Professional Fighters League has put its best foot forward when it
comes to adding available big-name free agents to its roster.
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Those signings don’t always work out, but it’s no secret that it
benefits the promotion to have stars succeed in the regular season
and advance to the postseason. During a PFL media event on
Wednesday, both Clay
Collard and Olivier
Aubin-Mercier reacted to what has been perceived as special
treatment given to ex-UFC champ Anthony
Pettis during the current season.
Collard claimed that Pettis was given “the easy man” in terms of
first opponent, unheralded journeyman Myles Price,
who was competing for the first time since 2019. Aubin-Mercier,
meanwhile, understands why the promotion would want to see
high-profile fighters do well.
“If I was the biggest name of PFL, I would probably have an easier
path,” Aubin-Mercier said. I think it’s unfair, but to be honest I
would have done the same thing if I was the PFL. I really do think
they want Pettis in the tournament, I think they want (Jeremy
Stephens) in the tournament. And I think that’s the best way to
make PFL grow is to have those two in the tournament. So I do think
it’s understandable, but I do think it’s unfair too.”
Aubin-Mercier went in depth discussing how the scheduling of
Pettis’ fights could make for an uneven situation for his
opponents. Pettis’ first bout against Price was rebooked two weeks
later than the rest of the lightweights for undisclosed reasons,
and his second outing — against Steven Ray —
will take place on June 24 at PFL 2.
“I just saw (Price), and he’s a pretty big guy and to make your
weight twice in a month and a half just because Pettis cannot fight
the same day as everybody, I think it’s pretty unfair to him,”
Aubin-Mercier said. “And I think it’s pretty unfair to Stevie Ray
knocks Pettis out in the first round. What, he’s gonna fight in
three weeks after that? That makes no sense. I think it’s a little
bit unfair.”
Ultimately, Aubin-Mercier has more of an issue with the scheduling
involving Pettis than the matchmaking. But he reiterates that he
doesn’t fault the promotion for doing what it can to allow stars to
succeed.
“Like I said, I think it’s understandable. The only thing I think
is crazy is Pettis doesn’t fight the same day as us,” Aubin-Mercier
said. “I think it’s OK that they have easier path. They’ve proved
themselves. They can have it easy. For him to fight one or two
weeks after, it’s not fair for his opponent and I feel bad for
them.”
Aubin-Mercier will face Raush
Manfio in a lightweight bout on the PFL 4 main card on Friday
at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. The evening’s main card airs on
ESPN and ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.