PFL Confirm All 2019 Champions Set To Return In 2020
The PFL has announced that all six of its 2019 world champions will return for the 2020 season, which begins in May.
The current champions are Kayla Harrison (women’s lightweight), Lance Palmer(featherweight), Natan Schulte (lightweight), Ray Cooper III (Welterweight), Emiliano Sordi (Light Heavyweight), and Ali Isaev (Heavyweight).
The roster as a whole will undergo a significant revamp. Fifty percent of the fighters who will compete this season will be making their PFL debuts.
Rory MacDonald and Brendan Loughnane are two new names that will attract bit attention with MacDonald due to compete in the welterweight division and Loughnane in the featherweight division.
The promotion is currently in the middle of holding an International Qualifier Series, with events taking place in the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Germany, Brazil, and Australia.
“We are thrilled to welcome back our six champions, elite MMA fighters who have embraced the PFL’s season format and the transparency it brings to the sport,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray.
“They earned their way through a regular season, fight twice in one-night playoffs and championship finale on New Year’s Eve, a challenging yet rewarding journey to the pinnacle of MMA. But to repeat in 2020, they’ll need to earn it again by battling a refreshed, elevated roster of next-level talent.
“Fighters from around the world are vying for spots in the PFL, and we look forward to unveiling new challengers on the road to PFL 2020.
The 2020 season is shaping up to be the biggest season yet for the PFL, and it will be interesting to see how the final roster looks once the qualifying series has been completed.
