The Professional Fighters League is set for 2025 with the PFL World Tournament. The single-elimination contest features a total of 64 fighters across eight weight classes. The action kicks off in April, with the semi-finals held in June, leading to the finale in August.
Some fight fans might be familiar with such a tournament format, aka knockout contest. It follows the days of K-1 in Japan, as well as the European boxing series Bigger’s Better.
“The PFL World Tournament will payout over $20 million in total prize money, including a $500,000 bonus for every winner,” reads the promotion’s announcement on Wednesday.
Titled “One Shot,” the PFL 2025 World Tournament is also announced as the annual single-elimination tournament. This year’s roster features fighters across the heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and women’s flyweight divisions.
To take it all, the eventual tournament winner is required to earn three victories over five months, progressing through the opening round, semi-final, and final. The quarter-final and semi-final bouts are three, five-minute rounds. The championship bouts are set for five, five-minute rounds. The fights allow the use of elbows.
“The PFL World Tournament is continued innovation by PFL, and we are thrilled to present to global MMA fans an even more exciting product,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “One shot, single-elimination, nothing more exciting in all of sports.”
The four quarter-finals are scheduled for April 3, 11, 18, with the fourth date to be confirmed. The semi-finals are set for June 12, 20, and 27. The finals are scheduled for August 1, 15, and 21.
The list of fighters partaking in the PFL 2025 World Tournament is expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
The announced single-elimination tournament replaces the previous PFL format that combined elements of a league and tournament system, such as Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship, as well as a points system. The most recent event, the 2024 PFL World Championship, and what appears to be the final event of its kind, was held last November.