6/16/25: A Look At The Week Ahead
A preview of this week's MMA events
Welcome to a Monday edition of the Knockdown Daily! You know what time it is. Today, we’re doing our weekly preview, highlighting the notable big and small events happening around MMA in the coming days. We have three main shows to discuss this time, plus seven other smaller lineups in our notes. So much to cover! Let’s begin.
A Look At The Week Ahead
Friday
PFL World Tournament 6: Semi-Finals Night 2
PFL has a busy night of tournament action set for this Friday at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Semi-finals matchups at lightweight, bantamweight, and flyweight will all take place this weekend, determining who will battle it out for a $500,000 grand prize later this summer.
The lightweight bracket will get the biggest spotlight of the night, as returning champ Gadzhi Rabadanov will meet Kevin Lee in the main event.
This matchup is a somewhat peculiar booking, as former UFC talent Lee is being slotted into the tournament after a jaw injury took Jay Jay Wilson off the card. While PFL books alternate matchups for tournaments and has other backup talents in the division, they opted to sign promotional newcomer Lee to instead join in on the bracket this weekend.
Some might consider that unfair, but there’s no doubt Lee is one of the bigger names in the lineup this weekend, thus explaining why PFL would make such a move.
Lee has struggled in recent years, suffering numerous losses near the end of his first UFC run and not really finding his footing since. Beating Rabadanov on Friday would be one hell of a way to prove you’re not the fighter you used to be in those past losses.
Rabadanov has gone undefeated since moving to the U.S. MMA scene in 2021, and returned this year after a flawless four-win 2024 in the PFL. His quarter-final round performance in April was a statement, stopping ex-UFC talent Marc Diakiese in 32 seconds. He is undoubtedly the massive favorite heading into this weekend’s main event.
The other side of the lightweight bracket sees Brent Primus meet Alfie Davis. A win for Primus could potentially set him up for a rematch of the 2024 PFL finals, which he lost to Rabadanov. Long-time Bellator prospect Davis, who beat Clay Collard in his quarter-final appearance, would fight for his first-ever major MMA title if successful in his semi-final bout this week.
Liz Carmouche, the last Bellator Flyweight Champion, will look to advance in the 125-pound bracket in the co-main event against Elora Dana. The semi-finals were where Carmouche came up short last year, losing to Taila Santos. But things can be different this year, if she can be the first to hand former Jungle Fight champ Dana a pro loss.
Also in the flyweight tournament, Ukrainian prospect Ekaterina Shakalova and Jena Bishop will face off. Shakalova had one of the quicker performances of the flyweight quarters, submitting Juliana Velasquez in just two minutes.
At bantamweight, American prospect Justin Wetzell will try to continue his impressive year when he meets Mando Gutierrez.
Wetzell earned a gigantic upset win in the quarter-finals earlier this year, stepping in on short notice and defeating Kasum Kasumov via decision. He’ll now try to beat Mexico’s Gutierrez, who had a quick submission victory when he met Francesco Nuzzi in April.
The other side of the bracket sees recent UFC departure Jake Hadley try to continue an impressive rookie PFL year with a win against Brazil’s Marcirley Alves. Hadley scored a rare “Scottish Twister” in the quarter-finals when he beat Matheus Mattos in April.
Along with tournament action, a lightweight clash between highly successful contenders Mansour Barnaoui and Archie Colgan will take place on the main card. PFL is billing this as a #1 contender’s bout, determining who will meet undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov next.
The fight is also notably the first appearance for Barnaoui since a story from French newspaper Le Parisien was published, where an ex-girlfriend accused him of physical abuse and rape.
