Professional Fighters League has suspended its upcoming 2020 season due to concerns regarding the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
PFL, who had recently signed former Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald to compete in its welterweight tournament, was due to begin its 2020 campaign in May. Now, the next season will begin in Spring 2021.
Fighters competing in PFL typically receive a monthly stipend and that is said to continue throughout the year.
“PFL is a global MMA league, with athletes from over 25 countries,” PFL CEO Peter Murray told ESPN, the promotion’s broadcast partner. “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.”
PFL has said it is committed to creating “new original programming” in the interim.
The ESPN report also says the promotion is open to holding non-season events behind closed doors in 2020.
However, as it stands, we’re unlikely to see PFL stars such as MacDonald, Kayla Harrison and Lance Palmer compete this year.