As the 2024 Professional Fighters League semifinals near conclusion, the company continues to display rising success and new beginnings.
On Thursday, the PFL will hold its “Battle of the Giants” press conference featuring ex-UFC champ Francis Ngannou, PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, legendary women’s MMA champion Cris Cyborg and two-time PFL queen Larissa Pacheco. YouTube personality turned boxing star Jake Paul will host the proceedings.
With eyes on the present and future, PFL CEO Peter Murray is targeting even more big moves in the months to come.
In an exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Murray opened up about his desire for the PFL to open up new divisions for its regular season format in 2025 and the years to follow. While other promotions in MMA may avoid adding weight classes such as men’s flyweight, Murray believes the division will be a key area of focus for the PFL, and he has a former UFC standout in mind to lead the charge.
“I do think the flyweight category is something we will be getting into in the future. I know our guys are looking at it,” Murray said. “You look at fighters like Muhammad Mokaev; he’s a 13-0 flyweight from Dagestan. This kid has the second-longest winning streak in UFC flyweight history. He was 23-0 as an amateur. When I look at a kid like that, that’s an opportunity.
“Whether it’s Muhammad coming into the PFL system in one of our franchises, whether that be the global season or Bellator, and others like him, I think it’s a real opportunity — in particular with international talent in the flyweight weight class. Muhammad is the real deal; a lot of respect for him.”
Murray believes the former UFC flyweight could become a future face of the PFL.
“I believe Muhammad Mokaev could absolutely be the future face of flyweights within the Professional Fighters League, should that be a weight class we open up in the Global Season or within our Bellator platform,” Murray said. “It’s absolutely something we’re looking at and this kid [Mokaev] is impressive.”
Following his highly-publicized departure from the UFC, there was uncertainty on what was next for Mokaev, but Murray believes he’s not only the future of the PFL, but the future of MMA as well.
“It’s the future of the sport. PFL is where the next generation champions make their mark on the sport,” Murray said. “PFL is all about the future and the future starts with developing the next generation of incredible athletes, MMA champions and stars. We are about the future and that’s why you see athletes from all over the planet flocking to the PFL, and we have high standards based on the level of competition. Over one-third of our roster is ranked in the Top 25 in the world in their respective weight classes. These are the very best fighters in the world.”
The possibility of new weight classes isn’t limited to the men’s flyweight division. Murray said the company is looking at all potential possibilities when it comes to opening new divisions and the fighters who may be at the forefront of leading those openings.
“Over here we’re looking at where the best talent is, not just different parts of the world but what weight classes, and how we can get behind those athletes and integrate them into our portfolio and expand on what we’re doing,” he said. “Year after year we’re looking at new weight classes.”
