Usman Nurmagomedov and Alfie Davis will star in the beginning of PFL in 2026
The 2026 PFL season will kick off with an exciting lightweight title fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alfie Davis, as announced by the executives on Thursday.
Nurmagomedov, with an undefeated record of 20-0, will seek to defend his PFL title against Davis (20-5-1) on February 7 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
Nurmagomedov, cousin of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a former Bellator MMA champion. This will be his third appearance under the PFL banner. He became the promotion’s official lightweight champion in October, winning the vacant belt in a match against Paul Hughes.
PFL is renewing its identity in 2026, abandoning the season formats and single-elimination tournaments in favor of a more traditional matchmaking system in MMA. Nurmagomedov is one of the main figures of the company and is considered one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. He currently holds the fifth position in the lightweight ranking across all MMA promotions.
Davis, from England, won the PFL lightweight tournament this year, with victories over Clay Collard, Brent Primus, and Gadzhi Rabadanov. Rabadanov, whom Davis defeated in the 2025 lightweight final by unanimous decision, is a close friend and teammate of the Nurmagomedov team from Dagestan.
