The PFL on Thursday announced three headliners and three co-headlining fights for the first three events of the 2023 regular season, which will kick off April 1 and run for three consecutive weeks at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
At 2023 PFL 1 on April 1, reigning featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane (26-4) will headline against former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes (23-11-1). The co-main event will feature another former UFC title challenger as Thiago Santos (22-11) takes on 2022 light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson (17-2). The first event of the year is set to air on ESPN.
PFL 2 will take place April 7, headlined by 2022 PFL heavyweight champion Ante Delija (23-5) taking on UFC veteran Yorgan De Castro (9-3). The night’s co-main event will feature reigning women’s lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco (19-4) taking on former Bellator champion Julia Budd (16-5) in the promotion’s new women’s featherweight division. PFL 2 is set to air on ESPN 2.
Closing out the first half of the regular season with PFL 3 on April 14, the event will be headlined by reigning lightweight champion Olivier Aubin-Mercier (17-5) welcoming UFC veteran Shane Burgos (15-3), who was supposed to make his promotional debut last November but withdrew due to injury. The co-main event will pit 2022 welterweight champion Sadibou Sy (13-6-2) against Jarrah Al-Silawi (18-4). PFL 3 will air on ESPN 2.
Despite the official announcements by PFL, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, which represents Burgos and Loughnane, indicated on Twitter that his fighters had yet to agree to their respective bouts.
The pfl went and announced a bunch of fights that have no been agreed to. So hold up before you get excited about anything
— malki kawa (@malkikawa) February 2, 2023
The entire lineups for all three events will be announced at a later date.
As in years past, the champions of all six divisions following two regular season bouts and playoffs will claim the title and grand prize of $1 million.
