Tag: pfl

Exclusive – Luke Thomas insists ‘It’s Not Possible’ for PFL to compete with the UFC: ‘It Cannot Be Done’

Luke Thomas on PFL vs. UFCLuke Thomas doesn’t see any possible way for the PFL to compete with the UFC. 2023 was a fairly…

Luke Thomas on PFL vs. UFC

Luke Thomas doesn’t see any possible way for the PFL to compete with the UFC.

2023 was a fairly big year for the Professional Fighters League. The promotion made headlines when they announced their blockbuster signing of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. In addition, the PFL inked a deal with social media star Jake Paul and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund acquired a minority stake in the promotion.

Of course, the biggest bit of PFL news came when founder Donn Davis revealed that they had acquired Bellator MMA and all the talent signed to the Scott Coker-led fight company.

Speaking with Mike Owens in a LowKick MMA exclusive interview, Morning Kombat’s Luke Thomas suggested that all of these big-money moves could translate to success in the new year, but believes the PFL’s biggest obstacle will be getting eyes on their product and fans in the arena, particularly stateside.

“I think there’s a lot of potential. We don’t really know if Francis is gonna fight in MMA in 2024,” Thomas said. “I tend to think he probably doesn’t, but even if he ends up fighting a nobody, that’s still better than what the PFL has. Obviously, it’d be better if they had a second name. It takes two names to promote a pay-per-view and they don’t have that right now, but something that could potentially be great for them is Jake Paul fighting on that card against somebody that people care about like Dillon Danis. That could be potentially big for them.

“Putting together some kind of event where they could pull 10,000 or 20,000 people. They pulled 20,000 when they went to France. They’ve pulled good cards when they went to the 3Arena [in Dublin], but in the United States, I went to one in my hometown, Washington D.C. and they had less than 3,000. And they were pretty happy with that. It’s tough to draw here.

“If they can solve that problem, that would be great. If they can get their numbers solidly above 400,000 viewers… They typically hover at 300,000 or below and sometimes below 200,000. That has to categorically change.”

Luke Thomas Believes ‘Pure Luck’ is the only thing that will help the PFL

Following the announcement of PFL’s purchase of Bellator, Donn Davis suggested that his promotion will eventually be a co-leader in the world of MMA, sharing the throne that the UFC currently occupies all by its lonesome.

Aside from a few extenuating circumstances, Thomas doesn’t see any future where the PFL can stand side-by-side with the UFC, let alone compete with the Las Vegas-based juggernaut.

“It is not possible for the PFL to compete with the UFC,” Thomas continued. “It is actually in the real world, not possible. It cannot be done. There is nothing that they can do to bridge that gap. So when we’re talking about a successful 2024 for them, I think getting a little bit of luck. Somebody defecting inside the ranks of the UFC. That would be just pure luck. That would be good.

“The court case, the antitrust case [against the UFC], if that ends up having an effect, and of course, there could be challenges to any kind of verdict that goes against the UFC, but nevertheless, opening up that possibility of what that could mean. There’s just a lot of ways that… Here’s the reality, folks. Unless the United States Congress gets involved by passing the Muhammad Ali Act to MMA, or this antitrust case really railroads the UFC, or there is some kind of internal scandal that just makes the UFC collapse overnight, there is nothing that PFL, Bellator, ONE, or any other competitor out there can do to actually compete with the UFC.”

Thomas hopes that the PFL can continue to grow and show signs of further success in 2024, even it if means only being a distant second to the empire that Dana White has helped build.

“I hope PFL has a great 2024. They could have a much better 2024 than 2023 and 2023 was a good year for them, all things being what they were, but ultimately, I am telling you how this movie ends,” he concluded.

Watch the full exclusive interview with Luke Thomas:

PFL CEO Remains Confident former UFC Champion Francis Ngannou will make his return to MMA in 2024

Francis NgannouPFL CEO Peter Murray remains confident that Francis Ngannou will make his Smart Cage debut in 2024 even though…

Francis Ngannou

PFL CEO Peter Murray remains confident that Francis Ngannou will make his Smart Cage debut in 2024 even though he has already booked a boxing bout with Anthony Joshua.

“We’re really proud and happy for Francis, but he will be returning to the cage later this year after the Joshua fight,” Murray told MMA reporter John Morgan earlier this week.

“Francis is gonna take on both sports,” he added.

