PFL Europe 2023 Explained: Schedule & How to Watch

A light-heavyweight bout between Britain’s Simeon Powell and Dutchman Mohamed Amine headlines the card at Newcastle’s Vertu Motors Arena, while Powell’s compatriot Dakota Ditcheva takes on Sweden’s Malin Hermansson in the co-main event of PFL Europe 2023.

PFL Europe 2023

PFL Europe is the promotion’s first-ever regional league that will look to change the game. With PFL Europe utilizing the PFL playoff format, fighters can become stars overnight.

“Launching regional leagues has always been part of our vision as a company, and now in our fifth year and based on the growth of the sport and demand for media distribution among fans, this is the right time to launch our first regional league,” PFL CEO Peter Murray told Sports Business Journal.

In November, Julia Boyadjieva joined the PFL as Vice President of International Event Operations and the General Manager of PFL Europe. She has worked with Formula 1 and WWE in the past.

“I am delighted to join the Professional Fighters League to further expand its international footprint, lead the launch of PFL Europe as well as stage premium MMA events across the globe,” said Boyadjieva. “I’m looking forward to contributing to the international growth of such a dynamic, innovative, and revolutionary global sports league.”

What is the PFL?

Donn Davis launched the PFL in 2017 after purchasing and reformatting the World Series of Fighting. The first significant MMA promotion to feature regular season, post season, and championship competitions debuted in 2018.

The Professional Fighters League Europe’s PFL Europe mixed martial arts match for the 2023 campaign took place on March 25, 2023, at the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England. The PFL Europe league’s debut event included matches in the women’s flyweight and light heavyweight divisions.

Young European MMA athletes will be featured in PFL Europe beginning in 2023. All events will be place in Europe, and matches will be aired during prime local time. The structure will be the same as the normal PFL Season, and the winner will get $100,000 in addition to a chance to play in the regular season of the PFL in 2024.

The PFL employs a point system, where victories in a given round are worth a specific amount of points. The PFL’s point system is dependent on the fight’s round. A victory for a fighter results in three points, whereas a defeat results in zero points. A combatant receives three extra points if they triumph in the opening round. They will receive two extra points for finishing in round two, and one point will be given for finishing in round three.

How does PFL Europe work?

In July, PFL announced the launch of PFL Europe, a standalone regional league. The goal is to increase the PFL’s global relevance and brand exposure.

Peter Murray is excited to host the promotion’s first event in North East England as he told Mirror Fighting: “We’re happy to be up here in Newcastle and launch the inaugural season of PFL Europe. When we launched the company five years ago it was always with a global vision, the first three or four years we focused on the premium product and season format before we could begin expansion.

“Last year as it relates to expanding the live event offerings and international expansion, we executed our first International events in UK with one in Cardiff and one in Wales. This year we will have 24 global events, including PFL Europe, which is the first of several International PFL regional leagues that we will be launching over the next three years.”

PFL Europe schedule

The 2023 PFL Europe season schedule was recently released. It will take place in the following locations:

Date Location
March 25 Newcastle, UK – Vertu Motors Arena (Regular Season)
July 8 Berlin, Germany – Verti Music Hall (Regular Season)
September 30 Paris, France – Zenith Paris La Villette (Playoffs)
December 8 Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena (Final)

How to watch PFL Europe

Fans can watch the PFL on ESPN and ESPN+. The winner of the PFL Finals takes home the championship title from their division and $1 million.

Country Channel + Live Stream
United States ESPN+
Mexico DAZN
United Kingdom DAZN
Australia DAZN

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