It has been nearly a 12 months since John Martin grew to become PFL’s CEO, and the adjustments are demonstrable, but in addition in a context the place the long run appears even brighter. Touching upon this confluence of encroaching into that one-year anniversary within the place whereas additionally acknowledging all there’s a lot to stay up for with the kickoff of PFL’s Summer time Collection tonight in San Diego, Martin stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Properly, I admire you saying [that]. It’s been nearly a 12 months since I’ve been right here and coming into this 12 months stated 2026 is de facto going to be extra of a spotlight for the PFL in the US than beforehand. We’re proper now on the cusp of what we’re calling the Summer time Collection. So, we’ve received within the subsequent eight weeks, we’ve received six occasions throughout six cities within the US and it’s going to be the busiest time of our occasion calendar.”
“I’m actually happy with the place the promotion is true now. I feel we’ve received 4 championship fights over the Summer time. I feel we’re going to showcase one of the best and the brightest of the promotion. [We] wish to interact the followers and maintain them engaged.”
When requested if the ramping up of the US occasions was as a result of there was a deficit of US occasions or if it was as a result of there’s a dearth of American stars that PFL needs to showcase, Martin acknowledged [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“I feel it’s a little bit totally different and I don’t know 100%. Up to now the PFL was actually outlined within the US concerning the world match. It was numerous preventing in only a few months time after which the remainder of the 12 months there have been no extra occasions within the US. I feel a part of making a much bigger assertion within the US is about protecting extra of a relentless movement of occasions to maintain followers engaged. For instance, the primary occasion we had in 2026 in the US was in Pittsburgh and previous to that we had not held a US occasion in nearly eight months.”
“That’s means too lengthy to be out of the market as a result of let’s face it, individuals are busy. UFC is out there on a regular basis and now we have to be right here on extra of a constant presence. In order that’s what I wished to do. However we’re nonetheless holding and we are going to proceed to have occasions outdoors the US which have tended to be greater, greater in scale. So along with bringing extra emphasis to the US, I wished to additionally showcase among the most elite fighters that now we have. A few of them for the primary time preventing in the US.”
“In order that’s why while you take a look at this Summer time Collection, I feel we’ve received a superb mix of US stars, beginning with this Saturday with AJ McKee. However then you definitely take a look at Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganay who’re going to be preventing in Austin. We’ve received a pleasant steadiness and mix, however then you definitely look in New York and we’re going to have Usman Nurmagomedov and Dakota Ditcheva who should not American. So I feel it’s concerning the the elite high quality of fighters, however after all range of nations is nice.”
PFL is entertaining a number of new international markets for the long run
Dakota Ditcha preventing Denise Kielholtz at PFL New York looks like a measure to reveal the UK star to extra of the home North American viewers. Addressing that Ditcheva needs to combat within the UK but in addition eager to serve the grasp of exposing her to that aforementioned home viewers, Martin quipped [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“Yeah, we speak to her on a regular basis, too. Clearly, she’s a giant star for us. I imply, she often is the most in demand girls’s fighter on the earth proper now. She’s 15-0 and has destroyed all people that’s been put in entrance of her. She’s a rising star coming off of a prolonged couple of accidents. The primary time I had met her was in Dubai at an occasion and I do know she’s expressed an actual need to combat there.”
“She only in the near past purchased some property in and across the UAE. The Dubai occasions have been, we’ve had greater than 10,000 folks in an area that every of the instances we’ve been there. In fact, rising up in Manchester, that will surely be a spot she’d be very very excited by preventing. However I talked to her concerning the need of getting her extra publicity within the US as a result of I nonetheless assume, no disrespect to these different territories, however if you wish to be a profitable international promotion, the US is a vital part for that.”
“Even when you concentrate on throughout the US, I imply New York is such an enormous market. I grew up on Lengthy Island, so I’ve a private bias to have the ability to deliver the PFL to Lengthy Island with one among our greatest playing cards, perhaps our greatest card ever, goes to be a privilege for me. I feel it’ll be good for her and good for her publicity and good for her profession.”
When it comes to untapped international markets, by way of the analytical items, there are lots of variables by way of what goes into assessing a viable territory. When requested if it was star-predicated by way of a giant regional fighter thriving from that space or whether it is extra associated to there being an absence of the game there, and PFL can fill a spot in that sense, Martin stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],
“It’s fascinating, in some respects, we do take a look at all of that proper. We take a look at, have we been there earlier than? If now we have, how is it carried out? Lots of it additionally we’re starting to answer incoming asks and incoming demand. I’ve had expressions of curiosity from Mexico Metropolis, from Sao Paulo, from Argentina, from Russia, from Singapore, simply to call a number of. These are all locations that we haven’t been to but.”
“This 12 months we went to Madrid, Spain. We had Costello Van Steenis, a Spaniard on the high of the cardboard. I feel it’s particularly enjoyable when you might deliver an area fighter into a brand new place the place you assume there’s pent-up demand for MMA. Since we left Spain, we’ve gotten now growing curiosity from different locations in Spain, not even Madrid. That’s heartening to me as a result of it means what we’re doing folks like and so they wish to see extra of it.”
