Khizriev Eyes Title Shot If He Beats Braga Again in Chicago

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Timur Khizriev says a win over Gabriel Braga in their PFL Chicago rematch on Friday night should put him next in line for a featherweight title shot. The undefeated Russian has not fought in nearly two years, but he made clear this week that he has no interest in waiting any longer to climb back into the championship picture.

"I try not to think too far ahead, but if I win, definitely I think I should be next for a title," Khizriev told reporters, including Cageside Press, through a translator. "I had a long layoff for two years so it's fair that in that time AJ got his title shot. I was inactive, but now that I'm back, I think if I win, then I should be next."

Why Khizriev Still Disputes the First Decision

Khizriev has never accepted the split decision that went Braga's way when the two first met in 2024, and he says he plans to leave no doubt this time. "I know it was a split decision. I don't agree with it, I thought I won all three rounds, and even the verdict computer thing had me winning all three rounds," he said. He also pointed to the circumstances of that bout, which came in the middle of a PFL tournament run. "That was a different fight. It was the third fight in a tournament, I was exhausted, I wasn't 100 percent. This is going to be a very different fight. I had a long time to prepare, I'm in great shape, so you'll see a different fight."

The layoff since then was not voluntary. A hand injury sidelined Khizriev for close to two years, and he described working around it rather than shutting down entirely. "When my hand was hurt, and I couldn't train for fights, I just ran. When I could only strike with one hand then that's what I did," he said.

Braga Says He Will Fight Differently This Time

Gabriel Braga has also been pointing to the first fight as unfinished business, and he says he will not wait around the way he did in the original meeting. The Brazilian has talked up a more aggressive gameplan for the rematch, a signal that he expects Khizriev to again try to control pace and output over three rounds. If Braga sticks to that word and pushes the action early, it changes the complexion of a fight that the judges split last time.

Betting Angle

Expect Khizriev to be favored given his unbeaten record and the lingering sense that he got robbed in the first meeting, but this is the kind of rematch bettors should treat carefully. A fighter coming off a two-year layoff and a hand injury is always a slight unknown no matter how good he looks in camp, and Braga has had time to study exactly what cost him the first fight. If Braga manages to actually fight with more urgency rather than let Khizriev set the tempo, this could play out closer than the market price suggests. Anyone backing Khizriev to make a title statement should also watch for live-round prices, since a slow start off the long layoff is a realistic scenario.

A win keeps Khizriev's undefeated record intact and puts him squarely in the conversation to challenge for PFL gold, especially with the featherweight picture already in motion after AJ McKee's title opportunity. A loss, on the other hand, would be a second defeat to the same opponent and a serious setback to any immediate title talk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Timur Khizriev fighting at PFL Chicago?

Timur Khizriev faces Gabriel Braga in a featherweight rematch at PFL Chicago on Friday night, after their first meeting ended in a split decision for Braga in 2024.

Why was Timur Khizriev out of action for two years?

Timur Khizriev dealt with a hand injury and a lengthy layoff, during which he kept training by running and striking one-handed, before returning to fight Gabriel Braga at PFL Chicago.