Professional Fighters League Returning To Action On April 23 In Las Vegas

This spring, shortly after the coronavirus pandemic caused sports leagues throughout the world to postpone their seasons, the Professional Fighters League took the unusual step of cancelling its scheduled fights for 2020.

The decision didn’t come lightly for the PFL, which is still in its infancy and overshadowed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, by far the dominant player in mixed martial arts. Still, PFL’s executives thought it would be nearly impossible to stage a season considering the league has fighters from several countries. They also had implemented a format since launching the league in 2018 that featured a regular season, playoffs and championship round, so they didn’t want to alter that schedule and host one-off events later this year if conditions improved. And so, they chose to look ahead to 2021 when the pandemic would hopefully be more under control and they could learn from other leagues.

Now, the PFL is set to resume its action and has finalized its regular season schedule for next year. The organization will host its first three events on consecutive weeks (April 23, April 29 and May 6) and take about a month break before having bouts on June 10, 17 and 25.

Each of the cards will take place at the same venue in Las Vegas, likely at Caesars Palace or the Rio, and will be broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. The PFL will then host its playoff rounds in the late summer or early fall featuring qualifiers from the regular season. The top two fighters in each of the six weight classes (five for men and one for women) will then compete for championships on New Years Eve, with each winner earning a $1 million prize. The sites of the playoffs and championship round have not been determined.

The PFL’s regular season will be conducted in a bubble-type atmosphere similar to what other professional leagues have done, including the NBA (Orlando, Fla.), NHL (Edmonton and Toronto) and UFC (Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi). Most of the details for the PFL’s bubble have not been finalized, but the Las Vegas casinos offer the chance for fighters and staff to stay in the same property where the bouts are taking place. They don’t have to leave the premises to eat, either. 

“We had the benefit of seeing what works and what doesn’t work in sports around the world,” said Peter Murray, the PFL’s chief executive. “The NBA has done a fantastic job, as has the NHL. UFC has had absolutely the right model with a single destination in the U.S. and outside the U.S.”

The PFL has signed several fighters for the 2021 season, including each of the six champions from last season: Kayla Harrison (women’s lightweight), Lance Palmer (men’s featherweight), Natan Schulte (men’s lightweight), Ray Cooper III (men’s welterweight), Emiliano Sordi (men’s light heavyweight) and Ali Isayev (men’s heavyweight). Newcomers for next year will include Rory MacDonald, a former Bellator welterweight champion from Canada who previously fought for the UFC, and Cezar Ferreira, a middleweight from Brazil who has competed in 15 UFC bouts.

As with any sport these days, rosters are always in flux. Before any fighters are allowed to compete, they must pass multiple coronavirus tests, according to Murray. The atmosphere at the bouts is almost certainly going to be different from the pre-Covid days, too, as the PFL will take every precaution to make sure fighters and staff are as safe as possible. That means that for now, the league doesn’t expect fans to be allowed to attend, but that could change.

“We are planning for the worst and hoping for the best,” Murray said. “We are planning for it to be made-for-TV (without fans). But should regulations permit, absolutely there will be fans in the audience to take in all that excitement and provide energy for the broadcast.”

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