Abus Magomedov’s Route Ran From a PFL Final to UFC Victories
Abus Magomedov reached the PFL middleweight championship final on December 31, 2018, before later moving into UFC competition. His career across the two promotions included a painful championship defeat, an exceptionally quick debut victory and subsequent wins over the distance.
Taylor ended the PFL title bid
Louis Taylor knocked out Magomedov thirty-three seconds into their championship fight in New York. The result made Taylor the PFL middleweight champion at the conclusion of the organization’s first season.
Magomedov’s arrival in that final gave him experience of a season-ending title contest before his later UFC career began. The championship itself went to Taylor following the opening-round finish.
A nineteen-second UFC introduction
Magomedov made his UFC debut against Dustin Stoltzfus on September 3, 2022. He won with strikes after nineteen seconds, producing another brief contest with the opposite outcome.
His next appearances were more difficult. Sean Strickland stopped him at 4:20 of the second round on July 1, 2023, and Caio Borralho defeated him by unanimous decision on November 4.
Three wins rebuilt momentum
Magomedov returned to the winning column against Warlley Alves on May 18, 2024, earning a unanimous decision over three rounds. He then submitted Brunno Ferreira with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 308 on October 26.
A unanimous decision over Michel Pereira followed on April 26, 2025. That sequence combined two distance victories with a submission finish, rebuilding momentum after the consecutive defeats to Strickland and Borralho.
Sources
- PFL: Taylor’s championship knockout and inaugural season
- UFC: dated fight history from Stoltzfus through Pereira
