Fabian Edwards Leads Group of 2025 PFL World Tournament Finalists

Fabian Edwards took another step toward claiming his first major world title with a convincing unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Joshua Silveira in the 2025 PFL World Tournament 7: Semifinals at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Friday night.

Edwards (15-4, 2-0 PFL) settled into the fight after a slow first round and made Silveira (14-5, 7-5) look sluggish on the feet. The Englishman polished and displayed his trademark elbows and dissected Silveria like a surgeon while securing two takedowns during the match as well.

With the win, Edwards advanced to the middleweight tournament finale, where he’ll face another American Top Team product, Dalton Rosta.

Cauley Denies Davis

Sullivan Cauley grinded to take home the biggest win of his career, and fought like hell to get it.

In what was the toughest fight to score, Cauley edged out former Bellator MMA champion Phil Davis by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in a back-and-forth fight that could’ve gone either way. Davis (25-8, 1-1 PFL) came into the co-main event looking to employ his world-class wrestling, but struggled to contain Cauley’s piston-like jab. Cauley (8-1, 2-0 PFL) floated in and out of range, but when Davis closed the distance, he had his way in the clinch.

Throughout the bout, both men had their moments where it seemed they were in complete control, but the fight would then shift on a dime. The second frame was a clear round for Davis until Cauley swayed the judges with a flush head kick that wobbled and stunned the former champion. The third period was more of the same as both men had their way throughout the five-minute stage.

Despite the scorecards, Cauley and Davis put on a classic that demonstrated every element of MMA.

Related » 2025 PFL 7 Round-by-Round Scoring

Pettis Takes Controversial Decision

Former teammates and Bellator MMA belt holders Sergio Pettis and Raufeon Stots engaged in a tactical and respectful chess match.

Pettis and Stots are two of the quickest bantamweights in the world and spent most of their three rounds tagging off jabs and feints. Stots secured takedowns in all three rounds, but Pettis did a little bit more on the feet, earning him a close but disputed unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Rosta Edges Jeffery in Rematch

Rosta avenged his only career loss against Canada’s Aaron Jeffery via a razor-thin split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) to advance to the middleweight final.

Rosta (11-1, 2-0 PFL) and Jeffery (16-6, 1-1 PFL) fought at a furious pace and spent most of their match chest to chest, trading sneaky short shots on the inside. Rosta’s flurries were eye-catching, and Jeffery showed his experience against the cage, keeping Rosta pinned for periods at a time. Scorecards were everywhere and rightfully so. It’s evident that neither man likes the other, and a trilogy should be on the table.

Second World Title Bid Still Alive for ‘Shoeface’

2021 PFL Light Heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. earned his shot at a second championship after defeating the dangerous Englishman Simeon Powell by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Carlos Jr. (18-6, 8-1 PFL) is a former Jiu-Jitsu world champion, but he has shown noticeable improvements in his striking. He looked light, fast, and gave Powell all he could handle while still threatening with grappling. Powell (11-2, 6-2 PFL) had his moments late and took the third round on all three scorecards, but Carlos Jr.'s early lead was too much to overcome.

Romanov Suffers Testicle Injury

Alexander Romanov and Valentin Moldavsky’s heavyweight semifinal ended with one of the worst low blows you’re ever going to see.

Romanov narrowly commanded most of the first round over the former Bellator vet before taking an unintentional but devastating knee to the groin. Romanov immediately hit the canvas in searing pain as the referee and cageside doctor tried to wrap their heads around the situation. Once it was clear that Romanov wasn’t getting up, he was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital. After minutes of deliberation, the fight was declared a no-contest, but Romanov would advance to the championship finale.

Gibbs Upsets Ali Walsh

In the battle of two Chicagoans, PFL debutant Ronnie Gibbs pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the PFL season by submitting promotional golden boy Biaggio Ali Walsh via arm triangle in the second round (2:45).

As the grandson of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, Ali Walsh (2-1, 2-1 PFL) has been one of the PFL’s most anticipated projects since he debuted as an amateur three years ago. Gibbs (2-0, 1-0 PFL) made his pro debut three months ago and moved up a weight class for the opportunity. Ali Walsh started fast and cracked Gibbs repeatedly with hard shots, but looked more focused on his corner instructions than on Gibbs. Gibbs fought back and scrapped his way into the second round before securing a takedown of his own. Reigning down elbows, Gibbs seized Ali Walsh's arm and snuck into the arm triangle.

Ali Walsh was stunned but gracious in defeat. While it was a setback to his rise, both young fighters showcased their talents and gave the fans an early-card treat.

Popov Back in PFL Finals

Oleg Popov punched his ticket back into the PFL heavyweight final with a dominant unanimous decision win over former UFC veteran Rodrigo Nascimento (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Popov (21-2, 5-1 PFL) wasted little time establishing his wrestling and pinning Nascimento against the cage. Popov spent most of the fight in control of Nascimento’s hips and would pop him with shots when he created space. After two dominant rounds of grappling, Popov showed off his striking in the third, snapping his man’s head back with long-range shots.

Popov was submitted in the first round of last year’s final, but after wins over Karl Williams and Nascimento (12-4, 1-1 PFL), he’ll have a chance at redemption.

Xavier Wins in 27 Seconds

It only took Rafael Xavier 27 seconds to make a name for himself in the PFL.

The Brazilian light heavyweight stunned Sweden’s Karl Albrektsson with a stiff jab that forced the Swede to shoot for a single leg. Xavier sprawled and stuffed the takedown before battering the side of Albrektsson’s head with punches. Referee Nick Cimmarusti was forced to intervene before Albrektsson’s body went fetal. Xavier’s (14-8, 1-0 PFL) PFL debut was short and sweet, while Albrektsson (14-8, 0-2 PFL) goes back to the drawing board after his third-straight loss.