The PFL announced on Tuesday that it will organize 24 events 2026which the leadership marked as the biggest year in the organization’s history. The program includes 16 global events broadcast on ESPN in the United States and eight regional events across Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
PFL announces plans for 2026
PFL CEO John Martin, who took over in July after decades of leading media companies including Turner Broadcasting, outlined the strategic shift to 2026. Speaking of the expansion, Martin emphasized the focus on elite matchmaking. “We are moving away from the tournament format,” Martin said during the announcement. “That means every card is built around the best possible fights. The biggest fights on each card, the fights the fans want and the fights the fighters want.” The promotion will host at least ten of its global events in the United States alone, making the domestic market a top priority for the organization.
The first four events in 2026 are:
- PFL: Road to Dubai: February, UAE
- PFL Madrid: March, Spain
- PFL Pittsburgh: March, USA
- PFL Chicago: April, USA
Signaling the first four stops of 2026 PFL’s ambition to profile itself as a global alternative to the UFC. Road to Dubai kicks off the year in February as the promotion returns to the Coca-Cola Arena, which previously hosted two championship events headlined by lightweight champions Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes. Nurmagomedov defeated Hughes by majority decision in January 2025, then won a rematch via unanimous decision in October to retain his title. February’s card features what the promotion considers its elite roster fighting for world championships.
Madrid marks PFL’s first venture into Spain in March 2026, an important step in its European expansion. The Spanish market has shown a growing interest in combat sports, with the promotion recognizing untapped potential in a region currently unserved by major MMA competitions. The announcement positions PFL ahead of the UFC in securing a foothold in Spain, despite the presence of UFC doubles champion Ilia Topuria in the country.
Pittsburgh will host its first major mixed martial arts event in nearly a decade when PFL arrives in March 2026. The city last hosted a UFC event in February 2016 at the Consol Energy Center when Donald Cerrone defeated Alex Oliveira. Pittsburgh has historical significance in the development of MMA. The city became the birthplace of modern mixed martial arts in 1980 when CV Productions began holding mixed-rule competitions there early before the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission banned the sport.
Chicago will complete its first four stops in April 2026. The promotion visited Chicago in June 2025 for a World Tournament semifinal at Wintrust Arena featuring former Bellator champions including Sergio Pettis, Fabian Edwards and Dalton Rosta. PFL officials promised that the April event would “come back bigger and better than before.”
The eight regional events across Africa and MENA will operate under the previous tournament format, while maintaining a development pathway for emerging talent. Vice TV secured exclusive linear television rights to ten international events from these regions, with broadcasts beginning in December 2025 and continuing through 2026.
The leadership restructuring under Martin and newly appointed Chief Operating Officer Lenny Daniels reflects the organization’s commitment to operational excellence. Daniels, former president of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, brings decades of experience managing major sports properties and will play a central role in the promotion organization’s upcoming media rights negotiations. ESPN’s current deal with PFL expires at the end of 2026.
The format change from the single-elimination tournament model used in 2025 addresses longstanding criticism of the complexity of PFL’s championship structure. By moving to one champion per weight class with traditional matchmaking, the league aims to simplify viewer understanding and create more engaging head-to-head matches.
PFL’s international expansion strategy takes advantage of what Martin has identified as a key market opportunity. With the majority of MMA fans living outside the United States, building regional talent pipelines in growth markets like Africa and the Middle East positions the organization to compete globally.
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