Britain’s Alfie Davis surprised defending champion Gadzhi Rabadanov to win the PFL light-weight match by unanimous choice in Charlotte, North Carolina.

London’s Davis landed the extra damaging strikes to edge a detailed contest with all three judges scoring it 48-47 within the 33-year-old’s favour.

Davis was overcome with emotion because the end result was learn out as he gained $500,000 (£369,000) – a prize he described as “life-changing”.

He turns into the third Briton to win an annual PFL match after featherweight Brendan Loughnane in 2022 and ladies’s flyweight Dakota Ditcheva final yr.

“I do not know what to say, I’ve labored so laborious for this,” stated Davis.

“To be a champion like Gadzhi, I respect him and have watched him for therefore a few years – he and his group are wonderful. To beat somebody like that could be a dream come true.”

Davis reached the ultimate after having fun with the very best spell of his 11-year profession with wins over Clay Collard and Brent Primus.

In Russia’s 32-year-old Rabadanov, nonetheless, he was dealing with final yr’s champion and a fighter on a 12-fight win streak.

Davis stated he had suffered from a insecurity up to now, however has put that behind him with a string of spectacular shows.

His new-found confidence was on full show as he danced his approach to the cage, earlier than being launched as somebody whose “charisma will be seen from house”.