PFL Challenger Series to Feature Light Heavyweights for Feb. 18 Debut

PFL Challenger Series kicks off at 205 ⚖

February 18th
9 PM ET
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The Professional Fighters League Challenger Series will debut on Feb. 18 with a group of light heavyweights vying to be part of the promotion’s season format.

Following a somewhat similar process to what Dana White’s Contender Series does for the UFC, the PFL Challenger Series will either hand fighters a PFL contract or “set them on a development path with the league in hopes of joining a future season.”

The lineup of 205-pound competitors, announced Wednesday in a release, is as follows: Legacy Fighting Alliance two-division champ Joshua Silveira, German kickboxer Alexander Poppeck, Sudan’s Mohamed Juma, Bellator veteran Taylor Johnson, undefeated British prospect Simeon Powell, Brazilian veteran Bruce Souto and Joao Paulo Fagundes.

Eight fighters will be selected over an eight-week span to join the PFL or receive a developmental deal. According to a release, there were more than 500 applicants for the PFL Challenger Series.

“The Challenger Series is a first-of-its-kind MMA competition where fighters from all backgrounds and experiences get a shot to prove themselves in front of a panel of combat sports legends and global icons,” said PFL president of fighter operations Ray Sefo. “I’m excited to get to Orlando to evaluate these talented athletes who will put it all on the line to live out their dreams of becoming a world champion.”

The PFL Challenger Series airs on Fubo Sports Network, a live, free-to-consumer network which is fuboTV’s linear TV network dedicated to featuring sports stories on and off the field. The debut event will air at 9 p.m. ET.