Tag: 2022 PFL 1

PFL’s Don Madge happy to face Raush Manfio first: ‘I wanted to get the champion out of the way’

South Africa’s Don Madge is glad to face 2021 PFL champ Raush Manfio in the first fight of the 2022 season.

[autotag]Don Madge[/autotag] wants to make a statement early in the 2022 PFL season.

On Wednesday, Madge (10-3-1) takes on the 2021 PFL lightweight champion Raush Manfio in the co-main event at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas. Given the format of the PFL season, someone has to face the previous year’s champion at the first event, and Madge fully welcomes the challenge.

“I wanted to face Raush first,” Madge said at Monday’s pre-fight media day. “I wanted to get the champion out of the way first and test myself against the guys who have already been through it and already accomplished what I’m trying to accomplish. To be the only South African on the card and represent my country is a huge deal to me.”

Following his exit from the UFC after two fights and two victories, Madge debuted in the opening bout of the 2021 PFL Championship, where he defeated Nathan Williams via second-round submission. This year, he’s a part of the lightweight tournament and has plans on competing on the championship card this year, but this time for the title and the big prize of $1 million.

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Manfio (15-3) entered all four of his 2021 season bouts as an underdog, which made for an incredible story of overcoming the odds. However, this season, things have changed after winning the championship, and now Madge will have an opportunity to create an early-season upset by taking out last year’s champion.

“I always come in with an underdog mentality anyway,” Madge said. “I wanted to face the champion first because he’s the guy that’s done it already, he’s already climbed the mountain, and I want to take his spot on the top of that mountain. Odds and stuff, and statistics, that’s all on paper. Fights aren’t won on paper. I don’t really pay too much attention to that and I’m just gonna get in there and do my thing. I believe I will win, and I will be the champion this year.”

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Antonio Carlos Junior says he earned more money one year at PFL than entire seven-year UFC career

PFL champion Antonio Carlos Junior reveals his one-year run with PFL outshined his entire UFC career financially.

[autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag] enters the 2022 PFL season full of momentum.

The veteran fighter kicks off the new season having won the light heavyweight title and $1 million prize the year before in 2021. In his PFL debut season, Junior (13-5) went unbeaten three fights before submitting Marthin Hamlet with a rear-naked choke in the championship final back in October.

It was a big moment for Junior’s career, as he bounced back from a three-fight losing streak to become the champion of a major organization. But apart from the sporting accolades, it was also a big year for Junior financially.

“It was great,” Junior told MMA Junkie at Monday’s 2022 PFL 1 media day. “I didn’t change much, just the numbers got a little bigger on the bank account.”

On top of his regular fight purse earned for his four PFL bouts in 2021, Junior pocketed the $1 million prize awarded to the champions at the end of the season.

The Brazilian says he doubled what he made in his seven-year career with the UFC in just one year fighting for the PFL.

“Yeah this was crazy,” Junior said. “I think I made in UFC what I paid in taxes this year. The thing is that I had the contract from ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and it was 10 fights, so it was a lot. That’s what happened to me, you know. I didn’t have a great manager at the time to help me out with this. This cost me a lot of money.”

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Junior won season three of  ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ back in 2014. The victory punched his ticket into the UFC and kicked off a seven-year run with the promotion. He left the company in early 2021. Junior shared the octagon with many notable names such as Marvin Vettori, Uriah Hall, Brad Tavares, Tim Boetsch, and others.

Junior kicks off his second PFL season on Wednesday, as he takes on Delan Monte on the main card of 2022 PFL 1 in Arlington, Texas. The 32-year-old is eager to get started and take a crack at another title and $1 million prize.

“What a good feeling to come here with the belt, as a champion – it’s awesome,” Junior said. “I look forward to getting started. I’ve been training since the final, since I got the belt. I’ve been training a lot in different camps trying to improve my game and different aspects. I’m looking forward to the first fight.”

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Jeremy Stephens drawing from PFL debut setbacks of former UFC champs Anthony Pettis, Fabricio Werdum

Jeremy Stephens paid close attention to the PFL debuts of fellow former UFC fighters and used their experiences as a teaching point.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] is well aware of the struggles former UFC fighters have experienced under the PFL banner.

At 2022 PFL 1, Stephens will make his debut against Clay Collard following his exit from the UFC, the place he called home since 2007. After 33 fights over 14 years, Stephens is entering the next chapter of his career with the PFL, and will carry the lessons learned from watching a pair of former UFC champions in their debuts with the promotion.

