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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11963477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfl" source="Orion">PFL</keyword> rising star <keyword id="11963476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brendan-loughnane" source="Orion">Brendan Loughnane</keyword> returns to the cage for Friday's semifinal showdown.</li><li>He fights Movlid Khaybulaev and is unfazed by his opponent's "Killer" nickname.</li><li>Loughnane also said <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> has overtaken boxing, and is gaining more credibility among young people.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mixed martial arts</a> has overtaken boxing as it's the cool, new thing, according to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFL</a> star <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/brendan-loughnane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brendan Loughnane</a>.The 31-year-old striker, who fights Movlid Khaybulaev in Friday's tournament semifinal at the PFL 9 event in Florida, also said the former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor gave the sport more credibility in combat <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword>."I feel like MMA is the new boxing," Loughnane told Insider this week."Everyone wants to learn mixed martial arts as it's the new, cool thing. Back when I started, nobody cared about it. Everyone thought I was glorified thug, going in cages and fighting."Now it's become big, Conor McGregor's transcended the sport, and he's done a lot for the sport, he really has. Kids are turning to MMA now, instead of boxing."Loughnane put the breaks on how far MMA can become, saying that in Britain, soccer - the national sport - remains the preferred sport for many kids in inner cities."Kids will always play football," he said. "But in the 'tougher' areas … people like to box, people like to fight. We grow up fist-fighting, don't we, where we're from."You're either a fighter or a footballer - those are your options. Or you better be able to sing or dance. It's a tough way out."<h2>Loughnane is two wins away from a $1 million check</h2><div type="image" title="Brendan Loughnane, PFL MMA" height="588" width="1176" msid="85690155" hostid="261"></div>The PFL is unlike other MMA promotions, like the UFC, that build events around standalone matches that propels its winners further up division rankings.Instead, the PFL structures its year around a season format that includes regular-season matches, playoffs, and end-of-year finals in six weight classes.The eventual winners head into the new year $1 million richer.Loughnane is two wins away from winning that money, but even before one strike was thrown in the 2021 season, <a href="https://www.insider.com/brendan-loughnane-could-win-1-million-pfl-tournament-analyst-says-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the featherweight was being tipped to win the entire competition</a>."I feel like when you stay around in this sport, there's something to be said when you take your knocks and come back," Loughnane said this week."Look at the top UFC fighters - Dustin Poirier has been around forever, a load of losses, Jan Blachowicz, a load of losses, but come back around. This sport, you just have to be very resilient."That's what I've been, and now it's my time."PFL commentator and analyst <a href="https://www.insider.com/brendan-loughnane-could-win-1-million-pfl-tournament-analyst-says-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kenny Florian previously told Insider how impressive Loughnane's striking is</a>, not just because he knows how to strike well, but because of how well he understands foot placement and distance."I've got a very good striking coach who taught me well from young, and then I did a bit of boxing, then I did a bit of Thai boxing - went to Thailand," Loughnane said."I merged them all together and made my own style. I really liked the taekwondo kicks, side kicks, and the back kicks because not a lot of people know them or the angles they take."And so they don't know how to defend them."Trying to defend them Friday is Khaybulaev. Loughnane called the match a classic grappler vs. striker showdown and said he's unfazed by his opponent's "Killer" nickname."We're going to get locked in there Friday night, and I'm going to win. He's a great fighter, dangerous, and knows his way around the cage - a good wrestler."[But] nothing major stands out. They're all the same to me, mate. He's a killer, I'm a killer."The 10-bout PFL 9 event will have prelim matches broadcast on ESPN+ and a main card that will be viewable on ESPN2.

MMA has overtaken boxing as the cool, new thing, according to PFL star Brendan Loughnane

