Usman
Nurmagomedov WITH THE FIRST ROUND KO 😱#PFLNY
| Main Card Live NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/mikFN1ZLFx

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
August 1, 2026

Professional Fighters League's return to UBS Arena in Long
Island, New York, was punctuated by a majestic performance in the
main event.

The
PFL New York headliner saw current 155-pound titleholder
Usman
Nurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC; 4-0 PFL) defend his championship
against Archie
Colgan (13-1, 2-1 PFL). After a feeling-out couple of minutes
in the center of the cage, Nurmagomedov connected with a head kick
on his opponent's temple before following up with a big left hand
that dropped Colgan. Shortly after the American managed to
recompose himself and get back to his feet, Nurmagomedov followed
up with more uppercuts that sent “King†to his knees. Smelling
blood, the Dagestani landed more punches before referee Keith
Peterson waved it off at the 3:42 mark of Round 1. In his
post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov was noncommittal about his
future in the promotion, since Friday's fight was the last on his
current contract.

In the co-main event, Dakota
Ditcheva (16-0, 11-0 PFL) made a successful return from a
year-long injury hiatus, taking on former Bellator
MMA title challenger Denise
Kielholtz (9-6, 1-1 PFL). “Dangerous†showed no cage rust,
combining clean, sharp striking with effective takedowns, putting
any concerns about the injured hand to rest. Ditcheva made the most
of her reach, attacking from range with front kicks to the head and
midsection, while Kielholtz answered with a few spinning attacks
but overall posed little threat. The pace slowed in the third
frame, drawing scattered boos as Ditcheva went the distance for the
third time in her otherwise finish-heavy career. When the dust
settled, all three judges scored it 30-27 for Ditcheva.

In a 157-pound catchweight tilt, Amru
Magomedov (10-0, 2-0 PFL) kept his record unblemished by
overcoming Angel
Alvarez (11-3, 1-1 PFL). Magomedov attacked with a variety of
strikes out of the gate, but his kicks proved to be his most lethal
weapon. After “Salsa King,†who failed to make the contracted
155-pound weight limit the day before, crumpled from the damage,
Magomedov
poured it on until referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in at 4:28 of
Round 2.

An elite
middleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7
at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The main card opener saw former Ares Fighting Championship
205-pound kingpin Moustapha
Diakhate (6-0-1, 1-0 PFL) make a statement in his promotional
debut, crushing last-minute replacement Darryl
King Walker (2-1, 0-1 PFL). “Black Black” hunted his opponent
down with strikes from the opening bell before
taking the fight to the canvas and finishing “The Sacred Beastâ€
from mount at 2:35 into the opening stanza.

In the featured fight on the preliminary card, Lazaro
Dayron (11-0-1, 3-0-1 PFL) relied on his crisp striking and
well-timed takedowns to outpoint former interim Bellator MMA
135-pound titleholder Raufeon
Stots (21-5, 1-3 PFL) at the end of a close contest, with two
judges scoring 29-28 in favor of “El Cazador†and one 29-28 for
“Supaâ€; earlier, Sean Gauci
(12-1, 2-0 PFL) dominated Allan
Begosso (10-5-1, 0-2 PFL) to secure a unanimous decision
(30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at the end of a bantamweight bout; in their
175-pound catchweight Omar El
Dafrawy (16-6, 6-1 PFL) outstruck Jonathan
Piersma (12-4, 1 NC; 0-1 PFL) en route to a unanimous decision
(30-27, 29-28, 30-27); Tatiana
Postarnakova (6-0, 2-0 PFL) eked out a narrow split decision
(29-28, 29-28, 28-29) as she spoiled the promotional debut of
Ultimate Fighting Championship vet Montana
De La Rosa (13-10-1, 0-1 PFL) in their women's flyweight tilt;
in the 155-pound opener, Levan
Khabalaev (6-0, 1-0 PFL) folded Chamy Delva
(7-2, 0-1 PFL) with
a couple of knees to the body followed by a series of punches at
1:44 of Round 1.

John Martin
reflects on tonights fights 💪#PFLNY
| Main Card Live NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/62tdW6DapZ

— PFL (@PFLMMA)
August 1, 2026

Edgar Berlanga overcame an early scare to score a statement
victory, while Richardson Hitchins impressed in his welterweight
bout at Zuffa Boxing 9.

Zuffa Boxing graced The Big Apple on July 26, putting on an event
at Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden.

Zuffa Boxing 9 Results: Edgar Berlanga stops Steven Butler,
Richardson Hitchins wins side

Berlanga rallied following a knockdown to stop Steven Butler via
technical knockout in the seventh round of a super middleweight
bout. Berlanga responded with relentless pressure after being
dropped, gradually breaking Butler down before scoring a knockdown
of his own in Round 6.

In the co-main event, Hitchins turned in a dominant performance,
cruising to a unanimous decision over Ricardo Salas. Using his
superior speed, reach and jab, the New Yorker outboxed Salas from
bell to bell, earning identical 100-90 scores on all three judges’
cards.

Elsewhere on the card, Jalil Hackett earned a unanimous decision
over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his
middleweight debut, while Vladyslav Sirenko scored a knockout
against Otto Wallin with just one second remaining in their
bout.

Furthermore, Emiliano Moreno outworked Arnold Gonzalez over eight
rounds and Kashaun Davis handed Mihai Nistor the first decision
loss of his career. Troy Nash remained unbeaten in Zuffa Boxing
with a majority decision over Ethan Perez, while Andres Sosa dented
Dominique Francis’ previously perfect record with a unanimous
decision victory in the opening contest.

BERLANGA WINS BY TKO ?
#ZuffaBoxing09 pic.twitter.com/B71JSxVpIM

— Zuffa_Boxing (@Zuffa_Boxing)
July 27, 2026

Israel Adesanya's longtime mentee believes City Kickboxing is in a great spot following the former champ's departure.

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya made a huge change to his camp after four consecutive losses in the Octagon.

Adesanya, a longtime leader at City Kickboxing, announced his split from the gym earlier this summer. While Adesanya didn't go into details about the circumstances of his departure, he hinted that a fresh start was needed to get back on track in his career.

Adesanya leaves behind top talents like UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, former title challenger Kai Kara-France, and fan favorite Dan Hooker in his wake. The former middleweight champ served as a leader and mentor to many fighters at City Kickboxing, making his departure all the more stunning.

One of the fighters that Adesanya mentored during his tenure shared a surprising take on his leave from the team.

Navajo Stirling reacts to mentor Israel Adesanya's City Kickboxing split

During his UFC Serbia pre-fight press conference, UFC light heavyweight Navajo Stirling shared his reaction to Adesanya's departure from City Kickboxing.

“I was happy for him,†Stirling said of Adesanya.

“Sometimes you do need a breath of fresh air, a new opportunity, new surroundings. I know what that does for a fighter. Everyone at the gym just wishes him nothing but the best.

“We've got loads of guys at the gym. Big names, even names you've never heard of. In terms of where the gym's at, we're doing so well. We're in such a good spot right now at City Kickboxing. I'm a part of that. I'm now a big part of the next surging style of fighters coming through the gym. It's going to be a time.†(h/t Bloody Elbow)

As of this writing, Adesanya's next gym move remains uncertain. He hasn't fought since a loss to Joe Pyfer earlier this year at UFC Seattle.

Who should Israel Adesanya fight in his UFC return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

---