The PFL is preparing to launch its new Challenger Series and has revealed a few familiar faces will be a part of the experience.
This new series of events will seek to find talent to compete in upcoming PFL seasons and will have a judging panel consisting of athletes combined with votes from the fans watching along.
A pair of former UFC champions, Vitor Belfort and Tyron Woodley, will be panel experts for the new series, alongside a few familiar faces that have graced the PFL commentary booth in the past.
“I can talk about the panel,” PFL CEO Peter Murray explained to MMA Junkie in a recent interview. “On that panel, Vitor will be participating. Tyron Woodley will be participating, and Randy Couture will be participating in addition to our partner, Ray Lewis, someone outside of MMA. So, you know, a lot of personality and major expertise in combat, MMA, broader sports, champions, and so we think it’s going to be great chemistry.
“Those those four I mentioned, they will be the anchor panel experts, and so they’ll be with us for the significant majority of the events, that crew. We think it’s going to work really well.”
The PFL Challenger Series will feature eight weeks of action, streaming live on fuboTV and the Fubo Sports Network. Each week there will be four fights that will take place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. More details about the series will be revealed in the near future.
If Jake Paul is serious about crossing over into MMA, the PFL appears to be equally as serious in having him.
Last week, Sports Business Journal reported that the PFL was in “early talks” with Paul and his agent, Nakisa Bidarian, about having the YouTube-star-turned-professional-boxer join the promotion. Competing in MMA is a move that Paul has hinted at repeatedly in the past year.
On Thursday, PFL CEO Peter Murray confirmed to MMA Junkie that “there have been conversations” with Paul’s camp, and he elaborated on where things stand.
“Hey, listen, you know, if any major athlete that is considering and wants to get into MMA, of course the PFL is in the conversation,” Murray said. “What the PFL is about is offering fighters opportunities and fans access to great events. Jake has certainly got a large global following. He’s got a strong point of view. He’s a real athlete, and he’s established himself in boxing. And, you know, if he’s looking at MMA as that next opportunity in parallel, perhaps with boxing, of course we’re going to have a conversation.”
Paul, who has a massive social media following, could be just what the PFL needs after announcing last year that it would venture into hosting pay-per-views in 2022. He raised eyebrows last week when he posted a video of his “1st day training kicks.”
PFL is going to start having PPV events?!? Hmm
I doubt it does more then 25-30k buys. They have some of the worst marketing.
Thread has been up for an hour or so and has 20 views so you could be correct
It’s like the entire Triller roster invading PFL !
reported approximately 10,000 buys
It’s so funny that getting deuced by Jake Paul has been the best thing to ever happen to TWood. I wonder why he hasn’t worked with Askren since the fight, Ben’s shit talk was hilarious he’d be a good interviewer or tv personality
if you have Tyron as a panel expert, that level of eloquence required, you might as well call Jonny Hendricks.
I’d rather see TRT/HGH/Horsemeat Vitor fight Woodley in BKFC.
hi Jonny i think we might have something here for you. can you dress up in a suit, watch some fights and arrogantly tell us what the fighters should have done differently?.. sorry, say again?.. yes, thats no problem, there’s a barbecue house just across the street