Patrick Habirora Destroys UFC Vet Danny Roberts in 2025 PFL Europe 2 Main Event

The Professional Fighters League has found its newest star, and his name is Patrick Habirora.

The 24-year-old Belgian prodigy packed ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium, and capped off Saturday’s 2025 PFL Europe 2 main event with a first-round headkick knockout of Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Danny Roberts (4:32). Habirora (7-0, 3-0 PFL) came into the toughest match of his career lacking the experience and natural size of the Englishman. Roberts (18-9, 0-1 PFL) promised to make it a gritty affair, and throughout the first round, he had his way. Roberts smothered Habirora against the fence and made it nearly impossible to strike.

After fighting for breathing room for over two minutes, Habirora finally turned himself away from the cage, marking him for a roundhouse kick that collided smack dab off Robert’s temple. “Hot Chocolate” spilled over the canvas as ING Arena erupted over the arrival of what could be the country’s next great star.

Lapilus Dominates Taleb

UFC veteran Taylor Lapilus cruised to a unanimous decision victory in his PFL debut over PFL MENA bantamweight champion Ali Taleb (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in the co-main event.

Lapilus (22-4, 1-0 PFL) isn’t known for having a high-octane style, but his striking is razor-sharp and his defense is always on point. Taleb (12-2, 5-2 PFL) was out of his depth early, and there was little he could do with the 26-fight veteran. Lapilus worked behind his jab and footwork, giving Taleb a lesson on distance and timing. Taleb’s punches hit nothing but air, and Lapilus made him pay for it.

Related » 2025 PFL Europe 2 Round-by-Round Scoring

Pirrello Pulls Off Ninja Choke

Gaetano Pirrello (17-7-1, 1-0 PFL) is a battle-tested featherweight who’s been around the block with some of the best fighters in the world.

Despite coming off a nearly two-year-long layoff, the Belgian returned excitingly to hand Salvatore Liga his first loss as a professional. Liga (5-1, 0-1) came in over aggressively and put Pirrello on his heels, but paid dearly in the form of Pirrello’s ninja choke, which ended the fight 3:22 into round one.

Atangana Makes Quick Work of Santos

It took Boris Mbarga Atangana less than a minute (0:56) to beat Portugal’s Bruno Santos out of commission.

Atangana brought the Brussels crowd out of their seats with a first-round knockout that improved his record to 6-0, 1-0 PFL. Santos (3-4, 0-1 PFL) had no answers for Atangana after he was driven into the mat by a blast double. Atangana initially looked to submit Santos with an anaconda choke, but when Santos defended, he turned his focus to a leather convention.

Atangana dropped bombs from mount until referee Axel Vankimmenade was forced to step in. Following the win, Atangana rushed into the crowd to celebrate with his countrymen.

Pedro Hands Abaev First L

Chequina Noso Pedro ruined formerly undefeated Belgian welterweight prospect Khamzat Abaev’s homecoming with an impressive unanimous decision win (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

Abaev (4-1, 0-1 PFL) led the dance on the feet, but Pedro made it clear early that he came to wrestle. Pedro's (10-5, 1-1 PFL) gas tank overwhelmed Abaev, keeping the young prospect flustered and gasping for air. When Abaev wasn’t locked on the mat with Pedro, he was getting his legs torn to shreds with punishing kicks. Despite coming in as an underdog, Pedro taught Abaev that an ironclad game plan paired with a relentless gas tank can overwhelm talent any day.

Ibragimov Shoulder Chokes Fanny

Undefeated Belgian Movsar Ibragimov survived an early onslaught from Gerardo Fanny and kept his unblemished record intact with a second-round shoulder choke in bantamweight action (1:42).

Fanny (14-5, 0-1 PFL) opened the fight looking to send the fan favorite to the shadow realm. He dropped Ibragimov with a right hand and moved in for the finish, but Ibragimov stayed poised and turned the opportunity into a takedown. Ibragimov (7-0, 1-0 PFL) stalled the rest of the round, coasting on his top pressure. In the second frame, Ibragimov went back to his bread and butter and took Fanny to the mat after countering a flying knee with a double leg. Fanny hoped to counter with a guillotine, but only opened a path for Ibragimov to put him away with a Von Flue choke.

Ibragimov Stays Undefeated

Despite both fighters coming in undefeated, Dagestan’s Ibragim Ibragimov proved to be on a different level compared to France’s Mathys Duragrin.

The featherweights carried buckets of bad blood, but Ibragimov was unfazed by Duragin’s chirping as he cruised to a unanimous decision win (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Ibragimov (10-0, 4-0 PFL) shut Duragin down and took away his entire arsenal with wrestling. Duragin (4-1, 1-1 PFL) is a skilled striker but couldn’t display his talents due to Ibragimov’s constant pressure. Throughout three rounds, Ibragimov executed his game plan flawlessly, making Duragin look like an amateur.

