Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced the third installment of the PFL: Road to Dubai series, with a spectacle of mixed martial arts action set to take place at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai live on 7 February next year.
The card will be headlined by the reigning PFL lightweight world champion Usman Nurmagomedov (20-0-0, 1 NC), who will look to make his first title defence against the 2025 Lightweight World Tournament champion Alfie “The Axe Man” Davis (20-5-1), with more fights due to be announced in the coming days.
Fans can register now until 12 noon on Friday for the pre-sale window of 72 hours to exclusively buy tickets for early access. General sale will then be available to the public same time on Monday on their website.
Nurmagomedov is coming off back-to-back wins in historic battles against Ireland’s Paul Hughes as he showcased elite MMA across ten rounds, proving to the division that his deadly blend of striking and wrestling is exactly why he sits at the top of the mountain. Undefeated in the sport and training under the leadership of his cousin, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman is confident he will show Davis levels to the sport in his third headliner in Dubai.
Undeterred by the underdog label, England’s Davis soared through the PFL Lightweight World Tournament in 2025, beating the betting favourite in all three of his bouts to earn the title and the $500,000 cash prize.
In the final, Alfie defeated Usman’s teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov and put the camp on notice that he is not to be underestimated. His fluid and dangerous style of Karate makes him an unpredictable fighter with strikes that can come from all angles, ranging from spinning elbow KOs which defeated Clay Collard in his opening tournament bout, to spectacular axe kick finishes which earned him his nickname.
“Usman Nurmagomedov is an undefeated and dominant superstar,” said PFL CEO John Martin, "who will mark his third appearance as the headliner in Dubai. Alfie Davis continually defies the odds, and will look to do it once more on the biggest stage.”
Backed by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), this event ticks all the boxes as one of the elite competitions to be staged in Dubai. “It is of great significance that we get to stage such high-profile athletes in Dubai. Not only does it get Dubai the attention of being among the top sports destinations, but also gives us the belief that we can aspire for much greater heights,” said Eisa Sharif, Director of Events Department at DSC.
