Professional Fighters League (PFL) continues to make big waves in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).
The promotion announced today via press release that it has signed an investment agreement partnership with SRJ Sports Investment. SRJ is a newly founded branch, backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. The partnership intends to aid in talent acquisition as well as launch PFL’s pay-per-view (PPV) “super fight division” cards in 2024.
“PFL’s mission is to become the global co-leader in MMA with our fighter-first mission and disruptive sport-season format,” PFL Founder, Donn Davis, said. “This investment by SRJ continues the monumental growth that PFL has experienced throughout the world, and there is no better partner in global sports than SRJ.”
“Today marks a new milestone for SRJ as we make our inaugural investment,” SRJ Chairman Bander Bin Mogren said. “SRJ is shaping a new era of sports in Saudi Arabia and accelerating the growth of the domestic sports economy.
“This investment aims to nurture the local and regional talent pool in martial arts, promote gender equality in sport, and bring new opportunities directly to Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region,” he concluded.
Along with the aforementioned collaborative efforts between both entities, SRJ will invest in PFL MENA, which will be a smaller regional league within the promotion that focuses on the Middle East and North Africa. SRJ also now owns a minority stake in PFL.
“PFL and SRJ share the same vision for mixed martial arts — the biggest star fighters, mega global events, and global expansion to bring the sport to all regions — so we are thrilled and honored to have SRJ as our investment partner,” said PFL CEO, Peter Murray. “PFL has become the clear No. 2 MMA company in just five years, and with SRJ’s backing, the best of PFL is still to come.”
PFL is expected to put on at least two PPV events next year. Some of the current names already signed to compete in those types of events include Francis Ngannou, Jake Paul, Kayla Harrison, and Claressa Shields.