WASHINGTON DC | Quebec’s Olivier Aubin-Mercier is headlining Friday’s PFL finals, but what exactly is this fairly young circuit? Explanations.
For 20 years, the UFC has dominated the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and few circuits have been able to shake it. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) wants to change things.
However, it is a very young company as it was founded in 2017 by investment banker Donn Davis. The activities were officially launched the following year after taking over the World Series of Fighting, a circuit founded in 2012.
What makes the PFL unique and attracts many fighters is the format of the competition, which is a tournament that takes place over the course of a season.
The athletes compete against each other in three fights in which they can collect points according to their results. The four fighters with the most points in each of the six weight classes then advance to the semifinals.
Instead of an octagon, the PFL uses a ten-sided cage. Courtesy of PFL
avant-garde
The PFL is committed to reinventing mixed martial arts. A first step was the creation of the SmartCage, the cage in which the fights take place.
This is a ten-sided cage and not an octagon like other AMM series. In addition, the cage is equipped with sensors that make it possible to transmit a variety of data about the duel in real time, which is a big advantage when it comes to television reports.
However, the PFL stands out by offering a million dollar prize to each weight class champion. Olivier Aubin-Mercier also won in the lightweight class last year.
We therefore speak of Friday evening as the “richest evening in mixed martial arts”.
Well-known investors
By searching for well-known investors, PFL quickly demonstrated its seriousness.
These include former NFL player Marshawn Lynch and rapper Wiz Khalifa. PFL also raised $65 million in a 2021 funding round, bringing total funding to $175 million. It is therefore an organization that has strong financial support.
We also looked for high-profile executives like CEO Peter Murray, a former NFL player. Former baseball player Alex Rodriguez also joined the board.
As interest from fighters and amateurs increased, the PFL also created a European league. We are then in an expansion mode.
Jake Paul MEGA/IF
Development
Influencer and boxer Jake Paul is involved in the development, helping to launch the Super Fights series. In this case, these are fight cards that do not belong to the PFL league.
The circuit also hosts the Challenger Series, which aims to develop young talent to ensure an interesting rotation among fighters.
But not everything is perfect in the PFL world. In the first half of the current season, around ten fighters have failed their drug tests.
To remedy the situation, the American Anti-Doping Agency will be asked to monitor the tests, as the UFC has already done.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier appeared at a gala earlier this year. Courtesy of PFL
explosion
Last Monday, a few days before the big season finale, the PFL announced that it had acquired Bellator, the UFC’s rival series.
Suddenly the circuit became the world market leader in mixed martial arts alongside the UFC, which had previously held a quasi-monopoly position.
Both the UFC and PFL have a pool of athletes, 30% of whom are ranked in the top 25 of the independent world rankings.
This transaction gives him a platform for unique fights outside of the league format, with Bellator rebranding in the coming months.
And we’ll top it all off with a mega gala between the PFL and Bellator champions. The series, whose strength lies in creative marketing, has achieved a direct hit with this acquisition.