PFL 2023 Kickoff Events Announced ft. Six Champions

The Professional Fighters League announces the PFL 2023 kickoff to its regular season. It all begins on Saturday, April 1st and runs through the month.

These shows feature Shane Burgos making his PFL Debut and the return of PFL world champions. Known names like Larissa Pacheco, Brendan Loughnane, and Olivier Aubin-Mercier.

The first of three straight regular-season events hosted at the venue will feature some of the world’s best featherweight and light heavyweight fighters. It will be headlined by 2022 PFL world champions Brendan Loughnane and Rob Wilkinson. They clash with Marlon Moraes and Thiago Santos, respectively.

PFL 2023

The second event of the PFL regular season goes April 7th and showcases some of the world’s best heavyweight and women’s featherweight MMA combatants. Ante Delija claimed the PFL world championship previously and now takes on Yorgan De Castro. Also, Larissa Pacheco returns on the heels of upsetting Kayla Harrison. The 2022 PFL world champion now collides with Julia Budd.

The third event goes April 14th spotlights PFL’s elite lightweight and welterweight stars. The show’s main card features Olivier Aubin-Mercier, the 2022 PFL lightweight world champion. He takes on Shane Burgos in his first-ever walk to the Smart Cage. In the co-main, welterweight kingpin Sadibou Sy tests skills with Jarrah Al-Silawi.

PFL 1 – April 1, 2023 (ESPN) Main: Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes (FW)

Co-Main: Robert Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos (LHW)

PFL 2 – April 7, 2023 (ESPN2) Main: Ante Delija vs. Yorgan De Castro (HW)

Co-Main: Larissa Pacheco vs. Julia Budd (WFW)

PFL 3 – April 14, 2023 (ESPN2) Main: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Shane Burgos (LW)

Co-Main: Sadibou Sy vs. Jarrah Al-Silawi (WW)

Professional Fighters League

“The Professional Fighters League is excited to return this April to Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world, to kick off the 2023 PFL Regular Season with a three-event residency at the reimagined The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas,” quipped PFL CEO Peter Murray. “The PFL’s extensive roster of world-class fighters will be on display for all US events live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+, along with international distribution to 160 countries globally for MMA fans around the world.”

“With all six of last year’s PFL World Champions returning to the SmartCage, along with the league debuts of MMA stars Shane Burgos and Thiago Santos, fans across the world will see the best this sport has to offer when the 2023 PFL Regular Season kicks off from Last Vegas on April 1,” stated PFL President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo.

Dylan Bowker

I've been enamored with combat sports for as long as I can remember. I've hosted MMA talk shows Lights Out and Pure Fight Radio with featured guests like Jens Pulver, Roy Nelson, Miesha Tate, Mark Coleman, and more. I've been an MMA broadcaster for XFFC as well as BTC and have done play by play commentary on live pay per view on GFL as well as FITE TV. I've provided written, audio, and video content covering some of the biggest MMA promotions like Rumble in the Cage, Unified MMA, and King of the Cage. I've worked as a sports entertainment personality for over five years and given play-by-play or featured promotions of KSW, ONE Championship, TKO, and Invicta FC. My work can be found in the USA Today Sports affiliate MMA Torch, Cageside Press, MMA Sucka, and Liberty Multimedia.

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