Nurmagomedov, Anderson Crowned World Champions at PFL Road to Dubai

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) crowned two new world champions on Friday night at the PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai — The Rematch, held at Coca-Cola Arena. The highly anticipated event delivered thrilling matchups, including two title fights and several statement performances from rising contenders.

In the main event, Usman Nurmagomedov (20-0, 1 NC) extended his unbeaten streak with a unanimous decision victory over Ireland’s Paul Hughes (14-3) in their much-awaited rematch. The fight, which went the full 25 minutes, mirrored their previous encounter, as Nurmagomedov once again showcased his trademark poise and tactical control.

Hughes rallied in the later rounds with strong striking exchanges, but Nurmagomedov’s composure and ability to dictate the tempo ultimately secured the judges’ verdict. The win reinforced the Dagestani fighter’s dominance in the lightweight division while cementing one of the PFL’s most compelling rivalries.

The co-main event saw Corey Anderson (20-6) claim the PFL Light Heavyweight World Championship after a dominant performance against Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-8-1). The bout, a rematch of their 2021 Bellator Grand Prix quarterfinal, began with controversy as Yagshimuradov accidentally poked Anderson in the eye twice in the opening round. Once recovered, Anderson used his wrestling to control the fight, dictating the pace from top position for four consecutive rounds.

Anderson’s relentless ground pressure and grappling dominance earned him a clear unanimous decision victory — his fourth straight win and third since joining the PFL.

Earlier in the night, former Bellator champion Sergio Pettis (25-7) delivered one of the most dramatic moments of the event, knocking out Magomed Magomedov (21-5) in a bantamweight title eliminator. After weathering Magomedov’s grappling in the first round, Pettis landed a perfectly timed spinning back elbow followed by a powerful punch that ended the fight — handing Magomedov his first-ever knockout loss.

Pettis immediately called for a title shot, declaring, “I want the winner of the tournament, (Marcirley) Alves. In Milwaukee, come on PFL.”

In lightweight action, Archie Colgan (13-0) remained unbeaten after a grinding decision win over Jay-Jay Wilson (11-2). Colgan used his wrestling to dominate throughout, securing nine takedowns and neutralizing Wilson’s striking offense to maintain control on the mat.

The main card opened with England’s Jack Cartwright (13-2) defeating Ireland’s Caolan Loughran (10-3) in his PFL debut. Cartwright controlled the first two rounds with sharp striking combinations before Loughran mounted a late comeback in the third, which proved too little too late.

The event underscored PFL’s growing global footprint — and with champions crowned in Dubai, the league’s international expansion continues to gain momentum.