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| (Image Source: Professional Fighters League) |
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, resumes its 2023 Regular Season on June 8, 2023 at the Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and live on ESPN, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes in the US and various broadcast and digital partners in 160 countries globally with Featherweights and Light Heavyweights taking centerstage. On the other hand, PFL has also announced the main card for PFL Europe 2 taking place on July 8, 2023 at the Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany and live worldwide on DAZN.
2022 PFL Featherweight World Champion and current division leader Brendan Loughnane headlines the resumption of the Regular Season against Jesus Pinedo. Loughnane will look to secure a berth in the 2023 PFL Playoffs and move a step closer to his second PFL World Championship. In the co-main event, 2022 PFL Light Heavyweight World Champion “Razor” Robert Wilkinson returns to the PFL SmartCage against Will Fleury. Wilkinson currently sits in a third-place tie in the Light Heavyweight standings. The Australian will look for a finish to secure a Playoff appearance and move one step closer to the US$1 million World Championship prize. In further Light Heavyweight action, Thiago Santos is in a must win situation against Mohammad Fakhreddine. “Marreta” will need a finish to keep his million-dollar dream alive. 2021 PFL Featherweight Champion Movlid Khaybulaev steps back into the PFL SmartCage looking to remain unbeaten. The Dagestan native Khaybulaev will take on Daniel Torres. Marthin Hamlet, who currently sits atop the Light Heavyweight standings, matches up with Sam Kei with a Playoff berth on the line.
“The Professional Fighters League is set to return to 2023 Regular Season action at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA, on Thursday, June 8 with Featherweights and Light Heavyweights making their final push for the 2023 PFL Playoffs. We look forward to an action-packed night of fights live on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. with international distribution to 160 countries globally as the best athletes in the world look to take one step closer to a PFL world title and $1million prize,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “The first half of the 2023 PFL Regular Season provided action that can only take place in the PFL’s unique season format. We look forward to watching the elite PFL athletes make their final attempt towards securing a berth in the PFL Playoffs,” said PFL President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo. The second half of the PFL Regular Season will eventually continue on June 16th and 23rd live from Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
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| (Image Source: Tapology/Professional Fighters League) |
Berlin-based Bantamweight Farbod Iran Nezhad will headline PFL Europe 2 against Italy’s Francesco Nuzzi, who enters PFL Europe in incredible form having won his last eight fights. The co-main event will star German striking specialist Khurshed Kakhorov up against the hugely experienced Mokhtar Benkaci from France as both fighters look to book their place in the 2023 PFL Europe Playoffs. Further action in the Bantamweight division will see Frans “Black Mamba” Mlambo who fights out of SBG Ireland under John Kavanagh face off against former Cage Warriors Champion, Dominique “Black Panther” Wooding and the unbeaten Ali Taleb from Sweden takes on Swiss star Kenj Bortoluzzi. In the Lightweight division, Ireland’s Dylan Tuke matches up with Liverpool sensation, the undefeated Connor Hughes, while Latvian Alex “Pretty Boy” Chizov, who is unbeaten in nearly six-years, faces Spain’s Acoidan Duque. Rounding up the lightweight division will show Geisym Derouiche, fighting out of Marseille, France, to face Cork’s own John Mitchel. Both with six wins, undefeated, and looking to carry on their streaks, whilst Italy’s Radu Maxim will take on Poland’s Jakub Kaszuba.
The fight card has been overseen by mixed martial arts royalty Dan Hardy who joined the company as Director of Fighter Operations of PFL Europe last month. As part of his new role, Hardy will play a key part in the well-being and development of fighters as well as identifying local talent and working closely with the global PFL President of Fighter Operations on all matchmaking decisions. Hardy said, "This event brings together the best Mixed Martial Arts talent from across Europe in the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. PFL Europe 2 represents the first step on a $100,000 journey, which will see one fighter from each bracket crowned the first European Champion. This is why I believe that Berlin is the perfect host city for these inaugural European championships. The German MMA fans are highly educated in the sport, and will appreciate the level of athletes competing at this event. Every one of these fighters has the potential to change their lives, and July 8th is the beginning of that year-long journey to the top of European MMA. Four lightweight bouts will be followed by four bantamweight bouts, with all sixteen fighters trying to secure a spot in the Playoffs in Paris, in September. We will have regional talents in feature bouts throughout this card, as well as the two German representatives in the bantamweight division topping the bill against tough opposition from France and Italy. This event will set a new precedent in European MMA, and the fans in attendance will witness the highest level of MMA in Europe today."
PFL Europe is the PFL’s first international league and will showcase the very best MMA athletes across Europe. PFL Europe will hold quarterly events throughout 2023, which began in Newcastle on March 25. The ground-breaking league will feature 32 of Europe’s top fighters from 14 countries competing across four weight divisions. After four events, four PFL Europe Champions will be crowned with each Champion taking home $100,000. Champions also have a chance to earn a spot on the PFL Global Roster and the $1 million global season prize. PFL is the #1 fastest growing company in MMA and the #2 MMA company on a worldwide basis. PFL is the only in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year, making PFL a “win and advance” meritocracy like all other major sports. PFL fighter roster hails from over 20 countries and 25% of PFL fighters are independently ranked in the top 25 of their weight-class. The Company leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage powering real-time betting and a next-gen viewing experience.
