Professional Fighters League (PFL) News

Curtis Calhoun - September 24, 2025

PFL CEO John Martin is set to bring significant reform to the league as his reign kicks off. The Professional Fighters League is undergoing leadership changes at the top, led by newly-hired CEO John Martin. Martin, formerly of Time Warning Inc., will replace Peter Murray to oversee all aspects of the league’s strategy, management, and overall operations.

Harry Kettle - August 29, 2025

Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has hit out at his upcoming opponent Paul Hughes. On October 3rd, Paul Hughes will once again get the chance at glory when he battles Usman Nurmagomedov. In their first contest, Usman just about managed to edge past the Irishman via decision to ensure he retained his PFL/Bellator title. Now, however, given how close the first showdown was, many believe that this is the challenger’s opportunity to finally rise up and claim the gold.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - August 26, 2025

A current PFL champion received a pleasant surprise from Joe Rogan during the UFC 319 broadcast. It isn’t often that someone from PFL gets a mention on a UFC show, but that’s exactly what happened during the ESPN portion of the UFC 319 prelims. During a strawweight clash between Loopy Godinez and Jessica Andrade, Rogan mentioned Liz Carmouche’s 2025 PFL Women’s Flyweight Tournament win.

Harry Kettle - August 26, 2025

PFL star Paul Hughes believes that he will break Usman Nurmagomedov in their planned rematch later this year. Back at the start of the year, Paul Hughes challenged Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator/PFL lightweight championship. While many felt as if the Irishman would be able to put forward a solid effort, few could’ve imagined that he would push Usman all the way in the manner that he did.

Harry Kettle - August 16, 2025

Liz Carmouche was successful in winning the PFL tournament last night to claim her second world championship. Liz Carmouche is the definition of a trailblazer. In addition to being part of the iconic first women’s fight in the UFC alongside Ronda Rousey, she’s also had an incredibly long and successful career. Even outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, she’s been able to win world titles and generally prove that if you’re committed enough, you can continue to improve with age.

Harry Kettle - July 9, 2025

Kevin Lee has reflected on the broken jaw that he suffered in his most recent fight, calling it the worst injury he’s suffered. For the longest time, Kevin Lee was considered to be the next big thing in the world of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, his career hasn’t quite panned out as many would’ve hoped, especially in the UFC.

BJ Penn Staff - July 7, 2025

Donald Trump says he plans on hosting a UFC event at the White House to celebrate America’s 250th birthday next year. Donn Davis is hoping the PFL can get in on the star-spangled MMA action. Trump’s comments about a UFC card on the White House grounds sent the MMA world in a frenzy last week.

Harry Kettle - June 23, 2025

UFC veteran Kevin Lee has revealed that he had his jaw wired shut following his defeat to Gadzhi Rabadanov last week. As we know, Kevin Lee has done a lot of impressive things in mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, he was never quite able to fulfill the potential that many believed he had. Instead, he’s faltered more often than not, picking up a string of losses in the latter stages of his career. Now, following the aforementioned KO loss to Rabadanov, nobody really knows what the next step will be for him.

BJ Penn Staff - May 28, 2025

Former UFC star Kevin Lee is set for his debut with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He will not get a warm welcome. The former UFC star is set to meet Gadzhi Rabadanov in the semifinals of the 2025 PFL lightweight tournament, the promotion announced on May 28. The fight goes down on June 20, less than a month from now. Lee replaces the injured Jay-Jay Wilson, who Rabadanov has already beaten.

BJ Penn Staff - May 20, 2025

Former UFC star Kevin Lee has a new home for the next phase of his MMA career. “The Motown Phenom” has signed a new, multi-fight deal with the PFL (Professional Fighters League). Damon Martin of MMA Fighting was first to report the news.

BJ Penn Staff - May 19, 2025

Claressa Shields is done with MMA. Shields, 30, is best known for her boxing accolades. The Flint, Michigan native has held titles in five weight classes, and is considered one of the best female boxers of all time. However, several years ago, she boldly transitioned into MMA.

Harry Kettle - May 16, 2025

Jake Paul has shockingly called for a fight against Oleksandr Usyk for his mixed martial arts debut with the PFL. As we know, Jake Paul is a pretty controversial figure within the world of combat sports. While a lot of people may not like it, he’s been able to do some interesting things in boxing since arriving on the scene. From fighting legends to being a champion for women’s boxing, ‘The Problem Child’ has certainly made a name for himself.

BJ Penn Staff - May 2, 2025

Francis Ngannou has broken his silence after he was involved in a fatal vehicle accident in his home country of Cameroon. Ngannou is the former UFC heavyweight champion. Given that he vacated that title to leave the promotion, he remains the lineal heavyweight king in MMA. Unfortunately, he is dealing with yet another unspeakable tragedy in his life outside the cage. Just years after the passing of his infant son, Ngannou was involved in a fatal motorcycle crash in Cameroon. The incident left a 17-year-old girl dead.

Harry Kettle - May 1, 2025

PFL star Paul Hughes is confident that a rematch against Usman Nurmagomedov will happen at some point in the near future. When it comes to Irish MMA, there are few bigger names right now than Paul Hughes. Yes, you’ve got Conor McGregor and Ian Machado Garry, but, Paul Hughes is really carving out a name for himself these days in one ways than one. The fight that really helped him get to that next level came against Usman Nurmagomedov, when he took the champion to the limit and came close to claiming the belt.

Cole Shelton - April 25, 2025

Former Manchester United superstar Patrice Evra will be making his MMA debut. The PFL announced they signed Evra, and he’s set to make his debut at PFL Paris on May 23. The event will take place at the Accor Arena.

Cole Shelton - April 17, 2025

PFL superstar Dakota Ditcheva is not happy with the promotion as she’s searching for a fight. Ditcheva won the PFL’s flyweight tournament as she beat former UFC title challenger Taila Santos by TKO in the finals. It was a stellar year for Ditcheva, who looked to become the face of the PFL. However, she last fought in November and has nothing on the books as he’s frustrated she doesn’t have anything booked.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - March 31, 2025

Ryan Bader has given an explanation for his PFL departure. Bader became a free agent success after fighting out of his UFC contract back in Nov. 2016. He ended up signing a lucrative contract with Bellator MMA and made the most of the opportunity. Bader became a two-division Bellator champion and only had two losses under the promotion before the purchase from PFL.

Josh Evanoff - March 27, 2025

Former Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader is now a free agent after parting ways with the PFL. There are few fighters who benefited from leaving the UFC more than ‘Darth’. After eight years under Dana White, Ryan Bader left in favor of Scott Coker and Bellator in 2016. Quickly, the light-heavyweight wrestler found success. Bader won gold in his first night in the promotion, scoring a split-decision win over Phil Davis. He would follow that up with a title defense against Linton Vassell, before heading up to heavyweight.