MMA fighters often lack planning security. Instead of using rankings, the PFL pits its fighters against each other in tournament form. Now the US league is coming to Europe. In Berlin, a trio from Germany can make a big career move.
From the season to the playoffs and then to the final for the championship or promotion: fans of US sports know this and the mode is already established in some football leagues in Europe. In mixed martial arts, on the other hand, it is common to fight your way through rankings to the championship title. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has now established this seasonal approach and is now looking for new talent in Europe. On July 8th, the MMA organization stops in Berlin. The event is a kind of casting show, because whoever prevails in their weight class at the end of the European tour not only receives 100,000 euros in prize money, but also a place in the global PFL season. And that’s a lot more coal.
The PFL global season works a little differently. On two “game days” fighters compete against each other and can collect points. A win earns three points, the loser gets nothing. Depending on when the fight ends, there are bonus points. The four fighters with the most points after two days of play will advance to the playoffs, where the finalists will be determined to compete for the $1 million prize. The Europa series works like a classic tournament tree – whoever wins in Berlin gets to the semi-finals, from there it can go to the final.
“The goal with Europe is to give these fighters a platform over 12 months to establish themselves as the best in the European mixed martial arts scene,” explains Dan Hardy in an interview with ntv.de. The Brit is Director of Fighter Operations at the PFL and an MMA legend. He has fought in many major organizations including the UFC. Hardy is not only a commentator and pundit at PFL events, he is also responsible for talent development in Europe. For the organization founded in 2017, it is important to produce stars themselves. This has already been achieved with Kayla Harrison, Brendon Loughnane and Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and now other top international fighters are to follow.
According to Hardy, Europe in particular offers great potential. The format, which sets itself apart from the competition, is made for European sports fans. “One thing has always struck me about mixed martial arts: fighters who take a few months off in uncertainty about their next fight are quickly forgotten by the fans. At PFL Europe we know: Whoever wins in Berlin, we’ll see at the end of September in Paris. Whoever wins there will be in the final in Dublin in December.” For the fans, this is a good basis for building sympathy. This structure gives the fighters a certain planning security. “If you’re drifting from one show to the next or always waiting for the promoter to call you, you can’t stay in the competitive mindset.”
However, the PFL is a special physical challenge, since many MMA fighters usually only compete two to three times a year. Hardy knows that too: “It’s definitely something different for a fighter. It’s twelve tough months in which you have to stay in shape and unharmed. You have to pay attention to rest periods and your body. But to be honest, that’s nothing different than for professionals in other sports.”
A “powerhouse puncher” from Berlin
In Berlin, fighters from Germany will get the chance to fight for the big money pots in the PFL. With Farbod Iran Nezhad there is even one in the main fight of the evening. The fighter from the Berlin Spitfire Gym and his opponent, the Italian Francesco Nuzzi, are among the best bantamweights (up to 61.2 kg) in Europe. “Farbod is an absolute powerhouse puncher and a great wrestler,” said Hardy. “A really, really interesting fight because I feel like both fighters are quite similar in that way.”
In the second main fight, Khurshed Kakhorov is also a bantamweight fighter from Germany. The husband of UFC fighter Mandy Böhm is now training in the USA, but won his last cage duel in February in Germany. With Moktar Benkaci he also has a top-class opponent. For Hardy, the Frenchman is even the secret favorite in the tournament should Kakhorov not be able to get through his otherwise so precise striking.
Lorena Cubero, a promising German talent, is also in the running for women. For the only 18-year-old, the PFL tournament will be her first major test. The high school graduate won all three cage fights in Germany, but with the Belgian Griet Eeckhout she faces a much more experienced fighter.
It remains to be seen whether the MMA fighters from Germany will become big PFL stars. The trio can take the first step in Berlin. The PFL also recently launched a new pay-per-view (PPV) format so that in-house crowd pullers and established fighters don’t have to keep going back to season mode. The PPV event is scheduled to take place at the end of the year, with part of the proceeds going to the fighters. “The season can be grueling and exhausting. We have athletes who have already won and we want to give them these superfights,” says Hardy. The winners of the Europa series also have the chance to be part of this event. So it could be worth staying active and fighting three to four times.