2022 regular season and playoff events will be simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+. Some additional PFL coverage will take place on ESPN2.
The PFL first agreed to a broadcast partnership with ESPN back in 2019. Before that, the league had a longstanding deal with NBC Sports before “The Worldwide Leader in Sports” agreed to become the league’s new televised home.
2022 is expected to be another huge year for the PFL as a whole. The league’s new Challenger Series program, similar to Dana White’s Contender Series, will launch next month. The show will give up-and-coming prospects a chance at signing with the league.
“After two successful years of providing fans with premium MMA content alongside ESPN, PFL is proud to extend and expand our agreement,” CEO Peter Murray said via a press release. “As MMA continues to evolve as a sport and rights property, our differentiated product and unique approach will help shape its path forward and in 2022 fans can expect more events, matchups between the world’s best fighters, and innovative content than ever before.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
The league has added a different spin on how MMA is scored and judged. The PFL’s point-based system, along with its league standings and postseason, has added a new and unique dimension to the sport.
The PFL regular season will begin on April 20 as Anthony Pettis, Julia Budd, and possibly Harrison make their returns to the cage.
Not so fast: Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison may not be shooting for a three-peat as the PFL’s women’s lightweight champion after all. Last month, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported that the PFL is the strong front-runner to re-sign Harrison. In a follow-up tweet to the report, he stated that the deal was as good…
Not so fast: Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison may not be shooting for a three-peat as the PFL’s women’s lightweight champion after all.
Last month, MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported that the PFL is the strong front-runner to re-sign Harrison. In a follow-up tweet to the report, he stated that the deal was as good as done.
“Talks between Kayla Harrison and the PFL have hit a snag at the 11th hour, I’m told. They aren’t dead but road blocks have materialized. She is now assessing her next move and nothing is being ruled out,” Helwani tweeted.
Harrison also sent out the following tweet shortly before Helwani’s report:
Kayla Harrison has been competing in MMA since 2018, with the entirety of her 12 professional fights taking place in the PFL. The Olympian has remained undefeated, with each victory being either a finish or a dominant unanimous decision. Most recently, Harrison won the PFL’s women’s lightweight season for the second time when she defeated Taylor Guardado at PFL 10.
This latest development will no doubt give hope to the many MMA fans who remain eager to see Harrison face a fresh batch of competition. It also will no doubt reinvigorate UFC’s and Bellator’s efforts to land Harrison.
Numerous people within the industry, including WMMA legend Miesha Tate, believe Harrison should join the UFC, with others arguing that she should join any larger promotion with a deeper talent pool.
MMA News will no doubt keep you abreast of all the latest updates on this developing story.
Anthony Pettis is getting ready to return to action for the 2022 season.
With the new year upon us, the next season of PFL is right around the corner. The 2021 season was a great success for PFL. During the offseason, they added a number of well-k…
Anthony Pettis is getting ready to return to action for the 2022 season.
With the new year upon us, the next season of PFL is right around the corner. The 2021 season was a great success for PFL. During the offseason, they added a number of well-known fighters to the roster, one of which was former UFC champion, Anthony Pettis.
Pettis has now confirmed that he will be back again and joining PFL for the 2022 season. He spread the news on his personal Twitter page.
Pettis is most well known for his tenure with the UFC. He was with the organization from 2011, and in his ten years there won the lightweight title. He successfully defended it once before losing it to Rafael dos Anjos. He decided to walk away from the UFC in 2021 following two consecutive wins. He then announced his move to PFL as one of the biggest signings.
Pettis’s first season with PFL was filled with great expectations that he did not quite live up to. He lost both of his PFL bouts last season and did not make it to the playoffs. Pettis along with the rest of the lightweight division will be looking to battle it out for the big $1 million prize that awaits the winner of each division.
Some believe that his career could be coming to an end, but he is not ready to walk away yet. In addition to his skills inside the cage, Pettis is also beginning a career outside the cage. Pettis has recently opened his own MMA fight promotion called Showtime FC. As he approaches this next season, Pettis has already achieved so much in the sport and is still gaining more success.
How do you think Anthony Pettis will fair in the next season of PFL?
Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor has praised Claressa Shields for her venture into MMA but believes the unified middleweight titleholder should now focus solely on her boxing career.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the onl…
Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor has praised Claressa Shields for her venture into MMA but believes the unified middleweight titleholder should now focus solely on her boxing career.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only boxer in history to hold all four major world titles simultaneously across two weight classes, tested the waters of mixed martial arts as part of the rising PFL promotion in 2021. Having built an unblemished 11-0 record in the squared circle, “T-Rex” looked to create similar success in the cage.
Last June, Shields got off to a winning start in her new sport, recovering from two dropped rounds to TKO Brittney Elkin in the third on debut. But while she was able to overcome her ground deficiencies in her first appearance, the 26-year-old was unable to do the same in her second outing.
At the PFL Finale in October, Shields suffered her first professional loss in combat sports. She fell on the wrong side of a split decision against Abigail Montes after failing to prevent her opponent’s takedowns and keep the fight on the feet.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVjo9GVMNco/
Taylor Gives Her Take On Shields’ Two-Sport Venture
But one of her fellow pound-for-pound boxing stars Katie Taylor believes a return to MMA wouldn’t be wise. Speaking during an appearance on The MMA Hour, the Irish champion credited Shields for taking on the cross-over challenger. However, “KT” believes she should now streamline all her efforts towards her career in the ring.
