The 2025 PFL World Tournament semifinals wrapped up on Friday night at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena, with finalists in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight divisions locking in their places for the August Finals in Atlantic City.
Finalists Set
- Heavyweight: Moldova’s Alexander Romanov (19‑3‑1 NC) will face Russia’s Oleg Popov (21‑2) for the world title.
- Light Heavyweight (205 lb): Brazil’s Antonio Carlos Jr. (18‑6) earned a seat in the finals against Arizona’s Sullivan Cauley (8‑1).
- Middleweight: Pennsylvania’s Dalton Rosta (11‑1) is set to clash with England’s Fabian Edwards (15‑4) for the crown.
Fight Breakdowns
Main Event – Middleweight Semis
Fabian Edwards took on Josh Silveira in a tense battle. The opening round was strategic, but Edwards came alive in Round 2, pounding Silveira with sharp elbows. A dominant performance throughout, Edwards claimed a unanimous decision and punched his ticket to the finals.
Co-Main – Light Heavyweight Semis
Veteran Phil Davis faced Arizona’s rising star Sullivan Cauley. Davis controlled early grappling exchanges, but Cauley turned the tide with a stunning head kick late in Round 2. Despite Davis’s wrestling recovery, Cauley stayed strong and secured a unanimous decision—his biggest win yet.
Featured Bout – Lightweight Start
Sergio Pettis (24‑7) finally made his PFL debut, nearly three years after a torn ACL shelved his Bellator bout. He and Raufeon Stots (21‑3) battled back-and-forth striking-wise, but Pettis’s spinning backfists scored big. He grabbed the judges’ favor and started his PFL run with a win.
Middleweight Grudge Match
Dalton Rosta squared off with rival Aaron Jeffery (16‑6) in a rematch of their 2023 encounter. It was close throughout—powerful moments from both—but Rosta earned a split-decision win (29‑28, 27‑30, 29‑28) and avenged his lone career loss.
Early Card Highlights
- Antonio Carlos Jr. applied relentless pressure on Simeon Powell (11‑2), wearing him down for a unanimous decision and setting up a light heavyweight final showdown with Cauley.
- Heavyweight Prelim: A no-contest between Alexander Romanov and Valentin Moldavsky due to an accidental groin strike. Per PFL rules, judges advanced Romanov.
- Also Prelims: Ronnie Gibbs secured a technical submission over Biaggio Ali Walsh (arm-triangle, R2), and Oleg Popov beat Rodrigo Nascimento via unanimous decision. Rafael Xavier knocked Karl Albrektsson out in just 27 seconds.
