SRJ Sports Investments, funded by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, has invested $100 million into the Professional Fighters League (PFL), cementing PFL’s position as the number two promotion in MMA behind UFC, with plans for further expansion and talent acquisition.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has hit the ground running with its ambitions into 2024, as reflected through a $100 million investment made by SRJ Sports Investments, a company funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. This deal not only makes SRJ a minority owner of PFL, but also provides the promotion with the vast financial resources needed to expand into the Middle East. Crucially, this will enable the PFL to stay aggressively competitive against the UFC, which is currently the most sizable and lucrative promotion in MMA.
The 2024 expansion plan into pay-per-view and the newly acquired funding from SRJ give PFL CEO Donn Davis the confidence that his company has solidified its position as the second largest MMA promotion. According to Davis, PFL’s maiden entrance into the MMA industry created opportunity where there was none before. In a conversation with the Front Office Sports podcast, Davis shared that prior to PFL’s entry, fighters didn’t have a premium company to associate themselves with, except for UFC. Comparing a fighter’s opportunities before PFL to living in a small town with just one company and no car, Davis insists that there are now greater options.
With a proudly comparative stance, Davis listed two areas where PFL surpasses UFC. The first is pay, where he posits that fighters stand to earn more at PFL. The second advantage, he suggests, is the level of control fighters have over their own careers within the PFL’s tournament style format. According to Davis, PFL has yet to see a fighter leave the organization over the past five years. Furthermore, PFL has commitments, as part of the deal with SRJ, to launch a Middle Eastern and North African regional promotion in tandem with their established brands like PFL Africa and PFL Europe.
Regarding rumors of a potential acquisition of Bellator MMA from Paramount, Davis remained noncommittal. He mused that the only thing appealing about other MMA companies is fighter talent. The PFL CEO hints at an interest in acquiring other MMA promotions if it presented a utilitarian opportunity to acquire a batch of fighters at once. This could be an offsetting strategy as fighter contracts typically roll off every two years. Despite the future being uncertain, confidence runs high in the PFL ranks, bolstered by the secure $100 million investment. As Davis concluded, with enough financial backing to take on the ‘big dog’ UFC, PFL is well-positioned to realize its ambitious plans.