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Marc RaimondiESPN
The PFL’s high-stakes postseason is coming to Sin City.
Professional Fighters League will hold its playoffs in Las Vegas over three weeks in October, the promotion announced Tuesday. The PFL championship finals competitors in each division will be decided Oct. 11, 17 and 31 at Mandalay Events Center. In order to advance to the finals, a fighter must win twice in a single night.
“We’re proud to stage the 2019 PFL Playoffs in Las Vegas, the fight capital of the world and home to major league sports and larger-than-life entertainment events,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a statement. “Our focus has been on partnering with leading brands and properties such as ESPN, and we are now excited to team with another world class organization in MGM Resorts as our Playoff residency partner in October.”
The top eight fighters in each men’s division — featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight — will have to win two bouts in one night to earn a berth in the finals. The PFL quarterfinals are two-round bouts, while the semifinals are full, three-round contests. In the women’s lightweight division, the top four fighters will compete to get into the finals in three-round bouts.
Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chief assistant Jeff Mullen confirmed with ESPN that PFL’s unique playoff format was recently approved. NSAC regulations state that a fighter cannot compete in more than five, five-minute rounds in a single night and the PFL playoffs meet that criteria. All fighters must be cleared by a ringside physician in order to be eligible for the next round, Mullen said.
Annual PFL season champions in each weight class win $1 million of prize money. The finals are scheduled for December.
The second half of PFL’s regular season kicks off July 11 with cards also on July 25 and Aug. 8. All three of those events take place in Atlantic City, N.J. The PFL’s entire season, into the playoffs and finals will air across ESPN2, ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes.