The biggest night in European MMA is back, with PFL Europe making its way to the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Irish MMA fans will be treated to 13 fights, including four PFL Europe championship bouts that will see the winner earn their way into the field of next year’s PFL regular season.
The show will also be headlined by an exciting featherweight bout between Ireland’s own Nathan Kelly and Dimitry Solimeis of France.
Fight fans can catch Friday’s jam-packed PFL Europe 4 streaming live on DAZN beginning at Noon ET/9 a.m. PT. The card will not, however, be available for customers based in the United States.
Main Event — Kelly vs. Solimeis
Ireland’s Kelly finds himself in a huge spot atop a card featuring four tournament finals that will be extremely telling for the future of mixed martial arts on the continent of Europe. Kelly dropped the first two fights of his career, but since then has rattled off eight consecutive wins and established himself as a legitimate prospect out of Europe. The 26-year-old SBG Ireland product has kept busy this year, with what will be his third fight, all three under the PFL banner. Meanwhile, he appears to be in a good spot in his development, as his striking has come along under Head Coach John Kavanaugh.
𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐌𝐀 https://t.co/cOhvDUyayM
— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) December 2, 2023
Solimeis is a talented prospect in his own right, but is coming off a loss to Banjougou Sidibe at MMA GP. Prior to that, he knocked Khamzat Zimaev (not Chimaev), and has largely gotten things done on the feet. In essence, Friday’s main event is striker vs. grappler by nature, but the question will be whether Kelly’s striking has come along enough to where he’s comfortable standing with Solimeis, or whether or not he even has to, as his grappling is as good as anybody’s on the card.
PFL Europe Finals
All four PFL Europe finals feature some of Europe’s most compelling prospects vying for a spot in next year’s PFL regular season stateside. In the bantamweight final, South Africa’s Frans Mlbambo will take on Germany’s Khurshed Kakhorov. Mlbambo is among the most exciting fighters in the promotion, while Kakhorov is more straightforward with his boxing and wrestling-based style. Both fighters are fundamentally sound, and should produce a great fight in the first bantamweight final of PFL Europe.
Star women’s flyweight Dakota Ditcheva will also be in action when she fights Italian Valentina Scatizzi in the women’s flyweight final. Ditcheva is a massive favorite going into this fight, and rightfully so, as she has evolved wonderfully out of her Muay Thai base into a well-rounded martial artist who can threaten in all facets of the game. Scatizzi, meanwhile, is 2-1, and will have the toughest fight of her career in front of her.
At lightweight, Ireland’s John Mitchell will meet Jakub Kaszuba in the tournament final. Both fighters have a very bright future ahead of them, with Kaszuba having recently brought Dylan Tuke’s Cinderella story to an end and Mitchell having twice beaten Geysim Derouiche out of France.
Lastly, the light heavyweight final will see another heavy favorite in Simeon Powell taking on Jakob Nedoh out of Slovenia. Both are big, athletic and impressive prospects for the weight class, but Powell, whose reach is comparable to that of Jon Jones, should be able to neutralize Nedoh’s immense power with his ability to change levels and his potential to finish the fight from top position.
Friday’s card will also feature a handful of showcase bouts. One of those fights, a lightweight bout between Andreeas Binder and Daniele Scatizzi, has been scrapped after Binder missed weight by more than six pounds.
For up-to-the-minute results and updates from PFL Europe 4, be sure to stay locked into MMA Sucka!
PFL Europe 3 Results
Main Card
Nathan Kelly def. Dimitry Solimeis via Submission (RNC) at 4:48 of Round 1
Frans Mlambo vs. Khurshed Kakhorov def. Frans Mlabmo via TKO (punches) at 2:32 of Round 2
John Mitchell vs. Jakub Kaszuba def. John Mitchell via TKO (punches) at 3:07 of Round 2
Dylan Tuke def. Yazid Chouchane via Submission (RNC) at 2:36 of Round 2
Dakota Ditcheva def. Valentina Scatizzi via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 1
Jakob Nedoh def. Simeon Powell via TKO (punches) at 1:16 of Round 2
Preliminary Card
Weslley Maia def. Lewis McGrillen-Evans via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Brett Johns def. David-Tonatiuh Crol via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 3:09 of Round 3
Tom Breese def. Cleiton Pereira da Silva via Submission (RNC) at 3:30 of Round 1
Bondo Kikadze def. Dominique Wooding via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Connor Hughes def. Sebastian Santana Guedes via TKO (punches) at 5:00 of Round 2
Nate Kelly def. Callum Seaton via Submission (Anaconda Choke) at :51 of Round 2
