Pawel Pawlak secured a dramatic TKO victory over Mamed Khalidov in the very last second of the fourth round. The bout was a middleweight title fight and marked the fourth successful title defense for Pawlak. The finish came at an extremely dramatic moment with time nearly expired in the round. No further details about the specific circumstances of the stoppage are provided. This result solidifies Pawlak's position as the reigning middleweight champion.
Pawel Pawlak delivered one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory, stopping Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final second of the fourth round to successfully defend the middleweight title on April 19, 2026.
Pawlak, 37, improves to 12-3-0 with the victory and now has four successful title defenses to his name, cementing his status as the division's dominant force. The Polish fighter, who trains out of Octopus Lodz, stands six feet tall with a 73-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He averages 1.67 significant strikes landed per minute, and while his striking accuracy sits at 33 percent, the stoppage of Khalidov underscores his ability to find the decisive blow when the moment demands it.
The stoppage coming with virtually no time remaining in round four makes this one of the most stunning finishes the promotion has seen, leaving Khalidov agonizingly close to surviving into the championship rounds.
Why it matters
- Pawlak's fourth title defense establishes him as a long-reigning and formidable middleweight champion
- The dramatic last-second TKO raises his profile significantly heading into any future title bouts
- With Khalidov now holding a high-profile loss at this stage, the middleweight division's contender rankings face a notable reshuffling
