Yves Edwards Say PFL Format Helps Fighters “Be in the Moment”
Yves Edwards’ storied career has taken him across the entire MMA landscape. He’s been the celebrated victor in the cage and the unfortunate fighter left looking up at the lights numerous times, but these days, you’ll most often find him safer surroundings. Edwards now spends much of his time behind a desk simply watching the fights, applying the same acumen and charm to analysis that led to the development of “thug-jitsu.”
Most recently, he has taken his talents to the newly minted Professional Fighters League where he’s tasked with breaking down the action with other beloved legends Randy Couture and Bas Rutten.
The way the PFL is differentiating itself from the UFC and Bellator is by applying a league structure, wherein there are a certain number of fighters in a weight class, and they are awarded points throughout a season for how they win a fight. The earlier and more spectacular the win, the more points, which helps them get into the final where they have the chance to get a million-dollar payday with nary a hurled Monster can or Diaz brother in sight.
As someone who has been a part of MMA through multiple generations, Edwards has a unique perspective on how this new wrinkle to the sport will actually affect the fighter’s in the cage:
“What I like about what is going on in the PFL is the fighters…just fight. There’s no other concern. That’s one thing I’ve always loved about fighting itself. When you’re in there, you’re not concerned with anything else but the guy in front of you and getting the win…When a fighter only wants to win, they get to be themself.”
You can listen to the entire interview below where Edwards goes more in-depth about PFL’s format, what to look forward to for PFL 4 (which you can watch on July 19th on NBC Sports), and what he thinks of rising starlet, Kayla Harrison.
LISTEN TO YVES EDWARDS BELOW:
