Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alfie Davis: Lightweight Title Fight 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 umbrella. He became the official lightweight champion of the promotion in October, winning the vacant belt in a fight 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 key figures in the company and is considered one of the best fighters in the world competing outside of the UFC. Currently, he is ranked fifth in the lightweight rankings 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 Nurmagomedov’s team from Dagestan.
