The mixed martial arts scene is constantly shifting, and the dawn of 2026 ushers in potentially momentous changes. The dominant force in the sport is the UFC, which will, in a mere three months, command a brilliant focus at the esteemed White House, showcasing an event topped by the most significant title contest currently scheduled. However, this momentous June 14 occasion might be eclipsed by the entry into MMA a month prior of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Numerous former prominent UFC luminaries are slated for the May 16 extravaganza, which is poised to attract a substantial viewership on the colossal streaming service, Netflix.
Then, attention turns to the PFL. From its inception almost ten years back, the PFL has explored diverse strategies to set itself apart from rival mixed martial arts entities. Over multiple years, the organization emulated other significant professional athletic leagues, adopting a seasonal and postseason structure. Last year, the PFL trialed a year-long, knockout-style competition, showcasing an enlarged roster of combatants gained through its amalgamation with Bellator MMA. This year, the PFL has once more reimagined itself, now conducting operations via conventional MMA fight arrangements.
Commencing this Friday and extending across the subsequent five weeks, the PFL is embarking on a touring series of events, featuring four combat events in key metropolitan areas throughout the United States and Europe. Captivating matchups are interspersed throughout these showcases. Below are some notable encounters.
PFL Madrid: A Crown’s True Measure…
Friday at 4 p.m. ET, prelims at 1 p.m. on ESPN+
The A-side: Costello van Steenis vs. Fabian Edwards
This encounter stands as the sole PFL title contest slated within this five-week span. Appropriately, it will serve as an examination of each combatant’s championship fortitude.
The response may appear self-evident concerning van Steenis, the current proprietor of the middleweight crown. Yet, reflect on the contest where he seized the title last July. He lagged behind Johnny Eblen on the judges’ tallies as the final round’s timepiece dwindled, only to render the reigning champion unconscious via choke with merely nine seconds left. A victory is a victory, undoubtedly, but relinquishing the initial 24 minutes and 51 seconds of a 25-minute battle positions the fresh monarch precariously.
However, is Edwards at last prepared to surmount his obstacles? He vied for the Bellator championship against Eblen on two occasions, suffering defeat in both instances. Furthermore, he endured a loss to van Steenis in a 2020 bout, albeit by a divided verdict, and since then, Edwards has participated in more elite-level contests than “The Spaniard.” Favorably, Edwards recently completed a year with three wins and no losses, clinching the 2025 PFL tournament.
Deeper cut: AJ McKee vs Adam Borics
This pairing emerges directly from Bellator’s hypothetical history files: a past featherweight titlist from the now-defunct organization facing a former contender for the strap. Characterizing McKee merely as “a former champion” somewhat diminishes his stature. He was an internally developed prodigy (with all his initial 23 contests occurring within the Bellator enclosure) who amassed considerable anticipation en route to capturing the championship from Patricio Pitbull in 2021. When the Brazilian reclaimed the title in a subsequent year’s rematch with McKee, Borics became Pitbull’s initial challenger. Thus, McKee and Borics circulated near the zenith of Bellator’s 145-pound class but had never clashed within an octagon — until this moment.
PFL Pittsburgh: Rebirth or Endurance
March 28 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2, prelims at 7 p.m. on ESPN+
The A-side: Johnny Eblen vs. Bryan Battle
Eblen has remained out of competition subsequent to his last summer’s agonizing defeat by van Steenis, a loss snatched from the very brink of triumph. Recovering from such an abrupt and astonishing downturn can be arduous, yet the erstwhile middleweight king must rebound swiftly. A formidable challenge awaits him.
Battle is set to make his PFL inauguration directly following his tenure in the UFC, where he registered only one loss across nine contests. He is undoubtedly poised to be vexed and eager for confrontation after an ungratifying exit from the Octagon. Notwithstanding his impressive track record, the UFC discharged Battle last summer subsequent to him failing to make weight on three occasions within six appearances spanning 2023 to ’25. The decisive factor for Battle occurred at UFC 319, when his planned bout against Nursulton Ruziboev was scrapped because Battle weighed in four pounds above the middleweight threshold.
