Get ready, fight fans—the Professional Fighters League is bringing the heat to the nation's capital this summer. On July 25, the vacant welterweight title will be up for grabs when undefeated 2025 tournament winner Thad Jean takes on reigning 2024 PFL champion Shamil Musaev at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. It's a clash of generations and styles that promises to deliver fireworks.
Thad Jean has been on a tear, emerging as one of the PFL's brightest stars in 2025. The fighter known as "Silverback" bulldozed through the tournament bracket with impressive wins over Mukhamed Berkhamov, Jason Jackson, and Logan Storley. Each victory was a statement, cementing his reputation as a relentless force in the 170-pound division. Now, he's just one fight away from claiming the belt.
Standing across the cage is Shamil Musaev, the "Silent Assassin" who has proven himself among the world's elite. Musaev captured the 2024 PFL championship with a dominant 4-0 campaign, capped by a thrilling third-round TKO over the highly-touted Magomed Umalatov. But he knows what it's like to come up short—his only recent blemish was a unanimous decision loss to Ramazan Kuramagomedov earlier this year. With that title now vacated after Kuramagomedov's surprise retirement, Musaev has a golden opportunity to reclaim glory.
PFL CEO John Martin couldn't hide his excitement. "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," Martin said. "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."
The main card will air live on ESPN starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, with prelims streaming on the ESPN app from 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. More bouts are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, but the headliner alone is enough to mark your calendars. For fans of combat sports, this is a must-watch event that could define the welterweight division for years to come. Whether you're Team Jean or Team Musaev, one thing's for sure: July 25 in D.C. is going to be electric.