The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced that PFL Lightweight Champion Usman Nurmagomedov (21-0-0, 1 NC) is set to defend his title against the undefeated No. 3-ranked Archie “King” Colgan (13-0) at PFL New York Presented by Arkham on Friday, July 31, at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, Long Island, New York.
Also announced in the co-main event is the return of No.1-ranked Dakota “Dangerous” Ditcheva (15-0), who will step back in the cage at flyweight after recovering from two separate hand injuries in the past 12 months, and will stand opposite former Bellator Kickboxing World Champion and No. 6-ranked Denise “Miss Dynamite” Kielholtz (9-5).
The PFL New York Presented by Arkham main card, the first Professional Fighters League event at UBS Arena, will air live on ESPN in the U.S. beginning at 7:00 pm EST. The preliminary portion can be seen on the ESPN App. Pre-sale tickets for the event are available now at pfl.info/ny with general sale tickets available from 10:00am ET Wednesday, May 27 also via pfl.info/ny. Additional bouts will be announced shortly.
The king of the 155 lbs division and the PFL pound-for-pound #1, Usman Nurmagomedov, carries his namesake’s legacy every time he enters the cage. 21 fights, 21 wins, an unstoppable champion with an aura of MMA royalty felt by all, Usman has set a standard on the canvas that no other fighter has managed to meet. Enter Archie Colgan, the undefeated collegiate wrestler turned mixed martial artist who has arguably never lost a round in the sport. He’s methodical, well-rounded, dangerous, and the biggest threat to the reigning Nurmagomedov.
In Ditcheva’s last outing against Sumiko Inaba last July, she fought through a broken hand for the win. Then, whilst preparing to fight Kielholtz in February, disaster struck again as she broke her other hand. Now fully healed, she’s honouring her commitment to “Miss Dynamite” as she looks to cement her path to the title and remind everyone she’s the most dangerous woman in MMA. Standing in her way is Kielholtz, a Dutch kickboxing sensation who honed her craft in Amsterdam, which paired with a black belt in Judo makes her a formidable foe with intentions to disrupt the division.
“PFL New York will be the culmination of three consecutive main event World Title fights, and on July 31, the world will see elite MMA at its finest. In one corner you have the Lightweight Champion, Usman Nurmagomedov, who has been a class above every man to stand opposite him. Some crumble to his aura, some to his skills, but either way his ability is undeniable. And now we have a challenger everyone says could be the kryptonite, Archie Colgan, an NCAA Division I wrestler who many believe is yet to lose a round. Does a legacy continue, or a legacy start? We’ll find out, and I can’t wait,” said PFL CEO John Martin.
“Then we also have the return of Dakota Ditcheva, and where better to bring one of the faces of PFL than New York. 12 finishes in 15 fights is an astounding knockout rate for her weight class, and she’s must-see TV every time she steps in the cage. But she won’t have it easy in her return, Kielholtz has world championship level kickboxing and a black belt in Judo, meaning high risk for Dakota, and an opportunity to disrupt for Denise.”
Updated PFL New York Presented by Arkham Main Card:
UBS Arena – Belmont Park, New YorkJuly 31 | 7 pm EST / 4 pm PSTESPN (U.S.)
PFL Lightweight World Championship Main Event: C-Usman Nurmagomedov (21-0-0, 1 NC) vs. #3-Archie Colgan (13-0)
PFL Women’s Flyweight Co-Main Event: #1-Dakota Ditcheva (15-0) vs. #6-Denise Kielholtz (9-5)
UPCOMING PFL SCHEDULE:
Saturday, June 27 – PFL San Diego Presented by GOVX – Pechanga Arena San DiegoSaturday, July 18 – PFL Austin – Moody Center – Austin, TexasSaturday, July 25 – PFL DC – CareFirst Arena – Washington, D.C.Saturday, July 31 – PFL New York Presented by Arkham – UBS Arena – Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
