The heavyweight bout between Rizvan Kuniev and Renan Ferreira at PFL 2: 2023 Regular Season officially stands as a No Contest.
Fight Overview & Summary
The match took place on April 7, 2023, at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- The Original Result: Rizvan Kuniev initially won the fight via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 30–27) after a dominant performance using his Russian wrestling chops to heavy-ground and pound Ferreira.
- The Overturn: The Nevada State Athletic Commission later changed the result to a No Contest after Kuniev failed a drug test, testing positive for multiple banned anabolic steroids (including drostanolone, metenelone, boldenone, and 19-norandrosterone).
Tale of the Tape (PFL 2)
| Fighter | Rizvan Kuniev | Renan Ferreira |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6’4″ (193 cm) | 6’8″ (203 cm) |
| Weight | 249.8 lbs (113.3 kg) | 260.5 lbs (118.1 kg) |
| Reach | 76.0 in (193 cm) | 85.0 in (216 cm) |
| Origin | Dagestan, Russia | Santa Tereza, Brazil |
Where Are They Now?
Following the controversy, both fighters moved on to different major developments in their respective mixed martial arts careers:
- Renan Ferreira: Despite the setback, Ferreira bounced back to win the 2023 PFL Heavyweight Tournament Championship and knocked out Bellator champion Ryan Bader in early 2024. He recently suffered a first-round submission loss to Vadim Nemkov at PFL Europe 4.
- Rizvan Kuniev: After serving his suspension, Kuniev earned a UFC contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2024. After an initial split-decision loss to Curtis Blaydes, Kuniev secured a top-tier unanimous decision victory against Jailton Almeida.