Aleksandr Chizov is the next big star of Latvian MMA.
He’s 12-3, but two of his losses came in the PFL Europe 2024 tournament, where he got his first taste of the big stage. He’s a well-rounded fighter with 7 knockouts and three submissions, but it’s his boxing that you notice right away. He has a clean jab, a solid right hook, and uses his footwork well.
Chizov entered the PFL Europe tournament against Mark Ewen. The fight didn’t last more than three minutes, after Chizov landed a mean left hook and put Ewen out. This was a solid debut for the 2025 PFL season, and he already looked a lot better than his previous stint with the PFL.
After beating Mark Ewen in his first-round fight via first-round finish, Chizov took on Claudio Pacella in Nantes, France, for a chance to fight in the PFL Europe final against Conor Hughes. After his quarterfinal performance, a lot was expected from Chizov, as he entered the fight as a solid favorite.
ROUND 1
In the first round, Chizov showed off his pressure, boxing, and footwork. He was able to control the pace, land solid combinations, and do solid damage early in the fight. What made this fight exciting was the volume and both fighters’ abilities to land solid shots. With more volume, damage, and pressure, it was easy to score the round for Chizov.
ROUND 2
In the second round, we saw much of the same from Chizov. He proved his toughness, defended takedowns, and continued to utilize his boxing skills to win rounds. While the fight started getting more competitive, Chizov was doing enough to take the round. It was much closer than the first, though.
ROUND 3
In the third round, this is where things got interesting. Pacella and his camp knew he could be down two rounds to none, so he picked up the pace, starting throwing with more intent and had far more volume. In this round, we saw just how good Chizov’s chin is, after he got cracked multiple times and even got dropped to a knee early in the round. He still found ways to make the most of the round and won minutes towards the end.
In what was a close fight, the judges gave Chizov the victory via split decision. It felt like he did enough on the feet to win the striking battle, especially with his pressure, and he was able to defend most of the takedowns when Pacella was looking for a way out.
This is a big day for Latvian MMA, as their biggest prospect now sets his sights on Hughes to walk away as the PFL Europe tournament winner. This will be a grueling fight, with plenty of competitive exchanges, but with a solid game plan, there’s a chance that Chizov could surprise the MMA world.
