Khaybulaev’s Repeated Takedowns Carried Him Into Another
Movlid Khaybulaev defeated Taekyun Kim by unanimous decision at the PFL World Tournament semifinals on June 12, 2025. The featherweight contest at Nashville Municipal Auditorium advanced Khaybulaev into the championship final after three rounds dominated by persistent grappling pressure.
Kim repeatedly stood but could not break the pattern
Khaybulaev caught an early kick and moved into a takedown, beginning a sequence of clinches and mat returns. Kim often regained his feet, only to find Khaybulaev attached and immediately working to bring him down again.
The pressure limited extended standing exchanges and forced Kim to spend much of the contest defending position. Even successful escapes rarely produced a lasting change in the fight’s direction.
Scrambles did not remove the grappling advantage
Kim created brief opportunities of his own, including a takedown during the second round. Khaybulaev recovered and continued combining strikes with renewed attempts to secure top position.
The final round followed the same broad pattern. Khaybulaev pursued positional advances and a submission opportunity before finishing on top, leaving the judges unanimously in his favor.
The result extended an established championship route
Khaybulaev had won the PFL featherweight championship in 2021 and reached this semifinal by defeating Jeremy Kennedy. Kim qualified with an April submission victory over Nathan Kelly.
Jesus Pinedo’s knockout of Gabriel Braga established the other finalist. The Nashville result therefore gave Khaybulaev another chance at tournament gold, built on the sustained wrestling and positional control that had determined his semifinal performance.
Sources
- PFL: repeated mat returns, scrambles, unanimous outcome and championship background
- PFL: Nashville date, featherweight division and Pinedo final pairing