Last week, renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani broke the news that Ngannou would head back to Riyadh for a clash with former unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. Though not officially announced, the bout is expected to go down on March 8 in the Saudi Arabian capital.

Francis Ngannou says pFL debut might not happen this year

Speaking with Helwani on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Ngannou suggested that there is a chance he won’t compete in mixed martial arts before the end of 2024. Aside from his fight with Joshua, ‘The Predator’ is gunning for a rematch with reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Ngannou went toe-to-toe with ‘The Gypsy King’ in his pro boxing debut last fall, coming up short by way of a closely contested split decision.

A rematch clause between the two requires a potential sequel to get underway within one year of their first meeting which went down on October 28, 2023

However, Murray can’t see the PFL stepping aside for a third time after signing a ground-breaking deal with the former UFC heavyweight titleholder almost a year ago.

“Francis is committed to the PFL,” Murray said when asked about the possibility of Ngannou staying in boxing for the rest of 2024 if he beats Joshua. “He’s committed to continuing competing in MMA, so we don’t expect that” (h/t theScore).

Ngannou has not competed in MMA since defeating Ciryl Gane in January 2022.

PFL CEO Remains Confident former UFC Champion Francis Ngannou will make his return to MMA in 2024

Francis NgannouPFL CEO Peter Murray remains confident that Francis Ngannou will make his Smart Cage debut in 2024 even though…

Francis Ngannou

PFL CEO Peter Murray remains confident that Francis Ngannou will make his Smart Cage debut in 2024 even though he has already booked a boxing bout with Anthony Joshua.

“We’re really proud and happy for Francis, but he will be returning to the cage later this year after the Joshua fight,” Murray told MMA reporter John Morgan earlier this week.

“Francis is gonna take on both sports,” he added.

Last week, renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani broke the news that Ngannou would head back to Riyadh for a clash with former unified heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. Though not officially announced, the bout is expected to go down on March 8 in the Saudi Arabian capital.

Francis Ngannou says pFL debut might not happen this year

Speaking with Helwani on a recent episode of The MMA Hour, Ngannou suggested that there is a chance he won’t compete in mixed martial arts before the end of 2024. Aside from his fight with Joshua, ‘The Predator’ is gunning for a rematch with reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Ngannou went toe-to-toe with ‘The Gypsy King’ in his pro boxing debut last fall, coming up short by way of a closely contested split decision.

A rematch clause between the two requires a potential sequel to get underway within one year of their first meeting which went down on October 28, 2023

However, Murray can’t see the PFL stepping aside for a third time after signing a ground-breaking deal with the former UFC heavyweight titleholder almost a year ago.

“Francis is committed to the PFL,” Murray said when asked about the possibility of Ngannou staying in boxing for the rest of 2024 if he beats Joshua. “He’s committed to continuing competing in MMA, so we don’t expect that” (h/t theScore).

Ngannou has not competed in MMA since defeating Ciryl Gane in January 2022.

Breaking – Francis Ngannou set to fight Anthony Joshua in ten round professional boxing match in March

Francis Ngannou set to fight Anthony Joshua in ten round professional boxing match in RiyadhFormer undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is set for his sophomore outing in the squared circle later this…

Francis Ngannou set to fight Anthony Joshua in ten round professional boxing match in Riyadh

Former undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is set for his sophomore outing in the squared circle later this year, taking on former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua over the course of ten rounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 9.

As per an initial report from Ariel Helwani, per Royal Court Saudi advisor, Turki Al-Sheikh, former UFC heavyweight champion, Ngannou will return to the Middle East later this year for a professional boxing match against former world champion, Joshua – with an official press conference between the two slated for later in January.

Francis Ngannou set for Middle East clash with Anthony Joshua

“Breaking: Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua is a done deal, per @Turki_alalshikh. Ten-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”

Sidelined since he made his professional boxing debut back in October in Riyadh, PFL (Professional Fighters League) signed heavyweight, Ngannou made his first venture to the squared circle in a ten round fight with WBC heavyweight kingpin, Tyson Fury, dropping a controversial split decision loss.

Heralded for his performance in his first-ever professional boxing outing, Cameroonian knockout ace, Ngannou landed a stunning knockdown on the Morecambe native, before dropping a dubious decision loss in Saudi Arabia.

As for Joshua, the former two-time heavyweight world champion is in the midst of an impressive three-fight winning run, compiled over the course of last year, most recently stopping Otto Wallin with a corner’s stoppage TKO win in Riyadh, as part of a ‘Day of Reckoning’ billed card for the country. 

