Heavyweights Alexander Romanov & Oleg Popov Advance to World Tournament Finals
Light Heavyweights Antonio Carlos Jr. & Sullivan Cauley Advance to World Tournament Finals
Middleweights Dalton Rosta & Fabian Edwards Advance to World Tournament Finals
The 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals Begin Friday, August 1 on ESPN & ESPN+ at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City
CHICAGO (June 27, 2025) – The Semifinals of the 2025 PFL World Tournament came to a close tonight at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with finalists in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight and Middleweight divisions officially punching their tickets to August's Finals.
In the Heavyweight Finals, Moldova’s Alexander Romanov (19-3, 1 NC) will challenge Russia’s Oleg Popov (21-2) for the 2025 PFL World Tournament title.
At 205-pounds, Brazil’s Antonio Carlos Jr. (18-6) will square off against Arizona’s Sullivan Cauley (8-1) in the Light Heavyweight Finals to determine this year’s tournament champion.
In the Middleweight Finals, Pennsylvania’s Dalton Rosta (11-1) will go head-to-head with England’s Fabian Edwards (15-4), with the winner claiming the 2025 PFL World Tournament crown.
The main event featured a Middleweight Semifinal clash between Fabian Edwards and Josh Silveira (14-5). The opening round served as a feeling-out period, with both fighters cautious and measured. In the second round, however, Edwards began to shift the momentum, landing significant strikes and doing considerable damage—particularly with sharp elbows that set the tone for the rest of the bout. By the end of 15 minutes, Silveira was visibly wearing the effects of Edwards' offense. With a composed and calculated performance, “The Assassin” earned a unanimous decision victory, punching his ticket to the Finals, where he’ll face Silveira’s American Top Team teammate, Dalton Rosta.
The co-main event featured former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Phil Davis (25-8) taking on Sullivan Cauley, a seven-fight Bellator veteran and longtime training partner of Ryan Bader, who defeated Davis twice. Davis took control early, using his wrestling pedigree to win the grappling exchanges and dictate the pace. However, momentum shifted late in the second round when Cauley landed a thunderous head kick, followed by a powerful punch that dropped Davis to the canvas. Despite the scare, the Penn State alum survived by leaning on his wrestling to neutralize the danger. The third round was closely contested, but the difference-maker was the consistent damage delivered by the Arizona native. In the end, Cauley earned a unanimous decision victory, the biggest win of his career to date.
Sergio Pettis (24-7) and Raufeon Stots (21-3) were originally scheduled to meet at Bellator 279, but a torn ACL forced Pettis to withdraw, delaying the matchup. Nearly three years later, the former teammates finally shared the SmartCage. The bout was tightly contested on the feet, with both fighters finding openings and piercing each other’s defenses. Pettis came close on several occasions with his signature spinning backfist, drawing reactions from the crowd and catching the judges' attention. In the end, it was Pettis who edged out the decision victory, starting his PFL run with a win.
The war of words between Dalton Rosta and Aaron Jeffery (16-6) came to a head on Friday, as the two settled their score inside the SmartCage in a highly anticipated rematch of their 2023 clash. The bout was closely contested, with momentum swinging back and forth as both fighters had their moments. Jeffery focused on neutralizing Rosta’s power, but the Pittsburgh native found his opportunities, landing clean and effective punches throughout. The judges were split: two scored the fight 29-28 for Rosta, while one awarded all three rounds to the Canadian. With the split decision victory, Rosta avenges his only career loss and earns a spot in the Finals this August, as the rivalry now stands even at one win apiece.
Kicking off the main card, 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament Champion Antonio Carlos Jr. faced off against PFL Europe standout Simeon Powell (11-2). From the opening bell, Carlos Jr. applied steady forward pressure, immediately forcing Powell onto the back foot. The Brazilian’s aggressive game plan kept Powell pinned against the SmartCage for much of the fight, stifling his offense and allowing Carlos Jr. to control the tempo. Leaning on his experience, Carlos Jr. secured a unanimous decision victory, punching his ticket to the Finals for the first time since his 2021 championship run.
The 2025 PFL World Tournament continues on Friday, August 1 from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the beginning of the Finals. The action takes place live on ESPN, ESPN+ and DAZN. The Early Card begins at 6:00 pm EST, with the Main Card kicking off at 9:30 pm EST.
2025 PFL World Tournament Chicago: Semifinals Main Card Results:
Fabian Edwards (15-4) def. Josh Silveira (14-5) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Sullivan Cauley (8-1) def. Phil Davis (25-8) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Sergio Pettis (24-7) def. Raufeon Stots (21-3) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Dalton Rosta (11-1) def. Aaron Jeffery (16-6) via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Antonio Carlos Jr. (18-6) def. Simeon Powell (11-2) via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
2025 PFL World Tournament Chicago: Semifinals Early Card Results:
Valentin Moldavsky (14-4) vs. Alexander Romanov (19-3,1 NC) - no contest (accidental groin strike) at 4:26 of round one - Per PFL World Tournament rules, for the purpose of determining advancement in the tournament, in the case of a no contest the three judges are asked to choose the fighter who they think had the most complete body of work for the entirety of the fight - The judges chose Romanov to progress to the finals
Ronnie Gibbs (2-0) def. Biaggio Ali Walsh (2-1) via technical submission (arm-triangle) at 2:45 of round two
Oleg Popov (21-2) def. Rodrigo Nascimento (12-4) via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Rafael Xavier (14-8) def. Karl Albrektsson (14-8) via TKO (strikes) at :27 of round one
Upcoming 2025 PFL World Tournament Schedule:
2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals - August 1 - Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals - August 15 - Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
2025 PFL World Tournament: Finals - August 21 - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida
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