Phil Davis Shines as 205-Pounders, Heavyweights Advance in PFL World Tournament

The First Round Of the 2025 #PFLWorldTournament has been nothing but STRAIGHT ACTION ✅

The Light Heavyweight & Heavyweights were no different tonight 😤

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PFL World Tournament 4 | Full Fight Highlights pic.twitter.com/oYuJy47R0j

— PFL (@PFLMMA) May 2, 2025

Phil Davis hadn’t won a fight in over three years, but the former Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion reminded everyone why he’s called “Mr. Wonderful.” Trailing on the scorecards after the opening round, Davis starched former Professional Fighters League king Rob Wilkinson with a bomb of a right hand to secure his spot in the PFL World Tournament semifinals at PFL 2025 World Tournament: First Round 4.

Davis' second-round TKO (0:51) capped off the main event from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, and put the former NCAA DI wrestling national champion back on the big stage. Davis (25-7, 1 NC) tried to find his range in Round 1 but found it hard to catch the slippery Australian. Wilkinson seemed a step ahead, and the rust on Davis looked apparent. Davis would turn back the clock in the second, however. Using his jab to set up his right, Davis caught Wilkinson on the top of his temple, dropping him to the canvas before Kevin MacDonald officially called the fight.

With the win, the 40 year-old will face the dangerous Sullivan Cauley, who punched his ticket with a first-round TKO win over Alex Polizzi.

Moldavsky Gets Controversial Nod

In the co-main event, a pair of Russian countrymen threw down for the final spot in the heavyweight bracket, and the decision wasn’t entirely well-received.

Valentin Moldavsky edged out Sergey Bilostenniy by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Moldavsky showcased his strength in the clinch and successfully muscled Bilostenniy throughout the fight, but Bilostenniy got the better of the exchanges and even wobbled his foe early. When the scorecards were read the decision was met with boos by fans who believed Bilostenniy (13-4) should’ve advanced.

Moldavsky (14-4) will fight Alexander Romanov in the semifinal round on June 27 in Chicago.

Related » 2025 PFL 4 Round-by-Round Scoring

Carlos Jr. Advances to Semis

It wasn’t pretty, but 2021 PFL light heavyweight champion Antonio Carlos Jr. fought his way back into the winner’s circle with a split decision win over Ireland’s Karl Moore (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

As expected, Carlos Jr. looked to take this fight to the mat immediately and quickly showed that he was a step above the SBG Ireland product. Carlos Jr. threatened leg locks and armbars, but got ahead of himself when he landed an illegal knee on Moore in the opening period. Moore unintentionally got his revenge in the next round with a low knee, as most striking exchanges were smothered and sloppy. Moore (12-4) finished the fight intense and nearly hurt Carlos Jr. with some late ground-and-pound, but it wasn’t enough in the eyes of two judges. Carlos Jr. (17-6, 2 NC) advanced to face Simeon Powell in the light heavyweight semifinal.

Powell ‘Smooth’ in Victory

Powell went into his light heavyweight showdown against Karl Albrektsson on a string of lackluster performances, but announced to the world that he’s back to proper form after pulling off a highlight-reel worthy second round TKO (2:05).

Albrektsson (14-7) started strong and stayed in Powell’s face for most of the first round, but a flushly-landed elbow near the end of the round, showed Powell a path to victory. The London native kept that in mind heading into the second and pieced Albrektsson up on the inside with looping elbows and body shots. Albrektsson was out on his feet before Powell flattened him on his back.

Powell (11-1) fell short of championship glory in the PFL Europe bracket, but is making the most of his opportunity in the world tournament.

Romanov Punches Ticket to Semis

Former UFC fighter Alexander Romanov quickly finished his PFL debut with a first-round guillotine choke (1:53) over veteran Tim Johnson.

Johnson (18-12) has been submitted in the first round in three straight fights, and his performance against Romanov may have been his worst. The 40-year-old Johnson traded a few punches before falling into an awkward bent position along the cage. Romanov attacked the neck, but Johnson was more affected by his rib, which had been tweaked in the melee.

With the win, Romanov (19-3) picked up his second straight victory.

Popov Edges Late Replacement Williams

Oleg Popov didn’t bring the fans out of their seats, but that didn’t matter to the 33-year-old Russian heavyweight who edged out late replacement Karl Williams by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Popov spent most of the fight pressing Williams to the cage while slapping shots off the side of his head. Williams, who filled in for Linton Vassell on four days' notice, was frustrated by Popov’s stubborn grappling, but found success in the clinch. Popov’s control time, while dominant, caused minor damage, and it was anybody’s guess how the scorecards would read.

With the win, Popov (20-2) bounced back from his PFL championship loss last season. Williams (10-3) dropped his second straight.

Cauley Rebounds from ACL Tear

Former Northwestern University wrestler Polizzi did all he could to try to hold down Cauley throughout their light heavyweight clash, but Cauley was in no mood to wrestle.

The 28-year-old Arizona native stopped Polizzi with a storm of elbows in the first round (1:36) to punch his ticket to the light heavyweight semifinals. Polizzi (11-6) exploded out of the gate and took Cauley to the mat, but couldn’t hold him down. While looking to snatch a single leg against the cage, Polizzi left himself open to multiple unanswered elbows. Cauley dropped the shot over and over again until Polizzi’s knees buckled and gave, causing referee MacDonald to stop the bout.

Cauley (7-1) secured his seventh first-round finish, but it was a long time coming: He’s been out of the cage for nearly two years due to a torn ACL, but made a definitive statement in his SmartCage debut.

‘Yogi Bear’ Edges Bably

Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Rodrigo Nascimento grinded out a hard-fought split decision over English brawler Abraham Bably (29-28, 28-29, 28-29) in the opening bout to advance to the heavyweight semifinals.

Bably (5-2), off the heels of his first professional loss, took control of the fight early and used his low center of gravity to bully the Brazilian against the cage. Bably worked Nascimento’s body and imposed his physical will, but the tide would quickly shift. Nascimento proved to be the fresher fighter and backed up Bably with his snapping jab. Breathing heavy, Bably looked to slug and land a big shot, yet he was routinely beaten to the punch by Nascimento’s fundamental left. Round 3 was a back-and-forth affair, but Nascimento’s turnaround was too impressive to ignore on the cards.

In his PFL debut, Nascimento picked up his first win since 2023.