PFL
KEY POINTS
- Rob Wilkinson and Omari Akhmedov will battle for PFL light heavyweight title
- Wilkinson has knocked out all his opponents this season
- Akhmedov has gone undefeated since losing his PFL debut last year
The 2022 season of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) nearing its end, but not before the promotion crowns six new champions.
That spectacle takes place at the 2022 PFL World Championship this coming Friday, November 25th at the Hulu Theater of the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Six championship bouts are on deck for PFL’s final event for the season, which includes a must-see matchup for the light heavyweight championship between New Zealand’s Rob Wilkinson and Russia’s Omari Akhmedov.
The International Business Times takes a look at this clash between hard-hitting 205-pounders.
One of the most impressive newcomers in PFL this season, Wilkinson has been on an undeniable tear in the league’s 205-pound division.
The heavy-handed Kiwi began the season with a spectacular second-round knockout over Bruce Souto at PFL 1 and then followed that up with a first-round knockout over Viktor Pesta at PFL 4 to clinch the top seed in the light heavyweight division and earn a spot in the playoffs.
In the semifinals, Wilkinson needed just 97 seconds to smash Delan Monte by knockout and earn a finals berth in his first season with the league.
Undefeated since 2018, Wilkinson is now one win away from capturing the biggest accolade of his career.
PFL photo
Standing opposite Wilkinson will be Akhmedov, who has also gone undefeated in three fights this season.
After losing his PFL debut last season, Akhmedov has been nothing short of dominant in his million-dollar tournament debut.
Akhmedov knocked out Viktor Pesta in the first round at PFL 1 and then choked out Teodoras Aukštuolis in the second round at PFL 4 to clinch the division’s No. 2-seed and a spot in the playoffs.
In the semifinals, Akhmedov decisioned the highly-touted Josh Silveria to garner a seat in the finals.
Prediction: Rob Wilkinson def. Omari Akhmedov by KO or TKO
A potential fight of the night candidate, Rob Wilkinson vs. Omari Akhmedov could produce fireworks.
As impressive as Akhmedov has been this season, Wilkinson has been on another level.
Wilkinson heads into the finals with a 100% knockout rate this season, and it’s likely that he adds Akhmedov to his list of victims.