“Lil’ Heathen” is the latest of a few UFC veterans to make the switch to the promotion. Some have seen success, such as [autotag]Antonio Carlos Junior[/autotag], who became champion in 2021, but other high-profile signees struggled to secure victories in their debuts, such as former UFC champions [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] and [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]. It’s something that Stephens is aware of and has used to stay grounded ahead of his own debut in PFL.

“The thing about MMA is I can draw from their experience,” Stephens told MMA Junkie and other reporters during a pre-fight news conference on Monday. “I can draw from Anthony’s experience inside the PFL. You know, he was getting paid a lot of money. I feel like they paid him too much dough and he sat back and thought he was gonna win on intimidation. That’s the experience that I’ve drawn from, something that I’ve learned. I’m fully prepared and in a very good battle with a game opponent.”

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Pettis couldn’t get it going against Collard in his debut at 2021 PFL 1, dropping a unanimous decision. Werdum’s PFL debut initially was ruled a knockout loss to Renan Ferreira at 2021 PFL 3, but after review by the commission, was overturned to a no contest.

Stephens believes his name and his track record inside the cage won’t mean much as he prepares to fight Collard on Wednesday. He plans to bring the same intensity he typically does while ensuring he has done everything possible to prepare for the bout.

“That’s all I need,” Stephens said. “I’m not one of these guys that’s going to sit back and think my highlight tape is going to scare people. That’s just not the case. I’m very well prepared and there’s really nothing more to do. I can’t really speak on anything, just watch how my actions show up on Wednesday.”

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How to watch 2022 PFL 1: Who’s fighting, lineup, start time, broadcast info

Here’s how you can watch PFL 1, which features lightweights and light heavyweights in action.

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The PFL regular reason kicks off this week with 2022 PFL 1, which features lightweights and light heavyweights in action for the first time this year.

Here’s how to watch PFL 1, with a complete lineup and breakdown by division.

PFL 2022, Week 1: Make your predictions for Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens

We want your predictions for Friday’s PFL 2022, Week 1 event in Arlington, Texas.

We want your predictions for Wednesday’s PFL 2022, Week 1 event in Arlington, Texas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Monday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the PFL 2022, Week 1 main card staff predictions we release Tuesday ahead of the event. PFL 2022, Week 2 takes place Wednesday at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas. The main card airs on ESPN/ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.

Make your picks for the fights below.

Anthony Pettis meets Myles Price in 2022 PFL season opener on April 20

After going winless in his first PFL season, Anthony Pettis will seek another shot at the lightweight title.

After going winless in his first PFL season, [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] will seek another shot at the lightweight title.

The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion will face [autotag]Myles Price[/autotag] at 2022 PFL 1, which takes place April 20 at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas and streams on ESPN+ and ESPN, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Pettis (24-12), who parted ways with the UFC in December 2020 on a two-fight winning streak, was upset by Clay Collard in his PFL debut last April. He then faced eventual tournament winner Raush Manfio in June, but suffered another setback when he was edged out by split decision to end his season.

Ireland’s Price (11-7) will be making his PFL debut. Winner of three of his past four, the 33-year-old hasn’t competed since defeating Peter Queally by split decision at Bellator 217 in February 2019.

The 2022 PFL 1 lineup includes:

  • Raush Manfio vs. Don Madge
  • Anthony Pettis vs. Myles Price
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Delan Monte
  • Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Josh Silveira vs. Emiliano Sordi
  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. opponent TBA
  • Teodoras Aukstuolis vs. Marthin Hamlet
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Viktor Pesta
  • Bruce Souto vs. Rob Wilkinson
  • Alex Martinez vs. Stevie Ray

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Jeremy Stephens makes PFL debut vs. Clay Collard on April 20

Jeremy Stephens will look to get his PFL season off to a good start after going winless in his past six fights.

[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]’ PFL debut is set.

The longtime UFC veteran will square off with fellow striker [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] in a lightweight season opener at 2022 PFL 1, which takes place April 20 at Esports Arena in Arlington, Texas and streams on ESPN+ and ESPN, promotion officials announced Tuesday.

Stephens (28-19-1) parted ways with the UFC in January after a 14-year stint with the company. Following his loss to Mateusz Gamrot in July, Stephens became a free agent and signed with PFL. Stephens, 35, who holds notable knockouts over the likes of former champion Rafael dos Anjos and featherweight contender Josh Emmett, is winless in his past six fights.

Meanwhile, Collard (20-9-1) will look to make another run at the PFL lightweight title. In his first season, Collard kicked off his 2021 campaign with an upset win over former WEC and lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, followed by a win over Joilton Lutterbach. The professional boxer’s season came to an end when he was eliminated in the semifinals by Raush Manfio, who went on to win the tournament.

