The Final Verdict: PFL Lyon
Vadim Nemkov quickly solves “Problema” to capture new PFL heavyweight belt
In the main event of the evening, Russia’s Vadim Nemkov faced a formidable foe in the towering Renan “Problema” Ferreira, and he took the wisest, and most straightforward, path to victory as he immediately turned to his wrestling to take the big Brazilian off his feet, then switched to his grappling to secure a first-round submission victory.
Despite being the smaller man, Nemkov looked levels above Ferreira on the mat as he dominated the Brazilian on the ground. Eventually, he put himself into position to lock up an arm-triangle choke, and as soon as he applied the squeeze, “Problema” tapped out as Nemkov claimed a routine victory to pick up the new PFL heavyweight world championship belt.
With a dearth of top-level heavyweight talent, it will be very interesting to see how the promotion tests Nemkov in 2026. The Russian has bulked up well since his move from lightweight to heavyweight, and his well-rounded skillset makes him a really tough proposition for anyone at heavyweight. Talent-wise and skill-wise, there aren’t too many heavyweights outside the UFC who can match him.
Finding compelling matchups for Nemkov will be a huge challenge for the PFL moving forward.
Cris Cyborg adds another belt to her growing collection
Cris Cyborg has won just about everything it’s possible to win for a female athlete in mixed martial arts, having captured championship gold in every major promotion she’s fought for. And in Lyon she added the newly-minted PFL women’s featherweight world championship belt to her collection with a third-round submission finish of Sara Collins.
Cyborg had to exhibit patience and composure, with Collins proving a tough nut to crack on the feet. The Australian contender took the best of Cyborg’s shots and kept coming forward. Her strikes weren’t as swift as Cyborg’s, but her punches carried plenty of heft.
In the end, a tactical error by Collins proved the crucial moment. After Collins had taken Cyborg to the mat, she looked to work from a scarfhold position, but the judo-based hold is rarely used in MMA due to the positional danger that comes from it, and that proved the case here.
After fighting off Collins’ attempt to isolate her arm, Cyborg was able to escape the hold and end up on the Aussie’s back. From there, Cyborg showcased her rarely-seen BJJ skills as she locked up a rear-naked choke to force the tap. Remarkably, it was only the second submission finish of Cyborg’s 32-fight MMA career.
PFL Lyon: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Vadim Nemkov def. Renan Ferreira via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:00 – for PFL heavyweight world title
- Cris Cyborg def. Sara Collins via submission (face crank) – Round 3, 2:55 – for PFL women’s featherweight world title
- Patrick Habirora def. Kevin Jousset via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:42
- Taylor Lapilus def. Liam Gittins via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Baris Adiguzel def. Dean Garnett via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:44 – PFL Europe bantamweight final
- Boris Mbarga Atangana def. Guilherme Soares via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:35
- Aleksandr Chizov def. Connor Hughes via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 0:50 – PFL Europe lightweight final
- Gustavo Oliveira def. Movsar Ibragimov via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 0:34
- Sabrinna de Sousa def. Paulina Wisniewska via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Rayan Balbali def. Levi Batchelor via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
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