Impa Kasanganay was the odds-on betting favorite heading into the PFL Championships on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which sounded reasonable when you consider his accomplishments inside the PFL SmartCage — including the 2023 grand prize.
2024 belongs to Dovlet Yagshimuradov.
“Turkic Power” needed less than a minute to smash “Tshilobo” and take home the million-dollar prize, which also gave Yagshimuradov his seventh straight win. The 35 year-old Bellator MMA veteran, who crossed over to PFL back in April, improved to 24-7-1.
Kasanganay fell to 18-4.
“I’m feeling good, I’m very happy,” Yagshimuradov said after the fight. “It’s my fans, it’s my family here [in Riyadh]. I am champion this year, next year champion again. This support [from the fans] is what motivates me and this is why we’re doing this. Impa is a very good fighter, but today I was better than him.”
Dovlet Yagshimuradov gets energized by the crowd and has eyes on a 2025 Title Run!#PFLWorldChampionship
LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/09wxLEe9R0— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024
For more PFL Championships results and highlights from today’s festivities in Saudi Arabia click here.