The 2022 PFL 1 lineup includes:

  • Raush Manfio vs. Don Madge
  • Anthony Pettis vs. Myles Price
  • Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Delan Monte
  • Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Josh Silveira vs. Emiliano Sordi
  • Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. opponent TBA
  • Teodoras Aukstuolis vs. Marthin Hamlet
  • Omari Akhmedov vs. Viktor Pesta
  • Bruce Souto vs. Rob Wilkinson
  • Alex Martinez vs. Stevie Ray

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Peter Murray: ‘We’ve established the PFL as the No. 2 MMA company in the world’

PFL CEO Peter Murray feels confident his promotion has established itself as the No. 2 promotion in all of MMA.

With a renewed broadcast agreement with ESPN official and a new Challenger Series nearing its debut, PFL CEO Peter Murray feels confident his company has established itself as the No. 2 promotion in all of MMA.

While the UFC is the clear industry leader, a number of promotions have looked to establish themselves as a top alternative over the years.

“You look at Bellator, its distribution, it’s relegated to unrated cable networks and digital platforms,” Murray told MMA Junkie. “We have broader reach. We have more quality distribution. We distribute to more countries. Our cards, we have over 30 percent of our fighters who are ranked in the top 25 in the world. We have more content and we have a much bigger sponsorship business. So you bet, we’re No. 2 doing it.”

It’s a bold claim and one that will surely receive some pushback, but Murray and the PFL have been dealing with that since the promotion’s debut in 2018. But Murray believes the upcoming launch of the PFL Contender Series is proof of the company’s growth, as well as its future.

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“It’s always been part of our vision, but 2022 is the perfect time to do it, now that we’ve established the PFL as the No. 2 MMA company in the world,” Murray said. “We’ve established our format in the season model. Three successful seasons. I mean, this past season was the best roster ever. Exciting storylines, fighters. It was a great culmination. Our audience was up 100 percent. Expanded distribution. So now natural evolution – pick our heads up, continue to build, and with the goal of delivering fans.

“That’s what it’s about: a more robust, year-round calendar of live events with differentiated product, si this has been the natural evolution, and you know, we’re also solving for something. We’re very focused in MMA on helping to grow the sport and even reimagine it, and we’re solving for things as a challenger brand and a disruptor.”

As with any MMA organization, the PFL’s product quality is determined quite heavily by the talent in the cage. Murray believes that with the company’s new two-tiered approach to operations, with the PFL season still featuring marquee athletes but the Challenger Series finding the next crop of potential stars, the company will be able to further establish its position.

“I mean, it’s all about fans, but in the end, you’ve really got to think about the fighters,” Murray said. “For us, we get we need to develop the talent development system and own that, and so the Challenger Series really helps us do that, No. 1, and No. 2, we talked to many managers and fighters around the world. They’re looking for another alternative, particularly fighters at this stage of their pro career beyond the opportunities to prove themselves in regional promotions.

“It’s difficult for some of these top fighters at that level to get noticed, and this is an opportunity on a global stage for a fighter to get a big break, but earn that break. So No. 1, it’s talent development for the PFL, and two it’s new, live content, and we think the concept is is really fun.”

The PFL Challenger Series, which airs on Fubo Sports Network, debuts on Feb. 18. Meanwhile, the PFL 2022 season, which will air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+, kicks off on April 20.

Murray believes the combination of the products will leave the PFL’s market position undeniable.

“Tthis is all about expanding our number of events, expanding our media partnerships, and we’re excited,” Murray said.

PFL announces multi-year renewal with ESPN; 2022 season kicks off on April 20

The PFL has reached a deal to remain on ESPN, the promotion today announced.

The PFL has reached a deal to remain on ESPN, the promotion today announced.

According to the organization, the new deal includes “expanded media rights,” with the entirety of the PFL’s 2022 playoffs, as well as the “majority of regular season events” to simulcast on ESPN and ESPN+.

Additional event coverage will also be featured on ESPN2.

“After two successful years of providing fans with premium MMA content alongside ESPN, PFL is proud to extend and expand our agreement,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated. “As MMA continues to evolve as a sport and rights property, our differentiated product and unique approach will help shape its path forward, and in 2022, fans can expect more events, matchups between the world’s best fighters and innovative content than ever before.”

Financial terms of the new deal were not revealed.

Promotion officials also revealed the PFL’s 2022 season will kick off on April 20. In the meantime, the company is running an eight-week PFL Challenger Series, which launches on Feb. 18.