02Oct 2026
PFL MENA 11
Riyad
Card to be announced
PFL
News, fighters and results
Professional Fighters League
PFLEvents, champions and history
American MMA league founded in 2017 from the assets of WSOF, owner of Bellator since 2023. 24 events in 11 countries in 2026, broadcast on ESPN and RMC Sport.
- Founded 2017
- United States
- ESPN and RMC Sport
- Bellator merged in
24events in 2026, across 11 countries
$1Mper season champion from 2018
7inaugural world titles awarded since the Bellator merger
9 sCédric Doumbé's knockout in Paris, a PFL record
Upcoming events
10Oct 2026
PFL Africa Morocco
Complexe Mohammed V, Casablanca
Main event: Kane vs Medkouri
16Oct 2026
PFL Chicago 2
Wintrust Arena, Chicago
Main event: Carmouche vs Bishop 2
14Nov 2026
PFL Dubai
Dubai
Main event: Nemkov vs Bilostenniy
19Dec 2026
PFL Lyon
LDLC Arena, Décines-Charpieu
Main event: Lapilus vs M. McKee
Champions
Heavyweight
Vadim Nemkov 🇷🇺
PFL Lyon, December 2025
Light heavyweight
Corey Anderson 🇺🇸
PFL Champions Series 3, October 2025
Middleweight
Costello van Steenis 🇪🇸
PFL Champions Series 2, July 2025, 1 defense. Interim: Johnny Eblen
Welterweight
Thad Jean 🇺🇸
PFL Washington DC, July 2026
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov 🇷🇺
PFL Champions Series 3, October 2025, 2 defenses
Featherweight
Razhabali Shaydullaev 🇰🇬
Super Rizin 5, September 2026
Women's featherweight
Cris Cyborg 🇧🇷
PFL Lyon, December 2025, 1 defense
Notable PFL fighters
Justin Gaethje
UFC · 2017
WSOF lightweight champion
Eddie Alvarez
UFC · 2014
Two-time Bellator lightweight champion
Michael Chandler
UFC · 2021
Three-time Bellator lightweight champion
Kayla Harrison
UFC · 2024
Two-time PFL champion, UFC champion in 2025
Patrício Pitbull
UFC · 2025
Bellator featherweight champion
Aaron Pico
UFC · 2025
Bellator, then PFL
Cédric Doumbé
PFL · 2023
9-second knockout at the Zénith Paris
Baissangour Chamsoudinov
PFL · 2024
Beat Cédric Doumbé in Paris
Taylor Lapilus
PFL · 2025
Bantamweight title fight in Lyon
Baris Adiguzel
PFL · 2025
PFL Europe bantamweight tournament winner
Amin Ayoub
PFL · 2025
PFL Nantes headliner
Patrick Habirora
PFL · 2026
Knocked out Benson Henderson in Brussels
The story of PFL
The Professional Fighters League grew out of the World Series of Fighting (WSOF), a promotion created in 2012. In 2017, the investor group MMAX Investment Partners, led by Donn Davis, bought the WSOF assets and launched the PFL. The first event took place on June 7, 2018 at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The original format was a league: regular season, playoffs and a championship, with $1 million for each division champion.
The league then expanded outside the United States: PFL Europe from March 2023 in Newcastle, PFL MENA in 2024 after SRJ Sports Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, took a minority stake, and PFL Africa in 2025, chaired by Francis Ngannou. In France, the PFL has staged events at the Zénith Paris in 2023, the Accor Arena in 2024, Nantes in 2025 and the LDLC Arena in Lyon in 2024 and 2025.
On November 20, 2023, the PFL announced the acquisition of Bellator MMA, founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney, from Paramount Global. A first PFL vs. Bellator card was held in Riyadh on February 24, 2024, followed by the Bellator Champions Series, including a Paris event in May 2024. In January 2025, the PFL retired the Bellator brand and merged the two rosters. Bellator champions then faced PFL fighters for the first PFL world titles, from Costello van Steenis in July 2025 to Razhabali Shaydullaev in September 2026.
Since 2026, the PFL no longer uses a season format and books world title fights in every division. On July 30, 2026, the PFL merged with Most Valuable Promotions, the company of Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with John Martin as CEO. Operations move under the MVP banner on January 1, 2027: PFL Lyon, on December 19, 2026, is the last PFL-branded event, with Taylor Lapilus facing Mitch McKee for the inaugural bantamweight title.
Standout facts
9 s
for Cédric Doumbé's knockout of Jordan Zébo at the Zénith Paris in September 2023, the fastest in PFL history.
1st
major MMA event in Saudi Arabia: PFL vs. Bellator in Riyadh on February 24, 2024.
