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6h ago

PFL Overhauls Titles to One Champion Per Division, Sets Unified Bouts for Oct. 3 and Dec. 13

The overhaul aims to end confusion from the Bellator merger by establishing a single undisputed champion in each division.

An aerial view of the PFL SmartCage at a 2025 event. Credit: Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Overview

  • New CEO John Martin announced a streamlined championship structure that designates one PFL World Champion per weight class.
  • The Oct. 3 card will feature Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes 2 for the lightweight title and Corey Anderson vs. Dovlet Yagshimuradov 2 for the light heavyweight title.
  • The Dec. 13 PFL Europe Championships will include Vadim Nemkov vs. Renan Ferreira for the heavyweight title and Cris Cyborg vs. Sara Collins for the women’s featherweight title.
  • Martin said past “Super Fight” belts, including Francis Ngannou’s, were one-time designations that may be reserved for occasional special events, with his PFL plans to be discussed directly.
  • Martin, who replaces Peter Murray as CEO, said the reset clarifies the picture created by PFL’s tournament winners and legacy Bellator champions defending separate belts.