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Sport Nation
Professional Fighters League makes it way down under with PFL Pacific
Stephen Foote • May 13th, 2025 4:30 pm
Photo: Supplied
Aspiring Kiwi fighters will soon have another pathway available to graduate to the pinnacle of professional fighting with the advent of PFL Pacific.
On Tuesday, the Professional Fighters League announced the launch of the new regional competition that will serve as a feeder to its main promotion, aimed at "growing the sport across Oceania and providing fans with year-round access to world-class MMA action."
Four events are scheduled to take place in 2026 across Australasia at locations yet to be confirmed.
The events will be structured in a "win and advance" single elimination bracket style, with "significant prize money" on offer for the winner and the chance to be promoted to the full roster.
With president and Kiwi combat sports legend Ray Sefo at its helm, the PFL has quickly risen to prominence as the primary competitor with the UFC in the MMA space.
The promotion's point of difference is in its season-based approach. Fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship.
Each fighter gets two regular season fights, earning points for wins (and bonus points for early finishes).
Top performers advance to the playoffs, culminating in a final where the winner earns US$1 million.
Other innovations include its 'SmartCage', which displays real-time data like punch speed, heart rate, and fighter tracking during bouts, while referees also wear glasses fitted with a camera, offering a unique perspective on the in-cage action.
Jay-Jay Wilson is currently the lone New Zealander on the PFL roster, after the promotion acquired rivals Bellator in 2023.
Wilson is currently competing in the lightweight bracket of the PFL's World Tournament, last month earning a third-round TKO to advance to the semi-finals. The winner of each division's respective bracket pockets a prize of US$500,000.
He'll fight Gadzhi Rabadanov on June 28 for a place in the final.
