MMA News: PFL Gears Up For Much Bigger Season In 2021

Professional Fighters League (PFL) aims to provide a new and better experience for combat sports fans.

2021 could be PFL’s biggest year with the US-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization committed to becoming the world’s most innovative sports league.

Two years after its official debut in New York, PFL continues to develop and is now working on cutting-edge approaches.

The promotion’s expansion has been quite impressive over time. So far, PFL has already partnered with SmartCage technology and Socios.com to give its audience a deeper and more interactive viewing experience.

The company has also launched its official mobile app, which allows both casual and diehard followers of the sport to have access to its exclusive content.

Last year, the pandemic stalled its progress as the league was forced to postpone its operations. However, PFL head honcho Peter Murray is ready to move up a notch by revealing their partnership with Ceasars Entertainment to create a “bubble” environment ahead of the league’s 2021 season.

"We're excited," Murray told Business Insider last month. "Las Vegas is, in my view, the pinnacle of combat events and for legacy. And we're looking forward to coming back and having Las Vegas as the home for the 2021 PFL season."

"We are first and foremost planning for the worst, and should the landscape change as it relates to safety for fighters, operational staff, and of course fans, then we will open up our events in 2021 to fans,” he explained. "But at this point, we're planning a live, made-for-TV and streaming experience at a single site in Las Vegas, in partnership with Caesars [Entertainment]."

Apart from innovation and huge business tie-ups, PFL is likewise bolstering its roster by sealing deals with world-class professional athletes.

This season, an array of world champion debutants is set to enter PFL’s cage such as former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) titleholders Fabricio Werdum and Anthony Pettis.

Also slated to happen in 2021, PFL will host the highly-anticipated MMA debut of three-division women’s boxing champion and multiple-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields.

“I want to go where no man or woman has gone and hold championships in both boxing and MMA at the same time,” Shields said in a statement on PFL’s official website. “The one-two punch of PFL in MMA and Salita Promotions in boxing will allow me to continue to show that there are no limits to what a woman can do. I can’t wait to get to work!”