PFL vets collided early on the PFL 4, 2021 fight card Thursday evening in Atlantic City, N.J., as Akhmed Aliev took on Loik Radzhabov in a lightweight showdown. 


Aliev, the 2019 PFL runner-up, defeated Mikhail Odintsov via unanimous decision at PFL 1, 2021, giving him three points as he entered his second-round matchup. 


Radzhabov, meanwhile, did not fare so well in his first-round tilt of the 2021 PFL season, losing to Alexander Martinez via split decision. With that loss behind him, Radzhabov entered his fight against Aliev in need of a victory — and he got it in emphatic fashion. 


Round 1 


The two fighters touch gloves and immediately get to swinging, with Radzhabov clipping Aliev in short order with a quick left-right. Unbelievable. Aliev attempted to regain his composure, but his equilibrium was clearly compromised, and Radzhabov swarmed with relentless shots. Aliev turtles and Radzhabov dives back in to finish the deep, giving referee Keith Peterson no choice but to stop the bout less than one minute into the action. 


With that, Radzhabov earns six points toward the 2021 PFL Playoffs and the quickest knockout in PFL Lightweight history. Not a bad day at the office. 


Currently, Radzhabov is not guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs, but should he end up in a tie for the fourth and final spot at 155 pounds, this quick finish will likely pay off, as it will give him the edge in a tiebreaker scenario. 


Official Result: Loik Radzhabov def. Akhmed Aliev via TKO (punches), Round 1 (0:27)