PFL adopt ‘Champions League’ format to expand horizons to Asian Market following stunning moves in Africa and Middle East

PFL has huge plans to revolutionize the realm of combat sports. It began with acquisition of PFL and continues with the partnership with Dafabet.

PFL adopt ‘Champions League’ format to expand horizons to Asian Market following stunning moves in Africa and Middle East

Francis Ngannou and PFL CEO Peter Murray (via PFL.com)

The MMA market saw the rise of a new force when the Professional Fighting League (PFL) acquired Bellator MMA. However, it was just the start of something more. To expand its reach and bring the fight game to more places, PFL has partnered with Dafabet. The partnership with Dafabet hopes to provide the fans with the best experience in the Asian market.

PFL follows the sports-season format, which is unique in individual sports and more unique in combat sports. With the arrival of PFL Europe and PFL MENA, the PFL aims to build the ‘Champions League of MMA.’ The investment from Saudi Arabia was the first step. Now, the addition of Dafabet will improve the experience for the fans. The press release from PFL stated:

As part of this partnership, Dafabet will receive access to social assets and premium footage, offering a unique perspective on PFL’s and its fighters’ journey in the MMA landscape. The specially curated content will be disseminated across both PFL and Dafabet’s social and digital channels, ensuring an immersive experience for fans.

The content produced by an MMA organization remains very important. PFL has led technological innovation in the sport by adding PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. The partnership between PFL and Dafabet will become the next step in producing content that amazes the combat sports world.

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PFL CEO reveals the importance of Dafabet to become prevalent in the Asian market

PFL Europe and PFL Mena remain key parts of expanding the company’s reach. They focus on a market largely neglected by the UFC. The Asian market is the next focus for PFL. Europe, North America, and South America have deep roots in MMA. However, the same cannot be said for Asia.

PFL signed a deal with Dafabet to bring MMA to underserved Asian market
PFL signed a deal with Dafabet to bring MMA to underserved Asian market

Asia is a land of singular martial arts. It has yet to find overwhelming success with MMA. This is what PFL CEO Peter Murray said about how Dafabet could help them in the Asian Market:

PFL is thrilled to embark on this strategic partnership with Dafabet. Asia is one of PFL’s top growth markets, and with a leading partner like Dafabet, we aim to bring the thrilling world of MMA to an audience that has been underserved until now. This collaboration is a testament to PFL’s commitment to global expansion and engaging with diverse fan bases.

Peter Murray on Dafabet Partnership

Murray noticed the lack of MMA content in the Asian market. With PFL’s next generation viewing experience coupled with what Dafabet brings to the table, they aim to impact the Asian market significantly.

PFL secures multi-year deal with ESPN

ESPN will deal with the domestic media rights of the PFL for the foreseeable future. ESPN streams the PFL regular season, playoffs, and World Championships as part of the deal.

PFL signed a new deal with ESPN before the Dafabet deal
PFL signed a new deal with ESPN before the Dafabet deal (via PFL.com/ESPN.com)

The deal with ESPN will keep the PFL in the limelight and provide fans with more MMA content. The deal came a few weeks after acquiring Bellator MMA. PFL hopes to book PFL champions vs. Bellator champions in the first quarter of 2024. This will generate huge viewership with ESPN as the domestic media rights partner. It will also see a huge payout for the fighters.

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