9/21/24: PFL MENA Confirms 2024 Grand Final Matchups
Also: New champions crowned at Invicta FC and LFA on Friday night, plus a preview of today's top shows
Welcome to a Saturday edition of the Knockdown Daily! We have a ton to cover today, reporting on some big events from Friday night and previewing a pair of shows taking place in just a few hours. We’re gonna go over what happened yesterday at PFL MENA, Invicta FC and LFA, then talk about the shows from OKTAGON and CFFC taking place tonight.
Quick note: The Knockdown Daily will not publish an issue tomorrow, as I won’t be available to write and edit the newsletter on Saturday. However, fear not, all the important headlines from this weekend will be included in the Monday newsletter, which will also include the usual week preview and opinion column. See you then!
Grand Final Matchups Confirmed For Inaugural PFL MENA Season
The eight finalists for PFL MENA’s inaugural playoffs are set.
Bouts in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions took place in Saudi Arabia this weekend, with the winners advancing to compete in championship fights later this year.
Here’s a quick rundown of everybody who punched their ticket into the finals:
Alhyasat Takes Out Saudi Arabia’s Al-Qahtani, Lines Up Final Against Reda
Albdalrahman Alhyasat pulled off an upset in Friday’s main event, setting himself up for a featherweight grand final bout against Islam Reda.
Alhyasat took out Saudi Arabia’s own Abdullah Al-Qahtani, using his work on the ground to win on scorecards. While he consumed some heart shots during stand-up exchanges, submission attempts and striking on the ground in the second and third rounds made it a clear win for Alhyasat.
Jordan’s Alhyasat, who is just in his second year as a pro, will enter the finals with a flawless record of five wins. He snapped the undefeated run of Ahmed Tarek in the tournament’s first round, beating Ahmed Tarek.
Reda had a dominant three-round ground performance against Maraoune Bellagouit, exposing a significant gap in grappling skills between the two fighters. Control on the canvas scored him a decision victory, extending his winning streak to six fights in a row.
Reda will have a clear experience edge over Alhyasat later this year, with more than a decade of fights to his name. His prior tournament fight saw him get past Adam Meskini in a decision result.
Eid Picks Up Fast Victory, Mohammadseifi Earns Hard-Fought Decision Win In Lightweight Semis
A quick finish win placed George Eid into the lightweight finals, where he will meet Mohsen Mohammadseifi later this year.
Brutal ground and pound from Eid snapped the undefeated record of Omar Reguigui with a quick performance. Lebanon’s Eid capitalized on a failed takedown attempt from Reguigui in the fight’s second minute, stringing together a series of hard punches that caused his opponent to shell up and forced the referee to stop the fight.
Eid was coming off a decision win from the season’s earlier round, defeating Abbas Khan. The fight on Friday was the second-quickest win in his decade-long career as a pro.
Mohammadseifi had a dramatic scorecard win over Souhil Tairi, prevailing after a back-and-forth fight. Mohammadseifi controlled the striking for the first half of the bout, including a left hook knockdown in the opening round. However, after nearly getting finished by a body shot late in the second frame, the fight became much closer.
The third round saw the lightweights trade hard shots on the feet, with Mohammadseifi doing enough to get the scorecard nod.
Mohammadseifi earned a stoppage win in his quarter-final bout, putting away Josh Togo in the first round earlier this year.
El Dafrawy To Face Undefeated Alaqraa In Welterweight Grand Final
Omar El Dafrawy scored a first-round finish in the co-main event, setting him up for a welterweight grand final against 24-year-old undefeated prospect Mohammda Alaqraa.
A hard left cross from El Dafrawy sent PFL vet Jarrah Al-Silawi crashing to the canvas in the first round. El Dafrawy followed up on the hard shot with ground and pound strikes, causing the referee to end the bout.
The win adds to El Dafrway’s career resurgence as of late. After falling to an even record of wins and losses last year, he has gone on a run of six consecutive victories. In the opening round of PFL MENA, he beat Antony Zeidan on scorecards. This week, he stopped an experienced talent who was entering the bracket after appearing in the promotion’s main season in 2022 and 2023.
Alaqraa had a one-sided performance against Amir Fazli, keeping him on the canvas for nearly all 15 minutes of their semi-final clash. The wrestling and grappling masterclass from Alaqraa earned him a seventh pro win since making his pro debut in 2021.
The rising talent, who trains out of prominent gym American Kickboxing Academy, scored a third-round finish over Youcef Ouabbas in his previous PFL MENA bout.
PFL Vets Haz, Taleb To Face Off In Bantamweight Final
In a matchup between two fighters attempting to win a PFL tournament for the second time, Rachid Haz and Ali Taleb will collide in the bantamweight finals.
