Professional Fighters League (PFL) News
Claressa Shields trains with Jon Jones, Holly Holm ahead of MMA move
Tom Taylor - December 7, 2020
Three-division boxing champion Claressa Shields has enlisted the help of two former UFC champs as she prepares to transition into mixed martial arts. Shields, widely considered one of the greatest female boxers of all time, recently signed with the Professional Fighters League, where she will begin her MMA journey in 2021.
Claressa Shields starts training at JacksonWink ahead of PFL debut in 2021
Cole Shelton - December 4, 2020
Claressa Shields has found an MMA camp ahead of her Professional Fighters League debut in 2021. Shields, who is arguably the best female boxer in the world shocked many when she signed with PFL. She will have non-tournament bouts in 2021 and is still allowed to box. Immediately after she signed with the promotion many wondered where she would train and it appears that will be JacksonWink.
10 women to watch in MMA in 2021
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a very tough year for MMA, but 2021 looks like it could much better—particularly for the women’s side of the sport. As the 2021 calendar starts to fill up, a number of female fighters look poised for huge things, from the UFC’s Octagon, to the ONE Championship Circle, to the PFL and Bellator MMA cages.
Fabricio Werdum explains the secret to fighting into his 40s
Adam Martin - December 1, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum explained the secret to fighting into his 40s and still performing at a high level in MMA. Werdum is now 43 years old but he is still winning fights against elite opposition who are younger than him. In his last outing on Fight Island back in July, Werdum picked up a huge upset win when he submitted Alexander Gustafsson. After being left for dead following a decision loss to Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 249 this past May, Werdum showed that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank when he beat Gustafsson.
Kayla Harrison open to fights against Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes
Adam Martin - November 26, 2020
PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison says she is open to fights against Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes in the near future. Harrison is one of the most dominant female fighters in the sport right now, so it’s only natural to think about her fighting the other elite women fighters in the sport. Harrison is coming off of a featherweight win in Invicta FC but plans on moving back to PFL in 2021 to compete in another tournament. After that, Harrison could find herself fighting for some of the other top promotions in the sport including the UFC or Bellator. It’s in those promotions that she can fight the other top talent.
Kayla Harrison reveals advice she received from Ronda Rousey: "You need to have thicker skin"
Tom Taylor - November 26, 2020
PFL star Kayla Harrison has revealed a crucial piece of advice she received from former UFC champ Ronda Rousey earlier in her career. Like Rousey, Harrison is a former Olympic judoka who later turned her attention to mixed martial arts.
Ray Sefo says PFL has no interest signing Anderson Silva
Adam Martin - November 23, 2020
PFL president Ray Sefo says that his organization has no interest in signing former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Silva recently became a free agent when the UFC released him following a knockout loss to Uriah Hall on Halloween. Silva is now 45 years old and he has lost his last three fights, but he has vowed to continue to fight. “The Spider” recently took to social media and exclaimed that he finally feels free after being fully released by the UFC. It seems like Silva will soon be testing the free-agent market and see what is out there for him.
Fabricio Werdum signs with PFL
Adam Martin - November 16, 2020
Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has decided to take his talents to the Professional Fighters League as he’s signed with PFL. Werdum recently became a free agent after his UFC contract expired following a submission win over Alexander Gustafsson on Fight Island. Despite being 43 years old, Werdum received plenty of interest in free agency and it looked like he was bound to sign with Bellator rematch Fedor Emelianenko. However, Werdum on Monday announced that he has decided to sign with PFL and compete in its 2021 heavyweight tournament. The Brazilian hinted last week that he could sign with PFL, and now it’s official.
PFL star Kayla Harrison to make featherweight debut in Invicta FC cage
Tom Taylor - November 9, 2020
2019 Professional Fighters League Women’s Lightweight Champion, Kayla Harrison is set to return to action on Friday, November 20 at Invicta 43 where she will square off with heralded Invicta featherweight, Courtney King (4-1) in the evening’s co-main event. Harrison (7-0) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo (2012 and 2016) and has been dominant since beginning her undefeated mixed martial arts career with the PFL in 2018. “I have been on a mission to show I am the best fighter,” said Harrison, a two-time Olympic Judo gold medalist. “I have been tackling challenges my entire career and this bout at 145-pounds is a new and exciting one for me. I’m looking forward to competing in this new weight class and can’t wait to get back into the PFL cage come April.”
