The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is heading back to New York this summer with one of its most significant fight cards of the year. The promotion has confirmed that lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against unbeaten contender Archie Colgan in the main event on July 31 at UBS Arena. On the same card, women’s flyweight star Dakota Ditcheva returns for her first fight of 2026 against Denise Kielholtz.
PFL CEO Highlights Strong Card
PFL CEO John Martin shared details of the event with The New York Post and called it one of the strongest cards the company has built. He pointed to Nurmagomedov and Ditcheva as two of the promotion’s biggest stars. The Long Island event will also close a three-week stretch of championship-level PFL cards planned for July across the United States.
Usman Nurmagomedov Defends Lightweight Title
Nurmagomedov enters the fight with a perfect 21-0 record and 15 finishes. The lightweight champion last fought in February when he defeated Alfie Davis by technical submission. Before joining PFL, Nurmagomedov was already the Bellator lightweight champion after the organization merged with PFL. He is also widely known as the cousin of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Archie Colgan Earns Title Opportunity
Colgan, who also remains unbeaten at 13-0, earned this title opportunity after strong performances inside the PFL cage. He defeated Jay-Jay Wilson in October and moved to 2-0 with the promotion. Speaking to The New York Post, Martin explained why Colgan was chosen as the next challenger.
“For me, it made the most sense for Archie,” Martin said. “I think he deserves it. He has built his reputation each fight, and each one’s gotten harder and harder, and he stepped up and proved himself in every single fight he’s been in.”
Dakota Ditcheva Returns After Layoff
The co-main event brings back Ditcheva after nearly a year away from competition. The unbeaten British fighter owns a 15-0 record with 13 finishes. Her last appearance came in July 2025 when she defeated Sumiko Inaba by decision. That fight marked the first time she failed to stop an opponent early during her PFL run.
Ditcheva was originally supposed to face Kielholtz earlier this year in Dubai, but an injury forced her out of the matchup. Even without a championship belt on the line now, Ditcheva still wanted the fight to happen.
“When the injury occurred, we sat down and we spoke with her, and we talked about what made most sense for her, and she felt that she had committed to Denise, and she felt that she owed it to give Denise that fight,” Martin told The New York Post.
Denise Kielholtz Awaits
Kielholtz later stayed on the Dubai card and defeated Antonia Silvaneide by decision in her promotional debut. PFL’s New York card will be the company’s first event in the state since August 2023, when semifinal playoff events were held at Madison Square Garden.