Taleb scored a brutal first-round knockout against Jalal Al Daaja, piecing together a two-punch combination to end the fight early. A hard left hook followed up by a clean overhand right floored Al Daaja, ending the bout in just over two minutes
Haz advanced to the finals following an incredibly close three-round battle against Elias Boudegzdame. Haz had a fair amount of control time on the ground but had to fend off submission attempts and dominant positions from Boudegzdame throughout the bout.
Haz and Taleb joined PFL’s inaugural MENA season after attempting to win a bracket in the promotion’s Europe brand last year. Taleb notably made it to the semi-finals of a bracket in 2023, losing to Khurshed Kakhorov, who ended up winning the entire bracket.
Quick Results
Bout 10: Abdalrahman Alhyasat def. Abdullah Al-Qahtani via Decision, Unanimous (Featherweight Semi-Final)
Bout 9: Omar El Dafrawy def. Jarrah Al-Silawi via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:09) (Welterweight Semi-Final)
Bout 8: Mohammad Alaqraa def. Amir Fazli via Decision, Unanimous (Welterweight Semi-Final)
Bout 7: Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Souhil Tairi via Decision, Unanimous (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 6: Ali Taleb def. Jalal Al Daaja via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:18) (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Bout 5: Islam Reda def. Maraoune Bellagouit via Decision, Unanimous (Featherweight Semi-Final)
Bout 4: Rachid Haz def. Elias Boudegzdame via Decision, Unanimous (Bantamweight Semi-Final)
Bout 3: Georges Eid def. Omar Reguigui via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 1:37) (Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 2: Malik Basahel def. Saher Qasmieh via Decision, Unanimous (Amateur)
Bout 1: Adam Meskini def. Yazeed Hasanain via Decision, Split
Elisandra Ferreira Captures Atomweight Invicta FC Title In Five-Round War Against Andressa Romero
Elisandra Ferreira went through a gruelling five rounds against Andressa Romero to become the new Invicta FC Atomweight Champion on Friday night.
Ferreira out-worked Romero in a competitive 25-minute clash, walking away with a unanimous decision win. Her victory headlined Invicta FC 57 from Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
A back-and-forth brawl both on the feet and on the ground went the way of Ferreira due to successful performances in rounds one, three and four.
Ferreira showed her damaging boxing skills throughout the night, making an impact early with a left hook knockdown in the opening round. She was willing to take a shot to give one, often trading punches and connecting with the more impactful blows. She would have brief moments of success on the ground, however it was undoubtedly her striking that led to the decision win.
While Romero was able to land flush with her own punches at the stand-up range, some of her more successful moments came on the ground. She notably was able to take control on the ground in a few rounds of the fight, often reversing positions that Ferreira initiated. Romero notably also kept Romero against the cage in clinch positions at times, allowing her to land punches and elbows.
“She was very strong,” Ferreira said about Romero through an interpreter during her post-fight interview. “I’ll be honest with you, I got tired a little bit. But I fought with my heart.”
Ferreira looked toward the possibility of becoming a two-division champ following her win, mentioning her hope of competing at strawweight.
The Brazilian prospect is now the 10th atomweight champion in Invicta FC history. The 105-pound division, which is rarely showcased in MMA apart from RIZIN and the Japanese regional scene, has been an important part of Invicta FC since the promotion’s beginning. Former champs include UFC talents Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Jessica Penne, and Jinh Yu Frey.
The atomweight title was vacant heading into this weekend, as former champ Amanda vacated her champ status last year to join the UFC roster.
Ferreira had a three-fight winning streak in the promotion heading into this weekend, including a victory over Katie Saull at their return event in June.
Romero similarly lined herself up for a title opportunity following a win three months ago, spoiling the promotional debut of Saori Oshima in a decision result. Earlier this year she challenged for a title in CFFC, losing a fight to now-UFC talent Fatima Kline.
Here are the quick results from Friday’s show in Kansas:
Bout 8: Elisandra Ferreira def. Andressa Romero via Decision, Unanimous (Vacant Invicta FC Atomweight Championship)
Bout 7: Kristina Williams def. Nayara Maia via TKO, Injury (RD 1, 0:31)
Bout 6: DeAnna Bennett def. Liz Tracy via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 5: Milana Dudieva def. Sandra Lavado via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 4: Jamie Edenden def. Abby Montes via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 3: Maria Djukic def. Maria Jose Favela via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:57)
Bout 2: Fernanda Orellana def. Meaghan Penning via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 1: Quinn Williams def. Ana Vitoria via Decision, Unanimous
Cheyanne Bowers Survives Knockdown, Submits Veronika Borisova To Capture LFA Title
Cheyanne Bowers needed just a little more than two minutes to claim her first regional MMA title on Friday evening.
