Ted Cheun vs Shamil Musaev set for vacant PFL welterweight title

PFL has officially announced a welterweight title bout between Ted Cheun and Shamil Musaev, with the pair set to compete for the vacant PFL welterweight championship.

The belt opened up after Ramazan Kuramagomedov, the previous champion, retired and relinquished the title. The Russian standout, who fought out of American Top Team, finished his PFL run with a perfect 8-0-0 record. Standing six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach, Kuramagomedov was a devastating finisher who landed 11.67 significant strikes per minute at a 67 percent accuracy rate — numbers that made him one of the more imposing champions in the organization.

Shamil Musaev, nicknamed "The Silent Assassin," enters the contest with a record of 20-0-1 and is 31 years old. The Russian welterweight stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and brings a wrestling-oriented game to the cage, averaging 1.36 takedowns per 15 minutes. His lone blemish on an otherwise unblemished record came against Kuramagomedov in his most recent outing.

Cheun, meanwhile, arrives on the back of a seven-fight winning streak inside the PFL, making him an 11-0 prospect who has built his case steadily within the organization. His verified data was not available in full, but his undefeated record and extended run of PFL victories position him as a legitimate challenger for organizational gold.

Why it matters

• The PFL welterweight title is vacant for the first time since Kuramagomedov's retirement, raising the stakes for both men considerably.
• Musaev's only career setback came directly against the departing champion, giving his pursuit of the belt a clear through-line.
• Cheun's seven-fight PFL winning streak suggests organizational momentum that could prove difficult to overlook heading into fight week.