Like a rocket poised for liftoff, Timur Khizriev sits on the launchpad and waits for clearance.

The undefeated American Top Team-trained Russian will try to move another step closer to a seven-figure payday in the Professional Fighters League when he does battle with “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” Season 2 winner Enrique Barzola as part of the PFL 6 undercard this Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A postseason berth remains far from a lock for Khizriev, who finds himself in a three-way tie with Adam Borics and Kai Kamaka III in the 2024 featherweight standings.

Khizriev, 28, made his promotional debut at PFL 3, where he laid claim to a unanimous decision over Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Brett Johns on April 9. All three cageside judges scored it 30-27. Khizriev was the aggressor for much of the encounter, landed a majority of the consequential strikes and executed multiple takedowns against the Welshman. Johns answered with a few takedowns of his own but never managed to completely turn the corner. Khizriev removed any thought of a comeback with a dominant third round, as he grounded “The Pikey” once more, applied suffocating top control, hunted an arm-triangle choke and kept him pinned to the canvas.

“To be honest, I’m not fully happy with my performance,” Khizriev said at a post-fight media scrum. “Obviously, a win is a win, but I just didn’t feel like I was fully there.”

A devout Muslim, he provided a viable reason for his lack of get up and go.

“My normal level of energy was not present, and I think it was partly because of Ramadan,” Khizriev said. “I was fasting. The last day especially was hard for me. Normally, I don’t have problems with weight cutting, and this time I had a little problem getting there. I just don’t feel I was fully recovered.”

Johns, a former Titan Fighting Championship and Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder, proved to be a determined grappler and a difficult test to pass.

“I was not surprised by him wrestling,” Khizriev said. “As a matter of fact, I felt like that’s actually the only chance he had. With striking, I think he realized he didn’t have a chance with me. I’m really not happy with the way I was on the ground today. I knew he had wrestling. I was expecting that. Again, probably wasn’t my best performance. He was a tough guy.”

Khizriev next pits his skills against another well-traveled competitor. Barzola, 35, has gone 4-3 since he parted ways with the UFC in 2020. The respected Peruvian last suited up in April, when the aforementioned Borics outpointed him to a three-round unanimous decision. Barzola has been finished only once—Magomed Magomedov was the perpetrator—in his 30-fight career. Anything less than a stoppage would leave Khizriev vulnerable to being passed in the standings.

“Once I have a good recovery and a good camp [behind me] without any problems,” he said, “expect fireworks.”