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Thursday Night is MMA Night with PFL 1, 2 and 3 at NYCB LIVE, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, on May 9, May 23 and June 6
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA in the sport-season format of Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship, today announced the fight cards and schedule for the first half of the regular season – PFL 1, 2 and 3 at NYCB Live on Long Island, N.Y. PFL 1 will feature Welterweights and Women’s Lightweights, PFL 2 will spotlight Featherweights and Lightweights and PFL 3 will showcase Light Heavyweights and Heavyweights. Tickets are now available for purchase at ticketmaster.com.
All ten PFL events, including PFL 1, PFL 2 and PFL 3, will air across ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+, — the leading multi-sport streaming service. During the six Regular Season events, up to three hours of exclusive live action will stream on ESPN+ and up to two hours of exclusive live action will air on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. ESPN+ will also stream a Pre- and Post-Show each PFL event night.
“Starting May 9, Thursday night is MMA night with the PFL on ESPN. Top fighters from around the world across six divisions will compete in a regular season, playoffs and championship with the opportunity to earn a title and one-million dollars.” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “This season we’re excited for fans to experience the first-ever Women’s Lightweight division, anchored by Kayla Harrison, and real time delivery of fighter data and analytics incorporated into each broadcast on ESPN2, ESPN+ And ESPN Deportes.”
“In the PFL, there is no undercard, every fight counts. Every fighter on our roster enters the regular season knowing that if they win, and score maximum points, they will enter the postseason with a chance to compete for a PFL Championship and one-million dollars,” said Ray Sefo, President of PFL Fighter Operations. “The journey begins at PFL 1, 2 and 3. These are tone-setting fights and fans will see quality, action-packed matchups featuring the best fighters across six weight divisions from over 14 countries around the world.”
PFL 1 – May 9, 6:30pm ET – 11:00pm ET
At PFL 1, fans will witness the 2019 debuts of two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison and former Strikeforce and Invicta FC Bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman in the first-ever Women’s Lightweight division. Harrison will take on Svetlana Khautova, who will make her US debut, and Kaufman squares off against Morgan Frier, who enters the PFL season on a four-fight win streak, all by way of first-round stoppage. 2018 PFL Middleweight Champion Louis Taylor completes his move up to Welterweight and begins his campaign to become the first-ever two division champion in PFL history against newcomer Chris “Action Man” Curtis, who is coming off a spectacular win over UFC Veteran Matt Dwyer. Also, in Welterweight action, a Hawaiian rivalry is brewing, as 2018 PFL breakout star Ray Cooper III takes on fellow Hawaiian and cousin Zane Kamaka.
PFL 2 – May 23, 7:00pm ET – 12:00am ET
Long Island natives Chris Wade (Lightweight) and Andre Harrison (Featherweight) begin their 2019 campaigns in their own backyard at NYCB Live, taking on Nate Andrews and Freddy Assuncao respectively. Andrews has won nine straight fights, seven by submission. Assuncao, twin brother of UFC Bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao, returns to the cage following a three-year absence. The Brazilian was set to compete in the 2018 season, but an ACL injury prevented that from happening. Lance Palmer (Featherweight) and Natan Schulte (Lightweight) begin their title defenses against two newcomers in Alex Gilpin and Bao Yincang. 26-year-old Gilpin holds an impressive 12-1 career record and Yincang, hailing from China, makes his US debut. One of the top young fighters from Canada, Jeremy “The Bandit” Kennedy, whose 13-1 career record includes a 3-1 run in the UFC, also makes his PFL debut against Alexandre Bezerra. Bezerra produced one of the knockouts of the inaugural season - a flying knee KO that vaulted him into the 2018 playoffs.
PFL 3 – June 6, 7:00pm ET – 12:00am ET
2018 PFL Heavyweight champion Philipe Lins begins defense of his title at PFL 3 against Satoshi Ishii, an Olympic judo gold medalist with a 20-8-1 career MMA record. 2018 PFL Light Heavyweight runner-up Vinny Magalhaes returns to the PFL cage seeking the title that eluded him last season. Magalhaes won each of his first four fights of the 2018 season by stoppage, all in less than two minutes. He will look to replicate that success against a newcomer with knockout power in Jorge Gonzalez. Gonzalez has won his last six fights by first-round stoppage. Jordan Johnson, who went 4-0 in the UFC, makes his PFL debut and will look to extend his undefeated streak (10-0) against 2018 PFL quarterfinalist Maxim Grishin.
