Preview: PFL 4 ‘Loughnane vs. Pinedo’

Featherweights

Movlid Khaybulaev (20-0-1, 6-0-1 PFL) vs. Tyler Diamond (12-2, 1-1 PFL)

Khaybulaev did not need to stray far from what has worked best for him in the PFL season opener, as he landed multiple takedowns and relied on suffocating top pressure to cruise to a three-round verdict against an overmatched Ryoji Kudo. The 2021 PFL champ has been able to outpoint far more accomplished foes than Kudo—Brendan Loughnane, Lance Palmer and Chris Wade come to mind—using a similar blueprint, and it will take some sound defensive wrestling to be able to force the Dagestani out of his comfort zone.

Diamond, who competed on Season 27 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will be making his first professional appearance since June 2021, when he dropped a majority decision to Loughnane in a regular-season bout. A Team Alpha Male product, Diamond tends to rely on physical wrestling and a powerful right hand, but he absorbed a decent amount of punishment against both Loughnane and Sung Bin Jo during his two-bout PFL stint. To his credit, Diamond also displayed the ability to recover, because he made it to the final horn in both contests.

Diamond will face a stern test in Khaybulaev, who is defensively intelligent on the feet and capable of connecting with a well-timed counter. More importantly, a formula of overhand rights and double-legs will not be nearly enough to get the job done against one of the featherweight field’s favorites. Khaybulaev will wear on Diamond’s gas tank with his relentless grappling, which will also make the American hesitant to take risks with his striking. All in all, it amounts to another one-sided victory for Khaybulaev, who will be more than content to grind out another decision against an opponent trying to shake off two years of ring rust.

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