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Fighters are the most underpaid, overworked athletes in the world, <keyword id="11963476" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brendan-loughnane" source="Orion">Brendan Loughnane</keyword> said.</li><li>The rising <keyword id="11963477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfl" source="Orion">PFL</keyword> <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> star was speaking after two <keyword id="11922275" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ufc" source="Orion">UFC</keyword> athletes said they were broke.</li><li>"We all deserve a million dollars," Loughnane told Insider.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> fighters "are the most massively underpaid, overworked athletes on the planet," rising star Brendan Loughnane told Insider this week.The 31-year-old featherweight competes for the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFL</a>, and returns to the cage Friday for a tournament semifinal against undefeated Dagestan opponent Movlid Khaybulaev at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida.Fighter pay has been a hot, ongoing media topic of late, with prominent combatants recently saying that they're broke, despite competing in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> - the market-leading promotion, which is valued at $6 billion.The UFC middleweight Jared Cannonier beat Kelvin Gastelum earlier this month, and then told the media at a post-event press conference that he's "broke."This followed a comment from the strawweight prospect Cheyanne Buys, who said after she was awarded her first UFC performance-related bonus check in August that she'd "been so broke [her] whole life because of this sport."A February report by <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/13/ufcs-celebrity-investors-have-a-chokehold-on-300m-dividend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a> suggested that UFC fighter pay represents 16% of revenue in 2019. In contrast, athlete pay represents <a href="https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/03/01/players-share-of-revenue-can-go-as-high-as-48-8-percent/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">48% of revenue</a> in the NFL,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/sports/basketball/nba-salaries-free-agents-tv-money.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 51%</a> in the NBA, and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maurybrown/2019/01/11/economic-data-shows-mlb-spent-less-on-player-salaries-compared-to-revenues-in-2018/?sh=7c7ad9a239d7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">54%</a> in the MLB.When asked about fighter pay, Loughnane said no other sportsman or woman works harder than fighters do."You give me a footballer and let him come train with me for a day and I'll show you how hard it is, for what I do," Loughnane said."The weight-cutting - nobody sees what goes into it. Footballers don't have to leave their family to have a fight. It's insane what we have to go through. We deserve more pay," he said."We deserve to be paid the same as these football, basketball, baseball players - these high-level athletes. Hopefully the tide will change one day."<h2>It can be an awkward conversation for fighters</h2><div type="image" title="Anthony Pettis signs for the PFL 2021" height="1335" width="2000" msid="85688385" hostid="261"></div>The PFL lightweight and former UFC champion <keyword id="11963478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="anthony-pettis" source="Orion">Anthony Pettis</keyword> told Insider earlier this year that fighter pay can be an awkward topic for athletes because younger fighters are loathe to be transparent with their peers about what they're earning - or not earning.Pettis said he wished fighters talked more openly among themselves. "It's starting to get to that point," he said, adding that the thing that holds it back is fighters feeling like they're in competition with others in and out of the cage."Speaking to other fighters about it? It's kind of an embarrassing topic, 'how much you making this next fight?' Some people don't want to say it because they're on their first contract. But it shouldn't be that way. We should know what the first contract is. We should know what we're signing up for, health benefits, things like that," he said.Pettis, 34, left the UFC in 2020 and joined the PFL for its 2021 season. He spoke to Insider in April, before losing back-to-back bouts against Clay Collard and Raush Manfio.Pettis had a lot of attention from rival fight firms as he entered free agency, with Bellator MMA in Los Angeles, and One Championship in Singapore, providing alternative options, he said.But he said he chose PFL as it was "the best deal."<div type="image" title="Brendan Loughnane won a fight on Dana White's Contender Series in 2019." height="1000" width="2000" msid="85688388" hostid="261"></div>PFL 9 takes place Friday and showcases the company's featherweight and light heavyweight fighters.Loughnane is set to fight Khaybulaev in one of two 135-pound playoffs, with the winners meeting in a $1 million final later this year."We all deserve a million dollars," Loughnane said.

