Movlid Khaybulaev reminded everyone why he’s still one of the most dominant grapplers in MMA. The Dagestani featherweight smothered Taekyun Kim over three grinding rounds at the PFL Semifinals, punching his ticket to the 2025 Featherweight World Final.
From the opening minute, Khaybulaev imposed his rhythm — catch the kick, close the distance, drag it to the floor. Kim stayed active, scrambling and defending well early, but couldn’t get any real momentum going. Round 1 was a clinic in pressure and top control, with Khaybulaev landing knees and softening Kim up from dominant spots.
Round 2 saw Khaybulaev dial it up. He landed a stiff right hand before slamming Kim to the mat in one of the fight’s biggest moments. Kim managed to hit a takedown of his own, but it barely slowed the former champ — who reversed, reset, and went right back to work from the top.
By Round 3, it was all about control. Khaybulaev kept pouring on the pressure, mixing in submission attempts with consistent ground-and-pound. Kim showed heart and creativity off his back, but Khaybulaev’s positioning was just too tight. He didn’t leave space to breathe, let alone strike back.
When the final bell sounded, the result felt inevitable. Scores came in 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 for Khaybulaev, who now moves one win away from reclaiming the PFL title he first won in 2021. For fans of wrestling-heavy dominance, this was vintage Movlid.
Official Result: Movlid Khaybulaev def. Taekyun Kim via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
