PFL Europe Championship Fight Highlights: Dakota Ditcheva, Lewis McGrillen & More
Relive some of the biggest championship fights in PFL Europe history, from Dakota Ditcheva's breakthrough in Dublin to the knockout victories that crowned new champions in Lyon. This Professional Fighters League highlight compilation revisits the European tournament finals, where fighters from across the continent competed for championship belts and $100,000 prizes.
The championship moments from the 2023 and 2024 seasons feature several fighters who helped establish PFL Europe, including Lewis McGrillen, Jakub Kaszuba and Florim Zendeli. Some captured their first major MMA titles, while others used the regional competition to build toward bigger opportunities.
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Valentina Scatizzi: PFL Europe 2023 Championship
One of the defining performances of PFL Europe's inaugural season came on December 8, 2023, at Dublin's 3Arena. Unbeaten British flyweight Dakota Ditcheva faced Italian contender Valentina Scatizzi in the women's championship final at PFL Europe 4: 2023 Championships.
Ditcheva dominated the opening round with kicks, punches and repeated knees from the Muay Thai clinch. Scatizzi continued fighting through the punishment, but significant swelling around her eye prompted a medical examination between rounds. The doctor ruled her unable to continue, giving Ditcheva the championship by first-round TKO at 5:00.
That victory proved to be an important step in Ditcheva's career. Less than a year later, she defeated Taila Santos to become the 2024 PFL women's flyweight world champion, making the transition from European tournament winner to global champion.
Her development is covered in Dakota Ditcheva Highlights: From PFL Europe to World Champion. For a closer look at the fighter beyond her results, watch The Agony of Victory, a documentary following her championship journey.
PFL Europe 2024: McGrillen, Kaszuba and Zendeli Win Gold in Lyon
The following season produced another memorable set of championship finishes at PFL Europe 2024 Championships, held December 14 at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France.
British bantamweight Lewis McGrillen-Evans delivered one of the night's most explosive performances against German contender Alexander Luster. McGrillen repeatedly hurt Luster with his left hand before dropping him again in Round 2 and finishing with ground-and-pound at 3:52.
McGrillen had already survived a remarkable semifinal against Dean Garnett, earning his place in the final with a third-round knockout. Beating Luster completed his run to the PFL Europe bantamweight championship and secured the $100,000 tournament prize.
The Manchester fighter's career subsequently took him toward competition in the United States. Read Lewis McGrillen's Wild Road to PFL Austin for more on his progression beyond the European tournament.
Another major moment in Lyon belonged to Polish lightweight Jakub Kaszuba, who was attempting to become the promotion's first two-time European champion. Having won the inaugural lightweight tournament in 2023 by stopping John Mitchell, Kaszuba returned to face British challenger Connor Hughes in the 2024 final.
Hughes gave Kaszuba serious problems during the fight, but the defending tournament winner rallied and took control on the ground. A sustained barrage of elbows forced the referee to intervene at 4:07 of Round 4, giving Kaszuba a second consecutive PFL Europe lightweight championship.
The welterweight final offered a different kind of finish. Florim Zendeli faced Italian striker Daniele Miceli in a competitive opening round that featured aggressive striking, scrambles and submission attempts.
Zendeli eventually secured Miceli's back and locked in a rear-naked choke late in the first round, forcing the tap at 4:24. The submission earned him the PFL Europe welterweight title and completed a successful tournament run that had included victories over Tomasz Langowski and Jack Grant.
Valentina Scatizzi's Second Championship Opportunity
There was another connection between the 2023 and 2024 championship events. After losing to Ditcheva in Dublin, Valentina Scatizzi returned to the women's flyweight final the following year, this time against Poland's Paulina Wiśniewska.
Scatizzi's second attempt at European gold ended even faster than her first. Wiśniewska landed a damaging knee in the clinch and followed with punches, securing a first-round TKO officially recorded by the PFL at 22 seconds.
It was one of the shortest championship fights in the promotion's European history, and another example of how quickly a tournament final could end after months of qualifying bouts and semifinal competition.
From PFL Europe to the Promotion's International Championships
These championship fights helped establish PFL Europe's identity during its opening seasons. Fighters competed across multiple events, progressing through tournament brackets toward a final where a championship belt and $100,000 were at stake.
Ditcheva's subsequent world championship illustrated what that platform could offer, while McGrillen, Kaszuba and Zendeli demonstrated the depth of talent competing across Europe's lighter weight divisions.
The promotion's international calendar continues with PFL Dubai: Nemkov vs. Bilostenniy on November 14, 2026, featuring Vadim Nemkov's heavyweight world title defense. Regional championship action follows at PFL MENA 12 in Saudi Arabia on December 11 and PFL Africa: Rwanda on December 12, where three African tournament champions are scheduled to be crowned.
For anyone following the fighters who emerged through PFL Europe, this collection of championship highlights offers a look back at the finishes, upsets and tournament victories that helped launch their careers.