MMA fighters are 'the most underpaid, overworked athletes on the planet,' one of the sport's rising stars says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11136371" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="brendan-loughnane">Brendan Loughnane</keyword> has what it takes to win the $1 million <keyword id="1715557" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PFL">PFL</keyword> <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> tournament in 2021.</li><li>That's according to PFL analyst and ex-fighter Kenny Florian, who is impressed by the British competitor.</li><li>The PFL starts its 2021 season on Friday. It will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN 2.</li></ul>British fighter Brendan Loughnane has enough talent and potential to win the $1 million <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFL MMA</a> featherweight tournament.That's according to PFL analyst and commentator Kenny Florian, a former fighter himself, who recently told Insider that he is blown away by the striker's footwork and believes the 31-year-old could come of age in 2021."I've been watching Brendan for a long time and always felt like he's one of those guys who had a tremendous amount of potential," former UFC athlete Florian said. "It now seems like he's realizing that potential."Loughnane has fought twice in PFL before but competes in the 145-pound competition Friday as the company's new season begins after a 16-month COVID-enforced hiatus. Loughnane fights Sheymon Moraes in the first round.The first event in the new season, PFL 1, takes place behind-closed-doors at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, and additional points will be awarded to fighters if they win by knockout or submission. The earlier the finish, the more points that athlete gets. These extra points can prove vital as fighters vie for league rankings, and a playoff push later in the campaign, before a high-stakes $1 million final at the end of the year.The featherweight bracket is home to 2019 champion Lance Palmer, who will be hoping to retain his title this season.But Florian expects Loughnane to impress in 2021."Watching him compete over the last few years it seems like he's a much more mature fighter who is really believing in his skills, and putting it all together extremely well," said the commentator."For me, he's one of the favorites. He's in a tough division, but the way he moves and fights … this tournament is coming at a very good time for Brendan, and I think he can go very far and potentially even take the whole thing."It is easy to analyze Loughnane's striking and say he can throw good kicks and nasty elbows, but Florian said what really separates him from other strikers is his expert footwork."Brendan possesses excellent footwork," Florian said. "He knows how to get in, and get out. And for the most part, he's defensively responsible."This is unlike a lot of mixed martial art strikers. There's a lot of good offensive strikers out there, but I think Brendan balances his defense extremely well while staying active. That's a rarity in MMA, generally speaking."His footwork sets him apart, certainly from Sheymon Moraes who is a dangerous striker but doesn't really possess the in-and-out footwork, and understanding of angles, like Brendan."<div type="image" title="Kenny Florian joins PFL MMA" height="500" width="1000" msid="82183637" hostid="261"></div>Florian tipped <keyword id="11136372" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movlid-khaibulaev">Movlid Khaibulaev</keyword> as a dark horse in the competition because the Russian athlete has the benefit of being schooled by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the late father and trainer of recently-retired UFC king Khabib Nurmagomedov.But it is Loughnane who Florian believes is a clear tournament favorite."Brendan can throw everything at you and, for me, it's really his fight to lose. He's good with knees, kicks - low level kicks, high level kicks, body - he knows how to attack the body with his hands. He knows how to mix it all up."And he's not a one-dimensional striker. That gives him the ability to go far in this tournament because he has a lot of tools, and he knows how to use them."Loughnane and Moraes contest the very first match and open the PFL 1 show.<a href="https://www.insider.com/korean-falcon-gives-impassioned-stop-asian-hate-speech-before-pfl-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sung Bin Jo, otherwise known as the Korean Falcon, fights Tyler Diamond</a> on the preliminary card on ESPN+ ahead of a main card on ESPN that features Anthony Pettis against Clay Collard in the main event.

British fighter Brendan Loughnane could win the $1 million PFL tournament, according to analyst Kenny Florian

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Professional Fighters League returns on ESPN with a three-event run, beginning April 1 in Las Vegas.</li><li>British MMA star Brendan Loughnane headlines the first show at the Virgin Hotels.</li></ul>LAS VEGAS — The upcoming <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Professional Fighters League</a> season will kick off its new season with a residency at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas beginning April 1."The Professional Fighters League is excited to return this April to Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, to kick off the 2023 PFL Regular Season with a three-event residency at the reimagined Virgin Hotel Las Vegas," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement to Insider."The PFL's extensive roster of world-class fighters will be on display for all US events live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, along with international distribution to 160 countries globally for MMA fans around the world."PFL <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> is a rising US-based combat sports promotion that operates differently from other firms like <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a>, and One Championship. Rather than holding standalone matches, PFL pits fighters against one another in a league format, not unlike the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.Fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and then vie for an end-of-season championship fight that's worth $1 million to each tournament winner.The company recently made headlines with <a href="https://www.insider.com/jake-paul-signs-with-pfl-mma-wants-nate-diaz-fight-2023-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its acquisition of social media sensation and boxing prospect Jake Paul</a>, who will be the first in a wave of big-name signings that will compete in "PFL's PPV Super Fights."The league will continue to operate in its traditional format, though, with reigning champion and British MMA star Brendan Loughnane headlining the first event of the 2023 season.<h2>Loughnane, Pacheco, and Delija begin their PFL championship defenses in separate fights</h2>Loughnane will fight the former UFC competitor Marlon Moraes in a featherweight bout April 1.In the co-main event, 2022 light heavyweight king Robert Wilkinson takes on Thiago Santos at 205 pounds.On April 7, the second of PFL's three events in Las Vegas this spring, 2022 PFL champ Ante Delija fights the former UFC heavyweight and Eagle FC fighter, Yorgan de Castro.Meanwhile, Larissa Pacheco — who defeated Kayla Harrison in a stunning upset to claim $1 million last season — begins the defense of her women's featherweight crown with a potential banana skin against Julia Budd.<div type="image" title="PFL queen Larissa Pacheco." height="493" width="1000" msid="97559679" hostid="261" sizebytes="34866"></div>Then, on April 14, Olivier Aubin-Mercier — who won the men's lightweight championship in 2022 — fights Shane Burgos, who left the UFC last year with back-to-back wins over Charles Jourdain and Billy Quarantillo.In the co-main event that night, 2022 welterweight ruler Sadibou Sy fights Jarrah Al-Silawi."With all six of last year's PFL world champions returning to the SmartCage, along with the league debuts of MMA stars Shane Burgos and Thiago Santos, fans will see the best this sport has to offer when the 2023 PFL season kicks off from Las Vegas on April 1," Ray Sefo, PFL President of Fighter Operations, said in a statement sent to Insider.

