Turkmen mixed martial artist Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov and American Impa Kasanganai will meet in the final of the PFL Season Championships. The fight for the PFL Grand Prix light heavyweight championship belt and a prize of $1 million will take place on the night of November 30 at the King Saud University arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of the event, the Turkmen “wolfhound” commented on the confrontation.
“A responsible fight, but not primarily because of the money. I have the title in my head, and the money is secondary right now. I feel responsible, although I don’t know to whom and what I need to prove. I want to take the belt, become the champion. I’m 35 years old, I’m in peak form right now. As they say, why not now? Now is my time, I’ve passed good opponents. There is always a risk. If I’m destined to take the belt, I will take it,” Yagshimuradov told Sport24.
He added that a “whole plane” of fans would fly to support him in the crucial fight. “About 40 people for sure!” noted the fighter.
His opponent, Impa Kasanganai (18-4), is last year’s light heavyweight tournament winner. Previously, from August 2020 to March 2022, the American competed in the UFC, where he achieved two wins and suffered two losses. During this time, he became part of one of the most viral knockouts, losing to Joaquin Buckley in October 2020.
After leaving the UFC, Kasanganai competed in Eagle FC and XMMA, and then joined the PFL, where things went much better for him. His record in the promotion is 8-1. His only loss was in February 2024 to Bellator champion Johnny Eblen by split decision.
Kasanganai is on a three-fight winning streak, two of which were early stoppages. For him, the upcoming fight will be his fifth in 2024 (the fights took place with a two-month interval).
Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov’s professional record is 24 wins, 7 losses, and 1 draw. He is on a seven-fight winning streak.
The Turkmen fighter joined the PFL league in 2024 after the merger with Bellator. This year, he has already had three fights, defeating Slovenian Jakob Nedo (by knockout) in April, then dealing with Cameroonian Simon Biyong in June, and in the semifinal fight in August, defeating the 2022 tournament champion Australian Rob Wilkinson (both by unanimous decision).
The upcoming final fight will be broadcast live by the streaming service ESPN+ and the online cinema Okko. The main card broadcast will start at 01:00 Ashgabat time.
