The former 135 pound Cage Warriors champion Dominique Wooding has signed with the PFL:
Wooding lost his belt to Michele Martignoni in July, after going on a spectacular three-fight winning streak. All three wins came by way of knockout including a bitter win over domestic rival Nathan Fletcher. This run in Cage Warriors breathed life into Wooding’s career after a two-fight skid in Bellator.
Dominique Wooding is yet another high-profile free agent signing that the PFL has made in recent months. However, it still comes as somewhat of a surprise. Wooding seemed destined for the UFC, with Israel Adesanya specifically naming him as a fighter he would like to see in the Octagon.
‘Black Panther’ appeared to be on that path, with Michael Morgan reporting he was set to feature on Dana White Contender Series:
This never eventuated, and Wooding would go on to fight again in Cage Warriors despite reports of a strained relationship with the organization. However, Wooding posted on Twitter that he leaves with the relationship restored, and is grateful for his time with the organization:
Future with the PFL
It appears that in 2023, ‘Black Panther’ will compete in PFL Europe according to Chairman Don Davis:
PFL Europe events will be hosted exclusively in Europe, featuring European fighters, and broadcast in local primetime slots. A recent announcement confirmed that DAZN will be a founding partner of PFL Europe and will broadcast these events. It seeks to become “the Champions League of MMA” according to DAZN CEO, Peter Murray.
The PFL European champion will win entry into the PFL global league for the following season. No doubt Wooding is aiming to take the title in 2023. The roster for next year isn’t yet announced, but stay tuned as Combat Sports UK will be bringing you all the latest news and developments ahead of PFL Europe.
Was signing with the PFL the right move for Wooding?
Featured image credits to Cage Warriors
