Event Overview
Card Name
PFL Champions Series 4
Subtitle
Champions Series
Status
OVER
Date
2025-12-13
Promotion
Professional Fighters League
Venue
Ldlc Arena
Location
Lyon
Event Series
Previous Card
None
Next Card
-
Broadcast
No broadcast partners listed yet.
Tickets
Ticket information coming soon.
Pre-Fight Narratives
Vadim Nemkov vs Renan Ferreira
- The bout headlined PFL Lyon at LDLC Arena on Dec. 13, 2025 as the main event for the vacant PFL Heavyweight World Championship (scheduled 5x5 rounds). pflmma.com
- Vadim Nemkov entered as a former Bellator light-heavyweight champion who permanently moved up to heavyweight, was coming off a long unbeaten run and was positioned as the favorite to claim PFL gold; he is coached by Fedor Emelianenko. thebodylockmma.com
- Renan Ferreira (nicknamed "Problema") came in as a towering 6'8" former PFL tournament winner and a heavy striking threat making his first fight since a TKO loss to Francis Ngannou. tapology.com
- Pre-fight metrics showed a size gap (Ferreira ~258.8 lbs, Nemkov ~241.9 lbs; Ferreira ~6'8" reach ~85.0", Nemkov ~6'0" reach ~76.0") and betting markets heavily favored Nemkov. tapology.com
Cris Cyborg vs Sara Collins
- Bout was billed as the co-main event at PFL Lyon (LDLC Arena, Dec. 13, 2025) for the vacant PFL women’s featherweight title. https://www.espn.com/mma/
- Cris Cyborg entered as a multi-division superstar (about 28–29–2, age ~40) making a high‑profile return; Sara Collins was portrayed as an undefeated rising Australian and former judo international who earned the title shot. https://mmamania.com/
- At the official weigh‑ins both fighters made 144.6 lb; Cyborg listed at 5'8" with a 69.0" reach and Collins 5'7" with a 68.5" reach — betting lines heavily favored Cyborg (-670) over Collins (+450). https://tapology.com/
- Collins framed the bout as representing judo — joking she was 'stepping up for the judo people' and saying she wanted to represent judo in MMA like Ronda Rousey. https://mmafighting.com/
Taylor Lapilus vs Liam Gittins
- Bout scheduled as a bantamweight (135 lb) main-card fight (#7) at PFL Europe 4 in Lyon, three 5-minute rounds. tapology.com
- Weigh-ins: Taylor Lapilus 135.9 lbs (61.6 kg); Liam Gittins 136.0 lbs (61.7 kg). mmajunkie.usatoday.com
- Pre-fight identifiers and market: Lapilus listed around 23-4 (nickname "Double Impact"), Gittins around 13-5 ("Nightmare"); both listed 5'6" with reaches Lapilus 73" and Gittins 65"; betting odds favored Lapilus (~-360). tapology.com
- Lapilus' appearance was promoted as his PFL debut and positioned as a notable addition to a stacked 135 lb division. pflmma.com
Aleksandr Chizov vs Connor Hughes
- Bout billed as the PFL Europe Lightweight Final / Tournament Championship at 155 lbs, scheduled for five rounds on the PFL Lyon card (Dec. 13, 2025) at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France. https://mmamania.com/
- Fighters listed as Aleksandr Chizov (13-3) vs. Connor Hughes (12-3) with official weigh-ins showing Chizov 154.6 lbs and Hughes 154.7 lbs; listed measurements: Chizov 6'0", 75.0" reach; Hughes 5'11", 73.0" reach; ages shown in listings (Chizov ~28, Hughes ~28). https://tapology.com/
- Betting lines varied across listings, with some outlets showing Chizov as the underdog (+140) and others listing him a slight favorite (-190) against Hughes. https://tapology.com/
- Road to the final: Chizov reached the tournament final by beating Mark Ewen and Claudio Pacella; Hughes advanced with wins over Sebastien Di Franco and Gino van Steenis. https://sports.yahoo.com/
- Weigh-ins were conducted ahead of the event at the PFL host hotel; PFL Lyon was streamed in the U.S. on the ESPN App (ESPN Unlimited) and on DAZN in parts of Europe. https://pflmma.com/
Boris Mbarga Atangana vs Guilherme Soares
