PFL Announces New Single-Elimination Tournament Format
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The announcement of the new PFL tournament format for 2025 came as a surprise.
PFL will change from the regular season and playoff format, to a single-elimination tournament format. The format includes three fights over a five-month period. There are eight fighters in each of the eight weight classes: Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Bantamweight & Women’s Flyweight.
The matchups will be announced sometime in February, with Round 1 set to start in April. Round 2 will be the semi-finals in June. And the finals will go down in August. There is also a change to the grand prize total, which is now $500K for each winner instead of the million dollars previously.
You only get 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧.
— PFL (@PFLMMA) January 15, 2025
64 Fighters. Single elimination tournament
One Shot to WIN. One Shot to ADVANCE. One Shot at a WORLD TITLE#PFLWorldTournament pic.twitter.com/7YlTLgKPAB
Along with the tournament announcement, the PFL confirmed that elbows will now be allowed in all fights. This follows last year’s surprise rule change before the championships, which left some uncertainty about its permanence. Additionally, the PFL will absorb the Bellator roster and stop promoting events under the Bellator banner. Starting in 2025, the PFL and Bellator will no longer operate as separate entities.
One lingering question is how the promotion will handle injuries in a true win-and-advance format. Each round spans an entire month, with fights scheduled for April 3rd, 11th, 18th, and a TBD date; June 12th, 20th, and 27th; and August 1st, 15th, and 21st. This schedule may allow some flexibility for minor injuries, but it’s likely that each card will feature specific weight classes.
What are your thoughts on the new format? Let us know in the comment below.
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