- The Professional Fighters League has announced a nine-bout card for April 23.
- It is the first
PFL show since 2019 as it postponed its 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Anthony Pettis fightsClay Collard in a main event that will be broadcast on ESPN.
The former UFC champion Anthony Pettis headlines the Professional Fighters League's season opener April 23, competing in a lightweight match against boxing cult hero Clay Collard.
Pettis vs. Collard will headline the PFL's first show since 2019.
The American
While other MMA companies restarted their live event operations, the PFL expanded on its content offerings and bolstered its roster with big-name talent acquisitions behind-the-scenes.
One of those acquisitions was Pettis, who signed a PFL deal in December, and will make his debut for the company in the coming months alongside other signings like Fabricio Werdum, Claressa Shields, and Rory MacDonald.
Pettis and Collard's 155-pound clash tops a nine-bout bill that will be broadcast on ESPN from a site in Las Vegas.
The co-main event features two-time PFL lightweight champion
Another two-time PFL champion, the featherweight ruler
You can see the full April 23 schedule below:
- Main card: Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard, Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held, Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares, and Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins
- Undercard: Loik Radzhabov vs. Johnny Case, Joilton Lutterbach vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov, Jon Sungbin vs. Tyler Diamond, and Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes
"The PFL's season kickoff on April 23 is one that is sure to be a showstopper and full of nonstop action," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement to Insider.
"The talent that exists within these matchups is unparalleled and we can't wait to see the outcome of each fight."
The PFL is unlike other combat
Instead, it functions as a typical North American sports league like the NFL, NBA, and MLS, where there is a regular season, playoffs, and finals.
After returning on April 23, regular season events will be held on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17, and June 25.
The PFL then moves into its playoff events, the dates of which are yet to be confirmed.
The finals are staged on December 31 each year and are worth $1 million to successful fighters.