Pawel Pawlak successfully defended his middleweight title by defeating Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final seconds of the fourth round. This victory marks Pawlak's fourth title defense. The post does not specify which organization the title belongs to or provide additional details about the finish. The dramatic timing of the stoppage in the last second of round four made this a particularly notable finish.
Pawel Pawlak retained his middleweight title on April 19, 2026, stopping Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the dying seconds of the fourth round to record his fourth successful title defense.
Pawlak, 37, enters the record books with a professional mark of 12-3-0 following the finish. The Polish fighter, who trains out of Octopus Lodz, stands six feet tall with a 73-inch reach and competes out of an orthodox stance. He averages 1.67 significant strikes landed per minute and completes roughly one takedown per 15 minutes of action, painting a picture of a well-rounded champion who can threaten on multiple fronts. The dramatic timing of Saturday's stoppage — coming in the final seconds of round four — underscored the kind of championship-level resilience that has defined his reign.
Verified data for Khalidov was not available in the AgentMMA database ahead of publication.
Why it matters
- Pawlak's fourth title defense cements his status as a long-reigning champion in his organization's middleweight division
- The stoppage arriving in the last moments of round four adds weight to the finish, suggesting Khalidov was close to surviving before the referee intervened
- At 37, Pawlak continues to hold the top spot in his division, raising questions about who steps up as the next challenger
