In the opening two minutes of the semi-final matchup, Romanov used the clinch to execute a successful belly-to-belly suplex to ground Moldavsky. Showing in the process exactly why he goes by the nickname “King Kong.”

After carrying the weight of his opponent on the ground for at least a minute and escaping the full mount position, Moldavksy got back to his feet and engaged in the striking, but it wasn’t long before Romanov was once again working to tie up his arms and get back into a clinch position. After a few deep attempts but with no successful takedowns or tie-ups, the two heavyweights began to slug it out with big shots on the feet.

The two began to exchange some nice combinations in the last minute of the opening round but an accidental low-blow to the groin area of Romanov unfortunately ended the fight early due to the fact that Romanov was injured and unable to continue. The knee that connected low left Romanov writing in pain, unable to get back to his feet.

The fight ended in a no contest at 4:26 of round one, with Alexandr Romanov advancing to the 2025 PFL Heavyweight World Tournament Finals via default, based on the judges, despite the bout not making it out of the first round. He was taken out in a stretcher this evening in Chicago due to the extremity of his pain.

Official Result: Valentin Moldavsky vs. Alexandr Romanov ends in No Contest (accidental low blow), Round 1, 4:26 

PFL officials later issued the following statement to Cageside Press:

“Valentin Moldavsky vs Alexandr Romanov ends in a no contest after an accidental groin strike (1st round, 4:26). Per PFL World Tournament rules, for the purpose of determining advancement in the tournament, in the case of a no contest the three judges are asked to choose the fighter who they think had the most complete body of work for the entirety of the fight. The judges chose Romanov to progress to the finals. The official result will remain a no contest. Romanov will face Oleg Popov for the 2025 PFL World Tournament Heavyweight Title.”

The post PFL Chicago: Romanov Suffers Accidental Low Blow, Advances Despite No Contest appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I don’t like so many fighters from Russian because Sergey (Bilostenniy) is my good friend, but it’s sport. Maybe we must fight,” Moldavsyk told reporters including Cageside Press on Tuesday.

“Now (or) maybe next fight we fight with Oleg Popov. It’s a sport.”

Moldavsky (13-4) is part of the Red Devil Sport Club lead by Fedor Emelianenko which has been friendly with Russian fighters like Bilostenniy. They may be friendly, but the job is the job. Moldavsky spoke on why Fedor’s team is so important to him.

“We training with Fedor and the whole team. With Vadim Nemkov, Victor, Oleg Popov. Fedor came to our training like a coach,” he said.

Emelianenko is an MMA legend in his own right, but Russia has produced some very high level fighters. Moldavsky had a short list of the top 5 in his mind.

“Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Vadim Nemkov, Vitaly Minakov,” he said.

“And that’s all I think.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Valentin Moldavasky above. He takes on Sergey Bilostenniy at PFL World Tournament on Thursday night.

The post Valentin Moldavsky Doesn’t Like To Fight Russians, but “It’s a sport.” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bilostenniy (13-3) has trained with Moldavsky’s team which is lead by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko. The Russian doesn’t think the relationship will suffer when the two heavyweights collide.

“I do appreciate and respect their team. Fedor obviously has a great team around him. A lot of heavyweight and that’s great always training or practicing. We don’t have that many heavyweights in Russia,” Bilostenniy said.

“Maintaining that relationship with them is great. I didn’t train with them after the last fight specially when I knew I was going to fight Valentin, but overall we have nice relationships.”

Fighting an opponent whose part of a team you’ve trained with before could be an issue, but Bilostenniy believes both men are professional enough to do their work and leave feelings outside of it.

“No I don’t see big problem with that. For me it’s just work and you have to prepared for anything. We just get out there. This is the epitome of our work,” he said.

“When we go (into) the cage that’s when it happens. You just get in there, you be professional, and you get out.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Sergey Bilostenniy above. He takes on Valentin Moldavsky at PFL World Tournament this Thursday night.

The post Sergey Bilostenniy Has No Issue Fighting Fellow Russian appeared first on Cageside Press.

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.

Vassell (25-9) earned a split decision victory over Moldavsky, but still fell short of entering the playoffs with a total of 3 points this season. A loss to Denis Goltsov in the first round put Vassell in a hole he couldn’t dig out of without a first round finish and some luck.

“I’m gutted that I’m not through, but I’m more happy that I got the win. I finished the trilogy, so we’ll see what happens in the next couple of weeks I guess,” Vassell told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

With the seeding set for the start of the playoffs Vassell finds himself on the outside looking in. A seed of hope remains however as MMA is a violent game where injuries are common place. If a heavyweight withdraws from the playoffs he could be on the short list to get a call up.

