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Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes will square off for undisputed PFL gold on Oct. 3. | PFL MMA
The title picture in Professional Fighters League figures to be much more clear going forward.
PFL CEO John Martin revealed the organization’s championship plan in a social media post on Wednesday. Martin acknowledged that knowing exactly who the title holders in the PFL were became especially confusing after the promotion purchased Bellator MMA. That was compounded by the PFL tournament and past season formats, which crowned champions at their conclusions.
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“Historically, the PFL crowned champions through its season or tournament format, where the winner held the title for that year. I recognize this created some confusion about who truly sat atop each division,” Martin wrote on X. “That confusion grew when the PFL and Bellator merged, bringing in not only tournament champions but also legacy Bellator champions who defended their belts, leaving fans unclear on who was the definitive champion in each weight class.
“We are now simplifying our championship system. Going forward, each division will have one PFL World Champion, the single, undisputed titleholder in that weight class.”
As a result, Costello van Steenis became the PFL undisputed middleweight champion with his fifth-round submission victory over Johnny Eblen on July 19.
The following bouts will also determine undisputed champions in their respective divisions:
Oct. 3: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes 2 for the PFL lightweight world championship
Oct. 3: Corey Anderson vs. Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov 2 for the PFL light heavyweight world championship
Dec. 13: Vadim Nemkov vs. Renan Ferreira for the PFL heavyweight world championship
Dec. 13: Cris Cyborg vs. Sara Collins for the PFL women’s featherweight world championship
PFL CEO Discusses Future of Ngannou
Martin also addressed the status of Francis Ngannou, who hasn’t competed since a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira at PFL “Battle of the Giants” last October. The PFL CEO revealed that the “Super Fight” title Ngannou captured at the event was a “special, one-time designation.”
“Going forward, those belts may be used only for occasional special events, and importantly, I will be engaging directly with Francis to determine what’s next for him in the PFL,” Martin wrote.
“My goal is clear: one champion, one division, one world title, a system that is simple for athletes to chase and for PFL fans to follow.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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