The 2024 Professional Fighters League (PFL) semifinals are near their conclusion. The company is continuing to display rising success and bring new beginnings.
PFL CEO Wants Muhammad Mokaev
On Thursday, the PFL will hold its “Battle of the Giants” press conference. This will feature the ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou and his next opponent Renan Ferreira. Joining them will be a legend in the women’s MMA scene Cris Cyborg and her opponent the two-time PFL queen Larissa Pacheco. Youtube personality turned boxer Jake Paul was the host of the proceedings.
The current season coming to an end with the last of the semi-finals happening on Friday. All eyes will be fully focused on the future of the company. PFL CEO Peter Murray is targeting even more big moves in the months to come to improve the PFL brand and competition.
Paul Murray went and spoke to Sherdog.com and opened up about his desire for the PFL to open up even more divisions. This would be for their regular season format in 2025 and the years to follow. Other promotions in MMA may be looking to avoid adding weight classes such as the men’s flyweight division, Peter Murray believes the flyweight division will be a key focus in the PFL. Peter Murray also has a former UFC standout in mind to lead the division to success. Peter Murray revealed this when he said;
“I do think the flyweight category is something we will be getting into in the future. I know our guys are looking at it,” Murray said. “You look at fighters like Muhammad Mokaev; he’s a 13-0 flyweight from Dagestan. This kid has the second-longest winning streak in UFC flyweight history. He was 23-0 as an amateur. When I look at a kid like that, that’s an opportunity.
“Whether it’s Muhammad coming into the PFL system in one of our franchises, whether that be the global season or Bellator, and others like him, I think it’s a real opportunity — in particular with international talent in the flyweight weight class. Muhammad is the real deal; a lot of respect for him.”
Muhammad Mokaev Could Be the Face of the PFL
Peter Murray spoke about how he believes the former UFC flyweight fighter could become a future face in the PFL. Revealing this Peter Murray said;
“I believe Muhammad Mokaev could absolutely be the future face of flyweights within the Professional Fighters League, should that be a weight class we open up in the Global Season or within our Bellator platform,” Murray said. “It’s absolutely something we’re looking at and this kid [Mokaev] is impressive.”
Muhammad Mokaev left the UFC after his fight at UFC 304. This was a very highly-publicised departure and there was a lot of uncertainty on what was next for Mokaev. However, Peter Murray does believe that the former UFC Flyweight believes he is not only the future of the PFL but also the future of MMA. Peter Murray said this when he said;
“It’s the future of the sport. PFL is where the next generation champions make their mark on the sport,” Murray said. “PFL is all about the future and the future starts with developing the next generation of incredible athletes, MMA champions and stars. We are about the future and that’s why you see athletes from all over the planet flocking to the PFL, and we have high standards based on the level of competition. Over one-third of our roster is ranked in the Top 25 in the world in their respective weight classes. These are the very best fighters in the world.”
New Divisions a Possibility
The possibility of the PFL adding in new weight classes is not only limited to the men’s flyweight division. Peter Murray did reveal the company is looking at all potential possibilities when it comes down to the decision of opening new divisions. This is also the case when it comes to the fighters who may be at the forefront of those new openings. Peter Murray said this when he said;
“Over here we’re looking at where the best talent is, not just different parts of the world but what weight classes, and how we can get behind those athletes and integrate them into our portfolio and expand on what we’re doing,” he said. “Year after year we’re looking at new weight classes.”
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