The PFL is reportedly set to undergo some major changes to the season format before it begins in 2025. The previous year also saw the promotion shift significantly due to the acquisition of Bellator but now it looks like it will be the very foundation of the PFL that will be evolving over time.
We’ve already had the announcement from Donn Davis that elbows will be legal in all PFL fights from now on and whilst that changes the fights inside the Smart Cage, the newest changes will affect the format that these bouts take place in. For a long time, the PFL has pushed the $1 million tournament as it’s main selling point with the winner of each final towards the end of the year being granted a world championship and a huge prize sum.
Al Zullino (@phre on X) was the first to report that this prize money would be cut in half moving forwards after he shared details of a new PFL contract which lists the “Tournament Champions Bonus” as $500,000.
I got a sneak peek at some new PFL contracts, and there are some interesting highlights.
It looks like the one-million-dollar tournaments are gone.
pic.twitter.com/IXRWPCPZZg
— Al Zullino (@phre) January 7, 2025
Uncrowned’s Drake Riggs also wrote that according to sources, another big change will be the way that fighter’s progress through the regular season format. In previous years, fighters were awarded a certain amount of points for winning and fight and the method/speed of victory. For example, a first-round finish would earn a fighter six points on the scoreboard with these points tallies then determining the matchups for the play-offs.
Though the new format is yet to be confirmed, it looks like the points system will no longer be in use due to a change in direction for the way that the PFL distributes its talent. It appears that the biggest names in the promotion and the most anticipated bouts will now take place on the Road to Dubai Champions Series events with the first one set to take place on January 25.
The season format will instead be focused on rising stars in the promotion and building exciting talent rather than it being the end goal for everyone on the roster. Zullino also shared details of a revised bonus scheme for the fighters who are involved in non-season title fights.