Professional Fighters League (PFL) News
Jeremy Stephens to make PFL debut against Clay Collard, Anthony Pettis also booked for April 20 season opener
Harry Kettle - March 23, 2022
PFL has announced that Jeremy Stephens will debut with the promotion on the same card that sees Anthony Pettis make his return. The PFL’s season opener is set to take place on April 20 as a parade of fighters attempt to capture the $1 million pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In addition to the recent good news that Kayla Harrison has re-signed with the promotion, they’ve also confirmed that a whole host of big names will be competing next month.
Kayla Harrison re-signs with PFL despite fielding offers from UFC and Bellator
Susan Cox - March 8, 2022
Kayla Harrison, 31, a PFL (Professional Fighters League) star has made her decision on where she will call home for 2022. Perhaps the hottest free agent in MMA, Kayla received offers from Bellator and the UFC, but PFL announced earlier today that the two-time Olympic judo champion has re-signed with PFL on a multi-year contract extension.
Kayla Harrison reacts after Henry Cejudo announces he is training Cris Cyborg: “He cant save you. One gold medal Havin ass”
Harry Kettle - March 8, 2022
PFL star Kayla Harrison has given her thoughts on Henry Cejudo helping to train Bellator champion Cris Cyborg. For the longest time there’s been a great deal of speculation surrounding the future of Kayla Harrison. While she may already be a two-time PFL tournament winner and champion, many wonder whether or not she’ll truly be able to fulfil her potential if she doesn’t head to Bellator or the UFC.
Kayla Harrison challenges Cris Cyborg to gym fight after PFL matches Bellator offer: “I’m so sick of this sh*t”
Harry Kettle - March 2, 2022
MMA star Kayla Harrison has snapped at Cris Cyborg and challenged her to a fight at American Top Team’s gym. The last few months have been fairly chaotic for Kayla Harrison. In addition to becoming a two-time PFL champion, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has had to deal with mounting speculation regarding her future in mixed martial arts. At first it seemed as if she’d head to the UFC in order to test herself against Amanda Nunes, then she was close to signing with PFL, and then talks stalled at the eleventh hour.
Anthony Pettis responds to rematch request from new PFL signee Jeremy Stephens: “My chin has been tested and it’s proven”
Susan Cox - February 21, 2022
Anthony Pettis has responded to a rematch request from Jeremy Stephens. Jeremy Stephens (28-19 MMA) recently signed with PFL (Professional Fighters League) and has expressed interested in having a rematch with Anthony Pettis (24-10 MMA).
Tyron Woodley, Randy Couture, Wiz Khalifa, others to serve as special judges for PFL Challengers Series
Josh Evanoff - February 18, 2022
PFL Challengers is starting up with its first event this week. Ahead of the inaugural show, the promotion has announced it has some interesting judges. The PFL Challengers Series operates very similarly to the Dana White Contender Series. There are multiple fights, and then the best fighters are selected to be brought into the promotion.
Kayla Harrison on her relationship with former roommate Ronda Rousey: “I don’t think we’re friends anymore”
Harry Kettle - February 16, 2022
Kayla Harrison has spoken about her previous friendship with fellow judoka Ronda Rousey and why it may be over. While they may be in very different places in their careers now, with Harrison in mixed martial arts and Rousey transitioning over into professional wrestling, there was once a time when the two were close friends. They both won medals at the Olympic Games, they’ve both found success at the elite level in MMA, and judo was their first love.
Report | Kayla Harrison's PFL return hits a roadblock
Josh Evanoff - February 10, 2022
It appears that Kayla Harrison may not be returning to PFL after all. The Judoka made her name in the PFL over the past three years. Following her victory in the 2021 lightweight tournament, she became a free agent. She began openly hinting at a move to either the UFC or Bellator.
Report | Kayla Harrison expected to re-sign with PFL
Cole Shelton - January 18, 2022
Kayla Harrison will likely be heading back to the Professional Fighters League. According to MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani, PFL is the front-runner to sign the coveted free agent in Harrison. The deal is not done yet but the report says an agreement is all but finalized. It’s also trending in the right direction to be made official soon.
Jake Paul fighting in PFL is a serious possibility according to CEO Peter Murray
Harry Kettle - January 14, 2022
PFL CEO Peter Murray has said that Jake Paul fighting for the promotion could be a serious possibility in the future. For the last few years we’ve seen Jake Paul focus most of his energy on a successful transition into professional boxing. With a 5-0 record to his name alongside knockout wins over the likes of Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, it’s safe to say the man formerly known as a “controversial YouTube star” has turned the game on its head in a fairly substantial way.
