Former featherweight champion Loughnane captured the 145-pound crown back in 2022, but was stunned last year by eventual winner Jesus Pinedo in one of the shocks of the season. But the Mancunian returned with sharper focus and looking in the best shape of his life, and it’s shown through his performances this season.
Loughnane stopped Portugal’s Pedro Carvalho in 86 seonds in his season opener in Chicago to get his season off to a flying start, and a second-round doctor-stoppage TKO of Justin Gonzalez punched his ticket to the 2024 PFL Playoffs.
And, on Friday night in Washington DC, Loughnane outworked a very game Kamaka over three rounds to earn a hard-fought split-decision victory.
After a closely contested start, Loughnane showed his championship ability in closing moments of the first round as he came close to stopping Kamaka with a spinning back kick to the body and a series of vicious Muay Thai knees breaking down Kamaka and sending him to the canvas. But, despite coming close to the finish, Loughnane was denied by the clock, with the buzzer saving the former Bellator man.
Kamaka appeared to have recovered well before the start of Round 2, and the pair continued to battle on equal terms through the second stanza, with both men enjoying success with their strikes in a keenly-contested middle round.
The closeness of the second round meant that neither man could be sure of their standing on the scorecards heading into the final round, and both men pushed the pace in a bid to earn their spot in the final.
In the end, after their thrilling back-and-forth battle went the distance, it all came down to the three cageside judges, who scored the bout 29-28, 28-29, 30-27 to give Loughnane the 30th win of his professional career and send him into the featherweight final.
Loughnane will face Timur Khizriev in the $1 million final after the undefeated Russian contender claimed a split-decision victory of his own to earn his spot in the season finale.
Khizriev edged Brazil’s Gabriel Braga 30-27, 28-29, 30-27 over three rounds to put himself one win away from a million dollars and the PFL’s 2024 featherweight title, and will face Loughnane in the end-of-year finale.
The night also saw the two welterweight finalists confirmed, with both winners claiming their semi-final victories via unanimous decision.
The main card opener saw Shamil Musaev defeat Murad Ramazanov 29-28, 30-27, 30-27 in a relatively clear victory, while Magomed Umalatov defeated Brazil’s Neiman Gracie 30-27, 29-28, 29-28) to set up an all-Russian 170-pound championship matchup.
PFL 9: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Brendan Loughnane def. Kai Kamaka via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27) – featherweight semi-final
- Magomed Umalatov def. Neiman Gracie via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) – welterweight semi-final
- Timur Khizriev def. Gabriel Braga via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) – featherweight semi-final
- Shamil Musaev def. Murad Ramazanov via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) – welterweight semi-final
EARLY CARD
- Mukhamed Berkhamov def. Ray Cooper III via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Enrique Barzola def. Tyler Diamond via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jose Perez def. Jesse Stirn via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Maxwell Djantou Nana def. Kent Mafileo via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:52
- Shido Boris Esperanca def. Typer Hill via TKO (ground strikes) – Round 1, 3:30
