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DUBAI: There are two new world champions following Friday night’s PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai — The Rematch event at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.

The main event more than lived up to expectations, as Usman Nurmagomedov (20-0, 1 NC) and Paul Hughes (14-3) squared off for their highly anticipated 2025 rematch. Much like their first meeting, the fight went the full 25 minutes, and once again it was Nurmagomedov who had his hand raised, securing a hard-fought unanimous decision to preserve his undefeated record.

As the championship rounds unfolded, Nurmagomedov’s trademark composure and ability to dictate the pace proved the difference. Hughes rallied with some of his best offense late, but it was not enough to overturn the judges’ scorecards. With the victory, Nurmagomedov not only reinforced his dominance in the lightweight division but also etched another chapter in what has quickly become one of the PFL’s defining rivalries.

The PFL light heavyweight world title clash between Corey Anderson (20-6) and Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-8-1) served as a rematch of their 2021 Bellator world grand prix quarterfinal, which Anderson won by third-round stoppage.

This time, the fight began with two separate eye pokes from Yagshimuradov. Once Anderson recovered, the Turkmen fighter landed looping punches that found their mark. As the co-main event settled in, however, the former Bellator champion leaned on his wrestling, controlling the action from top position for the remaining four rounds. Anderson’s dominance earned him a unanimous decision, marking his fourth straight victory and third since joining the PFL. With the win, Anderson captured the PFL light heavyweight world championship.

In a title eliminator to decide the next challenger for the soon-to-be-crowned PFL bantamweight world champion, Magomed Magomedov (21-5) squared off against former Bellator champion Sergio Pettis (25-7). Magomedov controlled much of the opening round with his trademark grappling, but Pettis turned the tide with a perfectly timed spinning back elbow, followed by a brutal punch that handed Magomedov the first KO/TKO loss of his 26-fight career. After the stunning finish, Pettis wasted no time calling his shot: “I want the winner of the tournament, (Marcirley) Alves. In Milwaukee, come on PFL.”

Two longtime Bellator standouts, Archie Colgan (13-0) and Jay-Jay Wilson (11-2), clashed in lightweight action in a bout that proved every bit as competitive as expected. Wilson opened strong, establishing his front kicks, while Colgan answered with his signature wrestling, securing an early takedown. As the fight progressed, the University of Wyoming alumni steadily imposed his will, grinding down the Kiwi and racking up nine takedowns overall. Though Wilson stayed active off his back, the judges sided with Colgan, who kept his undefeated record intact. With the win, Colgan has positioned himself as a potential frontrunner to challenge for the PFL lightweight world title.

The first fight on the main card saw England’s Jack Cartwright (13-2) step in on short notice against Ireland’s Caolan Loughran (10-3). Cartwright controlled the action early, using sharp combinations to outstrike his opponent and secure the first two rounds on the judges’ scorecards. Loughran found success in the third, landing a takedown and maintaining top control, but the rally came too late. Cartwright earned the victory in his PFL debut with a composed and disciplined performance.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said he does not intend to resign but acknowledged that positive results are crucial to keeping his position at Old Trafford, as pressure mounts following a woeful start to the season.
United are already out of the League Cup after a shock second-round defeat to English fourth-tier side Grimsby Town and failed to qualify for European football following last season’s disappointing 15th-place finish.
The scrutiny on Amorim has intensified this campaign as his side sits 14th in the Premier League table, eight points behind leaders Liverpool, with just seven points from six matches.
The 40-year-old Portuguese, who has overseen nine wins, 17 defeats and seven draws in his 33 league games in charge, spoke to reporters ahead of Saturday’s home game against high-flying promoted side Sunderland: “No, that is a decision of the board. I cannot do that (resign).
“Sometimes I have that feeling and losing is hard, not to create the momentum. It’s so frustrating when you create the momentum, go to the next game, something happens. That feeling sometimes hurts me a lot. Also the players and especially the staff here.
“But that is not my decision and I think it would be really hard to leave if I don’t do everything to follow my career here.
“It’s a dream to be here and I want to continue here and I want to fight for this. But the problem is now what makes me suffer is to lose games, not to lose my job. You fear to lose your job when you have to pay the bills and I don’t have that feeling.”
Amorim said he is not “naive” about the precarious nature of his position at a club of United’s stature.
“We understand that we need results to continue the project. We will reach a point that is impossible for everyone because this is a very big club with a lot of sponsors, with two owners. So it’s hard, the balance is really hard,” he added.