NFL legend Marshawn Lynch has joined MMA’s Professional Fighters League as an investor and brand ambassador, according to an announcement Thursday from the organization.
Lynch’s fandom of MMA is widely known, and the one-time First-Team All-Pro, five-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion and member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team is excited over his involvement in the upstart MMA outfit.
“I’m really on that owner hype right now, ya feel me,” said Lynch, per the PFL’s official site. “Pro teams, leagues, companies and brands, I’m wit it. Ownership allows you to be closer to the action, to keep learning and making a difference. At the end of the day, the PFL opportunity is another blessing, that’s all I can really say. PFL is the future of MMA and it’s always a win-win when you can work with like-minded folks.”
The PFL unsurprisingly is thrilled as well over bringing Lynch aboard.
“The Professional Fighters League is excited to welcome Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch to our world-class sports ownership group,” said PFL CEO, Peter Murray. “BeastMode’s winning spirit and passion to build disruptive and innovative companies in sports is the perfect fit for PFL and MMA, which is the fastest growing sport in the world with 550 million plus fans and the youngest fanbase of all major sports.”
The Professional Fighters League, which touts itself “as the No. 2 MMA company in the world” behind UFC, will quickly capitalize on the Lynch addition. PFL’s second event of the year will air Thursday night on ESPN2 (incidentally in direct competition with the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft). Once all the bouts are completed, PFL will honor one of the participants from the night’s card with “BeastMode Fighter of the Night,” which of course pays tribute to Lynch’s iconic moniker.
Lynch joins comedian Kevin Hart and music artist Wiz Khalifa in PFL’s roster of celebrity partners, per ESPN. One of the most charismatic, provocative and enigmatic players in recent NFL history, Lynch will certainly generate no shortage of hype and perhaps interject much-needed interest in the fledgling MMA league.
Terms of Lynch’s financial investment were not revealed by PFL.
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