Bryan Battle headlines in his own city Friday night, and the timing could hardly be better for him. The Professional Fighters League returns to Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina for a 13-bout card topped by a middleweight fight between Battle and Dalton Rosta, with the winner walking into a division that is about to sort itself out at the top.
Key Points
- Main Event: Bryan Battle (12-3, 1 NC) vs. Dalton Rosta (11-3), middleweight. Battle is a Charlotte native fighting at home; Rosta is trying to snap the first losing streak of his career.
- Co-Main: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Simeon Powell at light heavyweight, a fight rebooked after Powell was not cleared by the commission ahead of a scheduled meeting last month.
- How to Watch: Friday, August 7, 2026. Prelims 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, main card 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Why This Middleweight Fight Matters Right Now
The 185-pound picture at the top is frozen until Costello van Steenis and Johnny Eblen settle it. Eblen knocked out Impa Kasanganay in the third round at PFL Austin on July 18 to claim the interim middleweight title, then faced off with van Steenis, who watched from cageside with the undisputed belt after an injury forced him off that card.
That leaves a queue forming behind them, and Charlotte is where the next name in line gets decided. Battle and Rosta are both ranked inside the PFL middleweight top 10, and both are coming off losses, which makes this a rare main event where neither man can afford a bad night.
Bryan Battle Is Fighting At Home With Nowhere To Hide
Battle went 7-1 in the UFC and won Season 29 of “The Ultimate Fighter” before the promotion cut him following a second straight weight miss, the last one coming ahead of a canceled bout against Nursulton Ruziboev in Chicago. He signed with the PFL and got a marquee assignment immediately, then was submitted by Eblen in the opening round at PFL Pittsburgh in March.
Speaking to Sherdog during the PFL’s Summer Series media scrum, Battle framed Charlotte as something closer to a guarantee than an opportunity. “I see the knockout as inevitable,” he said, before adding that Rosta is “another main event type talent” and a “stud.”
Nine of Battle’s 12 wins have come by stoppage, and he already owns one of the loudest moments in this city’s fight history: a 14-second knockout of Gabe Green at UFC Charlotte in 2023.
Dalton Rosta Walks Into Hostile Territory On A Two-Fight Skid
Rosta has never lost twice in a row before now. He was knocked out by a Fabian Edwards head kick in the 2025 PFL middleweight tournament final, then lost by first-round TKO to Kasanganay in March, in his own hometown of Pittsburgh. Now he gets the inverse: a main event in his opponent’s backyard.
The 30-year-old told Sherdog that none of it has moved him. “I truly believe deep down from the bottom of my heart, I’m going to go in there and I’m going to get a finish in this fight,” Rosta said, calling the confidence a personality trait rather than a results-based one.
Speaking with Home of Fight earlier in the summer, he was blunter about the approach. “The thought process is just win by any means necessary,” he said.
Full Main Card
| Bout | Weight Class |
|---|---|
| Bryan Battle vs. Dalton Rosta | Middleweight |
| Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Simeon Powell | Light Heavyweight |
| Josh Silveira vs. Aaron Jeffery | Middleweight |
| Lewis McGrillen vs. Brandon Lewis | Bantamweight |
| Josh Fremd vs. Jhony Gregory | Middleweight |
Fights To Watch Outside The Main Event
Yagshimuradov and Powell is the best matchup on paper behind the headliner. Yagshimuradov won the 2024 PFL light heavyweight tournament by knocking out Kasanganay, lost to Corey Anderson for his first defeat in five years, and rebounded with a decision win in Belfast earlier this year.
The prelims are stacked with heavyweight names from the promotion’s Bellator era. Denis Goltsov faces Hasan Mezhiev, and Bruno Cappelozza meets Valentin Moldavsky in a fight between two former heavyweight titleholders. Former UFC welterweight Trey Waters also makes his PFL debut against Trukon Carson.
Full Preliminary Card
- Denis Goltsov vs. Hasan Mezhiev
- Bruno Cappelozza vs. Valentin Moldavsky
- Cheyden Leialoha vs. Robbie Ring
- Cheyanne Bowers vs. Elora Dana
- Michael Boylan vs. Landry Ward
- Wilson Lopshire vs. Jonathan Martin
- Maxwell Djantou Nana vs. Eduardo Neves
- Trukon Carson vs. Trey Waters
How To Watch PFL Charlotte
- Date/Time: Friday, August 7, 2026. Prelims 7 p.m. ET, main card 10 p.m. ET.
- Venue: Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Broadcast: Main card on ESPN, prelims on ESPN+
This is the PFL’s second event in Charlotte and its first since PFL 9 in August 2025. Stay with MMANews.com for live results and post-fight reaction.
