Playoff Roundup: PFL 7 Sets Dakota Ditcheva-Taila Santos, Denis Goltsov-Oleg Popov Championships

The 2024 Professional Fighters League playoffs kicked off on Friday at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, where the women’s flyweight and men’s heavyweight divisions took center stage at PFL 7.

After missing weight for the first time in her professional career, reigning Bellator MMA champion Liz Carmouche needed a finish or dominant performance on the scorecards due to the point deduction she was given ahead of her semifinal with Taila Santos. The two veteran women were engaged in a back-and-forth affair throughout the fight, with both having their moments across their 15-minute encounter.

Ultimately, the fight went to the judges, and all three scored the fight for Santos. In her first year with the PFL, the Brazilian has punched her ticket to the women’s flyweight final and will look to achieve the world champion status that eluded her in her previous tenure with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The men’s heavyweight division got started with Oleg Popov taking on late-replacement Linton Vassell, and the Russian dominated his way to the final. Popov used dominant wrestling and control to wear down Vassell, giving him no time to get into his own game plan. He controlled the fight from bell to bell.

Meanwhile, with Santos watching from cageside, she had the best seat in the house when Dakota Ditcheva faced Jena Bishop in the other semifinal at 125 pounds. It was billed as the “classic striker vs. grappler” matchup, but it did not last long. Answering the critics who doubted her ability to hang with a grappler, Ditcheva weathered early pressure from Bishop and did what she does best, using an outstanding striking display to drop the Alliance Jiu-Jitsu rep in the first round. She followed up with more punches and knees, forcing the referee to call the fight just minutes after it began.

Dakota Ditcheva gets it done in 1 round! She's going to the #PFLWorldChampionship!!!

[ 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW ESPN & ESPN+ | #PFLPlayoffs | #PFLNashville | https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI ] pic.twitter.com/gCB4gB9gsB

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 3, 2024

In the main event, Tim Johnson took on Denis Goltsov, who has been in the playoffs four times previously but has yet to claim PFL gold. Much like the Ditcheva-Bishop co-headliner, the fight was done in quick order, as Goltsov managed to get Johnson to the mat and finish with ground-and-pound, securing his second consecutive trip to the heavyweight final.

BACK-TO-BACK! Denis Goltsov returns to fight at the #PFLWorldChampionship!

[ 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW ESPN & ESPN+ | #PFLPlayoffs | #PFLNashville | https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI ] pic.twitter.com/zbZFW38kzR

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 3, 2024

The 2024 PFL heavyweight championship will see the top seed in Goltsov matched with the second-seeded Popov. The top two seeds will also square off in the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight championship, as Ditcheva faces Santos for the world title at 125 pounds. The winners will receive $1 million.

MIC DROP from Dakota Ditcheva!! 🤫🤫

[ 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW ESPN & ESPN+ |#PFLPlayoffs | #PFLNashville | https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI ] pic.twitter.com/0UFHUmOiHG

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 3, 2024

The remaining pairings for the 2024 PFL championships will be decided at PFL 8 on Aug. 16, when the light heavyweight and lightweight playoffs take place in Hollywood, Florida, and at PFL 9 on Aug. 23, when the featherweight and welterweight playoffs take place in Washington, D.C. Finals for all divisions are set for November.

The Welterweight Semifinals are OFFICIAL for Washington D.C.#PFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/De4U0KtD0C

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 29, 2024

WELTERWEIGHT

x-10: Shamil Musaev
x-9: Magomed Umalatov
x-6: Don Madge
x-6: Murad Ramazanov
3: Neiman Gracie
3: Andrey Koreshkov
3: Goiti Yamauchi
0: Logan Storley
0: Brennan Ward
0: Luca Poclit
-1: Laureano Staropoli

***

The road to the 2024 #PFLWorldChampionship is underway! 💰🏆

Here are your #PFLPlayoffs Welterweights & Featherweights matchups!

B2YB @budlight pic.twitter.com/x3d01rJOIf

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 29, 2024

FEATHERWEIGHT

x11: Brendan Loughnane
x10: Gabriel Braga
x6: Timur Khizriev
x-6: Kai Kamaka III
3: Adam Borics
3: Tyler Diamond
0: Enrique Barzola
0: Brett Johns
0: Bubba Jenkins
0: Pedro Carvalho

0: Justin Gonzales

***

The Light Heavyweight bouts are set for the #PFLPlayoffs! pic.twitter.com/AMvKmC58GE

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 22, 2024

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

x-11: Impa Kasanganay
x-9: Rob Wilkinson
x-9: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov
x-6: Joshua Silveira
6: Antonio Carlos Jr.
4: Sadibou Sy
3: Alex Polizzi
0: Simon Biyong
0: Jakob Nedoh
0: Andrew Sanchez
0: Tom Breese

***

Your #PFLPlayoffs Lightweight Match ups are official! pic.twitter.com/l9zXNexV3O

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 22, 2024

LIGHTWEIGHT

x-9: Brent Primus
x-6: Gadzhi Rabadanov
x-5: Michael Dufort
x-5: Clay Collard
4: Elvin Espinoza
3: Adam Piccolotti
3: Bruno Miranda
3: Mads Burnell
0: Patricky Freire
-1: Solomon Renfro

***

Your HW Semifinals are set for Nashville! #PFLPlayoffs#PFLRegularSeason pic.twitter.com/Ug2Lu1d5Vr

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 14, 2024

HEAVYWEIGHT

x-10: Denis Goltsov
x-8: Oleg Popov
x-6: Valentin Moldavsky
x-6: Tim Johnson
5: Daniel James
3: Tyrell Fortune
3: Sergey Bilostenniy
3: Linton Vassell
0: Thiago Santos
0: Danilo Marques
0: Marcelo Golm
-1: Davion Franklin

***

The Women's Flyweight Semifinal Matchups are OFFICIAL for Nashville! #PFLPlayoffs#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI pic.twitter.com/HcOPg7cTqC

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 14, 2024

WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT

x-12: Dakota Ditcheva
x-9: Taila Santos
x-7: Liz Carmouche
x-6: Jena Bishop
5: Juliana Velasquez
3: Kana Watanabe
3: Ilara Joanne
0: Chelsea Hackett
0: Lisa Mauldin
-1: Shanna Young

x: Clinched playoff berth