6/21/25: Gadzhi Rabadanov Destroys Kevin Lee At PFL 'World Tournament' Event
Also: Bea Mesquita makes case for UFC contract
Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily! Before today’s action gets underway, we have a quick recap of the most notable fights from Friday evening. We have tons of PFL tournament action to news, plus an LFA title fight report and a little more news in our notes section! Let’s begin.
Gadzhi Rabadanov Closes Out PFL ‘World Tournament’ Card With Quick Win
It was a busy night for the ongoing PFL “World Tournament” on Friday, as semi-final bouts at lightweight, bantamweight, and flyweight all took place from the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas, USA.
Successful talents from Friday’s card will return in a little under two months at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they’ll battle it out for a grand prize of $500,000 in their respective divisions.
Among the big winners this weekend were highly successful Russian lightweight Gadzhi Rabadanov, former Bellator champ Liz Carmouche, and rising Brazilian Marcirley Alves.
Here’s a recap of everything that happened:
Gadzhi Rabadanov Eyes Second PFL Title Against Alfie Davis In Lightweight Finals
A massive mismatch in Friday’s headlining bout allowed Gadzhi Rabadanov to cruise into the lightweight finals without much resistance.
2024 lightweight PFL champ Rabadanov destroyed former UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee in just half a round, putting him through the semi-finals this weekend.
Trouble first occurred for Lee just 40 seconds into the fight, when a lead jab from Rabadanov brought him to the mat. Lee was quick to return to his feet, but remained significantly stunned after the shot.
Just under a minute later, a right hook from Rabadanov caused Lee to fall to his knees. Lee remained in the fight, albeit even more rocked and barely throwing shots by that point.
The one-sided beatdown finally came to an end after a combination of punches caused Lee to fall face-first, making referee Jason Herzog step in and end the bout.
“I know I can beat anybody in the lightweight division,” a confident Rabadanov said after his win.
Lee, a 32-year-old talent who has struggled to find his footing in the sport since his first UFC run came to an end in 2021, signed with the PFL for a short-notice fight against Rabadanov this weekend. He was dropped into the promotion’s ongoing tournament to replace New Zealand’s Jay Jay Wilson, who withdrew from the semi-finals due to a jaw injury.
Due to Rabadanov’s pure dominance in recent years—12 consecutive wins since 2021, including four last year to earn his first PFL title—Lee was listed as a gigantic +600 underdog on some sportsbooks. And in all reality, he looked like that much of an underdog when the fight played out.
Looking to go back-to-back with titles in 2024 and 2025, Rabadanov will next have to take down England’s Alfie Davis, who had a tough win earlier in the evening.
Davis had to battle through some adversity to secure his title fight, getting past 2024 finalist and former Bellator champ Brent Primus after a competitive three-round battle.
Primus used his wrestling abilities to get ahead early, controlling a large portion of the opening round with top control and even cutting Davis open at one point with a hard elbow to the head.
But things became much closer once the bout returned to the feet, where Davis was able to unleash a diverse and accurate striking gameplan. Boxing shots, along with more unconventional strikes like axe kicks and spinning back elbows rocked Primus late in the second round, tying things up on scorecards.
Davis had a hot start to the final round, dropping Primus with a check right hook. But a takedown from Primus halfway through the round got the Bellator vet back into the fight. Davis was able to eventually move to a top position with a minute left in the fight, doing enough to give him the crucial round on scorecards to win and advance.
England’s Davis has now beaten a pair of experienced talents this year. He previously opened his bracket run with a first-round finish against multi-season PFL competitor Clay Collard.
Primus was hoping to set up a rematch against Rabadnov with a win this weekend, avenging a loss he suffered in the 2024 finals.
PFL Rookies Marcirley Alves, Justin Wetzell To Meet In Bantamweight Finals
PFL rookies Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell will meet in the bantamweight finals later this year.
Alves shut out former UFC talent Jake Hadley with an impressive three-round stand-up performance, consistently backing up the English fighter with crisp boxing.
While Hadley was able to score with his lead jab throughout the fight, Alves consistently came forward with larger, thudding hooks to the body and head of Hadley, making him the significantly more effective striker of the two. Not only did Alves win all three rounds, but he even earned a 10-8 on all three scorecards due to his impressive output.
Alves, a 25-year-old who has shown promise on the Brazilian regional scene, got into the semi-finals after beating highly experienced former Bellator talent Leandro Higo in April.
Friday marked the first post-UFC loss for Hadley, who signed with the PFL after becoming a free agent late last year.
Dominant top control from Wetzell earned him a clean sweep on scorecards against Mexico’s Mando Gutierrez on Friday night.
Wetzell spent a large portion of his appearance maintaining a top position against Gutierrez, getting to that spot with his own takedowns and reversals of numerous attempts from Gutierrez as well. It wasn’t the most thrilling bout, but it was a thorough showing for Wetzell.
The win continued an odds-defying year for Wetzell. The regional vet overcame a +700 underdog rating in his quarter-final bout, beating Kasum Kasumov back in April. He now has a victory against Gutierrez, who hasn’t lost to a non-UFC fighter since 2020, when he made his fifth pro appearance.
