Gadzhi Rabadanov Leads Group of 2025 PFL World Tournament Finalists

If you think Gadzhi Rabadanov can only wrestle, then you'd better check the tape.

The reigning PFL lightweight champion punched his ticket back into the Professional Fighters League World Tournament finals in easy fashion with a first-round technical knockout (2:31) over Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Kevin Lee in Friday’s 2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals main event at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

Rabadanov (26-4-1, 6-0 PFL) has won 12 straight and his last four by knockout. The Dagestani product has been vocal about wanting to showcase his striking, and he used it to make quick work of the former UFC title contender. Lee (20-9, 0-1 PFL) looked like a shell of his former self. “The Motown Phenom” made 155 pounds for the first time in five years for this fight, but his legs weren’t under him. Everything Rabadanov touched caused Lee to stumble. His reaction time was off, and Rabandanov showed no respect for his power. After staggering Lee three times in the opening minutes. Lee dropped to the canvas and flattened out, causing referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight.

Rabandov will look to win his second-straight PFL title when he faces Alfie Davis in the final.

Carmouche Handles Dana

Liz Carmouche has been a staple in women’s MMA for 15 years and once again proved why she’s regarded as one of the best in Friday’s co-main event.

Carmouche handled scrappy undefeated contender Elora Dana by decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) to advance to the women’s flyweight finale against Jena Bishop. Carmouche (24-8, 4-1 PFL) was gunning for a knockout, but Dana chin was made of stone. No matter, the reigning Bellator MMA champion outslugged Dana at midrange and kept her back against the cage. Dana suffered a hematoma on top of her forehead at the start of the second round and Carmouche kept hitting the button.

As the fight reigned on, Dana’s (8-1, 1-1 PFL) heart shone, but so did her inexperience, and there was no doubt that Carmouche would have her hand raised.

Related » 2025 PFL 6 Round-by-Round Scoring

Colgan Shows Grit Against Barnaoui

Archie Colgan took another step towards stardom with a hard-nosed decision win over seasoned veteran Mansour Barnaoui (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

The undefeated lightweight stormed out and showed guts to stand with the French kickboxer, which made for thrilling back-and-forth action. The stockier Colgan (12-0, 1-0 PFL) ate Barnaoui’s straight shots before he closed the distance and punished Barnaoui on the ground. Barnaoui was a bloody mess, but never stopped trying to win the fight. After two dominant Colgan rounds, Barnaoui (22-7, 1-1 PFL) came out of the corner for the third and staggered Colgan with a flurry of blows. The comeback was on, and Colgan tried to tie. Despite Baranoui’s rising momentum, Colgan showed the composure of a champion and reversed Barnaoui to the mat and rained ground-and-pound to close out the fight.

With the win, Colgan cemented himself as the No. 1 contender for Usman Nurmagomedov’s Bellator Lightweight title.

Alves Boxes Up Hadley

Marcirley Alves (14-4, 2-0 PFL) came into the bantamweight tournament as an alternate, but is headed to the championship after putting a three-round boxing clinic on Jake Hadley.

By the end of the first round, the Brazilian bomber had Hadley bleeding from his eye and circling from danger. Alves poured on the patient pressure and kept “White Kong” on his heels. Alves looked like he was moving in for the kill after dropping Hadley (12-5, 1-1 PFL) in round two, but stayed composed and continued to pick his opponent apart with the jab. Alves made Hadley look amateurish and cruised to a unanimous decision win (30-26, 30-26, 30-26).

With the win, Alves advances to the bantamweight final where he'll face Justin Wetzell.

Davis Denies Primus

Davis (19-5-1, 2-1 PFL) secured the biggest win of his career after falling behind on the scorecards early.

Former Bellator lightweight champion Brent Primus mostly had his way with Davis on the ground throughout the first round, but Davis turned the tide in the second period. Understanding that Primus would be a handful on the mat, Davis upped the pressure on the feet and caught the former champ with overhand rights and hard knees in the clinch. Primus (16-5, 4-2 PFL) hoped to retake control of the fight with his wrestling in the third frame, but Davis outworked him on the floor with punches. The third stanza was one of the toughest to score of the night, but Davis’ aggression and damage were enough to edge out a slim unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Wetzell Dominant for 15 Minutes

It wasn’t pretty, but Wetzell made his bantamweight semifinal match against Mando Gutierrez look easy.

