"The PFL will kick off its 2026 slate Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with an event featuring undefeated lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov and 2025 lightweight tournament champion Alfie Davis ( noon ET on ESPN+, prelims at 9 a.m.). The card will mark the first event of a new look and new regime for the company that launched in 2018 after the acquisition of World Series of Fighting."
"You might see a shift where if you aren't this flashy guy who fits the '[Dana White's] Contender Series' model, or you take a few fights with the UFC and it isn't the right fit -- you could see those guys leaving the sport entirely. And if you have talented people leaving the sport, it's really going to be detrimental to MMA as a whole."
The PFL opens 2026 in Dubai headlined by undefeated lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov versus 2025 tournament winner Alfie Davis. The promotion is shifting away from the single-elimination tournament model used in 2025 toward traditional matchmaking. A new CEO, John Martin, was installed and longtime leaders including Donn Davis, Peter Murray and Ray Sefo were removed. The championship structure will be overhauled to eliminate multiple tournament and regional champions in favor of a single belt per division. The PFL remains the second-largest U.S. promotion behind the UFC, and its success or failure carries significant implications for MMA and athletes.
Read at ESPN.com
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