The Professional Fighters League season returns in April for a three-event residency in Las Vegas

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rapper <keyword id="521223" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wiz-Khalifa">Wiz Khalifa</keyword> has invested in the Professional Fighters League (<keyword id="1715557" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PFL">PFL</keyword>).</li><li>PFL is an <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> firm that has a broadcasting deal with ESPN for its season format of fight events.</li><li>"I've been MMA training for years," Wiz Khalifa said. "To bring my vision to the sport is exciting."</li></ul>Rap sensation Wiz Khalifa has invested in <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFL MMA</a> and will serve as an adviser for the fight firm.Renowned for smash hits "Roll Up," "No Sleep," and "See You Again," Khalifa has won multiple awards for his music and is a fan and practitioner of mixed martial arts.He joins an investment group that includes Washington <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> mogul Ted Leonsis, and the comedian and actor Kevin Hart.According to a PFL statement sent to Insider, Khalifa will "play an active role in continuing to shape the PFL brand for this generation's sports fan."As an advisor, Khalifa - real name Cameron Thomaz - will collaborate with the company on how pop culture can be incorporated into the upcoming season, which begins Friday on ESPN with PFL 1."I'm so proud to join forces with the Professional Fighters League," Khalifa said. "I've been doing MMA training for years now, and am also the biggest MMA fan."To be able to bring my expertise and vision to the sport is super exciting and I can't wait for the action to get started."PFL CEO Peter Murray said: "I'm excited to welcome Wiz Khalifa to the PFL's ownership group and partner with a gifted music and cultural icon."Wiz will play an active role in shaping and amplifying the voice of the PFL brand and how it resonates with fans around the world."Khalifa's music will be synonymous with PFL's season, playoff, and championship events. He will also co-produce original MMA content.Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis headlines the behind-closed-doors PFL 1 event at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, competing in a lightweight bout against Top Rank boxing cult hero Clay Collard.British athlete Brendan Loughnane, <a href="https://www.insider.com/brendan-loughnane-could-win-1-million-pfl-tournament-analyst-says-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tipped by PFL analyst Kenny Florian to go all the way and win the $1 million finals</a>, opens the preliminary card on ESPN+ in a match involving Sheymon Moraes.Sung Bin Jo, <a href="https://www.insider.com/korean-falcon-gives-impassioned-stop-asian-hate-speech-before-pfl-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">otherwise known as Korean Falcon</a>, also fights on the prelims and takes on Tyler Diamond in a featherweight bout.

Rap star Wiz Khalifa has invested in PFL MMA and will serve as an adviser for the fight firm

