A press release from PFL officially unveiled the fighters set to compete in he eight-man single-elimination tournaments at 170 and 145 pounds, with a host of notable names ready to take their places in their respective tournament brackets.
The featherweight division will be headed by Peru’s 2023 PFL Champion Jesus Pinedo, as well as the man he defeated in the final that year, Brazil’s Gabriel Braga.
Undefeated 2021 featherweight champion, Russia’s Movlid Khaybulaev, returns in a bid to capture a second PFL title, while former Bellator featherweight star, Hungary’s Adam Borics, joins the lineup.
Also taking their place in the bracket are France’s Yves Landu, Ireland’s Nathan Kelly, Canada’s Jeremy Kennedy and South Korea’s Sang Won Kim.
At welterweight, three former Bellator titleholders are set to join the tournament, with former Bellator welterweight champions Jason Jackson and Andrey Koreshkov, plus former interim welterweight champion Logan Storley, taking their places in the lineup.
They’re joined by PFL Europe welterweight champion Florim Zendeli from Albania, Russian contenders Magomed Umalatov and Mukhamed Berkhamov, Greece’s Giannis Bachar and Japan’s Masayuki Kikuiri.
Two alternate fighters have also been named for each weight class, with Canada’s Frederick Dupras and USA’s Nathan Ghareeb serving as substitutes for the featherweight tournament, while Ukraine’s Dmitrii Hrytsenko and Australia’s Joseph Luciano will do the same for the welterweight tournament.
“The PFL World Tournament is the toughest test in MMA, where fighters have one shot to win and advance,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray.
“Our welterweight and featherweight divisions are stacked with world-class talent, each athlete facing a high-stakes, single-elimination path to greatness.
“Fans across the globe can experience the action live through our premier distribution partners, including ESPN in the US, internationally on DAZN, and other premium media partners. The first round starts this April.”
PFL World Tournament Fighters
FEATHERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
- Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1) – Peru
- Gabriel Braga (15-2) – Brazil
- Adam Borics (19-2) – Hungary
- Movlid Khaybulaev (21-0-1, 1 NC) – Russia
- Jeremy Kennedy (19-5) – Canada
- Yves Landu (21-9) – France
- Nathan Kelly (11-3) – Ireland
- Sang Won Kim (13-6-1) – South Korea
- Alternate – Frederick Dupras (8-1) – Canada
- Alternate – Nathan Ghareeb (10-3) – U.S.A.
WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
- Jason Jackson (18-5) – Jamaica
- Magomed Umalatov (17-1) – Russia
- Andrey Koreshkov (28-5) – Russia
- Logan Storley (16-3) – U.S.A.
- Mukhamed Berkhamov (17-2, 1 NC) – Russia
- Florim Zendeli (10-1) – Albania
- Giannis Bachar (9-2) – Greece
- Masayuki Kikuiri (10-2-1) – Japan
- Alternate – Dmitrii Hrytsenko (9-1) – Ukraine
- Alternate – Joseph Luciano (10-2) – Australia
The first round of the 2025 PFL World Tournament will take place across four events on the backlot of Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida on April 3, 11, 18 and May 1.