It is conceivable that Eblen’s strategists at American Top Team will disregard the surrounding clamor and concentrate their analytical efforts on Battle’s singular UFC setback, a bout where ATT’s Rinat Fakhretdinov achieved seven successful takedowns and maintained control over Battle for more than 14 minutes of their 15-minute contest in 2022.
Deeper cut: Impa Kasanganay vs. Dalton Rosta
Those who have followed the PFL’s yearly competitions over time would be well-acquainted with these two individuals. Kasanganay secured victory in the 2023 season and reached the finals in 2024, competing in the light heavyweight category for both. Rosta, a finalist last year in the middleweight division, conceded the ultimate match to Fabian Edwards. This particular encounter is set at 185 pounds, a weight class not alien to Kasanganay, who has alternated between divisions in pursuit of prime matchups. He has indeed located one here.
PFL Chicago: An Enigma to Unravel
April 11 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, prelims at 6 p.m. on ESPN+
The A-side: Sergio Pettis vs. Mitch McKee
This particular pairing appears structured as a display for Pettis. The erstwhile Bellator bantamweight titleholder and UFC contender hails from Milwaukee — merely ninety minutes distant — and has demonstrated in previous Chicago engagements that his supporters make the journey. This loyalty stems from their anticipation of significant achievements from Pettis, whose professional trajectory is replete with impressive victories, ranging from former UFC flyweight monarch Brandon Moreno and flyweight championship aspirant Joseph Benavidez to Bellator champions Patricio Pitbull and Kyoji Horiguchi.
Pettis now confronts a former university grappler largely unfamiliar to all but the most dedicated enthusiasts. For McKee, this contest represents the most significant of his professional journey, a formidable examination of his unblemished 10-0 record. Will he find himself outmatched, or is he primed to grasp this chance?
Deeper cut: Raufeon Stots vs. Renat Khavalov
Stots is recovering from a setback suffered last June against Pettis, who was formerly his training associate, a defeat that concluded a streak of 13 victories in 14 contests. His next opponent is a considerably less-acquainted visage — particularly for Stots. Mixed martial arts aficionados might recall Khavalov from the PFL’s initial event of the current year, where his record advanced to 11-0. And if Khavalov himself isn’t immediately recognized, spectators will assuredly identify the Dagestani’s corner-man, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
PFL Belfast: Local Champion
April 16 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN2, prelims at 3 p.m. on ESPN+
The A-side: Paul Hughes vs. Jay Jay Wilson
A familiar environment will serve as a gratifying indulgence for Hughes, given that the lightweight combatant from Belfast, Northern Ireland, has dropped two of his most recent three contests — albeit these losses occurred in intensely contested championship bouts against the unbeaten titleholder Usman Nurmagomedov. This marks Hughes’ fifth professional engagement within his native city. He triumphed in the preceding four with first-round stoppages.
His adversary is an athlete formerly aligned with Nurmagomedov in ESPN’s 2021 assessment of MMA competitors younger than 25. Wilson boasted an 8-0 record at that juncture, but subsequently, he has not achieved the same level of prosperity as Nurmagomedov or another 155-pounder from that list, UFC champion Ilia Topuria. Is the combatant from New Zealand capable of disrupting Hughes’ evening on his Northern Irish home turf?
Deeper cut: Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov vs. Tyson Pedro
The preceding occasion spectators witnessed Yagshimuradov, he failed in his endeavor to claim the PFL’s initial light heavyweight championship, succumbing to a decision loss against Corey Anderson in October. He secured that opportunity by emerging victorious in the 2024 PFL tournament, defeating the two preceding season champions, Kasanganay (2023) and Rob Wilkinson (2022), during his campaign. Yagshimuradov’s subsequent opponent is Pedro, who is initiating his PFL career following a ten-year stint in the UFC and a one-bout foray into pugilism.