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Thad Jean emerged as one of the PFL’s top stars in 2025. | PFL MMA
The vacant welterweight title will be on the line when Professional Fighters League heads to the nation’s capital this summer.
The promotion announced on Wednesday that undefeated 2025 tournament winner Thad Jean will lock horns with 2024 PFL champ Shamil Musaev for the 170-pound strap at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 25. The PFL D.C. main card will be broadcast live on ESPN beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while prelims will air via the ESPN app beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. More bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
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According to a release, the welterweight title was vacated when Ramazan Kuramagomedov was stripped of the belt. Kuramagomedov defeated Musaev via unanimous decision to capture the 170-pound championship at PFL Dubai on Feb. 7. It’s unclear why Kuramagomedov was stripped of the belt.
“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 in a release. “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.”
‘Silverback’ vs. ‘Silent Assassin’
Jean emerged as a person of interest in the welterweight division thanks to his run through the PFL tournament in 2025. Victories over Mukhamed Berkhamov, Jason Jackson and Logan Storley propelled “Silverback” through the bracket, cementing his spot as a title contender.
Musaev, meanwhile, emerged as one of the world’s top welterweights when he won the 2024 PFL championship while competing in the organization’s former season format. “Silent Assassin” defeated the highly-touted Magomed Umalatov via third-round TKO at the 2024 PFL championship to complete a 4-0 campaign in 2024. Musaev suffered his first career defeat in the aforementioned setback against Kuramagomedov.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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