Two fights have been pulled from Friday's PFL New York event at UBS Arena in Belmont, N.Y. Simeon Powell's main-card light heavyweight bout against Dovlet Yagshimuradov has been cancelled, with Powell citing circumstances beyond his control, and prelim fighter Zach Nishimwe has also withdrawn from his scheduled bout against Moustapha Diakhate. The promotion is actively seeking a short-notice replacement to keep Diakhate on the card, while the main event between Usman Nurmagomedov and Archie Colgan and the co-main featuring Dakota Ditcheva and Denise Kielholtz remain intact.
Friday's PFL New York card at UBS Arena in Belmont, New York has taken a hit just days out, with two light heavyweight bouts removed from the bill ahead of the event.
Simeon Powell's main-card matchup against Dovlet Yagshimuradov has been scrapped after Powell cited circumstances beyond his control. The 26-year-old holds an 11-2 record and cuts an imposing physical profile at six-foot-five with an 85-inch reach. He lands significant strikes at a rate of 2.87 per minute with a 55 percent accuracy. His absence leaves a notable hole in the main card.
The preliminary card has also been disrupted, with Zach Nishimwe withdrawing from his scheduled bout against Moustapha Diakhate. The promotion is working to find a short-notice replacement so Diakhate can remain on the card.
Despite the shake-up, the top of the card stays intact. Unbeaten lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who carries a perfect 20-0 record and sits 14th in the pound-for-pound rankings at just 27 years of age, headlines the event against Archie Colgan. The Russian standout relies heavily on his grappling, averaging 0.71 takedowns per 15 minutes while keeping his striking conservative.
The co-main event features Dakota Ditcheva, who enters at 14-0 and has built one of the more eye-catching stat lines in women's MMA. The 27-year-old lands 12.75 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 84 percent accuracy, and averages 15 takedowns per 15 minutes — numbers that reflect her relentless, multi-dimensional style.
Why it matters
- Two light heavyweight cancellations thin out a division that has limited depth across most promotions
- The PFL is scrambling to fill Nishimwe's slot, meaning Diakhate's appearance on the card is still uncertain
- The main event and co-main remain unaffected, keeping the marquee matchups intact for the New York audience
