Lewis and MMA icon Randy Couture to spearhead league’s effort to advance the sport and
maintain the PFL’s fighter-first culture
PFL 2021 season premieres on Friday, April 23 in primetime on ESPN 2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
NEW YORK (March 25, 2021) — The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced transcendent football player Ray Lewis is joining the company to lead its newly created Athlete Advisory Board.
In this role, Lewis will partner on efforts to advance the sport of MMA globally, identify and recruit new talent as well as further evolve the PFL’s fighter-first culture and mission. The former high school state wrestling champion will also give fans behind-the-scenes access to the PFL’s world-class athletes training and preparing for their upcoming fights through PFL Studios, the league’s fully integrated global media division.
Joining Lewis on the board is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Randy “The Natural” Couture. The six-time world champion and Hall of Famer is the focus of a current four-part documentary series, The Randy Couture Story, from PFL Studios which is available exclusively on ESPN+. Couture is a member of PFL’s unmatched broadcasting team and has been with the company since its inception.
The PFL’s Athlete Advisory Board will be comprised of sports icons, champions from MMA and stars from other major sports. Additional members will be announced in the coming months.
“MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, and I was drawn to PFL because of its unique season format that is a true meritocracy where each competitor controls their own destiny, no different than in the NFL,” said Lewis. “Having spent my entire career as a professional athlete and around other professional athletes, I can’t emphasize enough how critical it is to establish an athlete-focused culture in order to be successful. I truly believe in PFL’s long-term vision and look forward to partnering with CEO Peter Murray and the Athlete Advisory Board.”
“I am excited to welcome pro football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Lewis to the PFL’s Athlete Advisory Board,” said PFL CEO, Peter Murray. “Ray’s leadership and advocacy for athletes combined with Randy Couture’s legacy and commitment to MMA will ensure the PFL stays true to its fighter-first philosophy and advances the sport.”
Lewis spent his entire 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens, leading the team to two championships, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in league history.
With the addition of world-class talent – from elite fighters to established business executives – and partnering with industry-leading brands such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, GEICO, CarParts.com and Socios, the PFL continues to accelerate its global expansion. Sports fans across more than 160 countries around world will be able to tune in to the league’s highly anticipated return on April 23 in Atlantic City, NJ.
About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the first and only to present MMA in the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship. PFL is the innovation leader with the PFL SmartCage delivering viewers on-screen fight analytics and real-time prop bets. PFL Roster is second to none with 25% of its fighters ranked in the top 25 in their weight-class. All PFL 2021 Season events are live primetime on ESPN2/ESPN+ in the U.S. and available on leading broadcast and streaming outlets in 160 countries worldwide.
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