MMA News: PFL's Steady Success Credited To Two Great Minds

A new season of the Professional Fighters League (PFL) is set to commence this coming April 23rd, and this year is shaping up to be the league’s biggest yet.

In just their third season, the American mixed martial arts (MMA) league is already one of the most-talked-about promotions in the world, especially following their acquisition of top-tier talents such as Anthony Pettis, Fabricio Werdum, and Rory MacDonald.

Ready to welcome those big names into the league are the likes of PFL world champions Kayla Harrison, Lance Palmer and Natan Schulte.

But while PFL’s notable stars are unquestionably the main attraction, much of the league’s success can be attributed to the two men who helped bring things together in chairman Donn Davis and CEO Peter Murray.

A leader in the digital field, Davis is responsible for the growth of America Online and is one of the founding members of Revolution, a venture capital firm that helped launch blue-chip brands such as DraftKings, SportRadar, Zipcar, and many others.

Davis has a knack for the disruptive and has taken that to the MMA world via PFL’s unique presentation of the sport. The league is the only MMA organization that features a regular season-style tournament that also features playoffs and finals.

Moreover, he is helping usher in other steps in innovation such as the SmartCage tech that PFL uses to give its fans real-time statistics.

A veteran in the sports field, Murray brings in years of expertise in dealing with some of the world’s biggest athletes.

Murray was a senior vice president in the NFL for over a decade before ultimately putting up his own investment firm that’s involved in sports and entertainment.

Prior to joining PFL, Murray was a vice president for Under Armour and helped bring in some of the brand’s prominent ambassadors, including NBA champion Stephen Curry, boxing titleholder Anthony Joshua and MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, among many others.

Murray has brought that drawing power to PFL, helping the league bring in some of the household figures in MMA, alongside league president Ray Sefo.

By the looks of it, Davis and Murray are driven to steer the league into even bigger things in the future.

The 2021 PFL season will be broadcasted live on ESPN2 and ESPN+ in the United States. It will also be distributed to 160 additional countries around the world on premium sports networks.