Steady, But Not Spectacular: Brendan Loughnane Hangs on to Reach PFL Featherweight Final

Brendan Loughnane was at his best during the past three PFL seasons when he could intimidate overwhelmed opponents. Loughnane appeared ready to add Kai Kamaka III to his list of knockout victims Friday night in Washington, D.C. But that’s not how the fight ended up finishing.

During the first round, Loughnane scored a knockdown and fired off ground-and-pound to try to force a stoppage. But Kamaka survived to the bell. When Kamaka came out in the second round, he appeared to be more comfortable and traded shots with Loughnane for the next two rounds.

This had to be a little surprising for Loughnane. During the 2024 PFL season, MMAfighting latest news shows Loughnane ran through his two regular-season opponents. Loughnane finished with two knockouts during the regular season.

But Kamaka’s forward pressure and accurate striking put pressure on Loughnane and the judges. Ultimately, two of the three judges ruled that Loughnane did enough to earn a win. Loughnane is relieved to be back in the PFL featherweight final after missing the playoffs last season due to being upset by Jesus Pinedo.

Loughnane will hope to win his second PFL title in November. He last won in 2022.

Khizriev Keeps Undefeated Record

Timur Khizriev felt right at home during his first PFL season. Khizriev has been a steady presence for whatever promotion he is competing for. The best MMA news sites show that Khizriev is like a typical fighter from Dagestan.

Khizriev is an excellent grappler who can also use solid striking once he has won his opponent out on the mats. The Bellator veteran had to work hard during his PFL featherweight semifinal. Khizriev could land a takedown of Gabriel Braga, but Braga didn’t accept the takedown.

Instead, Braga continuously fought back to his feet. When the two men were engaged on their feet, the fight was close. Braga is an excellent striker who wanted to land power punches against Khizriev.

Ultimately, Khizriev’s mix of grappling and striking allowed him to grab the win. Khizriev is now 17-0 in his career and should present Loughnane with an interesting challenge with the $1 million prize on the line.

Silent Assassin Grabs Another Victory

The PFL playoffs structure is imperfect. Shamil Musaev grabbed the top seed in the welterweight tournament by knocking out Murad Ramazanov a few months ago. Musaev’s reward for his spectacular knockout was having to fight Ramazanov again in the semifinals.

The pair’s second fight would be much different from the first. Musaev needed to lean heavily on his defensive wrestling to stay ahead of Ramazanov. Musaev also demonstrated his excellent striking to pick up points with the judge.

When the fight made it to the scorecards, Musaev earned a unanimous decision victory. Musaev has been known as a finisher throughout his career. He is now 17-0-1 in his MMA career and has yet to lose a fight as a professional or amateur.

Ramazanov had the misfortune of being scheduled to fight Musaev twice. There is a real argument to be made that Ramazanov may have been the second-best fighter in the weight class this season.

Gracie Makes Life Difficult for Umalatov

Magomed Umalatov did enough against Neiman Gracie to reach the welterweight final. Umalatov’s victory means the championship fight will be an exciting one between two unbeaten fighters. But Umalatov didn’t have an easy time with Neiman Gracie, who was filling in for an injured Don Madge. Gracie was willing to take a lot of risks.

Umalatov fired stiff punches as Gracie waded forward, but he couldn’t land a knockout blow. Gracie became more confident and kept the pressure on throughout the fight. Gracie’s issue was that he couldn’t utilize his grappling like he prefers to do.

Umalatov has made a career of knocking out his opponents. 

Cooper’s Spiral Continues

Ray Cooper III is a two-time PFL champion who is 31-years-old. But Cooper’s age doesn’t necessarily reflect the wear and tear on his body. Cooper has fought 37 times as a professional, and his MMA career dates back to July 2012.

Since winning the 2021 PFL welterweight tournament, Cooper hasn’t appeared to be the same fighter. Cooper has lost four of his past five fights and missed weight twice. While Cooper did make weight for his fight with Mukhamed Berkhamov Friday, the Hawaii native still wasn’t sharp. 

The judges indicated the fight was close, with Berkhamov winning a split decision. Cooper failed to reach the PFL playoffs in 2022 and 2023. He didn’t compete in the tournament in 2024.

Cooper may be at the back end of his career, which is disappointing for a long-time star of the PFL. If Cooper is going to reach the top of the promotion again, he will need to rediscover his fire for training.

Barzola Gets Important Victory

Enrique Barzola had to feel like he had some tough luck in 2024. After making the jump from Bellator to the PFL, MMA breaking news showed that many people believed Barzola would be in the mix to make the postseason. But Barzola struggled in regular-season fights, dropping a pair of decisions to Khiziev and Adam Borics.

Barzola proved that he is still capable of turning in strong performances. Entering his fight with Tyler Diamond as an underdog, Barzola turned in a well-rounded performance and grabbed an important win.

The fight wasn’t easy for either man. Diamond and Barzola both fought at a fast pace and produced plenty of volume. Barzola entered the fight as a more than two-to-one underdog and surprised everyone by hanging with Diamond. Barzola was able to land enough volume to pick up a victory.

Here’s a look at the rest of the fights on the card not mentioned above:

• Heavyweight, Maxwell Djantou Nana win by knockout over Kent Mafileo, Round 2 4:50
• Welterweight, Shido Boris Esperanca win by knockout over Tyler Hill, Round 1 3:31
• Featherweight, Jose Perez win by decision over Jesse Stirn, 30-27, 29-28 (x2)

Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.

By Dean McHugh.