Brock Hamer Steps In to Face Levan Khabalaev at PFL Chicago
Morquez Forest is off Friday's card at Wintrust Arena. Hamer takes the short-notice assignment against Khabalaev on the Oct. 16 early slate.
By FightSplit Editorial Team · Published Oct 14, 2026
The PFL Chicago card got a late reshuffle this week. Morquez Forest is out, and Brock Hamer slides in to face Levan Khabalaev on Friday, October 16 at Wintrust Arena. The promotion confirmed the swap when it released its updated lineup.
No reason was given for Forest's withdrawal, which is par for the course with fight-week pullouts. What matters now is that Khabalaev keeps a dance partner and the card stays intact — a result not every short-notice scramble delivers.
Hamer is the one taking the gamble here. Stepping in on limited notice against an opponent who's had a full camp is one of the tougher asks in the sport, and he'll be the one absorbing whatever game plan Khabalaev built for someone else.
When and Where to Watch
The early card kicks off at 6 PM EST on the ESPN App, with the main card rolling over to ESPN2 at 11 PM EST. That split broadcast is standard PFL programming, so Khabalaev vs. Hamer's exact placement will depend on where it lands in the running order.
Short-notice bouts tend to swing on conditioning and composure. If Hamer can weather the early rounds, the fight becomes a lot more interesting. If he can't, a full camp usually wins out. Either way, Friday night in Chicago just got a fresh storyline.
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