Turkmen mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Dovletjan Yagshimuradov, currently ranked second in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) light heavyweight division, is scheduled to step back into the cage on July 31, 2026. The elite athlete will compete at the PFL New York event, hosted at the UBS Arena in Long Island, USA. Yagshimuradov will square off against English fighter Simeon Powell, famously known by his moniker "Smooth," who currently holds the fifth position in the promotional rankings.

The upcoming bout marks a continuation of Yagshimuradov's highly active and successful run in the current season. He last competed on April 16, 2026, at PFL Belfast in Northern Ireland, where he secured a unanimous decision victory (29-28) over Australia's Tyson Pedro at the SSE Arena. Although Pedro landed significant strikes in the third round that severely rocked Yagshimuradov, putting him on the brink of being stopped, the Turkmen fighter displayed immense resilience, recovered quickly, executed a crucial takedown, and maintained top control until the final bell.

This hard-fought victory propelled Yagshimuradov's PFL record to 4 wins and 1 loss, cementing his status at the top of the division. Previously, in November 2024, the Turkmen knockout artist captured the PFL light heavyweight world championship by stunningly dispatching American fighter Impa Kasanganay via knockout just 58 seconds into the first round.