7
PFL world titles awarded for the first time between July 2025 and September 2026, after the Bellator integration.
2
belts for Razhabali Shaydullaev, Rizin and PFL featherweight champion after beating A.J. McKee in Japan.
The last 23 PFL events
| Event | Date | Venue | Main event | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFL Tampa | Aug 22, 2026 | Benchmark International Arena, Tampa | Cyborg vs Vieira | Cyborg |
| PFL Charlotte | Aug 7, 2026 | Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte | Battle vs Rosta | Battle |
| PFL New York | Jul 31, 2026 | UBS Arena, Elmont | Nurmagomedov vs Colgan | Nurmagomedov |
| PFL Washington DC | Jul 25, 2026 | CareFirst Arena, Washington | Jean vs Rodriguez | Jean |
| PFL Austin | Jul 18, 2026 | Moody Center, Austin | Eblen vs Kasanganay 2 | Eblen |
| PFL MENA 10 | Jul 10, 2026 | Boulevard City, Riyad | Alsaif vs Ouhachi | Alsaif |
| PFL San Diego | Jun 27, 2026 | Pechanga Arena, San Diego | A. McKee vs Isbulaev | A. McKee |
| PFL Africa 2 | Jun 13, 2026 | Eko Convention Center, Lagos | Adeshina vs Campos | No contest |
| PFL MENA 9 | May 24, 2026 | Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai | Saadi vs Yahya | Saadi |
| PFL Brussels | May 23, 2026 | ING Arena, Bruxelles | Habirora vs Henderson | Habirora |
| PFL Sioux Falls | May 2, 2026 | Sanford Pentagon, Sioux Falls | Storley vs Zendeli | Storley |
| PFL Belfast | Apr 16, 2026 | SSE Arena, Belfast | Kelly vs Wilson | Wilson |
| PFL Chicago | Apr 11, 2026 | Wintrust Arena, Chicago | Pettis vs M. McKee | M. McKee |
| PFL Africa 1 | Apr 10, 2026 | SunBet Arena, Pretoria | Ndebele vs Clemente | Ndebele |
| PFL Pittsburgh | Mar 28, 2026 | UPMC Events Center, Moon Township | Eblen vs Battle | Eblen |
| PFL Madrid | Mar 20, 2026 | Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid | Van Steenis vs Edwards 2 | Van Steenis |
| PFL Dubai | Feb 7, 2026 | Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai | Nurmagomedov vs Davis | Nurmagomedov |
| PFL Africa 4 | Dec 20, 2025 | Sofitel Dome, Cotonou | Ndebele vs Godogo | Ndebele |
| PFL Lyon | Dec 13, 2025 | LDLC Arena, Décines-Charpieu | Nemkov vs Ferreira | Nemkov |
| PFL MENA 4 | Dec 5, 2025 | Dhahran Expo, Khobar | Alaqraa vs Diani | Alaqraa |
| PFL Africa 3 | Oct 18, 2025 | BK Arena, Kigali | Ndebele vs Hokonya | Ndebele |
| PFL Champions Series 3 | Oct 3, 2025 | Coca-Cola Arena, Dubai | Nurmagomedov vs Hughes | Nurmagomedov |
| PFL Nantes | Sep 26, 2025 | Zénith Nantes Métropole | Ayoub vs Lopes | Ayoub |
Rules and format
- Unified rules of MMA, ten-sided cage (SmartCage).
- Three five-minute rounds, five rounds for title fights.
- Elbow strikes allowed since late 2024.
- Men's divisions: heavyweight (120 kg), light heavyweight (93), middleweight (84), welterweight (77), lightweight (70), featherweight (66), bantamweight (61).
- Women's divisions: featherweight (66), flyweight (57).
- PFL Africa and PFL MENA: single-elimination tournament seasons in each division.
FAQ
Who owns the PFL?
The PFL merged with Most Valuable Promotions, the company of Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, on July 30, 2026. John Martin is CEO. Operations move under the MVP banner on January 1, 2027.
Where can I watch the PFL?
In the United States, PFL events air on ESPN. In France, they are broadcast on RMC Sport.
When is the next PFL event in France?
PFL Lyon takes place on December 19, 2026 at the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, with Taylor Lapilus facing Mitch McKee for the inaugural PFL bantamweight world title. It is the last PFL-branded event.
What happened to Bellator?
The PFL bought Bellator from Paramount Global in November 2023. The brand was retired in January 2025 and its fighters joined the PFL roster. Bellator belts were replaced by PFL world titles.
Page updated on September 28, 2026. Sources: pflmma.com, en.wikipedia.org, rmcsport.tv.
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