Wetzell (13-2, 2-0 PFL) stayed chest to chest throughout the fight and buried Gutierrez with pressure and consistent ground-and-pound. For three straight rounds, it was wash, rinse and repeat as Gutierrez (11-4, 1-1 PFL) settled into passive positions. Gutierrez was convinced that he could submit Wetzell off his back, but the Denver native never allowed Gutierrez to surprise him.

It wasn’t a thrilling performance, but Wetzell left zero doubt and cruised to a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Bishop Makes Shakalova Cry Uncle

Bishop snatched up the first spot in the women’s flyweight tournament finale with a second-round submission win over Ekaterina Shakalova (2:07).

Bishop, a former International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation champion, demonstrated what world-class BJJ looks like in the opening minutes and wasted little time taking Shakalova’s back. Bishop (9-2, 3-2 PFL) nearly ended the fight in the first round with a rear-naked choke, but the Ukrainian challenger survived and reversed position, but wasn’t yet out of danger. Bishop threatened armbars, triangles and heel hooks and wouldn’t give up ground despite Shakalova’s ground-and-pound. It was only a matter of time before Shakalova slipped up. As Shakalova (9-3 1-1 PFL) looked to shake Bishop out of full mount, Bishop seized the back, locked in the RNC and her spot in the championship.

Magomedov Edges Khamidov

Magomed “Tiger” Magomedov hasn’t always had the best luck with the judges.

In his last fight, “Tiger” saw the Bellator bantamweight title slip through his grasp on the basis of a controversial split decision to Patrick “Patchy” Mix. And Magomedov would have to hold his breath yet again after a difficult three-round scrap against the undefeated Sarvarjon Khamidov. Khamidov dominated the control time and threatened Magomedov with submissions in the first round. Magomedov proved he was on a level above Khamidov on the feet, catching the Tajikistani product with spinning attacks and jabs.

It was anybody’s fight till the end, but ultimately the judges valued Magomedov’s willingness to strike over Khamidov’s struggle for control, giving Magomedov the unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Kelly Stays Unblemished

The best jiu-jitsu practitioners know it’s not wise to slam your way out of a submission. Unfortunately for Antonio Caruso, he had to be made an example.

Caruso beamed with confidence as he carried a two-fight win streak into his lightweight alternate bout against Vinicius Sacchelli Cenci, but was stunned when he was forced to tap by triangle choke 1:43 into the first round. Caruso (10-3, 0-1 PFL) started strong by bullying Cenci into the fence with his body lock, but things went awry when Cenci transitioned from a guillotine into a triangle choke. Caruso panicked and tried to slam Cenci (11-3, 1-1 PFL) on his back to break the grip, but he only made things worse. It would’ve taken the jaws of life to get Cenci off of Caruso if he didn’t tap.

Kelly Stays Unblemished

Undefeated Irish lightweight prospect Darragh Kelly was forced to dig deep to keep his perfect record intact against Bellator veteran Mike Hamel.

Hamel (11-7, 0-1 PFL) pressed Kelly and forced the SBG Ireland prospect to fight him in the pocket. He landed thudding blows and nearly dropped Kelly in the second, but Kelly gave as good as he got. With the fight in the balance headed into the final stanza, Kelly (8-0, 1-0 PFL) took the contest out of the judges' hands with a face crank 3:09 into the third.

Joanne Rebounds in Wichita

Ilara Joanne was stopped in the women’s flyweight quarterfinals, but she may have found new life in the tournament after decisioning Saray Orozco (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in the semifinal alternate bout.

Joanne (13-10, 2-2 PFL) pieced up Orozco on the feet and bullied the Guadalajara, Mexico, native in the clinch. After battering Orozco with jabs and crosses throughout the first two rounds, Joanne tripped Orozco (8-7, 0-2 PFL) to the mat and battered her with ground and pound until the final bell.

Meck Takes Dominguez's Neck

Nicholas Meck welcomed a new baby boy last night and then capped off his memorable week with a first-round submission of Alan Dominguez.

Meck, a welterweight from Topeka, Kansas, delighted his supporters with a dominant showing and manhandled Dominguez on the ground before submitting him with a rear-naked choke 4:10 into the opening frame. Meck (9-2, 1-1 PFL) picked up his second straight win and first in the PFL while Dominguez dropped to 11-7.