Last weekend’s PFL card went really late. This one won’t. Here’s the lineup:
Main Card (8:30PM EDT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 13: Kevin Lee (20-8) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (25-4-2) (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 12: Liz Carmouche (23-8) vs. Elora Dana (8-0) (Flyweight Semi-Final)
Bout 11: Mansour Barnaoui (22-6) vs. Archie Colgan (11-0) (Lightweight)
Bout 10: Marcirley Alves (13-4) vs. Jake Hadley (12-4) (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Bout 9: Justin Wetzell (11-2) vs. Mando Gutierrez (11-3) (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Preliminary Card (5:00PM EDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 8: Brent Primus (16-4) vs. Alfie Davis (18-5-1) (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 7: Jena Bishop (8-2) vs. Ekaterina Shakalova (9-2) (Flyweight Semi-Final)
Bout 6: Magomed Magomedov (20-4) vs. Sarvarjon Khamidov (16-0) (Bantamweight)
Bout 5: Tony Caruso (10-2) vs. Vinicius Cenci (8-3) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Darragh Kelly (7-0) vs. Mike Hamel (11-6) (Lightweight)
Bout 3: Matheus Mattos (14-4-1) vs. Lazaro Dayron (8-0-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 2: Saray Orozco (8-6) vs. Ilara Joanne (12-10) (Flyweight)
Bout 1: Alan Dominguez (11-6) vs. Nick Meck (8-2) (Welterweight)
LFA 211: Mesquita vs. Dinwoodie
As PFL is presenting action on ESPN, LFA will also be showing a solid prospect lineup from the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, New York, USA.
Rising grappling ace Bea Mesquita will face off against fellow undefeated prospect Sierra Dinwoodie on Friday night for the vacant LFA Bantamweight Championship, headlining a busy 12-fight lineup.
Mesquita has competed at a high level in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since the late 2000s, completely dominating at tournaments. Her accolades include: 10 gold medals at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, four medals at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship (including a gold in 2017), and eight gold medals at the Pan American Championship.
Mesquita started applying her grappling excellence to MMA just over a year ago, when she won her debut via first-round rear naked choke submission. She signed onto the LFA last fall and has since picked up three more wins, including two more via submission.
Just exiting her rookie year, Mesquita is already in position to capture a notable regional belt. But to do so, she must get by Dinwoodie, who also carries a flawless record of four wins.
Dinwoodie made her debut on the Canadian regional scene back in 2023, scoring back-to-back first-round finish wins. Her success has continued inside the LFA cage since early 2024, having picked up a pair of scorecard nods under their banner.
With an amateur career that dates back to 2015, Dinwoodie certainly has more experience in MMA competitions than Mesquita. But how much will that matter against the Brazilian’s incredible grappling credentials? That question will be answered in just a few days.
There are quite a few interesting bouts set for earlier in the evening. None are more intriguing than the return of former CFFC champ Phumi Nkuta, an undefeated nine-fight flyweight prospect who has been showcasing his impressive skills on the regionals since 2019. It’ll be another big matchup for him this weekend when he meets former LFA Flyweight Champion Cody Davis, who is looking for his third victory since dropping his belt in 2023.
Here’s a look at the full lineup set for this Friday:
Main Card (9:00PM EDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 12: Bea Mesquita (4-0) vs. Sierra Dinwoodie (4-0) (Vacant LFA Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 11: Phumi Nkuta (9-0) vs. Cody Davis (10-2) (Flyweight)
Bout 10: GiGi Canuto (5-1) vs. Flor Hernandez (4-2) (Strawweight)
Bout 9: Lucas Seibert (4-0) vs. Gustavo Kruger (4-0) (Bantamweight)
Bout 8: Adam Livingston (5-0) vs. Hugo Oyarzun (8-4) (Lightweight)
Bout 7: JaCobi Jones (7-3) vs. Shovkhal Churchaev (6-2) (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card
Bout 6: Jake Woodley (4-1) vs. David Gladfelter (6-3) (Middleweight)
Bout 5: Derrick Patterson (2-2) vs. Soufiane Kabil (1-0) (Featherweight)
Bout 4: Farman Hasanov (2-0) vs. Marc-Ari Lewis (3-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 3: Kevin Carrier (3-1) vs. Dey McIntosh (2-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 2: Elton Dedaj (0-0) vs. Zaki Mohsin (1-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 1: Levan Khabalaev (3-0) vs. Cedric Katambwa (4-1) (Lightweight)
Saturday
UFC on ABC 8: Hill vs. Rountree Jr.
It’s not every week that UFC visits a country for the first time. In fact, the last time the promotion touched down on new ground was just under a year ago, when their first-ever card in Saudi Arabia was held. Before then, it was the promotion’s September 2022 trip to Paris, France.
