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NASHVILLE (June 12, 2025) – The Semifinals of the 2025 PFL World Tournament kicked off tonight at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, with finalists in both the Welterweight and Featherweight divisions officially punching their tickets to August's Finals.
In the Welterweight Finals, undefeated Thad Jean (10-0) will face former Bellator Champion Logan Storley (18-3) to crown the 2025 PFL World Tournament Welterweight Champion.
In the 145-pound Finals, 2023 PFL Featherweight Champion Jesus Pinedo (25-6-1) will face 2021 PFL Featherweight Champion Movlid Khaybulaev (23-0-1) to crown the 2025 PFL World Tournament Featherweight Champion.
The main event featured a long-anticipated showdown between heated rivals Jason Jackson (19-6) and Thad Jean. “The Silverback” stunned Jackson early with a knockdown, but the next two rounds were tightly contested. “The Ass-Kicking Machine” secured key takedowns, while Jean kept landing sharp, effective strikes. The judges’ scorecards reflected the razor-thin battle, with two out of three awarding the fight to Jean, who now advances to face Jackson’s teammate, Logan Storley.
The co-main event showcased the trilogy bout between longtime PFL rivals Jesus Pinedo (25-6) and Gabriel Braga (16-3). Just like their 2023 encounter, the “Pride of Peru” delivered a decisive finish. A perfectly timed right hand dropped Braga, and “El Mudo” wasted no time, sealing his spot in the Finals this August.
Former Bellator Champion Logan Storley stepped into the SmartCage on Thursday with clear intent, nearly finishing Masayuki Kikuiri (11-3-1) in the first round with ground-and-pound. While Kikuiri survived the early onslaught, he had no answer for Storley’s dominant wrestling, as Storley earned a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.
Kicking off the main card, 2021 PFL Featherweight Champion Movlid Khaybulaev faced South Korea’s Taekyun Kim (11-2) in a Welterweight Semifinal showdown. The bout went the distance, with Khaybulaev relying on his elite grappling to secure the win and book his spot in the Finals, extending his undefeated streak to 23 fights.
The 2025 PFL World Tournament continues on Friday, June 20, with the Lightweight, Women’s Flyweight & Bantamweight Semifinalists competing live on ESPN, ESPN+ and DAZN.
2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals Main Card Results:
Thad Jean (10-0) def. Jason Jackson (19-6) via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Jesus Pinedo (25-6-1) def. Gabriel Braga (16-3) via KO (punches) at 1:16 of round one
Logan Storley (18-3) def. Masayuki Kikuiri (11-3-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-28)
Movlid Khaybulaev (23-0-1) def. Taekyun Kim (11-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals Early Card Results:
Adam Borics (20-3) def. Jeremy Kennedy (19-7) via majority decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28)
Magomed Umalatov (18-1) def. Anthony Ivy (15-8) via KO (punch) at 2:28 of round one
Sarek Shields (7-2) def. Joseph Luciano (10-4) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Kendly St. Louis (11-2) def. Mukhamed Berkhamov (17-4) via submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:21 of round three
Alexei Pergande (6-0) def. Mike Bardsley (5-2) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Jason Danner (3-0) def. Nathan Gilmore (4-6) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Upcoming 2025 PFL World Tournament Schedule:
2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals - June 20 - INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita
2025 PFL World Tournament 7: Semifinals - June 27 - Wintrust Arena, Chicago
2025 PFL World Tournament 8: Finals - August 1 - Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals - August 15 - Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals - August 21 - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida
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