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Professional Fighters League has announced a content partnership with <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>.</li><li>The social media platform will broadcast highlights from <keyword id="1715557" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PFL">PFL</keyword> events, as well as other content.</li><li>PFL returns Friday with its first event since 2019. Pettis fights Collard in the main event.</li></ul>Twitter will live stream <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PFL MMA</a> content in a new deal announced four days before the start of the combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> promotion's new season.The New York-headquartered company is unlike other <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> firms because it structures itself in a league format commonly associated with major American sports like the NBA and the NFL.This differs to the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a>, which PFL hopes to one day rival, as the <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> market leader holds standalone matches designed to propel winners up rankings systems until they one day challenge the champions in each weight class.PFL's 2021 season begins Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN in the US. Social media platform Twitter, though, will live stream fight content, as well as real-time highlights from the show."Twitter and PFL are looking forward to advancing the sport by delivering a premium viewing experience to MMA fans worldwide," PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement sent to Insider."Our partnership with Twitter, the place where MMA conversation thrives, will bring fans closer to the action by providing real-time content for our global fan base."That content includes goings-on before the fight, during the fight, and after the fight, inclusive of general fight week activities like the bubble experience, weigh-ins, and post-event press conferences involving fighters."We are pumped about our new collaboration with the Professional Fighters League," said TJ Adeshola, who is the head of US sports partnerships at Twitter."MMA fans on Twitter are very engaged, and they're looking for creative new ways to experience fight content directly within their timelines."The PFL delivers an innovative product for the MMA community on Twitter and we look forward to bringing this epic partnership to life."The partnership begins this week and will be in place for the PFL's first show in the COVID-era on April 23.The PFL postponed its 2020 season because of safety concerns related to the pandemic, stating that it wanted to protect the integrity of its league system.The first half of the 2021 season takes place in a quarantined zone at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City.Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis fights the Top Rank boxing cult hero Clay Collard in Friday's main event.Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer, both past PFL champions, compete in separate bouts at the show. Up-and-coming prospect Brendan Loughnane, who is capable of enjoying a breakout year, will also compete.

Twitter will live stream PFL MMA content in a new deal announced 4 days before 2021 season

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Professional Fighters League has announced a nine-bout card for April 23.</li><li>It is the first <keyword id="1715557" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PFL">PFL</keyword> show since 2019 as it postponed its 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li><keyword id="3893074" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Anthony-Pettis">Anthony Pettis</keyword> fights <keyword id="9579757" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="clay-collard">Clay Collard</keyword> in a main event that will be broadcast on ESPN.</li></ul>The former UFC champion Anthony Pettis headlines <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Professional Fighters League</a>'s season opener April 23, competing in a lightweight match against <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> cult hero <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/clay-collard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clay Collard</a>.Pettis vs. Collard will headline the PFL's first show since 2019.The American <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> firm postponed its 2020 season so it could preserve the integrity of its league format amid the coronavirus pandemic, the co-founder and chairman <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-professional-fighters-league-wants-to-change-mma-forever-2020-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donn Davis told Insider last year</a>.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 <a href="https://www.insider.com/former-ufc-champion-anthony-pettis-agrees-to-join-pfl-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a PFL deal in December</a>, and will make his debut for the company in the coming months alongside other signings like Fabricio Werdum, <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-claressa-shields-could-master-mma-in-pfl-2020-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Claressa Shields</a>, 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 <keyword id="10815815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="natan-schulte">Natan Schulte</keyword> against another PFL debutant, Marcin Held, a Polish submission specialist with 33 bouts on his record.Another two-time PFL champion, the featherweight ruler <keyword id="10815814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lance-palmer">Lance Palmer</keyword>, fights "Bad Man" Bubba Jenkins - an accomplished wrestler who has fought 11 times in Bellator MMA.You can see the full April 23 schedule below:<ul><li>Main card: Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard, Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held, Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares, and Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins</li><li>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</li></ul>"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 <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> companies because it does not hold standalone matches designed to propel the winners up divisional rankings and into eventual title shots.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.

