Fight Facts: 2024 PFL Playoffs 7

Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and cage curiosities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF PFL FIGHTS: 1,138
TOTAL NUMBER OF PFL EVENTS: 121

The Professional Fighters League kicked off the playoffs of its 2024 season with heavyweights and flyweights in tow, and the results were foreseeable but not disappointing. The big men will go through Russia to claim the title, while the most interesting matchup at 125 pounds will serve as its championship. PFL 7: 2024 Playoffs featured a new knockout king in the company, a woman fast approaching Harrisonian records and a comical betting line for an inexperienced prospect.

Fifth Time’s the Charm: Denis Goltsov became the fifth fighter in company history to surpass 12 wins, earning his 13th by smiting Tim Johnson. He is the first heavyweight to do so.

I’m Winnin’g’, There’s the ‘G’! The knockout for Goltsov was his ninth in the PFL cage, amassing them all since joining the league in 2019. The Russian ties Justin Gaethje for the most in organizational history.

From Russia with the Love Punch: Goltsov propped his career stoppage rate to 83% by dusting Johnson. Win or lose, the last seven outings for “The Russian Bogatyr” have ended inside the distance.

Itty Bitty Pond: After eight fights with the promotion, Dakota Ditcheva won them all while advancing her pro record to 12-0 by decimating Jena Bishop. Her eight triumphs in PFL have her placed with the third-most among all women to grace its cage, trailing Larissa Pacheco (12) and Kayla Harrison (15).

Possibly the Real Deal: Of Ditcheva’s eight PFL wins, seven have come by knockout. She ties Pacheco for the fourth-most in league history and the most among women.

Ditch Digger by Night: Ditcheva finished her opponent officially with a front kick to the body and follow-up punches. This marks the third stoppage via front kick in PFL history, with the first two performed by Abusupiyan Magomedov and Renan Ferreira in 2018 and 2022, respectively.

Lint Removal: Winning a clear-cut decision over Linton Vassell to advance to the finals, Oleg Popov added to his enormous win streak of 17 straight. The heavyweight has not tasted defeat since 2016, reaching Round 2 in his last eight outings.

Good the Point Didn’t Play a Factor: Ahead of her match with Taila Santos, Liz Carmouche missed weight for the first time. She becomes the fourth fighter in PFL tournament history to miss weight and still compete. Three of those heavy fighters have lost their bouts, while eventual 2023 champ Jesus Pinedo succeeded when exceeding the 146-pound limit against Bubba Jenkins.

A Lally Brothers Nightmare: Landing the first submission of his career, Sergey Bilostenney forced Tyrell Fortune to verbally tap courtesy of a heel hook. His is the seventh heel hook in combined World Series of Fighting-PFL history, while the first for a heavyweight.

Don’t Cry: Bilostenney is the first competitor in the promotion to force a foe to verbally submit to a submission maneuver. While Rick Story called it quits against Handesson Ferreira in 2018, it was due to an arm injury.

Lot of Pressure on a Youngster: Coming into his bout with Daniel Boehle, 4-0 Alexei Pergande closed as a monumental -3300 betting favorite. He is the sixth competitor to exceed -3000 odds ahead of a matchup, joining names including Harrison and Ditcheva, and he won a one-sided decision.

The Law Can’t Apologize: Ten-time Bellator MMA competitor Cody Law crossed over to the PFL ranks to face Zachary Hicks. He landed the second submission of his career—the first came in his pro debut—over the outmatched Hicks.

ABJJ Army: Sergio Cossio missed the lightweight cap by nearly seven pounds before taking on Alaska expat Dedrek Sanders. The former Anchorage BJJ student cleaned Cossio’s clock, handing the Mexican his first knockout loss since 2015.

The Penalties Offset, Repeat First Down: For the first time in recorded WSOF-PFL competition, both fighters missed weight ahead of their bout and still faced one another on fight night. Anthony Ivy and Jaleel Willis passed the welterweight limit by over a pound and a half each, and Ivy claimed the submission win in Round 2.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into PFL 2024 7, Bishop had never been finished (eight fights), Fortune had never been submitted (18 fights) and Boehle had never dropped consecutive bouts (six fights.)