United Kingdom’s MMA Featherweight Brendan Loughnane (18-3)
Will Fight David Alex Valente (11-4) of Brazil on ESPN+ During the Championship Pre-Show
Live Coverage of the 2019 PFL World Championship Begins on NYE at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN2
NEW YORK (December 5, 2019) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today announced the addition of Brendan Loughnane to the New Year’s Eve PFL Championship. Loughnane’s second fight as a PFL featherweight will be a part of the pre-show on ESPN+, the leading multi-sport streaming service, leading into the 2019 PFL World Championship at 7:00pm ET on ESPN2.
Loughnane will take on David Alex Valente, fighting out of Brazil. The bout is part of the PFL’s “New Fighter Showcase” series, designed to provide opportunities for up-and-coming fighters to compete on the highest level. Loughnane will compete in the PFL 2020 season as a featherweight, where he’s expected to be in the running for the title and million-dollar prize.
Loughnane made headlines when he was passed up for a UFC contract following an impressive decision win over Bill Algeo on Dana White’s Contender Series. Loughnane signed with PFL in July and earned a unanimous decision victory over Matt Wagy in his debut bout on October 11. The win was his fourth straight and improved his record to 18-3.
“We’re thrilled to have a fighter of Brendan Loughnane’s caliber on our 2020 roster,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “Next year Brendan will have the opportunity to fight his way to the championship, the biggest MMA event of the year that is quickly becoming synonymous with New Year’s Eve in New York City, and compete for the featherweight title and million-dollar prize.”
“I’m excited for the opportunity to fight at Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve. It’s another chance to show the world what I’m capable of. After I win, my focus will be on returning to this stage and winning that million dollars,” added Loughnane.
Valente has an 11-4 career record, including a seven-fight and three-fight win streaks. He aims to rebound from two consecutive losses and start a new win streak heading into 2020. Of his 11 victories, four have ended in early stoppages.
The 2019 PFL World Championship takes place on NYE at Madison Square Garden in New York City at 7:00pm ET on ESPN2. Kayla Harrison faces Larissa Pacheco for the first-ever women’s lightweight title and Natan Schulte faces Loik Radzhabov as he looks to repeat as lightweight champion. The ball doesn’t drop until six titles are raised and six millionaires made. The full fight card can be found here.
About Professional Fighters League
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a regular season, playoffs, and championship. ?PFL’s differentiated format and exciting fights sparked breakout growth for the league. ??PFL events are Thursday nights primetime live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The PFL 2019 Season features elite MMA athletes across six weight classes, including the first-ever 155-pound women’s division, with each fighter having two fights during the PFL Regular Season in May, June, July, and August. The top eight fighters in each weight class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October, where fighters must fight twice and win twice in the same night to advance to the finals. PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve with the winners of each title bout being crowned PFL World Champion of their respective weight class and earning $1 million. Viewers will be delivered next-gen stats never before seen in MMA through the PFL’s proprietary SmartCage™ platform and Cagenomics™ technology.
PFL is backed by an investor group of sports, media, entertainment, and business titans. Watch PFL live Thursday nights in the U.S. on ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes. PFL is also available in 130 countries around the world with leading local broadcasters.
For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague), and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).