Former UFC champ Anthony Pettis fights cult boxing hero Clay Collard as the PFL returns for its first show in over a year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Professional Fighters League, an <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> tournament, restarts its live events business Friday.</li><li><keyword id="1715557" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="PFL">PFL</keyword> 1 will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPN2 from a bubble environment in a $200 million casino.</li><li>PFL CEO <keyword id="5885869" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Peter-Murray">Peter Murray</keyword> told Insider why he thinks 2021 will be his company's biggest yet.</li></ul>Wanton violence returns to ESPN Friday as the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/pfl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Professional Fighters League</a> showcases its unique brand of <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mixed martial arts</a> from a state-of-the-art bubble inside a $200 million casino in Atlantic City.The PFL postponed its entire 2020 season because of the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, as it wanted to preserve the structure of its league format.The New York-headquartered company is unlike other fight promotions that rely on standalone matches designed to propel winners further up rankings until they can potentially challenge the champion in their weight class.Instead, the PFL has a similar structure to the NFL and NBA, with a regular season and playoffs before tournament finals worth $1 million to each winner."We couldn't be more excited to start the season, and get back to action," PFL CEO Peter Murray told Insider this week.The regular season will take place behind-closed-doors at the Ocean Casino Resort. As there will be no fans at the venue, the PFL will maximize the space inside its studio to enhance the made-for-TV product, Murray said.There's an improved roster with talent acquisitions like <a href="https://www.insider.com/anthony-pettis-confident-of-a-big-win-clay-collard-pfl-2021-4">the former UFC champion Anthony Pettis, who features at the PFL 1 main event in a lightweight bout against Clay Collard.</a>And there are technological innovations that will showcase unique data points and camera angles through its smart cage and referee cam. Other new innovations include a live damage meter for fighters, almost like something from a video game."I'm super pumped about the damage meter where we measure damage inflicted and damage absorbed with real analysis, and unique live integration and graphics," Murray said.The PFL leaned on the NFL's quarterback rating (QBR), which encapsulates a quarterback's statistics into one number, and has applied that type of formula for it's Fighter Performance Rating (FPR)."This is about what's taking place in the cage with the damage meter, and giving it broader context on our athletes and how they compare to one another," Murray said. "It's story-telling, that will enhance the presentation."<h2>Competitors have endured a 17-day quarantine - here's why</h2><div type="image" title="Clay Collard vs. Anthony Pettis" height="750" width="1000" msid="82220511" hostid="261"></div>One of the unique features of PFL's bubble is a mandatory 17-day quarantine for athletes.For Murray, the fight firm wanted to err on the side of being "super conservative" about COVID safety.He said he looked at what worked and what did not work at other bubbles in other <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword>, from the NBA to other combat sports, including MMA.PFL's focus is always on ensuring that those who begin the season are able to complete it, he said, allowing the promotion to preserve the integrity of the league."We have to structure it like a traditional season format and what 17 days [can] provide, is we test the fighters before they get on a plane to arrive. These are our tests, we ship it to them in advance."We then test them on arrival, and no matter what, they go into quarantine for a window of time. When they're all clear, we test them every day."If a fighter lands, and for whatever reason tests positive, that fighter still has a chance, if they're not experiencing symptoms, to quarantine for an extended time in that window and if they then test negative, with no symptoms, they can still fight, having stayed in the bubble."Murray said there have only been a few instances of positive tests in the bubble - including trainers - but all fighters have so far tested negative, meaning PFL 1 has a full slate of fights.<h2>PFL hopes to have escaped lower sports viewership in the middle stages of the pandemic</h2><div type="image" title="Rory MacDonald PFL MMA" height="1331" width="2000" msid="82220515" hostid="261"></div>A New York Times article in October <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/sports/tv-ratings-sports.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted how TV sports ratings were down across the board</a>.Murray said upheaval to people's lives, as well as disruption to the structure of sports, likely caused a decrease in interest."We made the right decision to pivot and reschedule our season," Murray said. "We came out of 2020 a lot stronger with increased capital, star signings, an enhanced technology with respect to smart cage features, and new sponsorships. While also keeping our fighters safe."Now, when we look at the landscape of sports, there was a lot of disruption with COVID. It affected attendance, and people's head space."We were all dealing with a world of disruption in society and in our lives. At home, with our families. Occupation, and business. While sports is a great distraction, that created disruption in viewership and patterns."Sports were on pause, some came back but in different iterations. People like the seasonality and continuity of things."So that disruption and with everything going on with COVID, affected fans engagement."Murray expects that to recalibrate as vaccination drives continue to progress, and the worst of the pandemic remains in the past.He foresees a pent-up demand for MMA in April and beyond."There's added marketing that ESPN is putting behind the property," he said. "There's a digital and social focus. It's lining up for an incredible debut of the season on Friday."Here are select fights taking place at PFL 1 on ESPN2 and ESPN+:<ul><li>Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard - lightweight</li><li>Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held - lightweight</li><li>Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins - featherweight</li><li>Sung Bin Jo vs. Tyler Diamond - featherweight</li><li>Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes - featherweight</li></ul>In the weeks ahead, the former UFC fighter Rory MacDonald makes his PFL debut, Fabricio Werdum makes his PFL debut, and Claressa Shields - the self-described GWOAT of boxing - makes her MMA debut."We have it all lined up to be the best season yet for the PFL," said Murray."The audience will surpass where we've been in years past, and we're poised to grow even further."

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