PFL Charlotte: Battle vs. Rosta Preview: Full Fight Card Breakdown
PFL returns to Charlotte for the second time, and the card they bring to Bojangles Coliseum has a clear story: two fighters with recent losses trying to right the ship, and a loaded supporting card beneath them. Bryan Battle and Dalton Rosta headline a middleweight main event where both men are fighting with urgency after setbacks earlier in 2026. With two light heavyweight bouts and multiple heavyweight matchups underneath, PFL Charlotte offers a substantial Thursday night of action on ESPN.
Full Fight Card
| Fight | Weight Class | Card Section |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Battle vs. Dalton Rosta | Middleweight | Main Card |
| Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Simeon Powell | Light Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Valentin Moldavsky vs. Bruno Cappelozza | Light Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Josh Silveira vs. Aaron Jeffery | Middleweight | Main Card |
| Lewis McGrillen-Evans vs. Brandon Lewis | Bantamweight | Main Card |
| Denis Goltsov vs. Hasan Mezhiev | Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Josh Fremd vs. Jhony Gregory | Middleweight | Main Card |
| Trey Waters vs. Trukon Carson | Lightweight | Main Card |
| Cheyden Leialoha vs. Robert Ring | Featherweight | Main Card |
| Cheyanne Bowers vs. Elora Dana | Women's Flyweight | Main Card |
| Eduardo Neves vs. Maxwell Djantou Nana | Heavyweight | Main Card |
| Jonathan Martinez vs. Wilson Lopshire | Lightweight | Main Card |
| Landry Ward vs. Michael Boylan | Lightweight | Main Card |
Main Event: Battle vs. Rosta
Bryan Battle (12-3, 1 NC) came to PFL with recognizable credentials. He is the winner of The Return of The Ultimate Fighter — the middleweight tournament from Team Volkanovski vs. Team Ortega — and built a solid UFC résumé that included wins over Randy Brown, Treasean Gore, and Gilbert Urbina. His PFL debut in March 2026 at Pittsburgh ended via submission against Johnny Eblen, a result that stings less when you consider that Eblen is one of the best middleweights in MMA at any organization. Battle has since been working under Mike Perry's Dirty Boxing coaching setup and brings a versatile skill set that blends wrestling with boxing. He needs a performance here that reasserts his elite-level credentials.
Dalton Rosta (11-3) is in the most difficult stretch of his professional career. After compiling a 9-1 record in Bellator MMA — earning significant respect in the promotion and building a reputation as a physical, well-rounded middleweight — Rosta moved to PFL following the promotion's acquisition and ran directly into a rough patch. Back-to-back knockout losses to Fabian Edwards and Impa Kasanganay raise genuine questions about his durability under fire and whether his defensive approach needs rebuilding. He has the tools and the experience to suggest this is correctable, but the burden of proof falls entirely on him in Charlotte.
Two fighters coming off difficult losses creates a specific energy. Neither man can come in tentative — a cautious performance here achieves nothing. Battle likely pushes the pace from the opening round and tries to establish his wrestling to neutralize whatever striking threat Rosta brings. Rosta will need to show he can absorb contact and remain composed, then find the right openings when they come. The fight's dynamic will probably be defined by the first major exchange.
Co-Main Event: Yagshimuradov vs. Powell
Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov has competed at the highest levels of MMA across multiple promotions and brings a wealth of experience to the light heavyweight division. He is a dangerous, well-rounded fighter who has not coasted into this stage of his career. Simeon Powell presents a strong physical matchup at 205 pounds. This is a genuine co-main event pairing with divisional implications in PFL's light heavyweight picture — not a setup fight, but a real test for both men.
Light Heavyweight: Moldavsky vs. Cappelozza
Valentin Moldavsky and Bruno Cappelozza meet in a second light heavyweight bout that deserves attention on its own merits. Moldavsky has heavyweight lineage and genuine finishing power. Cappelozza is a heavy-handed striker who has finished opponents in multiple organizations with both hands. Two back-to-back light heavyweight fights give the card a run of dangerous 205-pound action. This matchup in particular sets up as a fight that can end suddenly, and that kind of volatility makes for compelling television.
Middleweight Depth
Three middleweight bouts headline a weight class PFL has clearly prioritized for this event. Josh Silveira versus Aaron Jeffery and Josh Fremd versus Jhony Gregory add competitive depth and keep the divisional picture moving. Wins in these fights carry real implications for where fighters sit in PFL's standings, and the middleweight division here has enough depth to make the supporting bouts meaningful.
Women's Flyweight: Bowers vs. Dana
Cheyanne Bowers and Elora Dana meet at women's flyweight. Bowers has demonstrated finishing ability across her career and enters as the more established of the two. Dana arrives with the task of handling early pressure and creating her own opportunities. Women's flyweight is a division where PFL has built genuine roster depth, and this matchup adds to that.
Heavyweight Action
The card features two heavyweight bouts — Denis Goltsov versus Hasan Mezhiev and Eduardo Neves versus Maxwell Djantou Nana — bookending a card already loaded with light heavyweight action. Heavyweight fights at this level can end abruptly, and both bouts add raw power to a card that is long on action across multiple divisions.
What to Watch For
The main event carries the emotional weight of the card — two fighters desperate to prove their difficult stretches are behind them. The light heavyweight double-header is where the card might produce its most memorable moments. Yagshimuradov-Powell and Moldavsky-Cappelozza back to back provide a stretch of 205-pound action that rewards watching live. Charlotte has proven itself a market that generates real atmosphere for MMA events, and Bojangles Coliseum should provide a charged setting for a card where the two main characters both have something serious to prove.