PFL Challenger Series gives fighters the opportunity to join the PFL’s
global roster
Special guest celebrity panelist Wiz Khalifa to vote on who will earn
PFL contract
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, is set for Week 8, the final installment of the 2022 PFL Challenger Series. The slate of eight events is being held at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. The PFL Challenger Series is airing on Fubo Sports Network, the live, free-to-consumer TV network from sports-first live TV streaming platform fuboTV Inc. (NYSE: FUBO).
PFL Challenger Series “Second Chance Night” airs live on Friday April 8 at 9 p.m. ET with four bouts headlined by Brazilian welterweight Carlos Leal, fresh off his dominating win in his first Challenger Series bout, who will take on Chris Brown out of Albuquerque’s famed Jackson-Wink camp. Leal (15-3) dispatched Korey Kuppe in devastating fashion in a 56-second TKO win in February. He’ll be back looking for a second chance to earn a coveted PFL contract. Brown (8-3) has rattled off three consecutive wins in LFA and has put himself in position to take the next step in his career. A win over the highly regarded Leal could punch his ticket to the PFL.
British light heavyweight Simeon Powell made the jump to professional MMA in 2021 and he did it in spectacular fashion. The 23-year-old Powell (4-0) racked up four stoppage wins beginning with his debut in August and capped off the year with a first-round flying knee KO in December. He’ll be taking on Oregonian Tobias Baker (2-1) who has a pair of first round KO’s on his resume.
Jackie Cataline and Jeslen Mishelle both put on spectacular performances last month but did not hear their names called when the PFL contract was handed out at the end of Challenger Series 3. They are both back looking to secure a spot on the roster and fireworks are expected. Cataline (1-0) is a dominant wrestler who competed in the Olympic trials before turning her attention to MMA. Her first-round stoppage by rear naked-choke of Camee Adams showcased her grappling ability and she’ll be looking to demonstrate she is ready for the spotlight when she steps back into the cage for her second bout. Mishelle (1-0) dispatched the more experienced Julia Dorny by first round knockout.
Australia’s Aaron Blackie (8-2) will match up with Lebanon’s Ali Zebian (7-2) in a featherweight bout that will round out the card.
Beyond the fights, confirmed in-studio celebrity panelists for this event include two-time Super Bowl Champion and NFL Hall-of-Famer Ray Lewis and MMA world champion Tyron Woodley. World renowned recording artist Wiz Khalifa will join the panel remotely. Fans will also have their voice heard, with an unprecedented voting feature to highlight who they believe should get this week’s contract.
Full Card:
- Carlos Leal vs. Chris Brown
- Simeon Powell vs. Tobias Baker
- Jackie Cataline vs. Jeslen Michelle
- Aaron Blackie vs. Ali Zebian
Fubo Sports Network is fuboTV’s linear TV network dedicated to featuring sports stories on and off the field. Fans can stream live sports, original programming and partner content on Fubo Sports Network as part of fuboTV’s subscription packages of 100+ sports, news and entertainment channels.
PFL Challenger Series is distributed live, outside the United States. Check here to find out how to watch.
About Professional Fighters League
Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the fastest growing and most innovative sports league. PFL is the #2 MMA company worldwide and the only with the sports-season format where individual fighters compete in Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship.
PFL is primetime in the U.S on ESPN and ESPN+ and was broadcast and streamed live worldwide last year to 160 countries with partners including RMC Sport, FPT, Sky Sport, and more. The PFL roster is world-class, with 25% of PFL fighters independently ranked in the top 25 in the world. The PFL proprietary SmartCage data and analytics platform powers real-time betting and provides next-gen viewing experience.
PFL has over two-dozen blue-chip brand sponsors such as Anheuser-Busch, IBM, GEICO, DraftKings, Bose, Socios.com, Air Force Reserve, US Marine Corps, and more. PFL is backed by major investors including Ares Capital, Luxor Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Swan Ventures, Knighthead, Legends, and several NBA, MLB, and NHL team owners.
MMA is the growth sport of this decade, with 600 million fans worldwide, the youngest audience demo of any sport, and true global revenue streams.
PFLmma.com; Instagram (@PFLmma); Twitter (@PFLMMA); Facebook (/PFLmma)
About Fubo Sports Network
Available on 75 million devices, Fubo Sports Network is the live, free-to-consumer TV network featuring sports stories on and off the field. Launched by live TV streaming platform fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) in September 2019, Fubo Sports Network airs live sports, award-winning original programming such as No Chill with Gilbert Arenas and Getcha Popcorn Ready with T.O. and Hatch and partner content from Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, Stadium, USA TODAY, Flex Fight, World Poker Tour, and BeIN Sports Xtra, among others. Stream for free on LG Channels, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Vizio Channels, Sports on Tubi, Plex, Hisense Smart TVs, and XUMO or as part of fuboTV’s subscription packages of 100+ sports, news and entertainment channels.