- No specific prior narrative existed for the two competitors; the bout was one of several tournament/final bouts on the PFL Lyon card, raising the stakes for winners. mmafighting.com
- PFL Lyon featured multiple high-profile matchups and returnees (heavyweight title fight, Cris Cyborg return, tournament finals), meaning a win could immediately propel a fighter into bigger opportunities on the PFL schedule. mmamania.com
Gustavo Oliveira vs Movsar Ibragimov
- Bout scheduled as a 135 lb bantamweight (3x5 minutes) on the PFL Lyon preliminary card at LDLC Arena on Dec. 13, 2025 (Prelim, Bout #3). mmamania.com
- Weigh-ins: Gustavo Oliveira 136.0 lbs (61.7 kg) vs. Movsar Ibragimov 135.6 lbs (61.5 kg) at the PFL host hotel. mmajunkie.usatoday.com
- Records and physicals listed on card: Gustavo Oliveira up to 12-2 (height 5'8", reach ~70.5"), Movsar Ibragimov 7-1 (height 5'8", reach ~68"). tapology.com
- Betting and nicknames: Oliveira nicknamed "Heart" entered as the clear favorite (~-290) with Ibragimov the underdog (~+225). tapology.com
- Background: Oliveira had earlier been forced to withdraw from the 2025 PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament due to a training cut and was replaced by Julien Lopez. wikipedia.org
Sabrina De Sousa vs Paulina Wisniewska
- Bout scheduled as a women's flyweight (125 lb) preliminary fight — three 5-minute rounds on the PFL Lyon card. https://tapology.com/
- Promoted as a "Battle of Unbeatens" with both fighters unbeaten entering the bout. https://pflmma.com/
- Weigh-ins: Sabrinna de Sousa 125.4 lbs; Paulina Wiśniewska 125.9 lbs — both made the 125-lb limit. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/
- Pre-fight details listed de Sousa at 5-0 (age 25, 5'3", 62" reach) and Wiśniewska at 6-0 (age 27, 5'6", 66" reach); betting odds showed de Sousa as a slight favorite (-180) and Wiśniewska +130. https://tapology.com/
Rayan Balbali vs Levi Batchelor
- No pre-fight narrative or matchup details for this specific bout were provided in the supplied articles. https://mmafighting.com/
During Fight Narratives
Vadim Nemkov vs Renan Ferreira
- Nemkov immediately dragged Ferreira to the canvas in the opening minute, used wrestling and top control to neutralize the height advantage and soften him with ground-and-pound while hunting submissions. lowkickmma.com
- There was a brief scramble in which Ferreira briefly threatened an armbar from top, but Nemkov scrambled back to the top, moved into full mount and transitioned to an arm-triangle choke. mmajunkie.usatoday.com
- The official finish came at 4:00 of Round 1 by submission (arm-triangle choke), giving Nemkov a first-round stoppage to capture the vacant PFL heavyweight title. espn.com
Cris Cyborg vs Sara Collins
- Cyborg set a relentless, stalking pace early while Collins landed kicks, fired counters and secured a couple of takedowns but was unable to turn them into sustained offense. https://mmamania.com/
- In Round 3 Collins threatened with a head‑and‑arm throw/headlock; Cyborg escaped, reversed position, took the back and finished with a fight‑ending choke at 2:55 of Round 3 — the stoppage is widely reported as a rear‑naked choke though some outlets described a face‑crank variation. https://www.espn.com/mma/
Taylor Lapilus vs Liam Gittins
- Taylor Lapilus defeated Liam Gittins by unanimous decision after three full rounds (decision at 5:00 of round 3); judges' scorecards reported 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. espn.com/mma
- Reports confirm the bout went the distance (3 x 5:00) with consistent final scorecards across outlets. wikipedia.org
- PFL and event coverage described the contest as a striking war — Lapilus delivered a strong, entertaining PFL debut and controlled enough action to secure the decision. pflmma.com
- Articles and fight reports provided no detailed round-by-round play-by-play or granular scoring in post-event write-ups. tapology.com
Aleksandr Chizov vs Connor Hughes
