Professional Fighters League (PFL) News

Curtis Calhoun - March 2, 2026

Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will return to MMA at age 42 to headline an upcoming Professional Fighters League card. 42-year-old Benson Henderson hung up his MMA gloves following a lopsided defeat to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292 in March 2023. Three years later, Henderson will make another title run in the Professional Fighters’ League.

Curtis Calhoun - February 23, 2026

Professional Fighters League superstar Paul Hughes will look to get back into the lightweight title mix when he returns to fight on April 16. Two-time Professional Fighters League title challenger Paul Hughes will return to the cage later this year for the first time since his second defeat to Usman Nurmagomedov.

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.

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.

Curtis Calhoun - December 17, 2025

Former PFL champion Movlid Khaybulaev was handed a one-year USADA suspension after testing positive for a banned performance enhancer. 2025 PFL World Tournament featherweight title winner Movlid Khaybulaev’s recent championship win is now under intense scrutiny after a failed drug test.

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.

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 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.

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 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 - 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.