Matches to make after PFL NY

Usman Nurmagomedov WITH THE FIRST ROUND KO 😱#PFLNY | Main Card Live NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/mikFN1ZLFx — PFL (@PFLMMA) August 1, 2026 Fresh off the news of the merger with Most Valuable Promotions, Professional Fighters League continued its “Summer Series” run of events with a surge of momentum. Two of the company’s top superstars made their return as lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov put his title on the line against undefeated challenger Archie Colgan, and Dakota Ditcheva denied Denise Kielholtz following a year on the shelf.Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexandr Shabliy Following a brutal and decisive first-round finish over Colgan, there are immediate questions on the future of Nurmagomedov and his place in the company, as he just fought out the last fight of his contract. Nurmagomedov made it a point to see how the PFL/MVP merger would lead to a contract offer in terms of pay, and if they keep him, there’s a clear top contender in Shabliy. Defeating Alfie Davis by unanimous decision last month, Shabliy discussed his desire for a title fight and he could get a chance at revenge from a 2024 loss to Nurmagomedov.Dakota Ditcheva vs. Liz Carmouche Taking on Kielholtz in her first action in over a year, Ditcheva did not have her most outstanding performance, and it was clear she was shaking off some rust. Ditcheva would control the pace and distance, grabbing momentum early and never letting it go. After getting the rust off, it’s time for the most anticipated women’s matchup in the PFL to take place against last year’s tournament champion in Carmouche. Getting a recent win over Viviane Araujo, these two women are on a collision course and there should be no more time wasted.Amru Magomedov vs. Alfie Davis Magomedov’s performance proved there is another Russian star on the promotion’s roster. Part of the Nurmagomedov team, Magomedov was electric in his manhandling of Angel Alvarez, chopping down his legs with brutal kicks and eventually getting the TKO finish in the second round. He should now face off against the 2025 PFL Lightweight tournament champion. Davis just suffered a loss to Shabliy back in June, but could get right back into the top of the division if he can stop the momentum of Magomedov. Davis has said that he felt he fought his best in his loss against Nurmagomedov, who knows Magomedov well, and he could serve as a great test to see just how quickly he can get himself back to title contention.Lazaro Dayron vs. Sergio Pettis Dayron arguably went through the toughest test of his career and it was also his closest fight, as he pulled off a razor-thin decision over Raufeon Stots. His opponent was thoroughly shocked at the decision, but it saw Dayron keep his undefeated record intact. Even with the win, Dayron would benefit from another veteran test, and he’d get just that in Pettis. Recently, Pettis was scheduled to square off against Lewis McGrillen-Evans but had to withdraw due to injury, if Pettis can get healthy sooner than later, he would serve as another great test for Dayron.Moustapha Diakhate vs. Rafael Xavier Making his PFL debut on Friday night, Diakhate made the statement that he was wasting no time in announcing his arrival. Going through an opponent change during fight week, Diakhate squared off against Darryl King Walker and made quick work of him, getting the first-round TKO then getting praise from Jake Paul as a fighter they want to make a global star. There could be no time wasted by booking Diakhate against Xavier, who is coming off a victory of his own last week in Washington D.C. over Tyson Pedro. Xavier is currently in the light heavyweight rankings, and would be a quick, tough, test for Diakhate to get fast tracked in a division that needs stars.