“I definitely didn’t expect (Shields to fight in MMA). But I thought it was a fantastic challenge for her to take on because boxing and MMA are two completely different sports. It’s very, very hard for anyone in boxing to cross over because, obviously, we have no ground game.
“If anybody got me to the ground, for example, it would be a huge problem for me. I think obviously you always have a puncher’s chance maybe, but it’s a priority — it’s very, very hard to stay on your feet. So I think it was an admirable challenge for her to take on. But I would love for her just to focus on boxing now.”
Taylor’s plea for Shields to leave her MMA career in the past, for now at least, comes ahead of what looks to be a busy year in boxing for the “GWOAT.”
Shields was initially set to return to the sport to defend her middleweight belts against Slovenia’s Ema Kozin later this month. However, with the British Boxing Board of Control announcing the suspension of the sport in the UK due to COVID-19, the status of that clash, scheduled for Cardiff, Wales, is uncertain.
Beyond that, Shields looks set for a blockbuster undisputed middleweight showdown with England’s Savannah Marshall later this year. With exciting challenges ahead of her in boxing, Taylor believes her immediate future is best set in the squared circle and nowhere else.
“There’s a lot of big fights out there for her,” Taylor said. “The likes of Savannah Marshall, who’s a fantastic world champion fighter, and I think Savannah actually beat her as an amateur fighter, so that is a huge, huge, huge fight for them. It’s probably one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing.” (h/t Boxing Scene)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYAT3g4Mb7U/
Do you agree with Katie Taylor? Should Claressa Shields focus on her career inside the ring?
If Kayla Harrison was expecting a retraction from Julianna Peña, she may be miffed when she discovers a harsh double-down of disrespect instead.
After Julianna Peña completed her unexpected transition from underdog to champion, she became the belle…
If Kayla Harrison was expecting a retraction from Julianna Peña, she may be miffed when she discovers a harsh double-down of disrespect instead.
After Julianna Peña completed her unexpected transition from underdog to champion, she became the belle of the media ball, taking part in numerous interviews covering a wide range of topics. One of those topics was highly coveted free agent and two-time PFL lightweight season winner Kayla Harrison.
Kayla Harrison (Photo: Instagram @JudoKayla)
Given the fact that Harrison is in the middle of her free agency, that means the possibilities are endless and every high-level female competitor might have to field a question about the Olympian at some point.
When the topic of Harrison arrived at Peña’s mantel, she treated it and Harrison’s achievements like yesterday’s rubbish.
“I think she’s the lesser of the training partners for her and Amanda Nunes,” Peña told MMA Junkie. “If that’s the case and I just took out Amanda, I don’t know what kind of position that would put her in. But she’s been fighting the B-leagues. I’ve been fighting in the UFC, I’ve been fighting at the top of the division. I’m fighting in the biggest league of this sport so I’m not paying too much attention to what she’s doing down there.”
When Harrison became aware of these comments, she issued a warning to Peña, cautioning the new champion to watch her words and to not bite off more than she can chew.
Julianna Peña Responds To Kayla Harrison’s Warning
Julianna Peña
In an interview this week with BBC Sport, Peña was anything but “careful” with her words. By Harrison’s standards, it would be more accurate to say that “The Venezuelan Vixen” was speaking outright recklessly.
“Who is this Ronda Rousey wannabe?” Peña asked, still befuddled at the mere mention of Harrison during her interview.
Peña would then let Harrison know just how unafraid of her warning she was by offering the lightweight a warm invitation to unchartered territory.
“Kayla is not on my radar. I don’t even think she can make 135lbs, but if she wants to make the weight, pack your stuff and come on over here, honey.”
Peña would then reiterate that, in the meantime, her focus is not on Harrison or anyone other than Amanda Nunes, whom Peña is expected to rematch in a bout Dana White believes will be the biggest women’s fight in UFC history.
Do you think Kayla Harrison will attempt to take Julianna Peña up on her invitation?
PFL light heavyweight prospect Jordan Young has died at the age of 27, as announced by his gym American Top Team on Sunday.
Young’s cause of death is currently unclear.
Young was a former Bellator fighter that had recently seemed to find his foo…
PFL light heavyweight prospect Jordan Young has died at the age of 27, as announced by his gym American Top Team on Sunday.
Young’s cause of death is currently unclear.
Young was a former Bellator fighter that had recently seemed to find his footing with the PFL.
ATT posted a brief statement on their Twitter page to pay tribute to Young and offer condolences to his family and friends.
It’s with a heavy heart, we have learned about the passing of our teammate Jordan Young. Our team is shocked and deeply saddened by this news. A great teammate, he will be deeply missed by all of us.
Thoughts and prayers to his family. RIP to this warrior ?
“It’s with a heavy heart, we have learned about the passing of our teammate Jordan Young,” the gym shared in a statement. “Our team is shocked and deeply saddened by this news. A great teammate, he will be deeply missed by all of us. Thoughts and prayers to his family. RIP to this warrior.”
Jordan Young Recently Pulled Off An Incredible Comeback
Young accumulated a record of 12-2 during his professional MMA career, but many fans will remember him for how his last fight played out. Young most recently earned a miraculous knockout win over former UFC fighter Omari Akhmedov at the 2021 PFL Championships in October.
After getting smothered and dominated over the first two rounds, Young earned arguably one of the best comeback wins of the year.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4262079/UFC_193-Interviews-Pena.00_05_09_14.Still001.0.jpg)
