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The PFL kicked off their 2024 regular season last night, which saw several exciting finishes as each fighter set out to ensure they are at the top of the standings.
Last night's event featured the heavyweights and women's flyweights and the results prove how crucial it is for the competitors to earn the maximum number of points. In the women's flyweight division, 2023 PFL Europe champion Dakota Ditcheva made a statement in her opening bout of this year's regular season as she earned a first-round TKO to secure the full six points.
Ditcheva wasn't the only one to secure maximum points as Jena Bishop and former UFC title challenger Taila Santos also earned first-round wins to six points as well. Kana Watanabe and Bellator women's flyweight champion Liz Carmouche were also successful in their bouts, but they were only awarded three points because they won their bouts via decision.
In the heavyweight division, former interim Bellator heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky was the lone fighter to secure the maximum six points as he earned an impressive first-round TKO win over 2022 PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija. Meanwhile, Daniel James only secured five points for his first-round TKO win over Marcelo Golm because he was deducted a point for missing weight for the bout.
In addition, Oleg Popov secured five points for his second-round TKO win over Steve Mowry, Denis Goltsov secured four points for his third-round TKO win over Linton Vassell, and Sergei Bilostenniy secured three points for his unanimous decision win over Blagoy Ivanov. The results of last night's event and updated standings demonstrate the importance of first-round wins and the difficulty in winning the PFL championship.
It will be interesting to see what transpires in each division and whether the competitors that were on the losing end will have a heightened sense of urgency in their next PFL regular season bout. The next regular season event is scheduled for next Friday, April 12, when the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions will be on display.
