To win the PFL lightweight title in Dubai, Usman Nurmagomedov outclassed Alfie Davis in a one-sided affair, winning by third-round submission.
Outside the UFC, Nurmagomedov (21-0) is arguably the best fighter in the world. In this fight against Davis, he looked the part. He dominated the British fighter on the feet and then took him down and choked him unconscious with an arm triangle at 4:41 of the third round.
This title fight headlined the PFL’s first event of 2026 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Davis (20-6-1) won the PFL’s World Tournament in 2025 and earned the right to challenge Nurmagomedov. However, he looked out of his depth from the opening bell. Nurmagomedov went to work on his lower body with kicks. He expertlyslipped nearly every strike Davis attempted.
Nurmagomedov trains with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. He is also a Bellator MMA lightweight champion. He defended that title three times until 2025, when PFL decided to fold Bellator and consolidate the two rosters.
This win in the PFL Lightweight title extends Nurmagomedov’s unbeaten record to 22 fights and marks his fifth world title defense.
“I won how I planned, I made him tired, I made him work, I made him grapple, and the win was going to come,” said Nurmagomedov.
“Thank you for my father, he is here with me. Everything I have in this life is from him.”
Davis won against Gadzhi Rabadanov in August before coming to this fight. He carried an unbreakable confidence he earned from the contest into this fight. He was quite ecstatic when he came into this bout. He didn’t receive a warm welcome from fans as they were largely in support of Nurmagomedov.
