UNDEFEATED THAD JEAN FACES NO. 1 RANKED SHAMIL MUSAEV FOR THE VACANT PFL WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON JULY 25 IN WASHINGTON, DC

NEW YORK — May 13, 2026 — The Professional Fighters League today announced that undefeated 2025 PFL Welterweight Tournament Champion and No. 4-ranked Thad Jean (11-0) will face top-ranked 2024 PFL Welterweight Tournament Champion Shamil Musaev (20-1-1) for the vacant PFL Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 25 at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. 

The PFL D.C. main card will air live in the U.S. on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The preliminary portion will begin at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on the ESPN app. Tickets for the event are available for pre-sale beginning this Friday, May 15, at pfl.info/dc.  Additional bouts will be announced shortly. 

The PFL Welterweight World Championship was vacated after Ramazan Kuramagomedov was stripped of the title, setting the stage for the division’s last two tournament champions, undefeated 2025 winner Jean and 2024 winner Musaev, to battle for the right to call themselves the best welterweight in the world. The event marks the second of three consecutive weeks of PFL action featuring a world championship fight.  

“Thad Jean did everything that was asked of him. He won the 2025 tournament, beat elite competition, took the hardest path, and now he can finish the job and become PFL Welterweight World Champion on July 25,” said PFL CEO John Martin. “Standing across from him is Shamil Musaev, one of the most proven and dangerous welterweights in the world, a fighter in pursuit of the one thing he doesn’t have yet: PFL gold. This is a massive world championship fight between two of the best welterweights on the planet, and I can’t wait to bring it to Washington, D.C. live on ESPN.” 

For Jean, the stakes extend beyond the PFL World Championship. 

The undefeated standout captured the 2025 PFL Welterweight Tournament Championship by navigating one of the most difficult paths in the division, scoring a first-round knockout over Mukhamed Berkhamov, defeating former Bellator Welterweight Champion Jason Jackson, and closing his tournament run with a five-round unanimous decision over former interim Bellator Champion Logan Storley. But even after winning the tournament and remaining unbeaten, Jean enters July 25 fighting for more than recognition. He is fighting for his place among the very best fighters in the world. 

Gold would make Jean a PFL World Champion and put him exactly where he believes he has always belonged: at the top of the welterweight division. 

Across from him is Musaev, a proven, established force already recognized as one of the best welterweights in the world. The 2024 PFL Welterweight Tournament Champion built his résumé with a knockout win over Storley, two victories over Murad Ramazanov, and a third-round TKO of Magomed Umalatov to capture the 2024 tournament title. Musaev does not need to prove he belongs among the elite. He has already done that. What he is chasing now is the one thing missing from his résumé: the PFL Welterweight World Championship. 

Two tournament champions. Two fighters chasing gold. One looking to take his place among the best in the world. The other looking to cement it. 

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Updated PFL D.C. Main Card: 

CareFirst Arena – Washington DC 

July 25 | 10 pm ET 

ESPN (U.S.) 

PFL Welterweight World Championship Main Event: #4-Thad Jean (11-0) vs. #1-Shamil Musaev (21-1-1) 

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