Professional Fighters League cancels season due to coronavirus
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ray Cooper III, left, in action against Zane Kamaka during their regular season mixed martial arts bout at PFL 1 in 2019. Cooper won via 2nd round submission.
The Professional Fighters League has canceled its upcoming season because of the coronavirus pandemic and plans to resume in spring 2021.
The mixed martial arts promotion was expected to begin competition in May. The competition format includes a regular season, a postseason and a championship event, making it unique in MMA. Last year, the promotion staged six regular-season events, three playoff events and a championship event on New Year’s Eve.
CEO Peter Murray says the PFL will pay its fighters a monthly cash stipend to help support them and their families throughout 2020.
The 2021 season will be distributed on ESPN platforms in the U.S. and to 160 countries by the league’s international media partners. The PFL said it will produce new programming across ESPN and PFL platforms for the rest of this year.