“We all know what happens. Heavyweights are pulling out left, right and center aren’t they,” he said.

“Maybe get a call from PFL you know? We’ll see. Maybe get a super fight or something. I’ll go back and lick my wounds for a bit, and go back to training.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Linton Vassell above.

The post Linton Vassell ‘Gutted’ To Be Out Of Playoffs appeared first on Cageside Press.

The pair’s rivalry had begun back in Bellator, with Russia’s Moldavsky winning their first meeting, by decision. Vassell followed that up in March of 2023, knocking out the Team Fedor contender.

With the PFL scooping up Bellator last year, the trilogy was set to play out in the PFL SmartCage. And while Vassell needed a quick finish, after some back-and-forth, he wound up rocked off a check hook about midway through the opening round. Moldavsky then used his weight to bully Vassell to the mat, but could not keep him there, with “The Swarm” wall walking up.

Moldavsky, controlling an ankle and firing knees, stayed on the Brit. The grappling battle continued as they moved across the cage; with just under a minute on the clock, Vassell crumpled off a low blow, that while accidental, was a clearly low knee.

A clearly pained Vassell was able to continue, but the fight left the first round, securing Tim Johnson a title shot, care of a first-round finish earlier in the night. In the second, Moldavsky went after a takedown early, with Vassell defending but ultimately ending up seated along the fence. But the momentum shifted with about 90 seconds left when, back on the feet, Vassell dropped Moldavsky! Vassell got on top, in half guard, looking to land ground n’ pound while Moldavsky locked down his leg.

With Modavsky having recovered, they headed to round three, with Vassell throwing heavy leather, forcing the former Bellator interim champ backwards early. They clinched up, with Moldavsky walking Vassell to the fence looking for a key takedown. A throw backfired, however, with Moldavsky giving up position and nearly giving up his back. Vassell was high up the back however and nearly fell off over the top before catching himself. Just when it looked like Moldavsky might scramble up, Vassell managed to regain control. He spent some time on top at center, and for a good chunk of time out-wrestled the Russian. Finally, Moldavsky wall-walked up, with about a minute fifteen left in the round.

Valentin Moldavsky would land a takedown next, with roughly a minute on the clock. Bad timing for Vassell, but he got right back up, only to be taken down again just prior to the end of the fight.

Come the scores, the decision was as split as the trilogy itself. It was Linton Vassell claiming the win – but without a finish he misses the post-season.

Official Result: Linton Vassell def. Valentin Moldavsky by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

The post Linton Vassell Wins Trilogy with Valentin Moldavsky, Misses PFL Playoffs appeared first on Cageside Press.

It was heavyweights and women’s flyweights in action this week, with promotional darling Dakota Ditcheva facing Chelsea Hackett in the co-main event.

Stepping in on short notice, meanwhile, former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos was making his heavyweight debut, against 2023 finalist Denis Goltsov. Capping off the preliminary card on Saturday, meanwhile, were the number two and number three seeded women’s flyweights in Taila Santos, a former UFC title challenger, and Jena Bishop, who had found ample success crossing over from BJJ.

Where to Watch 2024 PFL 4

Thursday’s 2024 PFL 4 card takes place on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The card airs live on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S., and DAZN in Canada and Europe. Full results from the event can be found below.

PFL 4: Moldavsky vs. Vassell 3 Results

The post 2024 PFL 4: Moldavsky vs. Vassell 3 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The second half of the PFL regular season is officially underway as the heavyweights and women’s flyweights stepped onto the scales in Uncasville, Connecticut.  Widely regarded as the most intriguing pairing of divisions this year, the event will see several notable newcomers and veterans with former Bellator title holders Liz Carmouche, Juliana Velasquez, Linton Vassell, and Valentin Moldavsky in action as well as last year’s PFL Europe tournament winner Dakota Ditcheva.

Currently, former Bellator interim title holder Moldavsky leads the heavyweights in what could be the closest race to the playoffs as the fighter in second place, Daniel James, will not be competing and thus can not add to his point total.  For the women, Ditcheva sits atop the leaderboard after scoring the fastest first round finish in the season opener earlier this year.  Early tournament favorite Carmouche will be the one to watch as the Bellator title holder can secure a place in the playoffs with a victory but could be at risk to be eliminated if she goes to decision and another contender scores a quick finish.

