PFL Tampa turned into a rough night for Team Dagestan, with Daniel Marcos picking up a third-round TKO win over Magomed Magomedov after a nasty shoulder injury brought their bantamweight clash to an early end.
Magomedov entered the fight with a clear game plan. The former Bellator title challenger spent much of the opening two rounds wrestling Marcos, forcing him into clinches and making the fight more of a grinding battle than a striking showcase. Marcos had his moments, but Magomedov appeared comfortable making the former UFC bantamweight work on the mat.
That all changed late in the second round. During a clinch exchange, Marcos landed a big knee, and Magomedov’s left shoulder appeared to pop out of place. The Russian immediately showed signs that something was wrong, but somehow made it to the end of the round.
What happened during the break was even more concerning. Magomedov’s corner, led by reigning UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, spent roughly a minute desperately trying to put the shoulder back into place. Despite their efforts, they could not get it fixed.
Islam Makhachev tried to pop teammate Magomed Magomedov’s dislocated shoulder back into place in the corner
The fight continued and Islam ended up throwing in the towel #PFLTampa
pic.twitter.com/YEcsd4MhMZ— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 23, 2026
A doctor was eventually brought in to examine Magomedov, but he was cleared to continue. The decision to let him fight on quickly became a problem. As soon as the third round began, Marcos forced Magomedov into another clinch and immediately targeted the injured arm. The shoulder was clearly still bothering the Russian, leaving Makhachev with little choice but to protect his fighter.
Just 11 seconds into the third round, Makhachev threw in the towel from the corner. The referee stopped the contest, giving Marcos a third-round TKO victory and handing Magomedov the sixth loss of his professional career. His record now stands at 22-6.
For Marcos, it was a strange way to secure a victory, but an important one nonetheless. The 18-1 fighter was making his PFL debut after his UFC run ended at 5-1, and he showed plenty of composure against an experienced opponent before the injury changed everything.
The result also capped a surprisingly difficult night for the Dagestani corner. Makhachev took over corner duties for several Dagestani fighters at PFL Tampa, including Magomedov, Gadzhi Rabadanov and Makkasharip Zaynukov. Hasbulla was also in attendance supporting his friends.
Islam Makhachev jette l’éponge pour Magomedov 🇷🇺 et Daniel Marcos 🇵🇪 est donc vainqueur dans ce combat 💥 https://t.co/qWQcjMX6Dg pic.twitter.com/4nS5JCyOfs
— RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) August 23, 2026
Unfortunately for the Dagestani camp, things didn’t go according to plan. Zaynukov suffered a decision loss to veteran Natan Schulte on the prelims, while Rabadanov was the lone Team Nurmagomedov fighter to get his hand raised. Magomedov then became the second member of the group to lose, making it a 1-2 night for the camp.
The timing of Magomedov’s loss also made it an especially tough one for Makhachev. Just one week earlier, the UFC welterweight champion had successfully defended his title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330, extending his Octagon winning streak to 17 fights.
It may not have been the ending Marcos wanted, but the 18-1 fighter still walks away with a valuable PFL debut victory. As for Magomedov, he will now have to focus on recovering from an injury that turned what looked like a competitive fight into a painful night for Team Dagestan.
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Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
