The inaugural Champions Series Dubai event on Saturday, January 25 will feature a huge Heavyweight Co-Main Event clash, as Russia’s Vadim Nemkov steps into the SmartCage against Croatia’s Ante Delija
Dubai’s first Champions Series World Title event will be held Saturday, January 25 at Coca-Cola Arena, headlined by undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion, Dagestan’s Usman Nurmagomedov versus rising Irish contender Paul Hughes
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – November 29, 2024: The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, has announced a huge Heavyweight Co-Main Event clash at Champions Series Dubai, featuring Russia’s former Bellator Champion Vadim Nemkov (18-2) riding a 13-fight undefeated streak, against Croatia’s 2022 PFL Champion Ante “Walking Trouble” Delija (24-6) who has three KO/TKO finishes in his past five victories.
Nemkov, training alongside the greatest Heavyweight fighter of all-time, Fedor Emelianenko, has been on a winning streak since 2016, with 14 of his 18 victories coming by way of finish, and has wins over Yoel Romero, Corey Anderson and Bruno Cappelozza in his last three outings. Delija joins the ranks of iconic Croatian Heavyweights such as Mirko Cro Cop and Stipe Miocic, who at 6 ft 5” has the ability to knock out or submit his opponent as his record shows.
Champions Series Dubai is the inaugural “Road to Dubai” event following the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai Sports Council (DSC), and the Professional Fighters League (PFL).
The event will take place on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Coca-Cola Arena, located in Dubai’s City Walk and is headlined by the returning “Pride of Dagestan,” undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion, Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0). He will look to defend his title against Ireland’s Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-1) who is coming off the biggest victory of his MMA career at PFL “Battle of the Giants” after defeating AJ McKee.
The first-of-its-kind partnership will see MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a marquee destination for the best of MMA. All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as “Road to Dubai”, as each show culminates to the finale set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati star fighters will now have a pathway to become future PFL Champions.
PFL the only organisation in MMA with a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The PFL roster boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
The PFL Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season and PFL MENA’s first-ever season, take place on Friday, November 29 at King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will be available live in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Champions Series Dubai Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Bout: Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) vs. Paul Hughes (13-1)
Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Vadim Nemkov (18-2) vs. Ante Delija (24-6)
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