The undefeated lightweight champion needed 3:42 to finish Archie Colgan at PFL New York, closing out his deal as a free agent, while Dakota Ditcheva returned from a year away and won every round of her comeback fight.
Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-08-01
Figures drawn from Cageside Press' and Yahoo Sports' July 31, 2026 results coverage of PFL New York.
Usman Nurmagomedov walked into PFL New York with his contract on the line and left with his title, his undefeated record, and his free agency all intact. He finished Archie Colgan by knockout just 3:42 into the first round, a fast, decisive answer in a fight that had genuine stakes on paper, since both men entered unbeaten.
With the win, Nurmagomedov heads into negotiations as a free agent for the first time in his career, and reporting around the event has already flagged UFC interest given his ranking among the sport's top lightweights. For a fighter built around relentless top control and finishing instincts, ending his PFL run with a highlight-reel knockout rather than a grinding decision only strengthens his position.
The co-main event carried its own storyline. Ditcheva had been out for roughly a year with an injury, and the only real question heading into her fight with Denise Kielholtz was whether the layoff would show. It didn't. She won a clean unanimous decision, 30-27 on all three scorecards, staying undefeated at 16-0.
She did not find a finish, which is worth noting given how dominant her scorecards read, but a clear sweep across every round after a year away is still a strong data point for a fighter who was already unbeaten heading into the layoff.
The rest of the main card leaned heavily on strikes rather than the mat. Amru Magomedov stopped Angel Alvarez by TKO in the second round, and Moustapha Diakhaté finished Darryl Walker by first-round TKO as well, giving the night four finishes across five main card bouts. What did not show up anywhere on the nine-fight card was a submission.
That is not a knock on the grappling talent involved so much as a reminder that even organizations built around wrestling-heavy rosters do not produce a submission finish every night. Ground control and top pressure clearly played a role in setting up several of these finishes, even when the finishing blow itself came from strikes rather than a choke or a lock.
Nurmagomedov and Ditcheva both built their records on a foundation of control-first grappling, using top position and pressure to set up their finishes rather than relying purely on athleticism or power. That kind of foundation is built through repetition on a mat long before it ever shows up in a wrestling-influenced knockout or a clean decision win.
If a card like this makes you want to sharpen your own top game or work on scrambles, the practical next step is the same one it always is: find a BJJ or no-gi gym near you and try a class. No-gi systems like 10th Planet are built specifically around the scramble-heavy, control-based positions that separated the winners on this card from everyone else.
The card's key outcomes, in order of how much they matter going forward.
BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.
By first-round knockout at 3:42, retaining the PFL lightweight title.
Yes. The win against Colgan was the final fight on his PFL contract.
She won a clean unanimous decision over Denise Kielholtz, 30-27 on all three scorecards, staying undefeated at 16-0.
No. All the finishes on the main card came by knockout or TKO.