canada’s Michael Dufort was paired up with Gadzhi Rabadanov in the other.

Where to Watch PFL Hollywood

Friday’s 2024 PFL 8 sees the playoffs continue at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL. The card airs live on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S., and DAZN in Canada and Europe. Full results can be found below. The preliminary card goes live at 6:30PM ET.

PFL Hollywood: Kasanganay vs. Silveira 2 Results

Main card

Impa Kasanganay def. Josh Silveira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — light heavyweight semifinal
Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov def. Rob Wilkinson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) — light heavyweight semifinal
Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Michael Dufort by KO, Round 2, 1:51 — lightweight semifinal
Brent Primus def. Clay Collard by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) — lightweight semifinal
Biaggio Ali Walsh def. Brian Stapleton by KO (punch), Round 1, 0:55

Preliminary card

Danny Sabatello vs. Lazaro Dayron ends in a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
Mads Burnell def. Elvin Espinoza by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Thad Jean def. Chris Brown by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Jordan Oliver def. Braydon Akeo by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Michelle Montague def. Marilia Morais by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:44

The post PFL Hollywood: Kasanganay vs. Silveira 2 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

After all, if it’s not broke, don’t fix. Or, as he put it, “I’ve done it before and I won that title.” Which means that, when it comes to training, it all boils down to “just sort of the same sort of stuff.”

Of course, Wilkinson (19-2, 1NC), an Australian who has spent time training in Denver, knows the PFL season is a little different from your average MMA lifecycle.

“I think the biggest thing is, you’re managing that fatigue and that rest during the season, and not doing too much overtraining and getting run down and sick. So making sure I do have time off after each fight, even if I’m fighting again eight weeks later,” Wilkinson said of handling the tournament. “And just listening to my body, if I’m getting run down or sick maybe I’ll take a couple days off, you don’t need to smash yourself constantly. I’m fit from the last fight, I’m just going to build on top of that.”

“It’s definitely hard. In all the other promotions you might get called up by your manager and get a fight on the date, or you might tell then roughly when you’re looking to fight. And you can easily say yes or no, obviously you don’t want to say no too many times, but you can say no, you can make an excuse, you can be injured, you can be sick,” he added. “Whatever it is. You can just say you want to fight a month or two later. PFL, you’re fighting on this date, you’re fighting against this opponent. There’s no yes or no, if there’s a no you’re out of the tournament. You’ve just got to say yes and turn up to those fights.”

While Wilkinson has the pedigree of being a former champ, doubt was cast when he was one of roughly ten fighters in the PFL to test positive for PEDs following a stint in Las Vegas last year. That saw a win over Thiago Santos, who also failed his drug test, overturned to a No Contest. A year off due to suspension followed.

Not surprisingly, some have taken that to doubt Rob Wilkinson’s accomplishments as a whole. He’s not, however, looking to use a potential second championship to silence any naysayers – mainly because he doesn’t believe that they can be silenced.

“I think the first fight back in the PFL this year, that was a year off from fighting, and obviously coming off that suspension I was keen to get back in there and just go out there and do what I’d always done in the PFL. And that’s exactly what I did, I went forward and got the finish pretty early,” noted Wilkinson. “And then I felt like after that, I put that mistake I made behind me, and I’m just moving forward. Now two fights into this year; I’ve got two more to go.”

“Obviously that world title is the goal. As you said, winning that, whatever naysayers- there’s always going to be naysayers, people talking sh*t and whatever, that doesn’t bother me- but winning that can maybe shut them up, but most likely they’ll still find a way to be talking sh*t. But who cares? I’m doing what I love, I’m doing what makes me happy. I just want to go out there and win another world championship.”

Watch our full interview with PFL 8’s Rob Wilkinson above. The event takes place in Hollywood, Florida on August 16, 2024.

The post PFL Semifinalist Rob Wilkinson: There’s Always Going to Be Naysayers appeared first on Cageside Press.

On paper, thanks to five first round finishes in the 205lb division in April, light heavyweight looked ready to explode. Only four fighters could move to the post season, meaning someone with six points was set to be left on the outside, looking in. In the running to move forward were 2023 champ Impa Kasanganay, that year’s runner up in Josh Silveira, ex-champ Antonio Carlos Junior, ex-champ Rob Wilkinson, and Bellator import Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov.

On the lightweight side of things, Clay Collard headlined the show opposite Mads Burnell in a possible banger, while Patricky Pitbull looked to get on the board, and 155lb leader Michael Dufort looked to carry the torch for Canada in the PFL, after taking over for retired teammate Olivier Aubin-Mercier.

Due to a late withdrawal by Tom Breese, Andrew Sanchez was moved up the card into a fight with Sadibou Sy, with the announcement made just hours prior to showtime. That left Karl Albrektsson as the odd man out.

Where to Watch PFL 5

Friday, June 21, 2024 sees lightweights and light heavyweights in action at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The main card airs live on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. following prelims found exclusively on ESPN+, while Canadian and European viewers can catch the action on DAZN. Full results from the event can be found below.

2024 PFL 5: Collard vs. Burnell Results

The post 2024 PFL 5: Collard vs. Burnell Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

This year’s PFL 2 card featured light heavyweights and heavyweights in action, with 2023 205lb champ Impa Kasanganay headlining the show opposite incoming Bellator MMA vet Alex Polizzi.

