MMA – THE Professional Fighters League (PFL) Road to Dubai event on Saturday will serve as a coming-out party for Team Khabib, with a collection of Dagestani-based fighters competing across multiple bouts with ambitions to stake their claim within the promotion’s divisions.
The card will feature three fighters trained directly under Khabib Nurmagomedov at the Abdulmanap Martial Arts School, each operating at different stages of their careers but united by the same demanding training philosophy.
“I really want people to pay attention,” said Nurmagomedov. “I don’t think many people in the world can beat these guys. Maybe one, two, three can give them a hard time, but not many.”
The flagship performance comes from undefeated PFL lightweight world champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who returns to defend his title against 2025 PFL Lightweight World Tournament champion Alfie Davis in the main event. Usman sits at 20-0 with one no contest and has earned his position atop the lightweight standings through back-to-back victories against Ireland’s Paul Hughes in what the promotion described as historic battles that showcased his blend of striking and wrestling.
In the co-main event, the pair will be bookended by the PFL’s newest welterweight championship clash between Ramazan Kuramagomedov, the former Bellator welterweight title holder, and Shamil Musaev, the 2024 PFL Welterweight World Tournament champion. Both fighters carry credentials that place them among the organisation’s most accomplished recent signings.
“I want to draw attention to the co-main event as well,” Nurmagomedov added. “There are two Dagestani fighters, and I really believe both of them are in the top five in the welterweight division in the world right now.
One is a Bellator champion, the other is a PFL Grand Prix champion. They cannot compete in UFC, but I really believe they could very easily be in the top five there, and they are both undefeated and very good...these two guys are like monsters.
“Because Usman is a big name, everyone pays attention to the main event, but I really want people to understand there are other fighters who may not be very famous, but in terms of skills, they are very high-level fighters.”
The preliminary card welcomes undefeated prospect Amru Magomedov, a 9-0 lightweight making his PFL debut against Dana White’s Contender Series alumni Kolton Englund.