'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
PFL (Professional Fighters League) head honcho Donn Davis has suggested that they're fast closing the gap between them and the UFC. The 61-year-old believes UFC and PFL are far ahead of all other MMA organizations.
Speaking to Forbes' Brian Mazique, the PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis recalled he'd long envisioned bringing transparency and meritocracy to MMA. Davis, who's also listed as the PFL president, has consistently underscored that regardless of star power, fighters have to win to advance in the organization's tournaments.
The PFL also features non-tournament format matches, such as the featured fights at the 'Battle of the Giants' event starring the likes of Francis Ngannou and Cris Cyborg on Oct. 19, 2024. Recounting the PFL's progress, Davis stated:
"Six and a half years later, it's now UFC and PFL, it's a duopoly."
Davis cited the Fight Matrix rankings and asserted that out of the current top 300 MMA fighters, the UFC has 190, PFL has 90, and other organizations have 20. He added that the average number of events organized per year is 40 (UFC) and 20 (PFL).
The American entrepreneur cited three points of significance. Firstly, he noted that the PFL went from zero fighters to boasting a respectable roster.
Secondly, Davis alluded to the PFL's broadcast deals, including its ESPN primetime broadcasting in the U.S. and streaming and linear broadcasting in 170 countries across multiple platforms. He also highlighted that fighters receive 50 percent of the PFL's revenues.
Thirdly, expounding upon how he feels the PFL's viewership is catching up with the UFC's, Davis stated:
"This year we are about 40 percent of UFC's viewership. How could this be? Nobody's heard of the PFL brand yet, and we're still young and we don't have marketing money. So we do about 500,000 total viewers in the United States per event. That's linear and streaming added together."
He added:
"UFC does about 1.1 million viewers per event, linear and streaming in the United States. So PFL in just six years has gone from zero viewers to a half million viewers per event and we're growing faster than them."
UFC CEO Dana White responds to PFL boss Donn Davis' recent remarks
The WSOF (World Series of Fighting) MMA organization was established in 2012, and Davis acquired it in 2017. Rebranded as PFL, the inaugural PFL season transpired in 2018.
The organization is backed by Saudi Arabia's PIF (Public Investment Fund) and notably acquired Bellator MMA in 2023. The PFL is viewed as the second-biggest MMA organization, behind the UFC which has long been number one.
The UFC 306 (aka Riyadh Season Noche UFC) event that transpired at the Sphere in Las Vegas earlier this month reportedly cost the UFC upwards of $20 million. Donn Davis, who's long been at loggerheads with UFC CEO and president Dana White, proceeded to claim that the PFL's Oct. 19 card would cost more than the UFC's Sphere event.
During a DWCS (Dana White's Contender Series) post-event press conference a few days back, White was asked about Davis' comments. The longtime UFC boss responded by noting that he "didn't even know" who Davis was. He then seemed to sarcastically assert that it was a good idea and said:
"Good for him. Good luck. I hope it all works out."
Watch White's assessment below (7:00):
