Bracketology: PFL 2025 Featherweight, Welterweight World Tournaments

The first event of Professional Fighters League’s PFL 2025 World Tournament kicked off on Thursday with featherweights and welterweights taking center stage. There was no shortage of entertainment with the new format, as the PFL moved away from their regular season structure and into a single-elimination bracket for the first time in organization history.

The brackets went from eight to four on Thursday night in Orlando, setting the stage for the semifinals, which will take place in June. Here’s a look at how the playing field is set for the next round.

Here's a look at the #PFLWorldTournament featherweight bracket pic.twitter.com/OS5ZGPvnIW

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) April 4, 2025

Featherweight:

Tae Kyun Kim vs. Movlid Khaybulaev: Kim would face Ireland’s Nathan Kelly in the opening fight of the card, and made quick and decisive work in victory. Getting a first-round submission, Kim improved to 11-1 in his career and is now scheduled to face former PFL champion Movlid Khaybulaev in the semifinals.

In a much closer fight than expected, Khaybulaev took on former Bellator MMA title challenger Jeremy Kennedy, who nearly finished the fight in the first round. After being bloodied and battered in the opening frame, Khaybulaev would storm back in the second and third stanzas, going to the judges’ scorecards after 15 minutes. Khaybulaev would remain undefeated as he was awarded the victory by split decision.

Gabriel Braga vs. Jesus Pinedo: Braga overcame adversity against Frederik Dupras, who had big moments in the first round but Braga would prevail before the period ended. Wrapping up a neck crank to secure the victory, Braga will now face a familiar foe in Pinedo in the semifinals.

After not appearing at all in 2024, Pinedo returned with an emphatic statement against former Bellator title challenger Adam Borics. Pinedo would get the first-round TKO after dropping Borics and finishing with hammer fists. Now set for a rubber match, Braga and Pinedo shared an intense faceoff in the PFL SmartCage after Pinedo’s victory.

Here's a look at the #PFLWorldTournament welterweight bracket pic.twitter.com/bQOMrqmsLQ

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) April 4, 2025

Welterweight:

Thad Jean vs. Jason Jackson: The crowd in Orlando was out in full force for undefeated rising star Jean, who continued his winning ways. With one of the more exciting finishes in a card full of them, Jean had the crowd roaring as he emphatically put away Mukhamed Berkhamov by first-round TKO, backing up his words coming into the tournament that he was going to get a finish and do so in an exciting way. In what was the biggest test of his young career, Jean passed with flying colors and will now face another step up in competition, taking on a former Bellator champion in Jackson.

Coming in with a tenacious and relentless approach to the World Tournament, Jackson made quick work of another former Bellator champ in Andrey Koreshkov, putting him to sleep in the second round. The action would be paused in the second frame due to accidental strikes to the back of the head from Jackson to Koreshkov, and shortly after the fight resumed, Jackson secured a takedown, landed ground-and-pound, then was able to lock in the submission victory. Shortly after, Jackson was met by Jean in the SmartCage as the two faced off for their Semifinal matchup happening in June.

Masayuki Kikuiri vs. Logan Storley: Kikuiri got the job done, finishing Giannis Bachar, who did not answer the bell after Round 2 and the fight was declared a TKO victory for Kikuiri. The broadcast suggested that there might have been an injury suffered by Bachar, but regardless of the circumstance, Kikuiri got the first-stage victory and will now face former Bellator interim ace Storley.

Storley came in and did what he has excelled at throughout his entire career, displaying dominant wrestling en route to a victory. Taking on last-minute opponent change Joseph Luciano after Magomed Umalatov missed weight on Wednesday, Storley did not miss a beat and was in full control from start to finish.