PFL, Bellator veteran Jordan Young dead at 27
Cole Shelton - December 19, 2021
Jordan Young has passed away at age 27. Young, a veteran of PFL and Bellator, passed away on Saturday, his boxing coach at American Top Team Derik Santos. ATT and PFL confirmed the news on Sunday. The cause of death is not known at this time.
Kayla Harrison excited to prove to Dana White she is "worth the investment"
Adam Martin - November 21, 2021
Two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison is excited to prove to UFC president Dana White that she is “worth the investment”. Harrison is one of the most dominant female MMA fighters on the planet right now, and she recently became a free agent following her latest tournament win in the PFL. For Harrison, she has won two tournaments at women’s 155lbs now in PFL and she has been incredibly dominant throughout the way. It is getting to the point now where she is such a massive betting favorite for her fights that some fans find it is a waste of time for her to be in PFL, rather than in the UFC, where she would have much tougher competition.
Claressa Shields reacts following loss at PFL 10, responds to criticism from Jake Paul
Harry Kettle - October 29, 2021
Claressa Shields has hit back at Jake Paul’s criticism after her defeat to Abigail Montes at PFL 10 on Wednesday. After a successful mixed martial arts debut earlier this year, Claressa Shields was handed her first loss in the sport at PFL 10 when she suffered a split decision loss to Abigail Montes. While Montes was the deserving winner, Shields definitely showcased some progress in many aspects of her game.
Bruno Cappelozza reacts after learning his father passed away just minutes after winning PFL heavyweight title
Adam D Martin - October 28, 2021
Bruno Cappelozza reacted after learning his father passed away just minutes after winning the PFL heavyweight title and $1 million. Cappelozza defeated Ante Delija in a five-round heavyweight slugfest to win the PFL heavyweight championship and the $1 million grand prize. Just minutes after Cappelozza won the heavyweight tournament, the broadcast revealed that his family told him following his win that his father, Joao, passed away on Sunday. Cappelozza’s family wanted him to stay completely focused on his fight against Delija and they did not tell Cappelozza that his father had passed away until after the fight. It was an incredibly emotional moment for Cappelozza, and following the event, he took to his social media to react to the sad news.
Kayla Harrison non-committal to joining the UFC following expiration of PFL contract
Adam D Martin - October 28, 2021
PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison is non-committal to joining the UFC following the expiration of her PFL contract. Harrison defeated Taylor Guardado via second-round submission in the women’s lightweight finals at the PFL Championship on Wednesday night at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Harrison dominated the fight from beginning to end by utilizing her dominant grappling game to get her opponent to the mat and finally submit her. It was the second straight tournament championship victory for Harrison in PFL, and the fight also marked the end of her contract with the promotion. Now that she has fought out the final fight of her deal, Harrison is headed towards free agency for the first time.
Jake Paul taunts Claressa Shields following her first career MMA loss at PFL 10
Harry Kettle - October 28, 2021
Jake Paul taunted Claressa Shields last night in the wake of her first mixed martial arts defeat at PFL 10. In what was just her second professional MMA contest, Shields battled it out with Abigail Montes and came up on the wrong end of a split decision loss. It marks her first pro defeat in combat sports with her boxing record currently sitting at 11-0.
Wiz Khalifa open to taking MMA fight with PFL: "I could see myself getting in the ring"
Adam D Martin - October 27, 2021
Hip-hop artist Wiz Khalifa says that he is open to staking an MMA fight with PFL in the future, saying “I could see myself getting in the ring.” Khalifa recently became an investment with PFL, which holds its tournament championship on Wednesday. Khalifa is a huge MMA and combat sports fan himself, so when he had the opportunity to join the PFL family, he took it. But for Khalifa, this is not just about making a business investment or getting his name out there to more MMA fans. Instead, this could be the start of him potentially competing himself.
PFL star Kayla Harrison details previous run-in with Dillon Danis: “I slapped him, I think”
Harry Kettle - October 26, 2021
PFL star Kayla Harrison has spoken about the time she had a run-in with notorious Bellator fighter Dillon Danis. As Harrison attempts to continue her phenomenal run in PFL, many folks who are on the outside looking in have been talking about her potential and where she may go from here. After all, she’s had an incredibly dominant MMA career up to this point and she’s showing no signs of slowing down.