Pawel Pawlak secured a TKO victory over Mamed Khalidov in the final second of the fourth round. The bout held middleweight title status and marked Pawlak's fourth successful title defense. The dramatic finish came at the very end of round 4, just before the fight would have entered the fifth and final round. Details about the specific circumstances of the stoppage are limited in the post. This victory extends Pawlak's reign as middleweight champion.
Pawel Pawlak extended his middleweight title reign in dramatic fashion on April 19, 2026, stopping Mamed Khalidov via TKO in the final second of the fourth round, denying his opponent the chance to see the fifth and final frame.
The finish marked the fourth successful title defense for Pawlak, the 37-year-old Polish champion out of Octopus Lodz. Standing six feet tall with a 73-inch reach, Pawlak carries a professional record of 12-3-0 and fights out of an orthodox stance. He averages 1.67 significant strikes landed per minute and complements his striking with a takedown threat of one per 15 minutes, giving opponents multiple problems to solve across a full championship bout.
No verified data for Khalidov is available in this report, and details surrounding the precise nature of the stoppage have not been confirmed.
Why it matters
- Pawlak's fourth title defense cements his status as a dominant middleweight champion and raises questions about who could challenge him next
- The timing of the finish — the final second of round four — underlines the championship-level resilience required to see the bout through to that moment
- Khalidov, a storied name in European MMA, will likely need a rebound performance to remain in title contention at middleweight
