# Professional Fighters League

> The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is a global mixed martial arts organization that reinvented the sport with a sports-season structure - a regular season, playoffs, and a championship where fighters compete for real money instead of matchmaker whim. Founded in 2017 by venture capitalist Donn Davis, PFL broadcasts to 160+ countries, has expanded into regional leagues across Europe, Africa, MENA and the Pacific, acquired rival Bellator MMA in 2023, and signed marquee names like Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul. It positions itself as the credible global challenger to the UFC.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** New York, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Donn Davis (Founder & Chairman (stepped down as Chairman January 2026))
- **Team size:** ~170 employees
- **Products:** PFL World Championship / Season Format, PFL PPV Super Fights, Bellator MMA / Champions Series, Regional Leagues, SmartCage Technology
- **Notable:** First major MMA organization to run a full sports-season format with regular season, playoffs and championship., Acquired rival Bellator MMA from Paramount Global in 2023, creating a combined company with a roster rivaling the UFC., Signed Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul to exclusive MMA contracts.

## Products & services

- **PFL World Championship / Season Format** — The flagship competition where fighters accumulate points across a regular season, advance to playoffs, and compete in a championship for prize money.
- **PFL PPV Super Fights** — Marquee pay-per-view mega-events featuring stars like Francis Ngannou, often staged in Saudi Arabia and other international markets.
- **Bellator MMA / Champions Series** — Acquired promotion continued as a crossover and champions-versus-champions event series.
- **Regional Leagues** — PFL Europe, PFL MENA, PFL Africa and PFL Pacific - localized leagues developing regional talent toward the global championship.
- **SmartCage Technology** — A 10-sided competition cage equipped with sensors and cameras enabling real-time statistics, analytics and enhanced broadcast data.
- **PFL Challenger Series** — A developmental pathway where prospects fight for contracts and a spot in the main league.

## Achievements

- First major MMA organization to run a full sports-season format with regular season, playoffs and championship.
- Acquired rival Bellator MMA from Paramount Global in 2023, creating a combined company with a roster rivaling the UFC.
- Signed Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul to exclusive MMA contracts.
- Expanded into regional leagues across Europe, MENA, Africa and the Pacific.
- Attracted $100M+ strategic investment from Saudi Arabia's SURJ Sports Investment.
- Reached a valuation around $1 billion within roughly seven years of launch.
- Broadcasts to 160+ countries.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Donn Davis announced he is stepping down as Chairman of PFL; Knighthead and 885 raise their stakes in the company.
- **2025-01** — PFL restructured its competition format and effectively wound down the standalone Bellator brand, shifting toward an annual tournament across weight classes.
- **2025** — PFL Africa launched, chaired by Francis Ngannou, joining PFL Europe and PFL MENA.
- **2024** — PFL staged multiple events in Saudi Arabia including Francis Ngannou's MMA return; launched PFL MENA.
- **2023-11** — PFL acquired Bellator MMA from Paramount Global.

## Links

- Website: https://pflmma.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/professionalfightersleague
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PFLmma
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/pflmma
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pflmma
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pflmma
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pflmma

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/professional-fighters-league
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-03