The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, recently unveiled the first of three rounds of roster selections for the 2019 season. This initial group features nine returning finalists from their respective weight divisions, including five of the 2018 PFL World Champions.
All ten PFL events will air live across ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer subscription sports streaming service in the United States, with up to three hours of exclusive action live on ESPN+ and up to two exclusive hours live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. Regular season action will take place on Thursday nights. Additionally, fights will be distributed to 130 plus countries around the world on premium linear and digital sports networks.
2019 will again feature six weight divisions, including the first-ever Women’s 155 lbs Lightweight division, anchored by two-time U.S. Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Kayla Harrison. With the addition of Women’s Lightweight, Men’s Middleweight has been eliminated this season. As a result, Louis Taylor now looks to become the first two division champion in PFL history as he moves down from Middleweight to Welterweight. Lance Palmer (Featherweight), Natan Schulte (Lightweight), Magomed Magomedkerimov (Welterweight), and Philipe Lins (Heavyweight) also return and will strive to repeat as champions. 2018 Light Heavyweight Champion Sean O’Connell retired on top and will be transitioning to broadcasting full time for the PFL as the lead play-by-play announcer.
Steven Siler (Featherweight), Rashid Magomedov (Lightweight), Ray Cooper III (Welterweight) and Vinny Magalhaes (Light Heavyweight) make their return as they aim to earn the crown this season.
“We are excited to announce our returning PFL champions and other great athletes who competed in the League last season. The 2019 PFL Roster Selection Process has been incredibly competitive, as the best MMA fighters from around the world want to join the PFL, especially now that we’ve established the Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format and will be distributed Thursday nights on ESPN this May,” said Ray Sefo, President, PFL Fighter Operations. “The PFL’s goal is to continually elevate our fighter roster and provide fans with the best MMA action in the world. Over the coming weeks, we’ll continue to unveil the sport’s top new and returning fighters who will be joining the PFL for the 2019 season.”
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
