Opinion: Good Directions

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Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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Change may not always be welcomed in mixed martial arts, but the Professional Fighters League has used it to make an incredibly positive move. After dropping the regular-season points format and bringing in a single-elimination tournament setup for this year, the PFL has begun to thrive more than ever before.

The new format is just getting started for the PFL, but even before dissecting any of the tournament results, the first big moves were the additions of the bantamweight and middleweight divisions. This is the first time in PFL history that it has had a bantamweight division, and it’s bringing back the middleweight division for the first time since 2018.

Returning the middleweight division opens the door for new fights and exciting matchups, which is exactly how the 185-pound bracket was built. It also puts fighters in their best spots. Whether it’s former PFL welterweight champion Sadibou Sy moving up to where he’s most comfortable at 185 pounds or former PFL light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay moving down to the division in which he competed for so long, true middleweights are back home.

This is what the PFL change is all about: opportunity. One of the biggest keys to this year’s format? The PFL has provided the platform, and the fighters have already begun to make the most of it. Every person’s favorite story is that of an underdog rising to the top and creating a championship legacy. That’s what the organization is offering with the PFL 2025 World Tournament.

In the first two events of the year, there have been last-minute opponent changes and alternates thrown into the mix, but there have also been moments of star creation. During Week 1 in the welterweight bracket, the undefeated 26-year-old Thad Jean picked up a first-round finish against Mukhamed Berkhamov—a victory that lines him up for an opportunity to face former Bellator MMA champion Jason Jackson in the semifinals. A young star who has put on thrilling performances in the past, Jean will confront the biggest challenge of his career when he meets Jackson. The two went face-to-face inside the SmartCage following the event, and fireworks erupted with a shouting match and subsequent shoving. That was only Week 1.

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the PFL World Tournament LIVE Friday, April 18 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.

The second show provided even more of the storylines that make brackets so entertaining and captivating. Women’s flyweight and men’s bantamweight tournaments took center stage in Week 2, and four upsets highlighted the night, two of which were at the hands of short-notice replacements. Stepping up on short notice to face former Bellator champion Juliana Velasquez, Ekaterina Shakalova announced her arrival in dominant fashion by picking up a first-round submission. Shakalova’s performance is the perfect example of how the PFL 20205 World Tournament is beneficial for all parties involved. A short-notice opponent took on a well-known champion and secured a victory in the very first round. Shakalova didn’t just earn a win; she made an emphatic statement and immediately brought a spotlight onto her journey in the tournament.

Shakalova was not the only competitor to steal shine in the second event. The men’s bantamweight tournament saw three betting upsets, creating plenty of chaos in the bracket. Short-notice entrants Marcirley Alves and Justin Wetzell picked up decision victories in their respective matchups, and Mando Gutierrez stamped his ticket with a first-round win over Francesco Nuzzi, then followed it with a great performance on the microphone in his post-fight interview.

That is what the PFL is about this year and moving forward: giving fighters an opportunity and watching those fighters make the most of it. This is no longer about the promotion or outside circumstances setting the tone. The fighters have the control. Change has been great for the PFL, and it is just getting started. If the early stages of the world tournament have shown anything, it’s that the PFL is just as it says—a league comprised of professional fighters who are carving out the best possible opportunities for themselves.