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Since John Martin took the reigns of the PFL during the summer, many in the MMA community have wondered what changes could potentially come under the new CEO. And it appears that Martin's first mission is to address the PFL's championship situation.
After a 2025 season that was filled with uncertainty over what would happen with Bellator champions, the re-branding of the regular season to the World Tournament and making championships for them and PFL world titles, Martin is looking to make things simple.
"My goal is clear: one champion, one division, one world title, a system that is simple for athletes to chase and for PFL fans to follow," Martin said in a press release.
The PFL's champions originally were determined annually through the regular season-and-playoffs format that was in effect from the inaugural 2018 season through 2024. The championship pictures, however, became more complicated over the past couple of years since the PFL's purchase of Bellator in November 2023. Bellator champions defended their titles in Bellator Champions Series branded events, which became PFL Champions Series events following the full dissolution of the Bellator brand.
PFL CEO John Martin Clarifies PFL Championship Picture
Martin stated that the annual champions did create "some confusion about who truly sat atop of each division" and admitted the handling of Bellator's brand and champions left "fans unclear on who was the definitive champion in each weight class."
"We are now simplifying our championship system," Martin said. Going forward, each division will have one PFL World Champion, the single, undisputed titleholder in that weight class."
A PFL middleweight champion was crowned at PFL Cape Town in July, which saw Costello Van Steenis score a last-minute, come-from-behind submission of Johnny Eblen to win the title. The rematches between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Huges and Corey Anderson and Dovlet Yagshimuradov to be held next week at PFL Champions Series 3 will determine the PFL lightweight and light heavyweight champions, respectively.
Martin additionally announced two world title fights to be held at the 2025 PFL Europe Championships in December -- a PFL heavyweight title fight between former Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov and 2023 PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira, and a women's featherweight title fight that will see the legendary Cris Cyborg face Sara Collins.
The PFL title picture may have more confusion thanks to the PFL Battle of the Giants event held in October 2024, which saw Francis Ngannou beat Ferreira for the PFL Super Fights heavyweight title and Cyborg defeat Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Super Fights women's featherweight title.
Martin, however, claimed these title were special one-off titles that could be used occasionally for special events. Martin further claimed he will speak with Ngannou about what is next for him and the PFL.