Davis Overcomes Defending Champion
British fighter Alfie Davis caused an upset by defeating reigning champion Gadzhi Rabadanov to win the PFL lightweight tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina. Davis landed the more impactful strikes, earning a unanimous 48-47 decision from all three judges.
Emotional Triumph and Reward
Davis was visibly emotional as the announcement was made, taking home the $500,000 (£369,000) prize, which he called “life-changing.” He is the third Briton to capture a PFL title, after featherweight Brendan Loughnane in 2022 and women’s flyweight Dakota Ditcheva last year.
Davis Speaks on the Victory
“I’ve worked so hard for this moment,” said Davis. “Gadzhi is a champion I’ve admired for years. To beat him feels like a dream come true.”
Journey to the Championship
Davis reached the final riding the best form of his 11-year career, with wins over Clay Collard and Brent Primus. In the final, he faced Russia’s 32-year-old Rabadanov, last year’s champion who had a 12-fight winning streak.
Confidence and Personality Shine
Previously struggling with self-belief, Davis has regained confidence with a string of strong performances. He entered the cage dancing and was introduced as having “charisma seen from space.”
Fight Breakdown
Rabadanov dominated early, securing a takedown and controlling the fight on the ground. Davis began to fight back in the third round, landing sharp counters and a spinning elbow while the crowd cheered his name. He spent the fourth round defending on the mat after another takedown.
Winning the Decisive Round
With guidance from his team to “win this round, change your life,” Davis delivered in the fifth, landing the decisive strikes. Certain of his victory, he celebrated around the cage before calling for the winner of Russia’s Usman Nurmagomedov and Ireland’s Paul Hughes.