Yet to make his promotional bow with the PFL, Ngannou’s most recent outing in mixed martial arts came in the form of a unanimous decision win over then-interim heavyweight champion, defending and unifying his title at UFC 270 back in January 2022 in Anaheim, California. The outing came as Ngannou’s last on his Octagon contract, which expired at the beginning of last year to boot. 

Who wins in a March 2024 boxing showdown: Francis Ngannou or Anthony Joshua?

UFC Fighter Turned BKFC Brawler Todd Duffee Wants to be the first to fight Francis Ngannou in PFL

Todd DuffeeEx-UFC heavyweight standout Todd Duffee would love to be a part of the Professional Fighter’s League, especially if it…

Todd Duffee

Ex-UFC heavyweight standout Todd Duffee would love to be a part of the Professional Fighter’s League, especially if it means scoring an opportunity to welcome Francis Ngannou back to MMA.

With ‘The Predator’ expected to make his debut inside the PFL Smart Cage in 2024, heavyweights from far and wide are throwing their names into the hat of potential opponents for the former UFC heavyweight champion. Duffee, who currently calls the BKFC home, would love the opportunity to be Ngannou’s first opponent.

“Oh, yeah, I’d love to, and I think they would give me that opportunity, too,” Duffee told MMA Junkie Radio when asked about a potential fight against Ngannou. “I would love to do that. It’s a fun, exciting fight.

“I do think they have a lot of sexy matchups, but I love heavyweight fights, so maybe I see it differently. Both guys that fought last weekend would be amazing matchups for him. I think that in general, PFL has a good roster of heavyweights I would love to see Francis fight. But yeah, please sign me up for that fight. Everybody wants that fight” (h/t MMA Junkie).

Whether or Not He Gets Ngannou, Todd Duffee Would Love to Compete for the PFL

Duffee was scheduled for a return to action at BKFC 56 on Saturday night, but his scheduled opponent, Ben Rothwell, was forced to withdraw from the contest due to illness. The bout has since been rescheduled for February.

Even if he doesn’t win the Francis Ngannou lottery, Duffee would still take advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the PFL.

“The tournament is the best because you know it doesn’t matter if you’re hurt and stuff like that, even that gets removed from your head a lot easier,” Duffee said. “I think tournaments are the coolest thing, for sure. If you can fight month after month, it’s the most beautiful thing in a guys’ career.”

Duffee went 3-2 under the UFC banner with one no-contest. He earned victories over Tim Hague, Phil De Fries, and Anthony Hamilton before exiting the promotion following a loss against former titleholder Frank Mir.

UFC CEO Dana White roasts the PFL’s Acquisition of an ‘Organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches’

Dana WhiteDana White doesn’t think much of the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator MMA. Last month, Donn Davis, the proprietor of…

Dana White

Dana White doesn’t think much of the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator MMA.

Last month, Donn Davis, the proprietor of the Professional Fighter’s League, ended months of speculation when he officially announced that his company would merge with Bellator, creating a new powerhouse in the world of mixed martial arts, or so Davis says.

Fight fans are undoubtedly excited to see PFL champions mix it up with Bellator champions next year, and even White appeared to offer Davis and Co. a word of encouragement following the UFC’s latest event in The Lone Star State on Saturday night.

“Good for them,” White said at the UFC Austin post-fight press conference. “I wish them all the luck in the world.”

Just in case you thought White was being genuine, the outspoken UFC CEO made his feelings on the merger quite clear in a follow-up comment.

“One sh*tty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watches buys another sh*tty organization that sells no tickets and nobody watched,” White added. “Sounds like a f*cking winner to me, boy. Right? Woo. Go, guys.”

Donn Davis Convinced that Dana White is ‘Worried’ About the PFL

Following news of the acquisition, Donn Davis suggested that Dana White is “worried” about what the PFL can bring to the table with the Bellator talent on board.

“Everybody knows Dana well enough that he only dismisses things that worry him, or else he just doesn’t comment,” Davis said on The MMA Hour. “He didn’t comment on the PFL for four years, ‘cause he wasn’t worried. He’s commented on the PFL a lot the last six months – [he’s] worried.”

He added,“It’s just a matter of time before … we’re not No. 2 – we’re a co-leader,” Davis said in November. “[White] doesn’t want that. That’s what’s going on.”

Dana White doesn’t seem all that concerned to us, but only time will tell.