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

A World Title win rarely comes with a personal audience from a head of state. This week, it did.

Aliff Sor Dechapan, accompanied by his parents, received a welcome from Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya this week. The visit followed his fifth-round finish of Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at The Inner Circle 23 on Friday, July 24.

That win made Aliff the first Malaysian to capture ONE World gold. It also pushed his career record to 63-9 and earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus.

Anwar had publicly rallied the nation behind Aliff ahead of the fight. This week's meeting carried that same national spirit forward. The two even shared a lighthearted shadowboxing moment inside the Prime Minister's office.

“Alhamdulillah, today I had the opportunity to meet YAB Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, in Putrajaya. It was a deeply meaningful honor for me and serves as a source of inspiration to keep fighting and bringing glory to Malaysia's name on the global stage,†Aliff wrote.

“Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for and support my journey. God willing, I will continue to give the best for my country.â€

Anwar Ibrahim celebrates Aliff Sor Dechapan's rise

Anwar was among the first public figures to celebrate Aliff Sor Dechapan's win, sharing in the outpouring of national pride that followed. He extended that same warmth in person during this week's meeting.

The Prime Minister posted his own message following the visit. He framed the achievement as proof of what Malaysia's youth can accomplish on the world stage.

“I welcomed Aliff Rakib to my office today and congratulated him on his historic achievement of becoming the first Malaysian to clinch the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in ONE Championship. This success not only brings glory to Malaysia on the international stage but also demonstrates that our nation's youth possess the capability, discipline, and fighting spirit to compete against the world's best,†Anwar wrote.

“May this achievement inspire more young people to pursue their dreams with determination, commitment, and unwavering perseverance. Well done, Aliff Rakib, Malaysia is proud of this success.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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