Professional Fighters League (PFL) News

Curtis Calhoun - October 8, 2025

PFL superstar Paul Hughes opened up on his second decision loss of the year to Usman Nurmagomedov. PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov handed Paul Hughes another loss in their highly anticipated rematch last weekend in Dubai. In another instant classic, Nurmagomedov outpointed Hughes to bring their rivalry to a seemingly swift close.

Curtis Calhoun - October 3, 2025

Conor McGregor’s long-standing feud with PFL superstar Paul Hughes continued Friday on social media following Hughes’s rematch loss to Usman Nurmagomedov. PFL superstar Paul Hughes’s rivalry with Usman Nurmagomedov, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, came to an apparent end on Friday as he lost by unanimous decision at PFL Champions Series 3. In an instant classic, Nurmagomedov fended off Hughes’s late rally to retain the PFL lightweight championship.

Curtis Calhoun - October 3, 2025

PFL star Sergio Pettis added to what’s been a wild year of spinning back elbow knockouts on Friday in Dubai. Friday’s PFL headliner between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes for the PFL lightweight championship was the main attraction, but it was Sergio Pettis who stole the show on the undercard.

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.

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 19, 2025

PFL champion Francis Ngannou has explained why he was absent from the recent PFL Africa event. As we know, PFL Africa was something that Francis Ngannou was pretty excited to be a part of. He’s been eager to help grow mixed martial arts in that part of the world and so, when he didn’t appear at the first few events under that banner, some eyebrows were raised.

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.

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.

Cole Shelton - June 19, 2025

Kevin Lee is ready to prove everyone wrong. Lee is set to return to the cage on Friday at PFL World Tournament 6 against Gadzhi Rabadanov. Lee stepped into the tournament to face Rabadanov in the main event of the card in the lightweight semifinal.

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 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.

Cole Shelton - May 13, 2025

The PFL announced they have parted ways with bantamweight champion Patchy Mix. Mix won the Bellator bantamweight title in 2023 with a submission win over Sergio Pettis and has defended it once. Yet, after the PFL-Bellator merger, Mix only fought once and expressed his frustration with his lack of fights on social media.

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.

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.