Garnett Edges Gronvall

Dean Garnett secured the final spot in the PFL Europe bantamweight semifinals with a narrow but unanimous decision win over Tuomas Gronvall (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Garnett (13-3-1, 1-1 PFL) cracked Gronvall with overhand rights and was the sharper fighter on the feet, but Gronvall (12-9-1, 0-2 PFL) tightened things on the scorecards with a wrestle-heavy third round that kept Garnett neutralized and unable to press for a finish. With the victory, Garnett bounces back from a knockout loss to Lewis McGrillen Evans and will fight Jan Cieplowski in the semifinals.

Campanella Moves to Semis

Mahio Campanella advanced to the PFL Europe bantamweight semifinals after a unanimous decision win over Matiss Zaharovs.

Campanella (8-1, 2-0 PFL) almost took Zaharovs' head off with a switch knee in the first round and caught the Latvian with a spinning elbow that caught the judges' attention in the second. Campanella controlled a competitive bout throughout but was forced to survive after Zaharovs (7-4, 1-2 PFL) took his back in the closing minutes of the fight. Campanella fought back to his feet to hear the final bell and will take his win into the semifinal to face Gustavo Oliveira.

Safta Closes Strong

Switzerland’s Catalin Safta picked up his first win in the SmartCage via split decision over Belgian fan favorite Nicolas Di Franco in lightweight action (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).

Safta opened the fight strong and nearly finished Di Franco (10-5-1) after the Belgian tweaked his knee in Round 2. Di Franco would reverse his position on the ground and inflict damage in half guard, setting up a razor-thin third round. Di Franco controlled most of the stanza by pressing Safta into the fence, but Safta was able to sway the judges and edge out the fight with a flurry in the closing seconds.

Oliveira Hellbows Azizoun

How do you follow five straight finishes to open a card? Ask Oliveira, just make sure you’re well out of range.

The Brazilian bantamweight put his name in the running for the knockout of the year with a devastating spinning back elbow on Anas Azizoun 3:25 into the first round. Oliveira (11-2, 1-0 PFL) and Azizoun (5-2, 0-1 PFL) traded shots with bad intentions and had each other hurt throughout the early stanza. As the round started to wind down, Oliveira gained confidence and taunted Azizoun, prompting him to rush in and eat a spinning elbow to the temple that put him out cold.

With six consecutive finishes to start the card, it was going to take something special for Oliveira to stand out, but he more than stole the show.

Cieplowski Moves on in Tourney

Cieplowski continued the trend of early finishes with a first-round TKO win (3:43) over Julien Lopez (7-5-1, 1-2 PFL).

Cieplowski (9-0, 1-0 PFL) shined in his debut, dropping Lopez three times in the first round before putting him away for good off a blistering combination of hooks and uppercuts. With the win, the Pole advanced to the semifinals of the $100,000 PFL Europe bantamweight tournament.

Wisniewska Continues Surge

In only her sixth professional fight, Polish flyweight Paulina Wisniewska has demonstrated that she has the mean streak to go far in her MMA career.

The undefeated talent (6-0, 4-0 PFL) notched her first submission with a first-round (4:12) rear-naked choke finish of Jessica Cunha (9-5, 0-1 PFL). Wisniewska nearly dropped Cunha with a head kick before dragging her to the mat and taking her back. Wisniewska settled into that position and peppered the Brazilian with punches until Cunha exposed her neck.

Meskini Bodies Ferranti

French featherweight Adam Meskini impressively finished rising Italian Tiziano Ferranti in the closing seconds of the second round (4:56).

Meskini (10-3, 2-0 PFL) showcased quick hands and precise striking throughout the showcase bout and had Ferranti (10-2, 0-1 PFL) reeling from a picture-perfect shovel hook to the liver. Meskini rained down punches as the clock threatened to save his damaged opponent. Meskini poured on the pressure and pounded Ferranti’s body until he was saved by referee Axel Vankimmenade.

Batchelor Hits Rare No-Gi Choke

Levi Batchelor notched the third win of his career with a tricky third-round Ezekiel choke finish (4:34) over Belgium’s Fahdi Khaled in bantamweight action.

Batchelor (3-0, 1-0 PFL) showcased dominant wrestling throughout the first two rounds, but Khaled (2-1, 0-1 PFL) was crafty and at one point threatened a heel hook. The Welshman closed the fight with gusto after setting up in side control midway through the final round. With Khaled on his back, Batchelor shifted his pressure over the neck and sank his body weight as Khaled flailed for any sign of hope. By the time the fight was called, Khaled was on his way to Dreamville.

Giudice Rallies in Final Frame

In a battle of two young French prospects, Salvo Giudice improved to 2-0, 2-0 PFL with a third-round rear-naked choke over Brice Belghazi (2:14).

This fight took place at a catchweight of 163 pounds and opened the card with a bang. After leading the grappling exchanges throughout the duel, Giudice was nearly finished in the second round by a buggy choke. Giudice survived the danger and made easy work of a gassed Belghazi (1-2, 0-2 PFL) in the third period.