PFL Europe Playoffs Event on Sept. 30 to Feature 12 Fights, Including Cedric Doumbe

🚨 #PFLPARIS 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗗 🚨

🇫🇷 5 French Athletes on the card
⚔️ Headlined by @CedricDoumbe vs @Jordan_Zebo
👑 @LazyKingMMA PFL debut
🏆 @PFLEurope Playoffs semifinals
🌍 12 European Nations represented
🎟 New limited wave of tickets released!!!

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— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) August 10, 2023

The Professional Fighters League has established its playoff event for its European tournament.

On Thursday, the organization released the 12-bout lineup of its PFL Europe 3: 2023 Playoffs event. The four weight classes of light heavyweight, lightweight, bantamweight and women’s flyweight will find their finalists at night’s end on Sept. 30. Eight bouts in those four weight categories will sort out the top two competitors from each in Paris. Headlining the fight card will be the highly anticipated debut of French kickboxer Cedric Doumbe (4-0), who will be taking on fellow unbeaten countryman Jordan Zebo (4-0) in a non-tourney welterweight attraction. Additionally, the co-main event will see the debut of recently signed powerhouse Abdoul Abdouraguimov (16-1) against well-traveled Brazilian Quemuel Ottoni (12-3), also at 170 pounds.

Doumbe, who has won all four of his pro MMA outings by knockout, left the kickboxing ring to test himself in a new sport. “Le Meilleur,” or, “The Best,” was initially planning making his company debut at PFL 6 in the U.S. this past June, but an injury pushed it back several months. Born in Cameroon, Doumbe previously served as a two-time Glory kickboxing welterweight kingpin, and he relinquished his belt after avenging a loss to Murthel Groenhart in early 2021. In MMA, Doumbe has yet to compete beyond the 10-minute mark.

Also victorious in his four professional contests, Zebo meets Doumbe with a recent head kick knockout of Mickael Marie Sarti in his memory. Primarily coming up the Ares FC circuit, as a pro, Zebo has yet to fight outside of the borders of France or Germany – and this will remain true, as PFL Europe 3 takes place at the Zenith Paris La Villette in Paris. While Doumbe has never reached Round 3 as an MMA fighter, all four of Zebo’s pro appearances have exceeded that time range, with two third-round stoppages and two decisions on his ledger.

The second-to-last bout on the billing will include Abdouraguimov vs. Ottoni in a matchup that might determine a welterweight tourney participant for next year’s PFL season. Back in January, “The Lazy King” pulled off a comeback for the ages when he landed a kneebar with just 25 seconds left in a fight he was losing, tapping out Rafal Haratyk to become an Ares champ in two weight classes. Although Abdouraguimov had reportedly been signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship with his sights set on its Paris card, he instead joins the PFL to fight in the City of Light. His foe Ottoni has won five straight dating back to 2019, with four stoppages across various organizations.

PFL Europe 3 Playoffs Lineup:

Cedric Doumbe vs. Jordan Zebo – welterweight
Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs. Quemuel Ottoni – welterweight
Anthony Salamone vs. Jakob Nedoh – light heavyweight semifinal
Simeon Powell vs. Abdelah Er-Ramy – light heavyweight semifinal
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Cornelia Holm – women’s flyweight semifinal
Yazid Chouchane vs. Luigi Vendramini – lightweight
Frans Mlambo vs. Francesco Nuzzi – bantamweight semifinal
Dylan Tuke vs. Jakub Kaszuba – lightweight semifinal
John Mitchell vs. Aleksandrs Chizovs – lightweight semifinal
Ali Taleb vs. Khurshed Kakhorov – bantamweight semifinal
Griet Eeckhout vs. Valentina Scatizzi – women’s flyweight semifinal
Lizzy Gevers vs. Shanelle Dyer – women’s flyweight