Veteran Liz Carmouche To Face Jena Bishop In Flyweight Final
Veteran UFC talent and long-time Bellator champ Liz Carmouche will try to add another belt to her collection later this year when she meets grappling ace Jena Bishop in the flyweight grand finals.
Carmouche had to work hard to get past a tougher-than-expected Elora Dana in Friday’s co-main event, handing the Brazilian prospect her first pro loss after three rounds.
While Dana remained in the fight until the very end, giving Carmouche trouble on the feet and keeping her working on the ground, it was the damage from the “Girl-Illa” that kept her ahead.
Carmouche caused a significant hematoma on the head of Dana early, scoring an elbow to the forehead during a ground position. She would continue to connect with the better shots in the fight as it progressed, whether it be at stand-up range or on the mat.
“She was a beast,” Carmouche said about Dana afterward. “She showed why she was undefeated. She showed that she was game. She can take strikes, come forward. That was an awesome fight.”
This season is a chance at revenge for Carmouche, who saw her first PFL tournament run in 2024 come to an end after a semi-final loss. After her win this weekend and an 85-second performance over Ilara Joanne earlier this year, the 41-year-old is now just one good performance away from claiming her first-ever PFL gold.
It’ll also be the first-ever grand finals for PFL vet Bishop, who used her crafty grappling to put away Ekaterina Shakalova on Friday’s prelims.
Bishop, who said after her win that “Jiu-Jitsu is everything for me,” was quick to make the fight a battle on the mat. She took down Ukraine’s Shakalova early, setting up for a scramble-heavy sequence where she searched for numerous submissions.
While Shakalova provided solid resistance in the first round, Bishop had a straightforward path toward a rear naked choke submission in the second.
Bishop, who was also a semi-finalist in the 2024 PFL season, now has a chance to fight for gold for the first time in her career. The win this weekend came after a victory in April over Japanese vet Kana Watanabe in quarter-final action.
Shakalova had one of the stand-out performances from the flyweight quarter-finals, submitting former Bellator champ Juliana Velasquez in a little over a minute. The 27-year-old now has her first loss since moving down to the flyweight limit.
Along with tournament action on Friday night, undefeated bantamweight prospect Archie Colgan lined himself up for a future fight against Usman Nurmagomedov after beating French vet Mansour Barnaoui.
Here are the quick results from Friday’s PFL card:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT) (ESPN / ESPN+)
Bout 12: Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Kevin Lee via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:37) (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 11: Liz Carmouche def. Elora Dana via Decision, Unanimous (Flyweight Semi-Final)
Bout 10: Archie Colgan def. Mansour Barnaoui via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 9: Marcirley Alves def. Jake Hadley via Decision, Unanimous (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Bout 8: Alfie Davis def. Brent Primus via Decision, Unanimous (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 7: Justin Wetzell def. Mando Gutierrez via Decision, Unanimous (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Preliminary Card (5:30PM EDT) (ESPN+)
Bout 6: Jena Bishop def. Ekaterina Shakalova via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 2:07) (Flyweight Semi-Final)
Bout 5: Magomed Magomedov def. Sarvarjon Khamidov via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Vinicius Cenci def. Tony Caruso via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 1, 1:43)
Bout 3: Darragh Kelly def. Mike Hamel via Submission, Neck Crank (RD 3, 3:09)
Bout 2: Ilara Joanne def. Saray Orozco via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Nick Meck def. Alan Dominguez via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 1, 4:10)
Grappler Bea Mesquita Calls For UFC Shot After Earning LFA Bantamweight Championship
Highly experienced grappler Bea Mesquita believes she’s UFC ready following her big win at LFA 211 this weekend.
Mesquita captured the LFA Bantamweight Championship in just two rounds at the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, New York, USA, handing fellow 135-pound prospect Sierra Dinwoodie her first pro loss.
Mesquita has made a career out of suffocating opponents with success on the ground, and this weekend was no different. After spending nearly all of the opening round on top in half guard, Mesquita moved into full mount following a double leg takedown in the second round.
Mesquita rained down an endless flow of punches and elbows from the dominant top position, causing Dinwoodie to cover up. After the Canadian consumed a long series of shots, referee Matt Rocca decided he had seen enough.
One-and-a-half rounds into the title fight, Mesquita earned her first TKO win and her first title in MMA.
“This means a lot to me, but there’s no surprise,” Mesquita said afterward. “I dedicate myself a lot, and I train in the best MMA gym in the world.”
34-year-old Mesquita, who has over a decade of high-level grappling accomplishments, has trained out of the prominent American Top Team gym to transfer her past combat sports skills into MMA success.
A transition to MMA has proven seamless thus far, having won all five of her pro bouts via finish. Prior to her appearance on Friday, Mesquita had put together a trio of submission wins on the regional scene.
“It’s more than proven that I’m ready to take my next step [and] get my contract to the UFC,” Mesquita said. “Dana [White], call me, send me location, I’m ready for it.”
