PFL will be visiting the UK and Ireland this year after the promotion launched its inaugural European league.
The International league will operate the same way as the PFL's regular league season format does, in which fighters across six weight classes compete for the chance to win $1million. PFL Europe will launch with four weight classes, with a champion crowned in each division while the promotion will hand out $400,000 in prize money.
British fighters Dakota Ditcheva, Simeon Powell and Dominique Wooding will all be taking part in the inaugural season. It's been a busy month for PFL, who recently added YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul to their roster as a fighter and equity holder. Mirror Fighting spoke with PFL CEO Peter Murray about the promotion's latest global expansion move.
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"We're very excited to launch our first International league, Europe is a major growth market for the sport and for PFL," Murray said. "We have four weight classes, three men's one women's. These are emerging top athletes in MMA throughout Europe, a lot of athletes did not make the cut so this is very much some of the best athletes who are looking to compete against top competition."
PFL will host their first event of the European season at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle on March 25. The promotion will then head to Berlin in July before visiting Paris in September for the play-offs, with the season finale taking place on December 8 at the 3Arena in Dublin.
All four events will air during prime hours in local time live on DAZN, as the promotion signing a multi-year partnership with the streaming service in October. PFL will remain on ESPN in the US and Canada, as the promotion will also air their pay-per-view super fight division exclusively on DAZN outside of those regions.
Murray believes the launch of PFL Europe gives upcoming fighters in the region a path to compete for a major promotion, adding: "It will provide a pathway for these fighters to get to the PFL global season. "There's a six-figure purse in each division for the athlete who is crowned 2023 PFL Europe champion," Murray added.
"Right now, our assessment in many countries is that hope is the strategy for the fighter. They hope they get picked up by a major promotion, there is no system to develop and grow as professionals. We really are creating a system for athletes in the sport to advance and grow. The plan is to launch five additional International leagues between now and 2026."
