Professional Fighters League (PFL) is once again attempting to innovate within mixed martial arts (MMA).
The conclusion to the promotion’s 2023 season takes place Thanksgiving weekend in Washington D.C. on Nov. 24, 2023. Throughout the year, several big steps forward have been taken with notable signings like former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, and boxing superstar, Jake Paul. In other recent progressions, PFL signed an investment agreement with Saudi Arabia and will host events in the country next year.
The anticipated pay-per-view “Super Fight” series is also set to launch in 2024 as will Professional Fighters League Women (PFLW). Per a report from Forbes, “PFLW is a separate entity under the organization’s umbrella and there will be all-women’s events beginning in 2024.”
“Since our inception, we’ve had a fighter-first mission and PFLW is the next exciting chapter in our story,” PFL CEO, Peter Murray, said. “We have the world’s best female fighters — Kayla Harrison, Larissa Pacheco, Claressa Shields, Amanda Serrano and Savannah Marshall. We’re committed to empowering all female athletes and provide them with a dedicated, global platform to become world champions. We pride ourselves on having a true meritocracy where every fighter is given equal opportunities.”
All-women’s promotions like Invicta Fighting Championship, Hook N’ Shoot, Smack Girl, and Deep Jewels have been commonplace in MMA history. However, outside of ONE Championship, which hosted its first and only eight-fight all-women card in 2021, hosting all-women fight cards is rarely seen in major MMA promotions involving male competitors. Even the latter promotion of those four mentioned, Deep Jewels under Deep, is a somewhat similar entity and concept to what PFLW will be for PFL.
PFL has historically focused on a 155-pound Lightweight division that was previously centered around Kayla Harrison until 2023. This year, the division ceased and Featherweight was opened while Flyweights have since gotten involved in the mix in the European and Challenger Series events.