MMA News: Veteran Promoter Loren Mack Targets Asia In PFL's Global Expansion

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has enjoyed a ton of success in the last three years.

Since coming to life in 2018, PFL has managed to become a household name among mixed martial arts (MMA) fans all over the world and has made stars of the likes of Kayla Harrison, Ray Cooper III, and many others.

In the home stretch of their 2021 season, the promotion is set to crown six new world champions at its culminating event--the PFL World Championship 2021 this coming October 27th.

But while PFL has grown so much in such a short time, the league is looking to continue widening its reach even more.

Prior to the 2021 season, the organization already started to break into major markets such as India and Russia. It also pinpointed the rest of Asia as one of its main expansion targets.

In 2020, PFL brought in veteran executive Loren Mack as vice president for corporate communications and has helped the league greatly thanks to his experience and knowledge in the Asian sports and media scene.

Now a senior vice president, Mack believes that Asia will definitely be a massive step for PFL’s expansion efforts.

“Definitely, Asia is a big market for mixed martial arts and we believe that it’s a no-brainer for the PFL to head there ASAP,” Mack said. “Simply put, Asia is home to an amazing martial arts culture and they have so much talent there that’s just waiting to be tapped.”

“Speaking from my own experiences there, Asia has some of the best mixed martial arts talent in the world, and they’re just waiting for a big stage to perform in. I believe that the PFL is that big stage,” he added.

Mack also believes that PFL’s unique season-style format will resonate with Asian fans.

“The big thing with the PFL is that it shows MMA in a non-traditional style. We feature MMA like a sports season format, and Asian sports fans can definitely relate to that presentation. It’s like how soccer or basketball is structured, and those are two of the biggest sports in the Asian market.”

Currently, the situation in Asian MMA is "one country, one promotion," with Rizin in Japan, Road FC in South Korea, ONE Championship in Singapore, OnePride in Indonesia, and so on.

Mack feels that what Asian fans and fighters deserve is a global platform such as PFL.

“The league is broadcast to over 160 countries all over the world. Imagine being a young, up-and-coming MMA fighter from Thailand, or Malaysia, or the Philippines, and you’re given a chance to make a name for yourself on the number-two MMA league in the world. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I know a ton of fighters would grab in a heartbeat,” he explained.

While PFL is working towards bringing its show on Asian soil, it won’t be the first United States-based promotion to do so.

Some years ago, the UFC also regularly held events in Asia, putting on shows in countries like Japan, China, Singapore, Macau and the Philippines.

In recent years, the UFC seems to have veered away from that direction and has remained focused on North America, Europe and the Middle East.

“The UFC has done an amazing job in growing the sport all over the world, especially in Asia. Now, I think it’s time that we pick up where the UFC left off and begin putting Asian fighters and Asian mixed martial arts in the spotlight as well,” Mack stated.

“I firmly believe that there will be a PFL world champion of Asian roots in the near future. It’s just a matter of finding these future champions and giving them a platform to shine on."

PFL is wrapping up a successful 2021 season, and it won’t be long before preparation for the 2022 season begins.