PFL Is Miles Behind The UFC – ‘We’re Not Operating At That Level’
PFL analyst Dan Hardy says the organization has more work to do before it can compete with the UFC.
Dana White downplayed the PFL’s brand, refusing to work with them. When asked about doing a co-promotion with the PFL to make Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou, he shut down the idea immediately. White was clear the UFC was a bigger brand by itself. Their last card at UFC 300 proved that. White confirmed it was the highest UFC attendance at the T Mobile arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
White On The PFL
The card also brought in the third-highest UFC gate at approximately $16.5 million. The prelims card was also the most watched on ESPN. Meanwhile, the UFC’s social media increased by 3.2 million followers after the results. Max Holloway’s stoppage of Justin Gaethje was also the most-liked UFC video on Instagram. The PFL was holding an event on the day before UFC 300. The PFL responded by offering a promo: buy two tickets, get two free. White mocked the marketing, saying no one was interested in their events.
“You know ‘PFL-ator’ was here on Friday? Did anybody know that? I didn’t know until…Friday. They were selling tickets buy two, get two free. I’m not busting on them. That’s a…fact. They put out a memo buy two, get two free. You’re having a bad…week if those are the memos you’re putting out. There were more people in my…green room tonight than there were at the fight,” White stated
Hardy was clear the UFC had a long way to go before it reached the heights of the UFC.
Hardy Responds
“PFL/Bellator, PFLlator, as Dana White called it the other day, which I thought was very funny. We’re not perfect. There’s a lot of things we could do differently, absolutely, but we have a major stake in mixed martial arts. We have a lot of good things coming up, and we’re moving forward. We’re a very small company compared to the UFC as a whole…
“When we go to fight week next week, they pretty much take over the hotel. We’re not operating at that level yet, but we’re moving in that direction. I’m just proud to be a part of something where I can have direct influence. We need to listen to these conversations [fans] are having, because [the fans] make really good points. And the only way that PFL/Bellator is going to keep growing is if we listen to the fans. There’s challenges as a matchmaker that come with the league format. But at the same time, the boldness of doing something different is attracting some interest,” Hardy said
Nevertheless, the introduction of the PFL in Saudi Arabia could change that. They held their first event in Saudi Arabia at the PFL vs. Bellator: Champs card. The combination of the PFL and Bellator, following their acquisition, will improve the quality of the roster. That will allow the PFL to put on the biggest fights and encourage more crossover events. That will benefit MMA fans moving forward since the UFC will have to up their game to counter the upcoming competition.
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