2024 PFL Playoff LW & LHW Semi-Final Results
The stage has been set for the 2024 PFL Championship matchups in the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions. PFL 8 went down on August 16, 2024, at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. The main event saw a rematch of the 2023 PFL light heavyweight championship finals between Impa Kasanganay and Josh Silveira. The result was the same as the 2023 PFL light heavyweight title fight with Kasanganay again winning a unanimous decision victory securing his spot in the 2024 PFL Finals.
Dovlet Yagshimuradov defeated Rob Wilkinson via unanimous decision in the co-main event to secure his spot in the 2024 PFL Finals. Yagshimuradov is now on six-fight win streak going into this Kasanganay match-up. Kasanganay has proven to be very dangerous with five of his eight PFL wins being finishes and amassing an 8-1 PFL record with the one loss being a decision against Johnny Eblen in a very close fight. This will be each fighter's first time facing each other and should be a fun stylistic clash.
The stage was also set for the lightweight finals. Brent Primus took the path of least resistance in a grapple-heavy decision win against Clay Collard. Gadzhi Rabadanov secured his PFL finals spot and extended his win streak to eight scoring a second-round knockout against Michel Dufort. Both fighters previously competed under the Bellator and have since marked their territory under a new banner, since PFL's acquisition of Bellator in November 2023.
Lightweight Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammed Ali, opened up the main card against the debuting Brian Stapleton scoring a first-round knockout in his second professional fight. The PFL seems intent on building Ali Walsh up as the next big thing. Ali Walsh certainly has shown the skills and tenacity to be a big-time player for the PFL in the future despite still being young in the sport.
The next PFL fight card goes down on August 23, 2024, from the Anthem in Washington, D.C., and will consist of featherweight and welterweight semi-final bouts. The main event will see the 2022 featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane face off against another former Bellator talent in Kai Kamaka III. Gabriel Braga faces undefeated Timur Khizriev in the other featherweight semi-final. Braga steamrolled his way to the 2023 PFL finals coming up short against and has his hands full against the undefeated Dagestani. Welterweights Magomed Umalatov and Neiman Gracie face each other to determine one of the 2024 PFL welterweight finals, with a Russia vs Russia matchup taking place in the other semi-final fight seeing Shamil Musaev take on Murad Ramazanov. PFL 9 kicks off at 6:30 PM EST.
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