Fight Facts: PFL 2024 Playoffs 9

Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and cage curiosities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF PFL FIGHTS: 1,157
TOTAL NUMBER OF PFL EVENTS: 123

Professional Fighters League arrived at the finish line and wrapped up its season on Friday in Washington D.C. Fight time was the priority for the playoffs, with three of the 12 semifinal matches ending inside the distance. PFL Playoffs 9 featured the lowest stoppage rate in quite some time, a pair of Russians walking through their 170-pound bracket and a tough spot for a former champ.

A Downward Spiral: PFL 2023 3 is the last time seven straight PFL bouts went to the scorecards, but the night did not end in such a fashion. No event in company history had ever concluded with seven consecutive full-length matches.

A Long, Short Night: With 22.2% of the fights ending inside the distance, this event concluded with the lowest finish rate in several years. Not counting Challenger Series cards, PFL 1 in April 2021 saw nine of 10 matches go to the judges.

That Was a Close One: Picking up his 12th win under the PFL banner, Brendan Loughnane outworked Kai Kamaka III to reach the finals. He is one of eight competitors in organizational history to earn 12 or more victories.

Never-Ending Fights: As a professional, Kamaka has engaged in 21 pro outings. Following his loss on the scorecards to Loughnane, he has heard the final bell in 17 of those appearances.

A Million Bucks Goes to Russia: Snagging the nod from all three judges to surpass Neiman Gracie, Magomed Umalatov remained unbeaten as he became a 2024 welterweight tourney finalist. All four of his decision wins have come since joining the PFL roster in 2021, with three of his last four triumphs going the distance.

Disrespect for a Gracie: With the same betting line as when he faced Brennan Ward, Umalatov closed as an astronomical -3300 favorite against Gracie. He is the third fighter in league history to come in as a favorite above -3000 on multiple occasions, joining Kayla Harrison and Dakota Ditcheva.

It Happened: Timur Khizriev will face Loughnane in the 145-pound championship tilt later this year courtesy of a split decision win over Gabriel Braga. The undefeated Dagestan native has seen 13 of his 17 pro wins reach the 15-minute mark, including all six of his outings in major organizations.

Erase and Rewind: Joining Umalatov in the final bracket at welterweight, Shamil Musaev proved his June win over Murad Ramazanov was no fluke by winning the rematch on the scorecards. The fighter known as “Silent Assassin,” with a spotless record of 17-0-1, saw his finish rate fall to 76% after getting his hand raised.

Fading Ray: By split decision, Mukhamed Berkhamov handed Ray Cooper III his sixth defeat on the World Series of Fighting-PFL roster. Tied with four others for the second-most, they all trail Chris Wade’s eight.

Peruvian Point Fighter: Enrique Barzola used all three rounds to get past Tyler Diamond in their showcase encounter. The Peruvian, who famously went the distance in all 10 of his Ultimate Fighting Championship fights before getting cut off a draw, has reached the final horn in six straight while entering the third round in every bout dating back nearly a decade.

Max Pushed the Button: Clubbing Kent Mafileo with one punch at the end of the second round, Maxwell Djantou Nana earned his sixth straight victory. The big man who calls himself “Leonidas” maintained his 100% knockout rate with the triumph.

Angolan Aggression: Introducing himself to the PFL with a first-round knockout of Tyler Hill, Shido Boris claimed his seventh finish in Round 1 across his nine victories. Boris sports a 78% finish rate, as all those wins inside the distance have come in the first frame.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into PFL 2024 9, Braga had never lost on the scorecards (15 fights), Ramazanov had never dropped consecutive bouts (14 fights) and Mafileo had never been knocked out (eight fights).