Bowers scored a first-round submission win to capture the interim LFA Flyweight Championship this weekend, snapping the undefeated record of Veronika Borisova with an armbar. The quick performance headlined LFA 193 from the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota, USA.
Bowers, who grew up in Minnesota and now trains in the neighbouring state of South Dakota, found the submission after finding herself in some trouble. A hard right cross from Borisova dropped Bowers to the canvas just a little under two minutes into the fight, putting the American on her back.
Bowers snatched an arm of Borisova as the Russian talent followed her to the ground and attempted to score with shots. Bowers set up an armbar while on her back, fully applying the submission and forcing a submission.
“I knew if she tried to take me down or I tripped, nobody wants to be in my guard,” Bowers said in her post-fight interview. “I’m lethal with armbars.”
The fast finishing sequence earned Bowers a win in her biggest test yet. While she had previously faced fighters with similarly small levels of pro fight experience, this weekend put her against a pro who had a flawless record of six wins.
Borisova had previously earned a title in Kazakhstan-based promotion Naiza FC and was coming off a successful LFA debut in June.
Bowers has now strung together five victories since early last year, including four different finishes.
After the fight, Bowers set her sights on either getting a UFC opportunity or unifying LFA’s flyweight titles in a clash against Canada’s Shannon Clark.
“I want that next level,” she said. “If that doesn’t come, I want Shannon Clark.”
An even quicker performance took place in the co-main event, as undefeated bantamweight Mitchell McKee stopped Ashton Caniglia in 39 seconds with strikes to secure his seventh pro victory.
Here are the quick results from Friday’s card:
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 8:00PM CDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 15: Cheyanne Bowers def. Veronika Borisova via Submission, Armbar (RD 1, 2:10) (Vacant Interim LFA Flyweight Championship)
Bout 14: Mitchell McKee def. Ashton Caniglia via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:39)
Bout 13: Denzel Freeman def. Steven Asplund via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 1:17)
Bout 12: Devon Lozej def. Nate Smith via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 11: Michael Blockhus def. Roland Pruden via Decision, Unanimous
Bout 10: Alvin Hines def. Taylor Escamilla via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 2:40)
Preliminary Card
Bout 9: Santos Verdinez def. Felipe Martinez Donis via Submission, Heel Hook (RD 1, 3:24)
Bout 8: Jackson McVey def. Ben Fowler via Submission, Brabo Choke (RD 1, 0:33)
Bout 7: Steve Collins def. Richard Daffron via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 3:33)
Bout 6: Ashkan Morvari def. Coty Milhausen via Submission, Rear Naked Choke (RD 2, 4:30)
Bout 5: Danny Somers def. Clay Uddley via TKO, Strikes (RD 2, 0:19)
Bout 4: Kendall Sandifer def. Mitchell Wilson via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 0:19)
Bout 3: Ryan Motley def. Aaron Skipitaris via Decision, Unanimous (Amateur)
Bout 2: Ezayah Gomez Oropeza def. Conor Hoy via TKO, Strikes (RD 1, 2:05) (Amateur)
Bout 1: Stephen Lesko def. Isaiah Joans via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke (RD 2, 1:46) (Amateur)
Previews
OKTAGON To Find Lightweight Finalists In Brno
European MMA promotion OKTAGON will confirm the finals for their second-ever Tipsport Gamechanger tournament on Saturday night when they present a card from the Winning Group Arena in Brno, Czech Republic.
A bracket of 16 lightweights has boiled down to four who will fight for a spot in the finals this weekend, taking the 155-pound fighters one step closer to the grand prize of 300,000 Euro.
Ronald Paradeiser will not only be trying to punch his ticket into the finals when he meets Acoidan Duque in the main event, but will also be fighting to maintain his status as the promotion’s top lightweight. He entered this year’s bracket shortly after beating Ivan Buchinger to claim the OKTAGON Lightweight Championship, a belt he will go back to defending following the conclusion of this tournament.
The 27-year-old champ has put together seven consecutive wins in recent years, including recent tournament victories over Attila Korkmaz and former KSW champ Daniel Torres.
Duque, a former Bellator and PFL Europe fighter representing Spain, will try and score an upset win in the main event against Paradeiser. He is coming off victories over a pair of experienced fighters earlier this year, beating Mochamed Machaev and Mohamed Grabinski.
The other side of the bracket will see current featherweight champ Losene Keita meet Mateusz Legierski.
Keita, who similar to Paradeiser only became champ just before the tournament kicked off, is riding the momentum of a finish win over Predrag Bogdanovic from the semi-finals. Earlier in the tournament, he got past former Cage Warriors talent Agy Sardari in a decision result.
