By Caoilte de Barra
After shadow sanctioning UFC London earlier this year, the England Mixed Martial Arts Association (EMMAA) continues to make strides with their latest agreement to shadow sanction the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) debut in the UK.
The PFL will host two cards in the UK as part of their expansion into Europe. First, they will touch down in Cardiff on August 13, closely followed by a trip to London on August 20. Both cards will feature playoffs for the 2022 tournaments, which include the likes of Kayla Harrison, Rory MacDonald and Brendan Loughnane.
Speaking on the partnership, PFL CEO Peter Murray said:
“On behalf of the Professional Fighters League, we are proud to announce we have partnered with the English Mixed Martial Arts Association (EMMAA) to shadow sanction the historic PFL Playoff events taking place in Cardiff on August 13th at the Motorpoint Arena and London on August 20 at the Copper Box.
“I would like to thank EMMAA acting chairman Marc Goddard and his entire team for their collaborative spirit and commitment to help fuel PFL’s continued international growth. Over the next two weeks, we will have the best MMA fighters from around the world descend upon the UK to battle it out in our win-or-go-home PFL Playoffs to secure a spot in the 2022 PFL World Championship, where $6 million dollars and six World Champion belts are on the line.”
EMMAA Chairman Marc Goddard added:
“EMMAA are delighted by the cooperation and collaborative opportunity to work alongside the PFL’s inaugural launch in the UK. Our association has made great strides in our efforts to promote and govern the sport from grassroots right up to World class professional events. It is the willingness to engage and the inclusive opportunity that the PFL is providing, and I would like to extend my thanks to Peter Murray, James Frewin, Jim Bramson & all at the PFL for their support.”
