PFL chief Donn Davis makes bold claim about UFC comparisons amid Dana White beef ahead of Francis Ngannou debut: "We have the same number"
PFL (Professional Fighters League) is gearing up for one of the biggest heavyweight MMA showdowns of the year as Francis Ngannou is set to make his return to the sport against Renan Ferreira. PFL co-founder Donn Davis also claimed that with their acquisition of Bellator, the organization is on track to be the "co-leader" in the MMA market with the UFC.
UFC CEO Dana White recently dismissed Davis' claims as “f*cking hilarious,” expressing skepticism about the PFL's position to challenge the UFC's dominance. White highlighted his belief that the PFL and Bellator are both struggling organizations that fail to attract significant audiences.
Davis recently made a bold claim regarding the promotion's financial ambitions, stating that PFL is on track to generate over $100 million in revenue this year. He also asserted that both leagues have a similar number of top-ranked fighters despite the UFC hosting more events.
Davis responded to White's claims in a recent interview with Sports Business Journal, claiming that "PFL has secured the No.2 position" already. He said:
"If you rewind two years ago, there were three companies vying for the No. 2 position: ONE Championship, PFL, and Bellator. And everyone in the market now says that the game is over... PFL has secured the No. 2 position, and it’s not even close. Now it’s a duopoly and there are only two premium providers in the world. Our No. 2 goal was to double our number of top-25 ranked fighters in the world. The PFL now has 85. UFC has 190, but they put on twice as many events as us, so if you equalize it, we have the same number of top fighters in the world."
He added:
"And our No. 3 goal is we want to have a successful second signature fight product. There’s the PFL global season and everyone knows that but we wanted to hold more events and to continue to do that, we needed a new format and fighters to stock it, and that’s where the Bellator Champions Series comes in. So we’re making good progress but there’s still work to be done.”
Donn Davis reveals PFL's bold expansion plan
According to a recent report by Sports Business Journal, SURJ Sports Investments has reportedly invested $100 million in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), primarily to develop a Middle Eastern circuit.
The upcoming PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants event, which takes place on Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will mark an important milestone in that vision for the growth of MMA in the region.
The event will be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Francis Ngannou and Rennan Ferreira. The card also features a women's featherweight showdown between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco.
In 2024, PFL also initiated its European division, gaining traction in France with rising star Cedric Doumbe. PFL co-founder Donn Davis also revealed that prominent star Jake Paul will potentially make his MMA debut next year in the organization.