Tony Flores says Don Davis says PFL has become a ‘global powerhouse’ since acquiring Bellator last year
Mixed Martial Arts remains one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and the heads of the Professional Fighters League will establish two major MMA circuits to cater to more than 650 million global fans. I believe there is plenty of room.
That was the approach he took when founding the promotion in 2018, PFL founder, chairman and co-owner Don Davis said yesterday at the CAA World Sports Conference in LA.
“You don’t have to win the UFC to win,” he said. “There was room for a big, dominant, valuable No. 2.”
Davis noted that the UFC hosts 50 premium events annually and is the only company with global MMA revenue of more than $1.5 billion. He also noticed that MMA has the third largest worldwide fan base after soccer and basketball. These two guys created a chance for us.
PFL has continued to grow since its launch last November with the acquisition of Bellator, creating what Davis calls “a new global powerhouse.”
PFL goes back to its MMA roots and hosts all regional and global events in a tournament format. With each match, fighters advance on their way to winning championships and paychecks. Davis said the format will help grow the fan base.
“We structure the Professional Fighters League as a regular season, playoffs and championship,” Davis said. “If you win, you advance. If you lose, you’re done for this year. If you win four times in 2024, you’re champion. So in the UFC, 10% of the fights are for the title or to be a title contender, and 90% of the fights are for the title or to become a title contender. % is basically a friendly game or NFL preseason.”
The next event, the third of the year, is scheduled for Friday at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. The 12-fight card in featherweight (145 pounds) and welterweight (170 pounds) is headlined by Andrei Kolekov (27-4) vs. Magomed Umalatov (14-0). The event will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 7pm ET. .