*Times and matchups subject to change
PFL 1 – May 9, 6:30pm ET – 11:00pm ET*
ESPN+ (6:30pm ET – 9:00pm ET)
Welterweight: Handesson Ferreira (Brazil) (13-2-1) vs. Bojan Velickovic (Serbia) (16-8-2)
Lightweight: Larissa Pacheco (Brazil) (11-2) vs. Roberta Samad (Cincinnati, OH) (4-1)
Welterweight: Gamzat Khiramagomedov (Russia) (7-0) vs. Glaico Franca (Brazil) (19-5)
Lightweight: Genah Fabian (New Zealand) (1-0) vs. Bobbi Jo Dalziel (Canada) (4-0)
Welterweight: Sadibou Sy (Sweden) (7-4-1) vs. David Michaud (Phoenix, AZ) (15-4)
ESPN2, ESPN App (Spanish) (9:00pm ET – 11:00pm ET)
Lightweight: Sarah Kaufman (Canada) (20-4-1) vs. Morgan Frier (Las Vegas, NV) (4-1)
Welterweight: Ray Cooper III (Hawaii) (17-6) vs. Zane Kamaka (Hawaii) (13-3)
Welterweight: Magomed Magomedkerimov (Russia) (23-5) vs. John Howard (Boston, MA) (27-14-1)
Lightweight: Kayla Harrison (Middletown, OH) (3-0) vs. Svetlana Khautova (Russia) (2-0)
Welterweight: Louis Taylor (Chicago, IL) (18-4-1) vs. Chris Curtis (Cincinnati, OH) (20-5)
PFL 2 – May 23, 7:00pm ET – 12:00am ET*
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes (7:00pm ET – 9:00pm ET)
Featherweight: Steven Siler (Provo, UT) (32-18-1) vs. TBA
Featherweight: Damon Jackson (Dallas, TX) (16-2-1) vs. Movlid Khaybulaev (Russia) (13-0)
Featherweight: Alexandre Bezerra (Brazil) (22-6) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (Canada) (13-1)
Lightweight: Natan Schulte (Brazil) (15-3-1) vs. Bao Yincang (China) (12-6-1)
ESPN+ (9:00pm – 12:00am ET)
Lightweight: Rashid Magomedov (Russia) (22-3-1) vs. Loik Radzhabov (Tajikistan) (11-0)
Lightweight: Islam Mamedov (Russia) (16-2) vs. Ylies Djiroun (France) (16-4)
Featherweight: Alexandre Almeida (Brazil) (20-9) vs. Luis Rafael Laurentino (Brazil) (33-1)
Lightweight: Akhmed Aliev (Russia) (17-4) vs. Carlao Silva (Brazil) (11-1)
Lightweight: Ramsey Nijem (Orem, UT) (10-7) vs. Ronys Torres (Brazil) (37-6)
Featherweight: Andre Harrison (Long Island, NY) vs. Freddy Assuncao (Atlanta, GA) (10-1)
Lightweight: Chris Wade (Long Island, NY) (14-5) vs. Nate Andrews (Providence, RI) (15-1)
Featherweight: Lance Palmer (Columbus, OH) (17-3) vs. Alex Gilpin (Madison, WI) (12-1)
PFL 3 – June 6, 7:00pm ET – 12:00am ET*
ESPN2, ESPN App (Spanish) (7:00pm ET – 9:00pm ET)
Heavyweight: Ben Edwards (Australia) (4-0) vs. Ante Delija (Croatia) (15-3)
Heavyweight: Jared Rosholt (Sandpoint, ID) (17-6) vs. Denis Goltsov (Russia) (22-5)
Light Heavyweight: Dan Spohn (Columbus, OH) (18-6) vs. Bozigit Ataev (Russia) (19-3)
Light Heavyweight: Vinny Magalhaes (Brazil) (18-10-1) vs. Jorge Gonzalez (Mexico) (15-4)
ESPN+ (9:00pm – 12:00am ET)
Heavyweight: Alex Nicholson (Apopka, FL) (13-7) vs. Francimar Barroso (Brazil) (22-7-1-1)
Light Heavyweight: Rashid Yusupov (Russia) (10-1) vs. Mikhail Mokhnatkin (Russia)
(11-3-2)
Light Heavyweight: Ronny Markes (Brazil) (18-7) vs. Sigi Pesaleli (New Zealand) (3-0)
Light Heavyweight: Maxim Grishin (Russia) (28-7-1) vs. Jordan Johnson (Gilbert, AZ) (10-0)
Heavyweight: Valdrin Istrefi (Switzerland) (13-2) vs. Ali Isaev (Russia) (4-0)
Light Heavyweight: Smealinho Rama (New York, NY) (11-5-1) vs. Viktor Nemkov (Russia) (26-7)
Heavyweight: Kelvin Tiller (Topeka, KS) (10-2) vs. Muhammed Dereese (Titusville, FL)
(7-0)
Heavyweight: Philipe Lins (Brazil) (14-3) vs. Satoshi Ishii (Croatia) (20-8-1)
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 2019 and 2020 Season events are Thursday nights primetime live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
PFL Season 2 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 on ESPN2. For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague), and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).
About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the multi-sport, direct-to-consumer video service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. It reached 2 million subscribers in less than a year and offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, along with premium editorial content.
Programming on ESPN+ includes hundreds of MLB and NHL games, exclusive UFC, Top Rank boxing and PFL fights and events, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, UEFA Nations League, EFL Championship, EFL Carabao Cup, Eredivisie, and more), thousands of college sports events (including football, basketball and other sports), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, new and exclusive series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and can cancel at any time.
ESPN+ is available as an integrated part of the ESPN App (on mobile and connected devices) and ESPN.com, the industry-leading all-in-one digital sports platform, delivering a rich, personalized experience to tens of millions of fans every month.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
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