As the 2024 Professional Fighters League Semifinals draw to a close, the company continues to demonstrate increasing success and new beginnings.
On Thursday, the PFL will hold a “Battle of the Giants” press conference featuring former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, legendary women’s MMA champion Cris Cyborg and two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco, and will be hosted by YouTube personality-turned-boxing star Jake Paul.
PFL CEO Peter Murray is looking to the present and the future, with even bigger moves on the horizon in the coming months.
In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Murray revealed that the PFL would like to add the new division to its regular season format after 2025. While other MMA organizations may steer clear of adding a weight class such as the men’s flyweight, Murray sees the division as a key focus for the PFL, with a former UFC star in mind to lead the charge.
“I think the flyweight division is going to be a division in the future. I know guys are looking at it,” Murray said. “Look at a fighter like Mohammed Mokaev. He’s a 12-0 flyweight from Dagestan. This kid has the second-longest win streak in UFC flyweight history. He was 23-0 as an amateur. When you look at a kid like that, you think he has a chance.”
“For Muhammad to enter any franchise in the PFL system, whether that be Global Season, Bellator or other guys like him, I think it’s a real opportunity, especially with all the international talent in the flyweight division. Muhammad is the real deal. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Murray believes the former UFC flyweight could be the future face of the PFL.
“I definitely think Mohamed Mokaev is going to be the face of the future in the flyweight division of the Professional Fighters League, if that’s the division that opens up on the global season or on the Bellator platform,” Murray said. “It’s definitely something we’re keeping an eye on and this kid is a great guy. [Mokaev] Impressive.”
Mokaev’s future was unclear after his highly publicized departure from UFC, but Murray believes he is not only the future of the PFL, but the future of MMA.
“This is the future of the sport. PFL is where the next generation of champions make their mark on the sport,” Murray said. “PFL is all about the future, and the future starts with developing the next generation of great athletes, MMA champions and stars. We’re thinking about the future, which is why athletes from all over the world flock to PFL. And we set high standards based on the level of competition. Over a third of our fighters are ranked in the top 25 in the world in their respective weight classes. These are truly the best fighters in the world.”
The possibility of a new weight class isn’t limited to the men’s flyweight division, and Murray said the company is looking at all options when it comes to opening a new weight class and the fighters who could be at the forefront of leading it.
“Here we look at what weight classes have the best athletes, not just from different parts of the world, and how we can support those athletes, integrate them into our portfolio and expand what we do,” he said. “Every year we look at new weight classes.”
