In recent years, competition among MMA promotions has significantly increased, with several new names entering the market. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is one of the promotions in this space. Interestingly, PFL founder Donn Davis recently claimed that UFC and Dana White do not provide much financial support to the fighters.
The issue of fighter pay has recently become a hot topic in and around the UFC. Several notable figures in the community have criticized Dana White for paying his fighters low wages. In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Donn Davis spoke with Josh Lipton about the competition between PFL and UFC. Davis also discussed the key differences between PFL and the UFC, citing their business model and waging system.
We pay the same per fight as the UFC, but you get championship bonuses that average 5 ot 10x what you make per fight. So, you can create real wealth if you become a champion in PFL…
Donn Davis via Yahoo Finance
Although Donn Davis made bold claims, history speaks otherwise. The emerging promotion has faced controversy, largely due to false claims in the company policy. As a result, PFL came under intense scrutiny for several months. The controversial issues were so significant that they prompted criticism from top MMA fighters worldwide. Some PFL fighters even went as far as labeling it as the worst promotion.
Donn Davis: We pay the same per fight as the UFC, but you get championship bonuses that average 5 to 10x what you make per fight. So, you can create real wealth if you become a champion in PFL.pic.twitter.com/Du5dSDHaAT
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) October 1, 2024
PFL has experienced substantial growth recently due to its regional expansion strategy. The organization recently unveiled its African subsidiary, with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou as its chairman. PFL is preparing for a major event this month, aiming to break several UFC records. This recent growth has significantly boosted PFL’s popularity, with Davis even suggesting it could rival the UFC.
Donn Davis claims that PFL and UFC currently hold the ‘duopoly’ in the MMA market
Both the UFC and PFL have different formats for organizing matchups. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) usually holds tournament formats for most of its events. At the same time, the UFC is primarily a promoter-driven organization where top executives have the final say on the matchups. Interestingly, both promotions have amassed a massive fan base due to their unique formats.
Meanwhile, the UFC CEO has frequently criticized the emerging promotions in the MMA world. Dana White seems to believe in having a monopoly in the market. However, in a recent interview with Forbes Magazine reporter Brian Mazique, Davis revealed some interesting details about the competition between UFC and PFL. In doing so, he also claimed to hold a similar stature to White in the community.
Six years ago we had a great vision to bring meritocracy and transparency to the sport, put the fighters in the center… Well, six and a half years later, it’s now UFC and PFL, it’s a duopoly, there is no number three, number four and number five…
Donn Davis via Brian Mazique’s official YouTube channel
The acquisition of Bellator also helped Donn Davis’ PFL quickly gain massive popularity in the community. Meanwhile, the UFC has solidified its legacy in the sport with decades of hard work. That said, it remains to be seen when PFL will break some of the UFC’s records and compete for the top spot in the sport.