A new destination will be unlocked this weekend when UFC heads to the Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a “Fight Night” event.
Much like the promotion’s trips to Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and, to be honest, almost any place that isn’t the UFC APEX, it’s likely that Saturday’s show is in exchange for a site fee from the country’s government. The event is in collaboration with Baku City Circuit, the same company which helps orchestrate the country’s annual Formula 1 Grand Prix.
While most of Saturday’s card features local talent—numerous Azerbaijani fighters as well as talents from nearby nations like Russia and Tajikistan—the main event of the night is an all-American matchup between high-ranked talents at light heavyweight.
Looking to rebound following high-profile losses in recent years, Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. will face off in a five-round tilt.
Things haven’t gone Hill’s way ever since 2023, when an injury he suffered in a game of pickup basketball forced him to relinquish the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, ending the title reign before he could even defend the belt once.
Hill had an attempt to get back some momentum in 2024, being given an immediate title shot upon return against Alex Pereira. But, the kickboxing ace that is Pereira disposed of Hill in just a round. Then, after another injury left him on the sidelines for the second half of 2024, Hill came back early this year and suffered a third-round stoppage defeat against fellow former champ Jiri Prochazka.
Since his losses have only come against some of the best at 205 pounds (Pereira and Prochazka actually sit #1 and #2 in the rankings currently), Hill is still within the top five. But to remain one of the division’s best, he absolutely needs a win this weekend.
Rountree Jr. is similarly coming back after a brutal loss, although his story is quite different. It was somewhat of a surprise last year when Rountree Jr. was given a title shot against Pereira. While he had an impressive streak of five wins, including four via finish, Rountree Jr. wasn’t one of the division’s top contenders.
Rountree Jr. entered his fight last October against Pereira as a clear underdog. And while he gave the champ one of his toughest light heavyweight battles up until that point, Rountree Jr. was stopped in the fourth round of their title bout.
This weekend is a chance for Rountree Jr. to regain some momentum, but he’s not on the long stretch of unsuccessful results that Hill finds himself amid. Ranked seventh, a win this weekend will likely move Rountree Jr. into the top five, which would be a new career-high placement for him. It sounds weird to say this since he has fought for a title before, but it’s the truth: A win this weekend would actually put Rountree Jr. in better standing at 205 than ever before.
Odds are quite close on this bout thus far, with Rountree Jr. getting the slight edge.
This isn’t a bad card overall. The prelims aren’t particularly stunning, but there are numerous really interesting pairings as part of the main card.
The co-main event sees Azerbaijan’s own Rafael Fiziev search for his first win since 2022 when he meets rising finisher Ignacio Bahamondes.
Lower on the card, former RIZIN star, Azerbaijan’s Tofiq Musayev, will make his UFC debut with a tough test, taking on Myktybek Orolbai.
The main card also features the long-awaited and many-times rescheduled UFC debut of heavyweight Rizvan Kuniev, who could immediately join the heavyweight rankings by defeating fifth-place Curtis Blaydes.
Here’s a look at Saturday’s card, which has a different time and place than usual. After a couple of weeks of late-night cards, this one will be a midday presentation for viewers in the U.S. The main portion of the night will also go down in ABC, with the prelims on ESPN.
