Donn Davis, co-founder of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), commented on the UFC’s $335 million settlement of two antitrust lawsuits, stating that the emergence of PFL as a premium option for fighters has made a significant difference in the market, offering fighters more choices and opportunities.
Donn Davis, the PFL co-founder, has some thoughts to share. He’s been mulling over the UFC’s recent agreement to settle two antitrust lawsuits for a whopping $335 million.
News of the settlements came out on Wednesday. It was all thanks to a disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. And who filed it? TKO Group Holdings, the UFC’s parent company, that’s who.
Now, it’s all up to Judge Richard Boulware. He’s been overseeing the case and his sign-off is the last step. If he gives the green light, the lawsuits won’t go to trial.
Just hours after the news broke, Davis was asked about it. His first thoughts? Well, they were something he’s been telling the MMA community all along.
He said, “My main thought is what I’ve been consistent saying.” And what’s that? “If you’re a top fighter, or you’re an emerging star, it’s the best time in the market for you,” Davis spilled on The MMA Hour.
He went on, “You used to have one option really at the premium level, and with the PFL, you have two. The difference between two [options] and one [option] is much more than one.
He added, “For all of you who have ever had a job offer, having two job offers versus one job offer is all the difference in the world.”
Since PFL absorbed Bellator MMA into one big promotion, Davis has been making waves. He’s been touting that PFL is now positioned as a future “co-leader” in MMA alongside the UFC.
Sure, PFL has a lot of work to do to catch up to the powerhouse that is UFC. But Davis is sending a confident message to fighters. He’s saying if you’re a name in the sport looking to get what you feel you are worth, you don’t have to fight for the UFC to make that happen.
Davis said, “To me, the biggest difference is not the antitrust lawsuit.” So what is it then? “The biggest difference is the emergence of PFL to be a premium option on a global scale with the same distribution, the same ability to pay, the same great option for you.
He believes that “That’s made the most difference for fighters. But obviously, it’s a good outcome for fighters [on Wednesday]. But I believe PFL being on level for fighters as UFC has made the most difference in the last three or four years.”