Professional Fighters League (PFL) Headed To Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for 2019 Playoffs

NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced the 2019 Playoffs will take place October 11, 17 and 31 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The top eight fighters in the five men’s weight classes will need to fight and win twice in one night to advance to the Championship, while the top four in the first-ever Women’s Lightweight Division will compete for a spot in the title match. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has approved PFL’s innovative Playoff format and SmartCage technology, paving the way for the PFL to make its highly anticipated Las Vegas debut. 

“We’re proud to stage the 2019 PFL Playoffs in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world and home to major league sports and larger than life entertainment events,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL. “Our focus has been on partnering with leading brands and properties such as ESPN, and we are now excited to team with another world class organization in MGM Resorts as our Playoff partner in October. For the first time ever in Las Vegas, MMA fans will experience fighters fighting twice in one night to reach the PFL Championship, where six elite athletes will earn their divisional championship belts and $1 million each.”

Mandalay Bay President and COO Chuck Bowling said, “We are excited to welcome the Professional Fighters League to our MGM Resorts family and to the Sports Capital of the world. Mandalay Bay has been synonymous with MMA for nearly two decades and we look forward to continuing the tradition with an entertaining and unforgettable series of Playoff events.”

PFL Playoff events will air across ESPN2, ESPN+, — the industry-leading sports streaming service —in addition to TSN in Canada, and on a wide and diverse group of premier global distribution partner platforms reaching over 150 countries around the world.

The PFL’s unique season format means every round counts, and every fight matters. Fighters are incentivized to win and win early. Seeding is based on points, much like fans have grown accustomed to seeing in other major sports. The faster a fight ends, the more points are earned. The second half of the 2019 season takes place July 11, July 25 and August 8, with each event determining the final Playoff seeding and who will head to Las Vegas with their championship dreams still intact. 

Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday, July 12 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at axs.com. Pre-sale tickets for the PFL Playoffs will be available to fight fans Wednesday, July 3 at 10 a.m. PT to Thursday, July 11 at 10 p.m. PT. M life Rewards members and AXS customers will receive access to a pre-sale running Thursday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. PT. To join the M life Rewards program or for more information, visit http://www.mlife.com.  

Roberto Villa

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.