Movlid Khaybulaev takes out top-seeded Brendan Loughnane in the PFL Playoffs and will face Chris Wade in the featherweight final bout
In spite of the judges scoring the contest as a split decision, Movlid Khaybulaev was dominant against Brendan Loughnane, making a statement as he advances to the PFL featherweight division finals.
It didn’t take long before Khaybulaev managed to score a takedown on Loughnane, and the fight pretty much stayed on the ground for the rest of the round. The two traded blows, but Loughnane couldn’t get out of bottom position.
He eventually exploded to get back up to his feet at the end of the round, but Khaybulaev answered by slamming him down before the bell.
Movlid Khaybulaev dominates Brendan Loughnane but is forced to settle with a split decision
The two did trading throughout the first portion of the second round, and Loughnane seemed to get some decent shots in. But he and Khaybulaev eventually got to the cage wall, and Khaybulaev again brought the action towards the ground. Khaybulaev then dominated the last 30 seconds on top, landing some ground-and-pound while trapping Loughnane’s arms.
Loughnane seemed to rock Khaybulaev a bit with an uppercut during the third round. But he wasn’t able to take full advantage, and Khaybulaev, despite some bad bleeding from his nose, scored a takedown with about two minutes left in the fight and controlled the action for the remaining time.
One judge gave a baffling 29-28 scorecard in Loughnane’s favor, while the other scored the fight for Khaybulaev 30-27 and 29-28.
With the win, Khaybulaev will face Chris Wade, who defeated Bubba Jenkins in the other 145-pound semifinal, in the 2021 PFL featherweight title fight.