Professional Fighters League made its first foray into the
pay-per-view market last week, and according to promotion
co-founder Donn Davis, that venture was a success.
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The 2022 PFL Championships featured six championship bouts along
with a women’s featherweight showcase for a price point of $49.99
on ESPN+. Though Davis wouldn’t reveal a buy rate for the event in
an interview with
ESPN, he seemed happy with the overall results.
“Our top priority was to put on a premium product that everyone who
bought the fights said, ‘I’m glad I bought it,’ and everyone who
didn’t buy heard it was a great show and said, ‘I’m going to buy
the next one,'” Davis said. “And on both of those, it was a
success. People who bought it loved it. And the buzz around the
fight has been the highest it’s ever been, no question.”
No fight on the card generated more buzz than the main event, which
saw Larissa
Pacheco upset Kayla
Harrison to capture the women’s lightweight championship and a
$1 million payout. While Harrison losing her undefeated mystique
would seem to be a bad thing for the PFL, Davis doesn’t necessarily
think so, especially in regards to a potential superfight with
Bellator featherweight queen Cristiane
Justino.
“I have a counter view to the Twitter universe,” Davis said. “My
view is simple: Cris was scared of Kayla and unwilling to take that
fight prior to [last Friday]. I believe there was zero chance of
that fight happening due to Cyborg’s fear of Kayla. Now, I think
the odds of that fight happening have gone way up, and I still
believe Kayla wins that fight.”
Justino is currently scheduled for her second boxing match next
month, but a date for her MMA return is unclear. “Cyborg” has
denied that PFL ever offered a deal to fight Harrison, but Davis
believes the possibility for the bout is as strong as ever. The
promotion is expected to hold at least two pay-per-view events
outside of its season format in 2023, according to ESPN.
“PFL has offered that fight and Kayla has offered that fight,”
Davis said. “We’ve offered the highest-guaranteed purse in female
MMA history for that fight, and Cris Cyborg has refused. There is
nothing standing in the way of that fight happening other than Cris
Cyborg. If she wants to cement her legacy, make money and prove
she’s better than Kayla
Harrison in the cage instead of Twitter, she’d take the fight
— because she’s the only reason it hasn’t happened.”