PFL CEO John Martin wants Thad Jean vs Shamil Musaev next

Professional Fighters League CEO John Martin wants newly crowned welterweight champion Thad Jean to face Shamil Musaev in his first title defense.

Jean stopped Ernesto Rodriguez in the third round at PFL Washington D.C. on Saturday night after Musaev withdrew from the original main event due to weight cut complications. Rodriguez stepped in on 48 hours' notice despite preparing for a different opponent and was scheduled to fight Aaron McKenzie on the same card.

Musaev earned title shot despite weight cut withdrawal

Martin credited both fighters for adapting to the sudden opponent swap. Jean weathered a second-round knockdown before overwhelming a fading Rodriguez to secure the stoppage victory. According to Sherdog, Martin told reporters that the Cuban fighter accepted a grueling five-round assignment without proper preparation for Jean's 6-foot-2 frame.

"Let's start with Ernesto… 48 hours ago, he was preparing for a different fight," Martin said. "We approached him, we gave him a huge opportunity and right on the spot he recognized it and he wanted to do it. And he fought a pretty courageous fight."

Martin praised Jean for handling the late change but believes the original matchup still makes sense for the champion's next outing. Musaev remains the logical challenger despite missing weight, the CEO indicated.

The PFL executive also highlighted strong performances from African fighters Nkosi Ndebele and Eliezer Kubanza, plus Rafael Xavier's buzzer-beater knockout of UFC veteran Tyson Pedro. Jean's first title defense has no announced date.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — PFL CEO John Martin already has Thad Jean's first title defense in mind