The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will pay each of the 72 fighters on its global roster a salary until 2021 after CEO Peter Murray revealed that it was scrapping all of its events this year for health and safety reasons.
The decision by the US competition to pull all of its fights in 2020 is a bold and surprising move given that its program was expected to start in May, by which time the nation’s president, Donald Trump, has bullishly predicted that sporting events could be taking place again as the country attempts to recover from the ravages of its Covid-19 outbreak.
UFC president Dana White has also said that he expects to resume weekly events on May 9 – the same date that the first of the PFL’s 10 events was held in 2019.
Announcing that fighters would be paid a monthly cash stipend with the aim of providing “some relief during these challenging times,” Murray said: “PFL is a global MMA league with athletes from over 25 countries, and our decision is guided by the health and safety of our fighters, fans, partners, and event personnel.”
BREAKING: Professional Fighters League Reschedules 2020 Season to 2021 Due to Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.Full Press Release: https://t.co/WKx6WrexZEpic.twitter.com/zEzBieKpWM
In remarks hinting at a reluctance to encounter the kind of travel restrictions that hampered the aborted UFC 249 last month and fight in front of empty arenas, Murray added that the league, which awards $1 million to each winner of six weight divisions in a grand New-Year’s Eve finale, wanted to deliver “the best made-for-TV MMA product” and “evolve and grow the sport.”
After a “regular season” in Long Island and Atlantic City last year, the PFL hosted a series of playoff bouts in Las Vegas to decide who would take part in the championship event at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.
The season was initially put on hold as the pandemic progressed earlier this year, and Murray has promised a range of “compelling content” while the format is suspended.
Some fans praised the move, with one writing “good job” before proceeding to criticize rival promotion boss Dana White’s plans to solve his search for available venues during the crisis. “Not hungry for money like that biggest MMA company in the world, boasting about buying an island and make fights there.”
Others said they felt it was too early to make the decision, warned that the PFL would fold and pondered the future for its fighters. “I would bet they would allow them to fight for other promotions until PFL opens back up,” one suggested.