A potential rematch could go down in the finals if both current champs advance. Keita has a win over Paradeiser from 2022, beating him via decision at OKTAGON 31.
Legierski will be wagering his undefeated nine-fight OKTAGON record on Saturday night, a run which includes a brief 2020 title reign and wins earlier this year over Akonne Wanliss and Matous Kohout.
A dozen fights are expected to go down in Brno. Apart from the tournament bouts, the most notable contest is a co-main event clash that sees former UFC talent Makhmud Muradov meet Scott Askham. Muradov made a surprising jump over to the OKTAGON roster earlier this year, signing after a seven-fight UFC run.
Here’s how the full OKTAGON lineup looks:
Main Card (12:00PM EDT / (OKTAGON PPV)
Bout 12: Ronald Paradeiser (20-8) vs. Acoidan Duque (21-4) (Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 11: Makhmud Muradov (26-8) vs. Scott Askham (20-6) (Middleweight)
Bout 10: Losene Keita (14-1) vs. Mateusz Legierski (12-1) (Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Semi-Final)
Bout 9: Lucie Pudilova (14-10) vs. Cecilie Bolander (3-0) (Bantamweight)
Bout 8: Andrej Kalasnik (11-5) vs. Ioannis Palaiologos (20-13-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 7: Vladimir Lengal (6-3) vs. Corey Cry (5-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 6: Tomas Hron vs. Fred Sikking (OKTAGON Underground Rules)
Bout 5: Mate Sanikidze (11-3) vs. Jack Cartwright (11-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 4: Jakub Tichota (5-2) vs. George Staines (2-0) (Lightweight)
Bout 3: Radek Rousal (2-1) vs. Nezar Bahaji (3-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: Attila Korkmaz (15-8) vs. Agy Sardari (17-5) (Tipsport Gamechanger Lightweight Reserve Bout)
Bout 1: Jan Stanovsky (4-1) vs Gleb Shadrin (5-2) (Lightweight)
Joey Ruquet Looks To Spoil Khuseyn Shaykhaev’s U.S. Debut At CFFC 135
While UFC is usually the promotion that receives the main focus on Saturday evening, their absence this week has left a chance for CFFC to host a show in the timeslot. The U.S. regional MMA brand will crown a new bantamweight champ in the main event this weekend, with undefeated Russian Khuseyn Shaykhaev meeting Joey Ruquet at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Florida, USA.
27-year-old Shaykhaev will try to keep his impressive rise in the sport going when he makes his U.S. debut in the headlining spot. He has previously put together a dozen wins in his home country, competing in ACA since debuting in 2016. His wins include numerous fights against more tenured names in the sport, only once previously facing an opponent who came into a bout with less pro experience than him.
Long-time regional vet Ruquet will have to look past Shaykhaev’s intimidating flawless record if he hopes to score a win on Saturday night. The 32-year-old has fought as a pro for a decade, including a lengthy stint in Combate Global which wrapped up in 2022. He will enter this weekend on a three-fight winning streak, including a bare-knuckle MMA victory he picked up just over a year ago.
The winner will become CFFC’s bantamweight champ since early 2023, when previous titleholder Vilson Ndregjoni was stripped of his belt after missing weight for a fight.
Saturday’s card is 11 fights in total, with a variety of prospects in action. Heavyweight Cameron Kinzig, a fighter who has won all of his pro bouts via stoppage thus far, will take on Brazil’s Vitor Resende in the co-main event.
Here’s the full bout order:
Main Card (9:00PM EDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 11: Joey Ruquet (9-4) vs. Khuseyn Shaykhaev (12-0) (Vacant CFFC Bantamweight Championship)
Bout 10: Perry Stargel (9-6) vs. Hugh Pulley (10-7) (Welterweight)
Bout 9: Cameron Kinzig (4-0) vs. Vitor Resende (4-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 8: Donald Bush (9-4) vs. Blake Smith (8-4) (Lightweight)
Bout 7: Kendly St. Louis (9-4) vs. Collin Lubberts (6-3) (Welterweight)
Bout 6: CJ Brant (3-1) vs. Mihai Culai (0-0) (Lightweight)
Preliminary Card (7:00PM EDT) (CFFC OnlyFans)
Bout 5: Brandon Gaitor (5-5) vs. Daniel Matos (5-4) (Lightweight)
Bout 4: Rueben Beard (0-0) vs. Matt Hammerstone (0-1) (Bantamweight)
Bout 3: Phoenix Ibe (3-1) vs. Blake Torchon (6-3) (Vacant CFFC Amateur Featherweight Championship)
Bout 2: Drew Onega (3-2) vs. James Garva (0-0) (Amateur Lightweight)
Bout 1: JoJo Alford (1-2) vs. Aldo Dominguez (0-0) (Amateur Lightweight)