VIDEO: PFL Finalists Have First Faceoffs In Riyadh Ahead of 2024 Championship

The fighters set to compete for gold at this yr’s PFL World Championship stood toe to toe days out from their title showdowns within the Center East.

After finishing its predominant and regional seasons, it’s championship time for the Skilled Fighters League. Earlier than the sophomore PFL Europe champions are topped subsequent month, the worldwide and MENA kings — in addition to one queen — might be determined.

A protracted lineup that includes loads of notable names is about for the 2024 PFL World Championship this Friday, Nov. 29 on the King Saud College (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Following a collection of showcase fights and 4 MENA finals, six international champions will emerge on the primary card, the place the headline spots have gone to a pair of UK standouts in 2022 PFL featherweight king Brendan Loughnane and final yr’s PFL Europe flyweight champ Dakota Ditcheva, who’re slated to collide with Timur Khizriev at featherweight and Taila Santos, respectively.

Forward of the primary and co-main occasions, these fighters confronted off below the statement of former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy this week, as did heavyweights Denis Goltsov and Oleg Popov, gentle heavyweights Impa Kasanganay and Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov, welterweights Magomed Umalatov and Shamil Musaev, and lightweights Brent Primus and Gadzhi Rabadanov.

Earlier than these matchups play out contained in the SmartCage, MENA gold might be wrapped round waists for the very first time, with the likes of Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Ali Taleb trying to finish their 2024 campaigns with title glory in Riyadh.

In the meantime, the showcase bouts that may kick off proceedings at 7:15 AM ET on ESPN+ will embrace the return of 2023 featherweight title winner Jesus Pinedo, the subsequent struggle for high Bellator middleweight contender Costello van Steenis, and an outing for undefeated heavyweight Slim Trabelsi.

For the primary time, the PFL championship matchups will see the fighters permitted to throw elbows, which have beforehand been banned all through the season and playoff format.

Learn Extra: Bellator Champions Slam PFL Amid Compelled Inactivity: ‘This Merger Has Been A Catastrophe For MMA!’




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