That fight saw a boost in profile when another Bellator mainstay, ex-champ Phil Davis, was forced to withdraw from the event. His opponent, Rob Wilkinson, was instead paired up with UFC alum Tom Breese, further down the card.

A lightweight banger between Clay Collard and Patricky Pitbull also featured on Friday. Aside from that very fan friendly scrap, another Bellator mainstay was also making his promotional debut, with Mads Burnell joining the league.

Where to Watch PFL 2: Kasanganay vs. Polizzi

The Professional Fighters League brings the 2024 PFL 2 card to The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, April 12, 2024. The event airs live on ESPN+ in the U.S., and DAZN in Canada. Full results from Friday’s card can be found below. The prelim broadcast kicks off at 6PM ET, 3PM PT.

PFL 2: Kasanganay vs. Polizzi Results

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Impa Kasanganay def. Alex Polizzi by TKO, Round 1, 3:29
Light Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Rob Wilkinson def. Tom Breese by TKO, Round 1, 1:10
Lightweight Regular Season Bout: Clay Collard def. Patricky Pitbull by TKO, Round 2, 1:32
Lightweight Regular Season Bout: Michael Dufort def. Mads Burnell by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 1:03
Light Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Josh Silveira def. Sadibou Sy by TKO (injury), Round 1, 1:40

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Antonio Carlos Jr. def. Simon Biyong by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:34
Light Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov def. Jakob Nedoh by TKO, Round 1, 2:54
Lightweight Regular Season Bout: Brent Primus def. Bruno Miranda by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:49
Lightweight Regular Season Bout: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Solomon Renfro by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight Regular Season Bout: Elvin Espinoza def. Adam Piccolotti by knockout, Round 3, 2:23
Heavyweight Showcase Bout: Marcelo Nunes def. Jordan Heiderman by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:40

The post 2024 PFL 2: Kasanganay vs. Polizzi Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

That mistake didn’t come in the cage. Rather, Wilkson (17-2, 1NC) was one of a multitude of PFL fighters who failed drug tests when the league hosted a three-event stint in Las Vegas to kick off the 2023 season. It ended the Australian’s hopes of repeating as champ then and there, as he was yanked from his second bout of the season.

Unlike many athletes, Wilkinson quickly took responsibility for the doping violation, which saw him flagged for an elevated t/e (testosterone-to-epitestosterone) ratio resulting from the androgynous origin of testosterone in an in-competition test linked to his fight with Thiago Santos.

Ahead of his return at PFL 2, Wilkinson told Cageside Press that “I made a big mistake last year, and obviously I paid for that. But I’ve taken some time off, and I’ve come back and I’m excited to get back there and do what I love, which is fighting.” The plan now is for Wilkinson to “just go and get a good win, get a good knockout for everybody that stuck by with me and everybody that still supports me.”

With Phil Davis out, it’s Tom Breese stepping into the PFL 2 match-up with ex-champ Wilkinson. “A bit of a change in style, like he’s a southpaw, that’s probably the biggest one,” Wilkinson noted of the switch up. “It’s just some tactical adjustments we made. Still always focusing on what I’m going to do versus what they’re going to do.”

Wilkinson took a demotion when Davis dropped off the card, and will no longer be the main event. He’s not surprised to see 2023’s eventual light heavyweight champ, Impa Kasanganay, topping the marquee.

“I was expecting that to happen. I was excited to fight Phil Davis, just because he’s a big name and I want to fight the big hard fights. So I was disappointed he got injured, but I wasn’t surprised that Impa’s the main event when he’s the champion from last year.”

As for Breese, Wilkinson’s prediction was simple: “I will knock him out within two rounds.”

Watch our full interview with PFL 2’s Rob Wilkinson above.

The post Rob Wilkinson Focused on Finish at PFL 2 After “Big Mistake” Last Year appeared first on Cageside Press.

Wilkinson, who picked up a win over Thiago Santos at PFL 1 back in April, was handed down his punishment by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday — and he’ll be sitting out nine months, while paying a fine of just over $8,000 per a report by MMA Junkie.

Now, Wilkinson has opened up about the scandal, admitting that he is “extremely disappointed in myself” after a drug test found an elevated t/e ratio due to an androgynous origin of testosterone.

Read Wilkinson’s full statement below.

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your support over my career and I want to provide you all with an explanation for my nonattendance in the 2023 PFL season.

After my last fight on April 1st, I failed an in-competition drug test, which has resulted in my suspension for the rest of the 2023 PFL season.

I have and will continue to reflect on all the reasons that led me down this path, but regardless of these reasons, I am extremely disappointed in myself. I want to emphasize that I wholeheartedly accept full responsibility for the choices I have made and the consequences that have come with it.

To my family, friends, team, fans, and the PFL, I’ve let you down and for that I am sorry. All I can do now is learn and grow from my mistakes, as I’ve always tried to do. I will take this time to improve my mentality and skill set and will be back better than ever. Through every set back, is an opportunity for a stronger come back.

To all of those who have reached out and shown unwavering support during this challenging time, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to you all. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtxHavuOUHv/

Wilkinson, a former UFC middleweight who shared the cage with Israel Adesanya prior to being released by that promotion, defeated Omari Akhmedov in the 2022 PFL Championship to win the title and the million dollars. Coincidentally, his win over Santos, which is now a No Contest, came against one of the other nine fighters to fail drug tests back in April.

Santos for his part was suspended six months.

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