The PFL is swapping women’s divisions for its 2024 season, while the Challenger Series will press pause this year as the promotion onboards fighters from the newly acquired Bellator MMA.
During a media scrum following Wednesday’s PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions press conference, PFL CEO Peter Murray revealed that the organization will feature the women’s flyweight division as part of its six tournament divisions in 2024.
“We’re bringing women’s 125 up from PFL Europe. We haven’t talked much about that. Dakota Ditcheva, she’s an amazing athlete out of PFL Europe. So we’re bringing that— not only is Dakota coming up to the global season but the actual weight class, women’s 125, is coming up,” Murray announced on Wednesday. “Then when you marry the 125’ers that we developed in Europe with the Bellator women, the 125’ers, best 125 division in MMA. Period.”
Murray confirmed that the promotion of women’s flyweight will come at the expense of the women’s featherweight division.
“We decided to bring in women’s 125 as the women’s weight class alongside five men’s weight classes. But outside of that you’ll see Larissa [Pacheco] and [Cris] Cyborg on Pay-Per-View cards, potential Bellator cards, global events.”
That means women’s featherweight, which was topped by Larissa Pacheco becoming the first-ever two-division champion in PFL history in 2023, is out— though it will still be featured in standalone fights, with Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg, the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight champ, possible.
Additionally, the PFL Challenger Series will be paused for 2024, though Murray stated it will return in 2025, highlighting the success Impa Kansanganay had in 2023.
“With respect to this year, we put it on pause. We’re taking on Bellator, we’re focused on putting that into the system but Challenger Series will be back next year for sure,” stated Murray.
Speaking of the Challenger Series, the 2023 edition featured the women’s flyweight division as well, meaning there’s a good chance a familiar name or two makes the regular season this year.
