Opinion: 2025 Felt Like a Turning Point for Adaptable PFL

Silverback Nation Stand Up!

Thad Jean ran through the competition on his way to thhe PFL World Tournament Welterweight Championship 💥👑

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Champion Journey | B2YB: @arkham pic.twitter.com/vP4qgv6FLg

— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 27, 2025

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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The Professional Fighters League knew that change was needed coming into 2025. The company listened to and read critics who had suggestions about the roster, spokespersons and the structure of the promotion.

The first order of business was to alter the format, switching from the regular-season, points-style approach it had followed for years to a single-elimination tournament. The PFL would put together tournaments in eight separate weight classes—the company added the bantamweight division—and award each tournament winner $500,000, down from the $1 million prize of season’s past.

No matter the difference in prize money, there was more structure to the company, and the blueprint started to come together. The organization’s three international leagues—PFL Europe, PFL MENA and PFL Africa—offered a gateway for fighters in those respective areas of the globe to make an impression and earn a chance at competing in a world tournament. As the 2025 PFL World Tournament began, it became apparent that the eventual winners would have either a future opportunity at the undisputed championship in their respective divisions or another big fight from which to choose.

Fans and viewers wanted the PFL system to make sense, so the promotion made it clear and direct. Then there was the roster, which had several fighters carried over from the purchase of Bellator MMA. Everyone on the outside thought they knew what to do with their futures. With some of their biggest and most notable names being very vocal about wanting a new start elsewhere, the company obliged and let them go. Why? It was time for the PFL to build new stars.

Dakota Ditcheva Has Company

With Dakota Ditcheva captivating the PFL and the MMA world in 2024, the company would see the likes of Thad Jean and Costello van Steenis create their own championship moments.

Jean was a world tournament alternate who got the last-minute call to compete. He rattled off three straight wins to become champion at 27 years old. Just getting started in his career and with the “Silverback Nation” behind him, Jean built a brand that was homegrown in the PFL, just like Ditcheva. Van Steenis would get the opportunity to face undefeated middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, and with 30 seconds left in a fight where he was down on the scorecards, he choked the titleholder unconscious and created a PFL highlight that will go down in history. Eblen and van Steenis were two names that stayed on the roster after the Bellator purchase, as was the middleweight tournament winner Fabian Edwards, who created a magical moment of his own with a left head kick knockout of Dalton Rosta—the same maneuver his older brother used to capture Ultimate Fighting Championship gold.

The criticism many offered centered on wanting to see the PFL create its own stars and not just sign veterans who have been cut from the UFC or other promotions. The PFL created more than superstars. It created brands, moments and room to grow in the future.

People also wanted someone who was driven and passionate to be there every step of the way and answer every single question, good or bad. Longtime World Wrestling Entertainment personality and ESPN broadcaster Jonathan Coachman stepped up to the plate. He knows the sport of mixed martial arts and understands the art of storytelling. At every stop, Coachman knew two things: He wanted to be a part of telling the fighters’ stories, and he wanted to be available to the media. Through his “Coach’s Corner” and “Coach’s Conversations,” viewers got more of an inside look to fighters than ever before. Whether it was the fashion styles of Jena Bishop or the heated rivalry between Jean and Jason Jackson, the stories were told correctly. Coachman would be backstage at every event, answering questions far and wide about the growth of the promotion, the future and everything in between.

Not every aspect of it was going to go smoothly or get delivered at the perfect moment, but when change was needed, the PFL came through. When there were calls for fans in the United States who wanted a chance to watch the international leagues, the PFL offered a state-of-the-art mobile app that allowed live viewings of shows all over the world and a much more fan-friendly experience to bring users closer than ever to the promotion.

In a sport where the UFC has reigned supreme with the common fan, the PFL remains in its infant stages of development. Yet, the powers that be listened. Instead of feeling as if they had all the answers, they decided to adapt and deliver a new narrative about where they fit in the sport.

Building the brand while creating a new generation of world-class fighters and expanding its blueprint on a worldwide range, the PFL seems to be just getting started—from the international stage that can be found on the brand-new app to the world tournament that took over the ESPN airwaves. Remember, too, the PFL will be the only MMA company on the worldwide leader in 2026. When change was needed, the PFL answered. Now, it’s time for everyone to get on board, because 2025 felt like a turning point to long-term success.