Senegalese mixed martial arts competitor Moustapha Diakhate made his Professional Fighters League (PFL) debut on Friday at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., in spectacular fashion. Diakhate (6-0-1) put the light heavyweight division on notice when he made short work of late replacement opponent Darryl Walker (2-1), winning halfway through the first round via technical knockout (TKO).
Fighting in the United States for the first time, the 6-4, 205-pound Diakhate scored an early takedown. From there, he punished Walker and earned a stoppage at 2:35 of the first round.
“It was very difficult,” Diakhate said regarding getting the bout. ”Six fighters said no. Thank you for my opponent, Darryl. He’s the best. He’s the man. He accepted this fight one or two days before the fight. I’m ready to be here at my home. New York is my home. New York has more Senegalese people.”
In the main event, Usman Nurmagomedov (22-0, 1NC) retained his PFL lightweight championship with a dominant first-round TKO of previously undefeated challenger Archie Colgan (13-1). Nurmagomedov now becomes the hottest free agent in MMA, because his contract with PFL has expired. With Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and the PFL announcing a merger last week, there could be a bidding war for the services of the talented Russian. The promotion returns tomorrow with the 14-fight PFL Charlotte.