Triple reward for MMA fighters
Gelsenkirchen’s Kakhorov blows away the crowd favorite
December 9, 2023, 7:25 a.m
Three fights within six months is an extremely high workload for an MMA fighter. For Kurshed Kakhorov, it pays off. The fighter from Gelsenkirchen secured the title in the PFL organization in tournament mode – and made an impression.
Germany has another champion in an international mixed martial arts organization. Kurshed Kakhorov from Gelsenkirchen won the bantamweight title at the European finals of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in Dublin. The 31-year-old defeated local hero Frans Mlambo by knockout. in the second round.
For Kakhorov, the twelfth victory of his career resulted in a triple reward: In addition to the champion belt, he received prize money of $100,000. In the future, he will be included in the organization’s global squad and will fight for the title and a million dollars in tournament mode next year.
The Gelsenkirchen player started the first round cautiously against Mlambo. His Irish opponent had speed and reach advantages, but Kakhorov was able to score points with numerous kicks to the leg. Mlambo landed hits with punch combinations, but the German always knew how to keep his distance so that he hardly suffered any damage. In the second round, Kakhorov repeatedly threw wild swings into his attacks, one of which ultimately led to success. A right hook landed right on the Irishman’s chin, who immediately fell to the ground. The referee stopped Kakhorov after another punch and declared the fight over – victory for Kakhorov by technical knockout.
PFL: Fighting in tournament mode
For Kakhorov, a successful tournament ends with an impressive victory. In the first round he defeated the Frenchman Moktar Benkaci in Berlin in August and the Swede Ali Taleb in Paris in September. Both victories were dominant, but in the end it was up to the judges to decide. The knockout against Mlambo should make him one of the favorites in the global tournament.
While other MMA organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) use a ranking to determine who will compete against the reigning champion of a respective weight class, the PFL relies on a season mode. Every year a squad of ten fighters is chosen who compete against each other on two “match days” and can collect points. A win brings three points, the loser gets nothing.
Depending on when the fight ends, there are bonus points: A knockout win in the first round gives you three additional points, in the second round there are two points, and in the third round you get one more point. If you miss your weight and are too heavy, you even get points deducted. The four fighters with the most points after two match days move into the playoff round, where the finalists will be determined who will fight for the prize money of one million dollars.