Top Reasons to Catch PFL 2024 Europe Finals

The Professional Fighters League will tie a bow on its latest season when it crowns its third set of champions in a calendar year through the PFL Europe 2024 Finals on Saturday at the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. Six-figure contracts are to be awarded in the bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and women’s flyweight divisions.

Jakub Kaszuba puts his perfect 13-0 record on the line and gets his chance to become the first-ever two-time PFL Europe champion when he meets Connor Hughes in the lightweight final. Kaszuba, 29, advanced in the draw with back-to-back unanimous decisions over Kane Mousah and Daniele Scatizzi. The Pole operates out of a Gracie Barra affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida, and figures to be a lock for the PFL’s global season in 2025 should he repeat at 155 pounds. Hughes, meanwhile, enters the cage on the strength of a three-fight winning streak. He last saw action at PFL Europe 3, where he took a unanimous decision from Ignacio Capella in their three-round semifinal. Hughes boasts eight finishes among his 10 career victories, six of them inside one round.

Beyond Kaszuba chasing history, here are three other reasons to catch the PFL Europe 2024 Finals:

Blink at Your Own Risk

A time-honored combination of charisma and heavy hands made Lewis McGrillen-Evans a person of interest on the regional scene just as the PFL set out in search of such talents. The 24-year-old Manchester Top Team rep now finds himself in position to pursue a $100,000 payday in the bantamweight final opposite Alexander Luster. McGrillen-Evans planted his flag deeper into PFL soil and made his intentions clear on Sept. 28, when he filled in for Khurshed Kakhorov as an injury alternate and punched out Dean Garnett in the third round of their 135-pound semifinal. It was his fifth one-punch knockout as a pro. On the other side of the equation, the once-beaten Luster has rattled off four straight victories, three of the via submission. He qualified for the final with consecutive rear-naked choke finishes of Alperen Karabulut and Julien Lopez.

Cinderella Man

Apparent advantages in the experience and grappling departments have afforded Daniele Miceli the opportunity to be the last man standing at 170 pounds. The resurgent Italian looks to complete his Cinderella run when he confronts Florim Zendeli in the welterweight final. Miceli, 37, cruised through the bracket with a 27-second submission of Yassin Najid and an 86-second technical knockout of Ibrahima Mane. Each of his last nine outings has ended inside the distance. Zendeli, meanwhile, steps back into view on a five-fight unbeaten streak during which he has compiled a 4-0-1 record. He advanced to the tournament championship at PFL 3, where he was awarded split scorecards against Jack Grant in September. Zendeli has secured six of his seven career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Hunting Another Gem

The PFL struck gold in the women’s flyweight division with Dakota Ditcheva and undoubtedly hopes to do so again, even though those odds seem remote at best. Nevertheless, Paulina Wisniewska puts her unblemished record at risk when she toes the line against Valentina Scatizzi in the 125-pound final. Wisniewska, 26, nailed down her spot in the tournament championship with a second-round technical knockout of Dee Begley on June 8 and a three-round unanimous decision over Karolina Wojcik in September. She trains with MMA Team Ostrada in her native Poland. On the other side of the bracket, Scatizzi steps in as a late-notice injury replacement for blue-chip Great Britain Top Team prospect Shanelle Dyer. The 28-year-old SBG Ireland export wound up on the wrong side of a split verdict against Dyer in their Sept. 28 semifinal.