Jean Took the PFL Welterweight Crown
Thad Jean defeated Logan Storley by unanimous decision to win the PFL welterweight tournament on August 1, 2025. The five-round main event at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City ended with scores of 49–46, 49–46 and 48–47.
Striking and takedown defense carried Jean through
Jean repeatedly answered Storley’s wrestling entries with jabs, counters and quick recoveries to his feet. He also hurt the former interim Bellator champion with kicks and knees during a dangerous second-round sequence.
Storley survived and continued finding takedowns as the contest progressed. Jean escaped enough of those positions to keep returning to the striking exchanges that helped build his lead.
The supporting card produced another full-distance battle
Asaël Adjoudj defeated Yves Landu by unanimous decision, with all three judges returning 29–28. Jordan Newman also won his middleweight showcase when Eslam Abdelbaset did not continue after the first round.
The featherweight final initially ended with Movlid Khaybulaev submitting Jesus Pinedo by arm-triangle choke at 1:17 of the fifth round. That championship outcome was later affected by an anti-doping case.
Khaybulaev’s tournament distinction was forfeited
On December 17, 2025, PFL announced Khaybulaev’s disqualification from the tournament, forfeiting his championship distinction, belt and associated bonuses. USADA confirmed a positive test for recombinant erythropoietin from an August 1 sample.
The one-year sanction began on the sample-collection date. Jean’s welterweight championship remained the main-event achievement from Atlantic City, while the later ruling changed how the featherweight tournament result was recognized.
Sources
- PFL: August 1 venue and fight-night results
- PFL: Jean’s counters, escapes and second-round offense
- PFL: subsequent disqualification and forfeiture
- USADA: substance, sample date and sanction