PFL 4 will take place on Thursday June 13 from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Main Card

Heavyweight Regular Season Main Event: Valentin Moldavsky (231.5) vs. Linton Vassell (243)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Co-Main Event: Dakota Ditcheva (125.5) vs. Chelsea Hackett (125.75)
Women’s Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Denis Goltzov (243) vs. Thiago Santos (241)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Liz Carmouche (126) vs. Kana Watanabe (125.75)

Preliminary Card

Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Taila Santos (125.75) vs. Jena Bishop (125.5)

Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Oleg Popov (245) vs. Davion Franklin (268.5)*
Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Marcelo Golm (266) Tyrell Fortune (253)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Ilara Joanne (125.5) vs. Shanna Young (126.0)
Heavyweight Regular Season Bout: Danilo Marques (248.25) vs. Tim Johnson (266)
Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Juliana Velasquez (125.0) vs. Lisa Mauldin (125.5)

Women’s Flyweight Regular Season Bout: Sumiko Inaba (125.0) vs. Saray Orozco (125.5)

*Davion Franklin missed weight for his heavyweight bout by 2.5 lbs

The post 2024 PFL 4 Regular Season Official Weigh In Results — Heavyweight Misses appeared first on Cageside Press.

Last time out Moldavsky was able to score a first round finish of Ante Delija in April.

“Yeah that felt great so hopefully I’m going to be able to do the same thing as I did the first round,” Moldavsky told Cageside Press through his translator on Tuesday.

“Finish fight early and move over to the playoffs.”

Moldavsky (13-3) faces Vassell for the third time in his career. Even with the move to PFL he still matched up with him. It’s a welcome trilogy bout for Moldavsky.

“Everything is going according to plan. This is what I was thinking of. If I would win the first round, which I did, I was hoping to get Linton the second round. It went according to my plan,” Moldavsky said.

The name of the game is win, and he would love a quick finish, but the goal is to advance.

“Early is better if I were able to, but yeah hopefully we’re going to get win. Fight will show,” he said.

Watch the entire interview with Valentin Moldavsky above. He takes on Linton Vassell this Thursday night at the Mohegan Sun.

The post Valentin Moldavsky’s Trilogy With Vassell “According to my plan” appeared first on Cageside Press.

That’s a fight fans easily could have seen under the Bellator MMA banner, and in fact, they have. Twice.

Prior to the PFL purchasing Bellator late last year, Moldavsky (13-3, 1NC) earned a decision win over Vassell (23-9, 1NC) at Bellator 218 in 2019. England’s Vassell then evened the series 1-1, knocking out Moldavsky at Bellator 292 in March 2023.

Moldavsky, who trains under Fedor Emelianenko, picked up a TKO finish of a former PFL champ in Ante Delija at this year’s PFL 1 card, giving him six points and leaving him ranked first overall in the division. Vassell, finished by Denis Goltsov, has no points, and sits in the #7 spot in the standings.

Also announced for PFL 4, Dakota Ditcheva will face Chelsea Hackett in the night’s co-main event. Ditcheva, a breakout star from PFL Europe, is #1 overall in the women’s flyweight season, with Hackett #7. However, the pairing sparked outcry from the likes of UFC star Angela Hill, who suggested that the “PFL is shaaaaady” after reportedly booking her teammate, Jena Bishop, against UFC vet Taila Santos. As it stands, Santos is #2 in the division, while Bishop is #3, meaning the seedings make little sense.

Heavyweight Daniel James, meanwhile, also took to social media (h/t Alex Behunin) to report that he’s facing Tyrell Fortune at PFL 4 on June 13. James and Fortune were supposed to meet at PFL 1, only for Marcelo Golm to replace Fortune, who did not fight that evening.

James questioned the logic of having Fortune, with no points, earning a shot at the #2 seed. “When you are a guy that [shouldn’t] be fighting and you get the opportunity to fight the number two guy in the tournament without even performing your first fight with no points, what gives you the audacity to think you can challenge me for a position in the tournament after all the guys on the card that night had busted their ass in?” he wrote in a social media post.

Later, he would add “I think the PFL organization is showing a lot of favoritism for guys that they want to push and I am not here to make friends with none of them. I am here to win and I am putting myself in a position to do so. They are putting me in a position where I have to make sure I win because they have their guys they want to try to pat on the back and pamper their way to the top but it’s all good.”

The PFL does not use a bracket format in their regular season, instead saving that for the playoff rounds. Much of the matchmaking has remained a mystery as a result.

Neither Bishop’s proposed bout with Santos, nor James’ fight with Fortune, have been officially announced by the PFL.

The 2024 PFL 4 card will take place at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT on June 13.

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