The short history of LFA’s women’s bantamweight title has shown that winners of the belt get put in a strong position to join the UFC roster. Past champs Sarah Alpar and Jacqueline Cavalcanti—the previous champ before Mesquita—vacated their belts to ink a UFC contract. It now seems possible that Mesquita could soon be in a similar position.
Dinwoodie entered this weekend with a significant height advantage against Mesquita, towering over her during stand-up exchanges. While without a lengthy record of grappling success like the Brazilian, Dinwoodie similarly entered Friday with the solid record of an MMA prospect, having earned four victories since her 2023 pro debut.
After picking up a pair of victories on the Canadian regional scene, Dinwoodie joined the LFA roster in early 2024, where she has earned two more wins.
Earlier on the card, flyweight prospect Phumi Nkuta remained undefeated, taking a unanimous decision against former LFA champ Cody Davis to earn his 10th pro win.
Here are the quick results from Friday’s card:
Main Card (9:00PM EDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 11: Bea Mesquita def. Sierra Dinwoodie via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:05) (Vacant LFA Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 10: Phumi Nkuta def. Cody Davis via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 9: GiGi Canuto def. Flor Hernandez via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 1:49)
Bout 8: JaCobi Jones def. Shovkhal Churchaev via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 7: Adam Livingston def. Hugo Oyarzun via TKO, Doctor Stoppage (RD 2, 5:00)
Bout 6: Lucas Seibert def. Gustavo Kruger via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:44)
Preliminary Card
Bout 5: Farman Hasanov def. Marc-Ari Lewis via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 3:28)
Bout 4: Jake Woodley def. David Gladfelter via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Kevin Carrier def. Dey McIntosh via Submission, Guillotine Choke (RD 3, 4:34)
Bout 2: Soufiane Kabil def. Derrick Patterson via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Elton Dedaj def. Zaki Mohsin via Submission, Triangle Choke (RD 2, 2:16)
Notes On: UFC, PFL, ONE Championship & More
Today’s Show
A reminder that today’s UFC prelim card begins at noon in the New York/Toronto timezone. For a “Fight Night” card, tonight’s lineup actually has a pretty solid few bouts. I’m somewhat surprised the odds are as close as they are for Jamahal Hill (12-3) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6), but maybe Hill will impress me in a way I don’t really expect. Myktybek Orolai (13-2-1) vs. Tofiq Musayev (22-5) is quite a great matchup, and Rafael Fiziev (12-4) is always a can’t-miss. The prelims are not incredible, although Tagir Ulanbekov (16-2) is in action (sort of looks weird to see him listed around matchups with middling, newer UFC talents). Anyway, we’ll have all the top headlines from the card here tomorrow.
UFC
2022 PFL Heavyweight Champion Ante Delija (25-6) has inked a deal with the UFC, per MMA Fighting. PFL viewers undoubtedly know who Delija is - He competed on five different seasons, losing a five-round battle in the grand finals against Bruno Cappelozza in 2021 before winning the title a year later. The 34-year-old Croatian exited the PFL earlier this year and won a regional fight against former UFC talent Yorgan De Castro in 42 seconds. This is a solid pickup for heavyweight, which is in a really dire state, prospect-wise.
Octagon Update is reporting that Sedriques Dumas (10-3) will face UFC newcomer Jackson McVey (6-0) at UFC 317 on June 28th (next weekend). Reminder: Dumas was arrested for felony home invasion robbery without a firearm last month. You know, the story where police alleged he was found hiding in a dog crate? Dumas last fought in April, when he suffered a first-round loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk. This is a quick turnaround for 26-year-old McVey, who earned a win just over a week ago in the LFA. McVey has been an all-action fighter since his 2023 pro debut, having won all six of his pro bouts within a round.
Ranked heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich (19-3) and Waldo Cortes-Acosta (14-1) will meet at UFC’s August 23rd card in Shanghai, per MMA LatinoAmerica. Cortes-Acosta moved his streak to five straight wins with a somewhat controversial victory over Serghei Spivac earlier this month, getting the scorecard nod in a fight that many viewers saw go the other way. Pavlovich, a former interim title challenger, snapped a two-fight skid in February with a decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Fights are starting to get booked for “Noche UFC” on September 13th. The first addition to the card is Jared Gordon (21-7) vs. Rafa Garcia (17-4), per Alex Behunin of MMA Mania. Gordon’s coming back after a first-round finish win against veteran Thiago Moises last month. Mexico’s Garcia will be trying to put together a second consecutive win after beating Vinc Pichel in March.
PFL
Gadzhi Rabdanov told MMA Fighting that the whole idea of bringing Kevin Lee into the PFL semi-finals didn’t really seem right to others in the first place: “I think maybe it’s a little bit unfair that he jumped in straight into semifinals,” he said. “It might be just unfair to other guys who were in the tournament.” He’s right.
ONE Championship
ONE’s Chatri Sityodtong has been absolutely on one this week. After arguing that the Thai government doesn’t support ONE enough, Chatri said that his promotion won’t collaborate with other “small” kickboxing brands like GLORY or RISE. I’m no kickboxing expert, but wasn’t the biggest commercial success the sport has seen over the past few years—bringing out a crowd of 56,000—a byproduct of companies working together?