- Professional Fighters League has heavyweight backing
- Aussie MMA stars get bold new pathway to fame
Aussie MMA fighters are known for being some of the most exciting stars on the planet – and now they have a new pathway to stardom courtesy of a major move by the Professional Fighters League.
The PFL has announced the formation of PFL Pacific, which will feature the cream of local talent taking each other on in a local league, with the victors progressing to bigger and bigger fights until they compete for world titles.
And in big news for Aussie fight fans, the UFC’s biggest rival has the heavyweight backing of Channel Nine and the Stan streaming service, with the most high-profile events set to be shown on free-to-air TV.
PFL CEO Peter Murray told the crowd at the Sydney launch on Tuesday that the new Pacific league will give locals a chance at fame and riches that the UFC just can’t provide – and he was joined by the best example of that path to success in Aussie fighter ‘Razor’ Rob Wilkinson.
The Tasmanian had two UFC fights before joining the PFL, taking full advantage of the league’s unique ‘win and advance’ format to fight his way to a million-dollar paycheque at PFL 10 in November 2022 as he took his opponent out by KO.
He told Daily Mail Australia that the rebel fighting competition has taken him a long way since the days when he was actually losing money as he got paid peanuts to get into the cage.
Aussie MMA gun ‘Razor’ Rob Wilkinson (pictured punching an opponent in a bout last year) was struggling to earn a living before joining the Professional Fighters League
The Tasmanian fighter scored a $1million cheque from the PFL (pictured) when he smashed Omark Akhmedov in Madison Square in 2022
PFL CEO Peter Murray is pictured third from left at the league’s announcement of a major expansion into Australia in Sydney on Monday
‘My first fights – and this was pretty standard – I was getting $300, $500. And with that organisation, some people were struggling to get their money off them and not even getting paid,’ he said.
‘When you’re flying to another state, paying for flights and accommodation, you might take an extra cornerman, spending money on your weight cut and your food, you’re not making any money, obviously.
‘To have something where I’m pretty sure the starting purses are $5000 US [$AUD7800], that’s huge.
‘That’s more than I made even after I was in the UFC and came back and fought for Australian titles. I wasn’t getting anywhere near that sort of money in Australia.
‘To have that path where you know if you win, you’re progressing on, I believe it’s $100,000 for the winner of the tournament, and then you get signed to go to the global level – everyone at my gym is excited about it.’
Murray stressed that PFL Pacific is aiming to kick off a production line of Aussie champions who can’t get a look-in with the UFC due to that competition’s far narrower focus on debuting new talent.
The PFL already has heavyweight star power in the form of former UFC world champion Francis Ngannnou (left), who knocked out Renan Ferreira (right) last year – and the league is hoping Jake Paul (centre) will get into the smart cage too
‘We’re building a foundation for long-term growth and aiming to crown more Aussie champions than any other league over the next three years,’ he said.
The PFL has superstar backing in the form of former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, who made his debut for the league last October as he knocked out Renan Ferreira in Saudi Arabia after taking a three-year break from MMA.
Unlike the UFC, the PFL had no issues with Ngannou taking megabucks fights against boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua – and now the league has another huge name in its sights for a potential bout.
Murray revealed that Jake Paul – who signed a contract with the PFL in 2023 and has one of the league’s smart cages at one of his homes – could fight for the body next year.
