Professional Fighters League secures $65 million investment for 2021 season

While the UFC and Bellator MMA hosted events in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Professional Fighters League canceled its schedule for the year. 

That won't be the case in 2021. 

As Brett Okamoto reported for ESPN, the PFL has confirmed that it raised $65 million in new financing for the upcoming season set to get underway on April 23. ESPN platforms such as ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ air events hosted by the promotion that, unlike other competitions, stages a yearly season that includes a full playoff format. 

"PFL is the disruptive company in the massive and underserved MMA market, and this new capital will fuel our aggressive growth from the No. 2 worldwide market position the company has quickly secured," PFL chairman and co-founder Donn Davis said in a statement. 

Former UFC stars Fabricio Werdum, Tom Lawlor, Rory MacDonald and Anthony Pettis are among the big names signed to PFL men's divisions. Two-time Olympic gold medalist (judo) Kayla Harrison is thought by some to be the woman who could help put the PFL on the map and, ultimately, become the face of a UFC division.