South Korea's Sung Bin Jo hopes to draw in Asian-American fans as he takes his talents to PFL
bjpenndotcom - November 3, 2020
In his home country of South Korea, Sung Bin Jo is already a pretty big deal. The dashing 28-year old has looks that can rival any K-Pop star, and that has translated to gigs as an image model on television and magazine ads, as well as appearances on shows such as “Bad Papa” and “Cash Back”.
PFL to offer blockchain fan tokens through new partnership
bjpenndotcom - October 23, 2020
Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced a global partnership with Socios.com, a leading blockchain fintech company in the sports space. This new partnership will see the PFL launch Fan Tokens, digital assets that provide fans with engagement opportunities – including voting rights and the chance to earn exclusive rewards, on blockchain-based fan voting and rewards app Socios.com, the “Official Fan Token Partner of the PFL.”
PFL announces date, broadcast details for start of 2021 season
Tom Taylor - October 20, 2020
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today announced that the 2021 PFL Season will begin April 23 on ESPN2 in primetime. The remaining Regular Season events will take place on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25. PFL will begin its 2021 season a month early as the league makes its anticipated return to action. “We’re thrilled to announce an early start date for the 2021 PFL Season and we look forward to building on the positive momentum experienced in a historic first season on ESPN,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “In 2021, the PFL will deliver an elevated, immersive, and interactive fan viewing experience incorporating expanded, real-time fighter data and analytics from our proprietary SmartCage technology, behind-the-scenes access, the return of ref cam, and more. Our champions return looking to earn another title, while a fresh crop of exciting new fighters will challenge for the top spot in MMA. Additional contenders will be unveiled in the lead-up to what we believe will be the biggest season in PFL history.”
Mohammed Usman poised to climb to top of PFL's heavyweight division
Tom Taylor - October 7, 2020
Becoming a world champion would mean the world to Mohammed Usman. Usman, the brother of current UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman, is one of the top prospects in the Professional Fighters League’s heavyweight division. Nicknamed “The Motor,” the powerhouse is ready to put his skills on full display for the fans.
Peter Murray’s passion helps fuel PFL’s drive as elite MMA promotion
Tom Taylor - September 28, 2020
The executives behind the rapid growth of the Professional Fighters League all have an incredible story of their own to tell. Peter Murray is chief among those as the CEO for the promotion, which features a unique setup that sees fighters compete through regular season, playoffs and a championship format to come away with one of six million-dollar prizes.
PFL’s partnership with WAVE TV adds to already-impressive social media presence
Tom Taylor - September 25, 2020
MMA fans around the world continue to be given access to the Professional Fighters League as the promotion finds new and valuable ways to reach the masses. The latest is a partnership with WAVE.tv, a sports media company for today’s digital savvy fan, reaching more than 200 million users across Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and other emerging digital platforms.
PFL CEO Peter Murray says leaving own company Insignia was the hardest decision he ever made
Tom Taylor - September 9, 2020
These days, Peter Murray is known as the head honcho for the Professional Fighters League (PFL), a fast-rising mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States that features a one-of-a-kind regular season, playoffs, and championship format. Prior to helping the PFL revolutionize the way the sport of mixed martial arts is presented however, Murray was already a creative force behind some of the biggest brands, companies, and agencies.
Why the PFL could be the perfect home for Michael Chandler
Tom Taylor - August 27, 2020
After knocking out Benson Henderson at Bellator 243 earlier this month, Michael Chandler, the promotion’s former lightweight champ, is now a free agent. As one of the biggest stars Bellator has produced to date, Chandler can almost certainly expect lucrative offers from some of the sport’s biggest organizations. He’s already expressed interest in a potential move to the UFC, and UFC President Dana White has reciprocated that interest. Chandler has also discussed a potential move to ONE Championship, where a compelling trilogy fight with his chief rival Eddie Alvarez could await.
Former UFC fighter Clay Collard says boxing is not a "permanent switch," opens up on PFL contract
Cole Shelton - August 26, 2020
Clay Collard is one of boxing’s biggest stars of 2020. The former UFC featherweight is signed to Top Rank boxing and has gone 5-0 in 2020 including a TKO win last Saturday. At the beginning of the year, he was being brought in to lose against some of Top Rank’s best-undefeated prospects. Yet, Collard won the fights and is now getting pushed by the ESPN boxing promotion.