Tag: PFL News (Professional Fighters League)

Claressa Shields Reportedly Signs With PFL

After defeating all before her in the boxing ring, it’s been reported Claressa Shields is to compete in MMA. The news was announced by Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAJunkie, who wrote that they were informed by two people with ‘ knowledge of the situation.’ The article went on to state that Shields has […]

After defeating all before her in the boxing ring, it’s been reported Claressa Shields is to compete in MMA.

The news was announced by Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAJunkie, who wrote that they were informed by two people with ‘ knowledge of the situation.’

The article went on to state that Shields has signed a contract with PFL to compete in stand-alone bouts. This would allow her to continue her boxing career as well as build her MMA resume. The article’s sources were anonymous as the PFL has not made any official statement about Shields joining the company.

MMAJunkie are not the only combat sports site reporting the news. The Athletics’s Mike Coppinger tweeted out that Shields will make her MMA debut on April 23.

The 25-year-old has been vocal about wanting to face the UFC’s Amanda Nunes, both in the ring and the Octagon, though Nunes has never appeared particularly receptive to the idea.

Shields’ record stands at 10-0, 2KO as a professional boxer and she is currently the undisputed women’s middleweight champion. If the PFL has signed the Flint native, then expect the promotion to get a lot more publicity in 2021. Shields has become one of the faces of women’s boxing, and there is bound to be huge curiosity as to how she would fare in MMA.

What do you make of this news?

Kayla Harrison Urged To Develop ‘Thicker Skin’ By Ronda Rousey

HarrisonFormer UFC bantamweight champion, ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey has offered some career advice to upcoming PFL talent, Kayla Harrison, urging the two-time Olympic gold medalist to develop some “thicker skin” as the latter’s career continues to gain momentum. Rousey, the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight champion, like Harrison, is also an Olympian, scoring a bronze medal at the […]

Harrison

Former UFC bantamweight champion, ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey has offered some career advice to upcoming PFL talent, Kayla Harrison, urging the two-time Olympic gold medalist to develop some “thicker skin” as the latter’s career continues to gain momentum.

Rousey, the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight champion, like Harrison, is also an Olympian, scoring a bronze medal at the 2008 summer Beijing games. A true pioneer of women’s mixed martial arts, Rousey scored a 12-2 professional record over the course of a five-year career. 

While both Rousey and Harrison share a massively influenced judoka style, the latter’s career trajectory has already been likened to the former, with a matchup opposite current two-weight UFC world champion, Amanda ‘The Lioness’ Nunes already suggested for the 30-year-old in the coming years.

With an undefeated 7-0 professional résumé, Harrison featured under the Invicta FC banner on November 20 at Invicta FC 43 in an exemption of her PFL contract – decimating Courtney King with brutal ground-and-pound before grabbing a second-round knockout win in her 145-pound debut.

Prior to the win, the Ohio native had competed exclusively as high as lightweight, scoring a pair of wins over Larissa Pacheco in a career rematch, and Bobbi Jo Dalziel in the 2019 PFL Women’s Lightweight tournament – earning championship spoils.
Speaking with ESPN MMA recently, Harrison detailed a piece of career advice Rousey had offered her before she had made the transition from Judo to professional mixed martial arts.

“That’s the one thing Ronda (Rousey) always told me about MMA,” Harrison detailed. “She was like, ‘you need to have thicker skin or you’re going to get eaten alive.’ Because I am a little bit of a sensitive person.“

While Harrison’s professional career begins to take real shape, 33-year-old Californian, Rousey’s career in professional mixed martial arts came to its conclusion with a pair of knockout losses to former world champion, Holly Holm, and current titleholder, Nunes in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

A prominent grappler, Rousey, also a former Strikeforce bantamweight champion has nabbed eye-catching career wins over Julia Budd, Miesha Tate (x2), Sarah Kaufman, Liz Carmouche, Sara McMann, Alexis Davis, Cat Zingano, and Bethe Correia.

Fabricio Werdum Eyes PFL Contract After Bellator Talks Stall

Fabricio WerdumThe former UFC heavyweight champion and current free agent Fabricio Werdum has revealed he is now eyeing a contract with PFL after talks to join the Bellator roster ended. Werdum was last seen in action at UFC on ESPN 14 in July. The Brazilian legend picked up a quick submission win over Alexander Gustafsson who […]

Fabricio Werdum

The former UFC heavyweight champion and current free agent Fabricio Werdum has revealed he is now eyeing a contract with PFL after talks to join the Bellator roster ended.

Werdum was last seen in action at UFC on ESPN 14 in July. The Brazilian legend picked up a quick submission win over Alexander Gustafsson who was making his heavyweight debut.

Post fight he opted against extending his contract with the UFC and began plotting a rematch with Fedor Emelianenko under the Bellator banner. The deal seemed to be close to done but unfortunately, it has now fallen apart.

“It didn’t happen that I closed with them because Bellator wanted to do the rematch with Fedor Emelianenko in my first fight with them,” Werdum told Brazilian outlet Combate. “I respect Fedor a lot, I can’t say that he didn’t want to fight, but there was no negotiation with Fedor, on his part he didn’t have to have this first fight. Bellator wanted this to be my first fight to have that impact already, and then close four or five more fights as a contract.”

Werdum went on to reveal his manager, Ali Abdelaziz is currently in talks with the Professional Fighter’s League with the view to partaking in one of their million dollar tournaments.

“I am also aware that (manager) Ali Abdelaziz is talking to the PFL, and it may be that I will enter this championship,” Werdum said. “I don’t know if it is very well known in Brazil, but it is like a championship, you enter and make four fights, you win these four fights you are the champion and you win the prize of one million dollars, plus your purse, so that interested me a lot.” (Transcribed by MMA Mania)

Who do you think Fabricio Werdum should sign with?

PFL Releases 2021 Regular Season Schedule

After Covid-19 forced the PFL to cancel its 2020 season, the company is gearing up for a return to action in 2021. The promotion has announced next year’s schedule in a press release it sent out today. The 2021 season will officially launch on April 23. The remaining regular-season events are scheduled for April 29, […]

After Covid-19 forced the PFL to cancel its 2020 season, the company is gearing up for a return to action in 2021. The promotion has announced next year’s schedule in a press release it sent out today.

The 2021 season will officially launch on April 23. The remaining regular-season events are scheduled for April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25. The PFL operates in a league format, and the promotion will announce the Playoffs and PFL Championship dates in the future.

ESPN will broadcast next year’s season, with events screening on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.

“We’re thrilled to announce an early start date for the 2021 PFL Season, and we look forward to building on the positive momentum experienced in a historic first season on ESPN,” said the company’s CEO Peter Murray.

“In 2021, the PFL will deliver an elevated, immersive, and interactive fan viewing experience incorporating expanded, real-time fighter data and analytics from our proprietary SmartCage technology, behind-the-scenes access, the return of ref cam, and more.

“Our champions return looking to earn another title, while a fresh crop of exciting new fighters will challenge for the top spot in MMA. Additional contenders will be unveiled in the leadup to what we believe will be the biggest season in PFL history.”

The 2021 season will feature a host of returning fighters, such as Kayla Harrison and Ray Cooper III, alongside a slew of exciting new additions to the company’s roster. The new arrivals include the likes of Rory MacDonald, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and Bubba Jenkins.

Will you be watching PFL in 2021?