Professional Fighters League (PFL) News

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 29, 2026

Francis Ngannou is nowhere to be found in the new PFL rankings, and the promotion has responded amid speculation. PFL recently rolled out its new ranking system, which is handled by the Combat Registry. When Ngannou’s name was absent, some wondered if “The Predator” was on the outs with the company. It appears that may not exactly be the case.

Curtis Calhoun - January 13, 2026

One of the most exciting fighters outside of the UFC, Bryan Battle, will make his Professional Fighters League debut against a huge name. The PFL continues to go under a massive restructuring with its fighter roster and business leadership as 2026 kicks off. One of the league’s biggest recent signings was former The Ultimate Fighter winner Bryan Battle, who signed a contract with the league after a recent two-fight stint in Dirty Boxing Championship.

BJ Penn Staff - January 12, 2026

Francis Ngannou is keen to return to MMA, and his coach would love to see it happen in the UFC Octagon. Ngannou is the former UFC heavyweight champion. Several years ago, he famously left the promotion—vacating the title in the process—to seek out new opportunities as a free agent.

Curtis Calhoun - December 17, 2025

2025 PFL featherweight title winner Movlid Khaybulaev’s championship belt has been forfeited after he was served a one-year USADA suspension. One of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s top proteges, Movlid Khaybulaev, is in hot water after he was handed a one-year USADA suspension stemming from testing positive for a banned substance.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 12, 2025

Francis Ngannou hasn’t competed in the PFL SmartCage since Oct. 2024, but his next fight will be “special” if you believe the promotion’s CEO. The last time Ngannou competed in MMA, he flattened Renan Fereira to win the symbolic PFL Super Fights Heavyweight Championship. Since that time, PFL has gone in a more clear direction with main titles for each division. While many have wondered when Ngannou will be a part of PFL’s new vision, the company’s CEO John Martin is optimistic.

Curtis Calhoun - November 24, 2025

Former PFL women’s flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva will return to the SmartCage against a dangerous former Bellator standout. The Professional Fighters League returns to action next month with three intriguing events, including a heavyweight title main event between Vadim Nemkov and Renan Ferreira on December 13th. It was also recently announced that PFL lightweight champ Usman Nurmagomedov will return to the cage in February 2026 against surging contender Alfie Davis in Dubai.

Curtis Calhoun - November 19, 2025

Vadim Nemkov and Cris Cyborg, two of the greatest Bellator fighters of all time, will feature on the same card on December 13th. The PFL will wrap up its 2025 event slate under new leadership, after John Martin took over the promotion’s CEO role earlier this year. PFL Lyon, which marks the league’s return to the European continent, will feature two elite fighters atop the card.

BJ Penn Staff - October 28, 2025

We’ve seen a lot of interesting tattoos in MMA over the years, both emblazoned on the fighters themselves, and on their fans. One recent MMA tattoo has been making the rounds on social media, and it’s safe to say it’s getting some interesting reactions. The fan who got the tattoo in question—who has not yet been publicly identified—is evidently a fan of the PFL (Professional Fighters League). The tattoo, which seems to be on a calf or forearm, shows a victorious Alfie Davis holding a PFL belt, with the promotion’s founder and Chairman Donn Davis standing squarely in the background.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.