PFL Set To Delay Start Of 2020 Season

PFL’s CEO, Peter Murray, released a media statement today regarding the promotions upcoming 2020 season, which was set to begin Thursday, May 21, but has now been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The full statement reads as follows:

“The Professional Fighters League is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 global crisis closely and assessing its impact on the PFL 2020 Season.
The health and safety of our fighters, fans, partners, and league personnel remain our top priority.

“In light of this unprecedented pandemic, we are adjusting our plan for the rest of this year and look forward to starting our next season as soon as it is feasible. We are committed to continuing to evolve and grow the sport of MMA.”

The delay will come as no great surprise to MMA fans, but it will be interesting to see how the PFL juggles its schedule, given that it operates in a league format.

The original schedule that the company was working to was that the regular season would take place in May, June, July, and August. Each fighter would compete twice with the top eight in each weight division advancing to the knockout stage. The playoffs would be then be held in October and the finals on New Year’s Eve.

How the company restructures its upcoming season will depend on when exactly it is given the green light to proceed.