- Aleksandr Chizov defeated Connor Hughes by KO/TKO (Straight Right) at 0:50 of Round 3 (listed as R3 0:50, 10:50 total). https://tapology.com/
- The finish was described as a clean, brutal straight right that 'flattened' Hughes, leaving him unconscious as he hit the canvas. https://sports.yahoo.com/
- Coverage and highlights characterized the knockout as an explosive, one-punch finish in which Chizov's blow ended the tournament final emphatically. https://mmafighting.com/
- After landing the knockout, Chizov dove with a follow-up punch that only partially connected; the finish came just after two full rounds of the scheduled five-round final. https://sports.yahoo.com/
Boris Mbarga Atangana vs Guilherme Soares
- Blue won by submission in Round 2 — after a competitive opening the winner secured top control, worked position and locked a fight-ending choke in the second stanza. pflmma.com
- The sequence followed an initial period of striking and grappling exchanges as Blue progressively took the fight to the mat and finished with a clean, decisive tap in round two. mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Gustavo Oliveira vs Movsar Ibragimov
- Gustavo Oliveira finished Movsar Ibragimov with a left hook followed by ground punches for an official KO/TKO at 0:34 of Round 2. tapology.com
- Multiple outlets described the ending as abrupt, noting Oliveira "ends things suddenly with his punches." pflmma.com
- The stoppage occurred on the preliminary card and is listed with a total fight-clocked time of 5:34 (R2, 0:34). espn.com
- Official method listings across fight pages show KO/TKO (left hook to ground punches) in Round 2 at 0:34. mmafighting.com
Sabrina De Sousa vs Paulina Wisniewska
- Sabrinna de Sousa defeated Paulina Wiśniewska via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) after three rounds; the bout went the full scheduled distance (3 x 5:00). https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/
- Multiple outlets (Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting, Cageside Press) reported the same split-decision outcome and scores. https://sports.yahoo.com/
- An ESPN fight-center feed briefly showed a different result listing, but the consensus of postfight reports confirms de Sousa as the victor by split decision. https://www.espn.com/mma/
Rayan Balbali vs Levi Batchelor
- Fight went the distance — the blue corner was awarded the decision after three rounds; no round-by-round scoring or detailed action for this bout was available in the provided material. https://mmafighting.com/
Post-Fight Narratives
Vadim Nemkov vs Renan Ferreira
- Vadim Nemkov was crowned the inaugural PFL Heavyweight World Champion after the first-round arm-triangle submission. pflmma.com
- In a cageside interview via translator Nemkov said he would 'fight anybody the company wants' and explicitly called for Francis Ngannou as his preferred next opponent. sports.yahoo.com
- The win immediately positioned Nemkov as 'the man to beat' in PFL heavyweight ranks and prompted heavy media and promotional talk of a potential Nemkov–Ngannou clash. mmafighting.com
- For Ferreira the loss marked a rare submission defeat (his first since 2016) and the first time he suffered consecutive defeats; no immediate post-fight quotes from Ferreira were published in the primary coverage. sports.yahoo.com
Cris Cyborg vs Sara Collins
- Cris Cyborg won the bout and was crowned PFL Women’s Featherweight Champion, adding another world title to her résumé. https://pflmma.com/
- Cyborg floated next steps publicly — suggesting a possible superfight with Dakota Ditcheva — and indicated she plans to have just one more MMA fight before focusing on boxing. https://mmafighting.com/
- Cyborg said she had "been working this defense for judo side control" after fending off Collins' submission attempts. https://www.espn.com/mma/
