The Blueprint: PFL 2025 World Tournament

The Professional Fighters League will begin a new chapter on Thursday, as it launches the PFL 2025 World Tournament at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Selecting 64 fighters in eight different weight classes, the PFL has listened to fans, competitors and everyone around the promotion about changing from a regular-season points format to a single-elimination tournament.

By introducing the tournament format, the PFL is turning the page just one year after acquiring Bellator MMA. In the sport of MMA, where most casual fans look at the fighting world as “UFC or bust,” the PFL was innovative from the start. The company brought the SmartCage to the sport, a new viewing perspective with the…