Latest news with #2025PFL6
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Archie Colgan confident he brings 'threats' PFL champ Usman Nurmagomedov hasn't faced
PFL's Archie Colgan is potentially on the verge of a lightweight title shot, and is confident in his ability to end the undefeated record of the current champion, Usman Nurmagomedov. The PFL lightweight title picture is somewhat crowded at the moment. The promotion just completed the semifinal round of lightweight bouts at 2025 PFL World Tournament 6, where Gadzhi Rabadanov and Alfie Davis won their bouts to advance to the finals. The winner, in theory, would be considered for a title shot against Nurmagomedov (19-0). However, should Rabadanov (26-4-2) win the final, he will not face his good friend and training partner. Paul Hughes, who lost a majority decision to Nurmagomedov in January, is also angling for a rematch. That's where Colgan (12-0) fits in. At 2025 PFL 6, the undefeated wrestler defeated Mansour Barnaoui by unanimous decision in a lightweight non-tournament bout. The fight wasn't directly billed as a No. 1 contender fight, but Colgan's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told him it would be considered as such when he signed the contract. After turning in a strong performance in the win, Colgan expects his title opportunity to come later this year, maybe in October or November, if the promotion returns to the Middle East. Should that be the direction the PFL goes, Colgan is confident his skillset would be a difficult puzzle for Nurmagomedov to solve. "I think there's attributes that I possess, things that I bring to the table that he has not seen in a fight," Colgan told MMA Junkie. "I'm sure he's seen it in training, you know, he's got some of the best training partners – but in a fight, I think that there's just different things that I bring to the table that nobody else has brought to him. Obviously, offensive wrestling, defensive wrestling, but my inside boxing is there as well. My fight IQ is very good as well. I just think I bring different threats that he hasn't had to face under the lights, under the performance, and I'm excited to get my opportunity to go show that to the world." On paper, the clash of Dagestani wrestling vs. American wrestling would be a key component to the fight. It's something that Colgan would embrace, and is fully aware that would be the narrative surrounding the fight. While confident in his ability to win, Colgan knows Nurmagomedov is such a talented fighter that the champ would have his moments in the fight. "It is a narrative, but it's only a narrative because it's partially true," Colgan said. "Yeah, I do take pride in representing USA wrestling. USA wrestling has built me to this point, done a lot for me in my life, and many other fighters. I would be very proud and happy to carry that torch to go be the one who shows whose wrestling is better. I've come to terms that he's a very good fighter and he'll probably take me down as well. ... I'm going to score takedowns. I know that. I can take anybody down, and I'm very understanding that he's a very high-caliber person, and I'll probably get taken down as well." "... He's his own person, and he hasn't been beaten. So, he carries the same confidence that I carry. You don't know how or what it's gonna be, but you believe that when it comes time to fight, you're gonna find a way to get the win. He believes that and so do I. Neither one of us have seen the loss."
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL semifinals: Make predictions for heavyweight, 205 and\u00a0185 in Chicago
We want your predictions for Friday's PFL lightweight, bantamweight and women's flyweight semifinals in Chicago. Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we'll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). Those reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release ahead of 2025 PFL 6 (ESPN/ESPN+), which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Oleg Popov vs. Rodrigo Nascimento Valentin Moldavsky vs. Alexandr Romanov Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Simeon Powell Aaron Jeffery vs. Dalton Rosta Sullivan Cauley vs. Phil Davis Fabian Edwards vs. Josh Silveira 2025 PFL 7 fight card (as of June 23, 8 a.m. ET) MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET) PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET)
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL 6 video: Gadzhi Rabadanov destroys Kevin Lee in lopsided few minutes
GADZHI RABADANOV DOMINATES KEVIN LEE FOR A FIRST ROUND VICTORY!#PFLWorldTournament LIVE NOW🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+🌎 Gadzhi Rabadanov barely broke a sweat inside the PFL cage Friday in Wichita, Kan. In the 2025 PFL World Tournament 6 main event, Rabadanov (26-4-2) defeated Lee (20-9) via TKO due to punches at 2:37 of Round 1. The fight served as one of two lightweight tournament semifinal bouts at INTRUST Bank Arena. From the beginning of the fight, nearly every punch that hit Lee squarely got a noticeable reaction out of him. Rabadanov put Lee on roller skates more than once. Lee hit the deck on multiple occasions as he tried to either regain his balance or scramble for a leg. Before long, Rabadanov landed the finishing combination. Lee went face down and Rabadnov hit him once more before referee Jason Herzog jumped in. Rabadanov will face Alfie Davis in the lightweight tournament final Aug. 15 in Charlotte, N.C.. He entered the 2025 calendar as the 2024 PFL lightweight champion. A protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rabadanov rides a 12-fight winning streak dating back to December 2020. Lee, 32, entered the tournament as an alternate to replace the injured Jay Jay Wilson. The bout was his PFL debut and only his second in MMA since his one-off return with the UFC in July 2023. Full 2025 PFL 6 results
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL 6 video: Jena Bishop uses slick BJJ skillset to tap Ekaterina Shakalova
Jena Bishop is headed to the 2025 PFL women's flyweight championship. At 2025 PFL World Tournament 6 on Friday, Bishop (9-2) submitted Ukraine's Ekaterina Shakalova (9-3) with a rear-naked choke at 2:07 of Round 2. The fight took place on the prelims at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. Bishop, 39, was relentless in her Brazilian jiu-jitsu attack, constantly attempting submissions in the first round. Quickly in Round 2, Bishop dragged the fight to the canvas. Despite Shakalova's best defensive attempts, Bishop finally got a tight enough squeeze to get a tap and advance to the tournament final. Bishop will face the winner of Liz Carmouche vs. Elora Dana, which takes place later on the card. Up-to-the-minute 2025 PFL 6 results
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 PFL 6 video: Vinicius Cenci keeps triangle locked during big slam to get submission
Tony Caruso's impactful slam was not enough to break Vinicius Cenci's grip. At 2025 PFL World Tournament 6, Cenci (9-3) submitted Caruso (10-3) with a triangle choke at 1:43 of Round 1 after being elevated and planted. The event took place at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan. Cenci, 29, bounces back into the win column after a loss to Brent Primus in April. He moves to 1-1 in PFL. Caruso, 34, drops his second bout under the PFL banner after two wins on the regional scene. Up-to-the-minute 2025 PFL 6 results include:
