Extended partnership to further develop PFL SmartCage and Fighter Performance Rating technology
Working alongside Flagship, PFL is the MMA leader in maximizing a data-centric approach for fight fans,
partners and the league’s world-class competitors
PFL MMA Regular Season continues May 6 to more than 160 countries
NEW YORK (May 5, 2022) - The Professional Fighters League, the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced it is partnering with Flagship Solutions Group, an IBM Gold Business Partner, for the 2022 season to utilize cloud-based products and artificial intelligence to reshape the way fans engage with the sport of MMA. Under the agreement, the league will leverage IBM’s cloud and Watson technologies to further develop PFL’s industry leading SmartCage technology and Fighter Performance Rating to maximize the value of its data-centric approach for fight fans, the world-class roster of athletes and its portfolio of blue-chip partners.
Working alongside Flagship, PFL has elevated the standard for measuring fighter performances. The insights gathered from SmartCage technology and Cagenomics data will be enhanced with IBM Watson machine learning to showcase what is taking place inside the cage and deliver accurate matchup outcome predictions for MMA fans around the world.
“The Professional Fighters League is pioneering the future of MMA with proprietary technology that enables showcasing the sport like never before, and we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Flagship Solutions Group and IBM for the 2022 season,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Integration of fighter data and fight analytics within our live broadcast and streaming events has created an immersive next-gen experience for MMA fans.”
“Flagship is honored to support PFL’s tremendous growth and success with technology solutions powered by Flagship’s cloud capabilities under our “We Run IT, You Use IT” campaign,” said Mark Wyllie, CEO, Flagship Solutions Group.
The Regular Season has kicked off in thrilling fashion and the third event this Friday, May 6 will feature the world’s greatest MMA fighter and two-time PFL World Champion Kayla Harrison making her 2022 debut, along with the league’s Women’s Lightweight and Welterweight divisions.
PFL is the first and only MMA league with a true sports-season format where elite fighters from around the world compete in a regular season, playoffs and championship. The four competitors in each division who earn the most points in the regular season advance to the win-or-go-home playoffs, followed by the biggest night in MMA – the PFL World Championship – with each winner going home with the $1 million prize.
Professional Fighters League is the No. 2 MMA company globally and features an elite talent roster with 25 percent of its fighters independently ranked in the top-25 of the world, including 2021 PFL champions Kayla Harrison and Ray Cooper III. PFL has live event coverage in 160 countries on leading distribution platforms and delivers a unique, innovative product to the more than 600 million MMA fans globally.
About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the fastest growing and most innovative sports league. PFL is the #2 MMA company worldwide and the only with the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship.
PFL is primetime in the U.S on ESPN and ESPN+ and broadcast and streamed worldwide to 160 countries, with partners including Channel 4, DirecTV, RMC Sport, Eurosport, Sky Sports, and more. The PFL roster is world-class, with 25% of PFL fighters independently ranked in the top 25 in the world. The PFL proprietary SmartCage data and analytics platform powers real-time betting and provides next-gen viewing experience.
PFL has over two-dozen blue-chip brand sponsors such as Anheuser-Busch, IBM, GEICO, DraftKings, Bose, Socios.com, Air Force Reserve, US Marine Corps, and more. PFL is backed by major investors including Ares Capital, Luxor Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Swan Ventures, Knighthead, Legends, and several NBA, MLB, and NHL team owners.
MMA is the growth sport of this decade, with 600 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demo of any sport, and true global revenue streams.
PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma)
About Flagship Solutions Group
Flagship Solutions Group provides IBM solutions, managed services, and cloud solutions worldwide. This includes data center strategic planning and hybrid cloud implementations based on a wide range of assessments that look at virtualization, server consolidation, security, and infrastructure-focused integration. In addition, Flagship provides Cyber Security and Data Analytics as a service to major companies across various industries.