Here’s how the show looks:
Main Card (3:00PM EDT / 11:00PM AZT) (ABC / ESPN+)
Bout 12: Jamahal Hill (12-3) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 11: Rafael Fiziev (12-4) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (17-5) (Lightweight)
Bout 10: Curtis Blaydes (18-5) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (13-2-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 9: Myktybek Orolbai (13-2-1) vs. Tofiq Musayev (22-5) (Lightweight)
Bout 8: Nazim Sadykhov (10-1-1) vs. Nikolas Motta (15-5) (Lightweight)
Bout 7: Muhammad Naimov (12-43) vs. Bogdan Grad (15-2) (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card (12:00PM EDT / 8:00PM AZT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 6: Ko Seok-hyun (11-2) vs. Oban Elliott (12-2) (Welterweight)
Bout 5: Ismail Naurdiev (24-7) vs. Park Jun-yong (18-6) (Middleweight)
Bout 4: Darya Zheleznyakova (9-2) vs. Melissa Mullins (7-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 3: Irina Alekseeva (5-2) vs. Klaudia Sygula (6-2) (Bantamweight)
Bout 2: Tagir Ulanbekov (16-2) vs. Azat Maksum (15-1) (Flyweight)
Bout 1: Mohammed Usman (10-4) vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab (4-0) (Heavyweight)
A few other smaller events and happenings around the combat sports world that you might want to look out for…
Regional welterweight champs will collide on Tuesday’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where it’s expected that Andreeas Binder (10-2) and Jeff Creighton (11-2-1) will meet in a quarter-final fight. Binder has been a force in the Dutch MMA scene for years, putting together a title reign in Levels Fight League. Bellator alum Creighton has captured titles around the U.S. scene, including a championship victory last summer over ONE alum James Nakashima. A preview of the episode teased that there will be some drama surrounding Binder’s weight cut - will it endanger his ability to perform adequately or the fight altogether? (Watch: ESPN2 / ESPN+)
You know we love to track down UFC vets fighting around the world… So here’s a niche one happening Tuesday: Four-fight UFC alum Liang Na (20-8) will appear on a JCK Fight Night card in Shanxi, China, taking on former ONE Championship talent Tiffany Teo (11-2). Liang scored a calf slicer submission win in her return to the regionals earlier this year, albeit against a much less successful fighter. Teo is a surprising name to appear on this lineup, departing ONE Championship after a successful run of eight wins through 10 fights. While inactive since late 2022, she returns after a pair of submission wins in her most recent performances. (Watch: Youtube)
French MMA promotion Ares FC is heading to Brest, France this Friday for a card featuring two title bouts. Former GLORY Kickboxing champ turned MMA prospect Jady Menezes (5-1) will try to defend her title for the first time when she faces Greek prospect Eleni Moisidou (3-0). Menezes showed her range as an MMA fighter in her last performance, scoring a career-first submission by tapping Alexandra Tekenah in the second round with a rear naked choke. In the main event, a new men’s flyweight champ will be crowned when undefeated Mongolian standout Batsukh Uuganbayar (4-0) and MMA Factory talent Jonatah Oliveira (3-1) meet.
In his first appearance on the U.S. regionals since 2017, Juan Archuleta (29-7) will fight for a featherweight title this Saturday against Dennis Linton (10-3-1) at BORROKA 3 in Laughlin, Nevada. Archuleta is coming back after a rough end to his time in RIZIN, losing three consecutive fights via stoppage against some of their top names at featherweight. He now looks to bounce back against Linton, a prospect who has strung together seven wins since 2023, including numerous title appearances in KOTC. (Watch: SpectationSports.com)
Former UFC flyweight Jose Johnson (17-10) will try to claim gold in Mexico when he takes on Alejandro Flores (22-4) in Monterrey on Saturday night. While Johnson had an unsuccessful one win through four UFC fights, he’s now seeking his second regional victory in just two months. He’s now matched against the highly experienced Flores, who has put together stints in the PFL and Combate Americas through his lengthy career. (Watch: UFC Fight Pass)
In last week’s preview, we accidentally wrote that Andrei Arlovski’s bare-knuckle boxing debut was set for that week. This time we have it right: Arlovski is set to appear this Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas at BKFC 76 against Josh Copeland. It’ll be the 46-year-old’s second appearance since ending a decade-long UFC run last summer. Earlier in the night, Bellator alum Derek Campos will also appear. (Watch: DAZN)
And finally, an update on what boxing has cooking up this week. There’s an interesting matchup taking place on Thursday evening over in Japan, where WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. (27-0) will face off against rising Japanese talent Jin Sasaki (19-1-1). 24-year-old Norman Jr. is coming off a pair of big wins from the past year or so, first scoring an upset 10th-round knockout against Giovani Santillan to earn an interim welterweight title in May 2024, then earlier this year putting away Derrieck Cuevas in just three rounds in an incredibly impressive outing. He now looks to get by Sasaki, who has a solid track record on the Japanese scene but has not previously challenged for a world title. (Watch: ESPN+)