Rob Wilkinson knew he had Omari Akhmedov in trouble and kept the pressure on until he was $1 million richer.
Wilkinson (17-2) capped off a perfect 2022 with a TKO win over Akhmedov (24-8-1) to capture the 2022 PFL light heavyweight crown. Wilkinson signed with the PFL this year and finished both his regular season fights by knockout, his playoff semifinal by knockout, and then a doctor’s stoppage to win $1 million.
It was a kickboxing matchup early, but Wilkinson started to take over with his boxing. Just before the Round 1 horn, Wilkinson landed a perfect knee to the chin, and it’s likely Akhmedov was saved by the bell.
In the second, Wilkinson’s striking stayed on point. Akhmedov’s best chance seemed to be on the canvas, but Wilkinson kept it standing. Wilkinson opened up a big cut on Akhmedov’s forehead, and by the end of the second round he was a bloody mess. When the cageside doctor took a second look at the cut, he decided it was too deep for him to continue.
#AndNOW 2022 PFL Light Heavyweight World Champion, ROBERT WILKINSON! 🇦🇺
[#PFLWorldChampionship | BUY NOW https://t.co/9tors6rrKk | LIVE ON ESPN+ PPV] pic.twitter.com/byCZYQy6sw
— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 26, 2022
The 2022 PFL finals took place Friday at Hulu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2022 PFL Championships.
