US mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion the Professional Fighters League has announced the venue line-up for its inaugural PFL Europe season, with Dublin’s 3Arena to host the concluding event.
The PFL staged its first events in the UK last year, at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena and London’s Copper Box Arena, as part of a new deal with live entertainment company Live Nation and detailed plans to launch PFL Europe in July.
The debut PFL Europe calendar will see regular season events take place at Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England, and Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany, on March 25 and July 8, respectively. Zenith Paris La Villette in the French capital will stage the playoffs on September 30, before the final takes place at 3Arena on December 8.
With an event taking place every quarter throughout 2023, the new concept will feature 32 of Europe’s top ranked fighters competing across four weight classes. Under the ‘win and advance; lose and go home’ ethos, after four events, four champions will be crowned all taking home $100,000 (£82,151/€92,482) and a chance to earn a spot in the $1m global season.
All four events will air during local primetime hours live on subscription streaming service DAZN, a founding partner of PFL Europe. “PFL Europe’s inaugural season schedule is set, and MMA fans in 2023 will experience Europe’s best MMA fighters competing in the PFL’s true sport format live on DAZN,” said Professional Fighters League CEO, Peter Murray.
After being founded in 2018, PFL claims to be the fastest growing company in MMA and the No.2 promotion on a worldwide basis. It is the only MMA promotion to follow the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in win and advance meritocracy similar to other sports.
