PFL 2025 World Tournament Dark Horse: Abraham Bably

The Professional Fighters League’s heavyweight bracket will feature quite a few recognizable names, former Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor Alexander Romanov among them. A strong veteran presence anchors the eight-man draw, but at least one of the participants looks to make up for his lack of experience with talent: dark horse Abraham Bably.

The 29-year-old carries a 5-1 record into his PFL 2025 World Tournament 4 heavyweight quarterfinal opposite Rodrigo Nascimento on Thursday at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Bably has seen action in Bellator MMA and the PFL, with half of his career bouts having taken place in the two organizations. Some may believe it to be premature to label Bably as a serious contender, but his abilities say otherwise.

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Thursday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

While he will be at a disadvantage in the experience department, Bably has shown a knack for finishing fights. Three of his five pro victories have come by knockout or technical knockout. Bably sets the perfect example for what the PFL wanted to create with its tournament format and “One Shot” mantra. With so many veterans in the pool, he has everything to gain and very little to lose.

The tournament figures to be Bably’s toughest test to date. However, if all goes according to plan for the Manchester Top Team rep, he will have proven himself worthy while announcing his arrival in the PFL in an emphatic way. Bably has not fought since he suffered his first setback in a contentious split decision loss to Slim Trabelsi at the 2024 PFL Championships in November. Not much will be known about Bably entering the tournament, as he enters the cage with only the expectations that he and has team have placed upon him.

Bably faces a difficult quarterfinal against Nascimento, and the road can only grow more treacherous from there. However, if he gets his way, he will take his career to the next level and in doing so have a shot at the heavyweight tournament championship and $500,000 grand prize.