The Professional Fighters League announced Monday that it is postponing its 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, with plans to resume its format of a regular season and playoffs in the spring of 2021. For this year, according to a prepared statement, the PFL will create "new original programming." The announcement stated that PFL fighters will continue to be paid their monthly cash stipends throughout 2020.
"PFL is a global MMA league, with athletes from over 25 countries," PFL CEO Peter Murray told ESPN. "Our team decided that first and foremost, for the health and safety of our fighters, fans, business partners and event personnel, with so much uncertainty surrounding Covid-19, we determined this is the best course of action. It's prudent and guided by safety. Our decision is to push back the upcoming season, which was previously scheduled to begin in May, to spring 2021 on ESPN."
Murray said the promotion is "absolutely" open to holding events without fans, but is not commenting on the possibility of holding a live, non-season event in 2020.
The PFL was rebranded from the World Series of Fighting in 2018 and for the past two years has operated in a season format. Fighters compete in a two-bout regular season starting in the fall, and single-elimination playoffs in late fall, culminating in a New Year's Eve finale at which the champions in six weight classes are each awarded a $1 million prize.
Along with MacDonald, a new addition who formerly fought in the UFC and Bellator, the PFL roster includes two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison, who won the women's lightweight championship in 2019, and featherweight Lance Palmer, who won the championship in both 2018 and '19.
I promise you this, I'm not not fighting this year.
— Kayla Harrison (@KaylaH) April 20, 2020