- Observers noted the finish was only the second submission of Cyborg’s long career and credited Collins with a valiant effort; Collins earned the PFL opportunity after upsetting Leah McCourt. https://sports.yahoo.com/
Taylor Lapilus vs Liam Gittins
- Post-fight records shown: Taylor Lapilus up to 23-4; Liam Gittins down to 13-5. tapology.com
- Immediate coverage noted there were no post-fight quotes, callouts, or definitive 'what's next' comments for either fighter in event write-ups. tapology.com
- Post-fight narratives framed the win as a statement PFL debut for Lapilus, with outlets highlighting his athleticism and positioning him as a major contender in the stacked 135 lb division. pflmma.com
Aleksandr Chizov vs Connor Hughes
- The knockout secured Aleksandr Chizov the 2025 PFL Europe lightweight tournament championship; official listings updated Chizov to 13-3 and Hughes to 12-3. https://pflmma.com/
- Chizov celebrated the finish by miming firing an imaginary shotgun and 'reloading' between shots; immediate postfight reports noted there were no notable winner/loser quotes or extended callouts. https://sports.yahoo.com/
- Recaps and results pages described the victory as impressive and emphatic, emphasizing that Chizov secured the tournament in convincing fashion. https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/
Boris Mbarga Atangana vs Guilherme Soares
- Blue's second-round submission victory immediately elevated their status on the PFL card and could open the door to higher-profile matchups inside the promotion; specific next steps were not announced. mmajunkie.usatoday.com
- Coverage focused on the implications of the finish for the event and promotion rather than extended winner/loser quotes; no notable postfight callouts or lengthy interviews were reported in initial coverage. lowkickmma.com
Gustavo Oliveira vs Movsar Ibragimov
- Result: Gustavo Oliveira defeated Movsar Ibragimov by KO/TKO (punches) — official result reported as R2, 0:34; Oliveira listed subsequently as 12-2, Ibragimov 7-1. espn.com
- The finish was confirmed across major outlets (MMA Fighting, Yahoo Sports, MMAJunkie) and included in PFL's post-event recap of PFL Lyon. pflmma.com
- No post-fight quotes, reactions, callouts, or "what's next" information for this bout were reported in event write-ups. tapology.com
- Box-score/detail listings on some result pages list Oliveira as Portuguese and Ibragimov as Belgian in the official fight listings. africa.espn.com
Sabrina De Sousa vs Paulina Wisniewska
- Postfight records updated: Sabrinna de Sousa improved to 5-0; Paulina Wiśniewska moved to 6-1 after the decision. https://tapology.com/
- Immediate coverage provided no extended postfight quotes, reactions or explicit next-step callouts for either fighter in PFL write-ups. https://pflmma.com/
- The bout was part of PFL Europe 4 (PFL Champions Series 4) on Dec. 13, 2025 at LDLC Arena in Lyon, France and was carried on the event's preliminary broadcast window. https://mmamania.com/
Rayan Balbali vs Levi Batchelor
- Blue-corner fighter was awarded the decision after three rounds; there were no post-fight quotes, callouts or disclosed payout details for this matchup in the sourced coverage. https://mmafighting.com/
| Fighter | VS | Fighter | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main | |||
—
16-2-0-0
sub
R1
4:00
|
VS |
13-4-0-3
x
|
|
| VS |
6-0-0-0
x
|
||
|
✓
0-0-0-0
ko
R1
2:42
|
VS |
10-4-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
21-4-0-0
dec
R3
5:00
|
VS |
13-4-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
1-1-0-0
ko
R1
0:44
|
VS |
11-3-1-0
x
|
|
✓
5-3-0-0
ko
R3
0:50
|
VS |
10-2-0-0
x
|
|
|
✓
0-0-0-0
sub
R2
2:35
|
VS |
0-0-0-0
x
|
|
✓
2-2-0-0
ko
R2
0:34
|
VS |
0-0-0-0
x
|
|
|
2-0-0-0
|
VS |
0-0-0-0
|
|
|
✓
0-0-0-0
dec
R3
5:00
|
VS |
0-0-0-0
x
|
|
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