Can PFL flip Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg right into a actuality?
Cyborg, the reigning Bellator ladies’s featherweight champion, is presently one of many largest free brokers in MMA after her contract expired this summer season following a profitable title protection over Arlene Blencowe in Bellator 279. On Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour, PFL CEO Peter Murray mentioned the promotion has reached out to Cyborg and nonetheless hopes to facilitate a deal that might result in a matchup between her and PFL star Harrison, no matter whether or not it’s underneath the PFL umbrella or as a co-promotion with Bellator.
“Hear, I feel that’s the battle that followers want to see,” Murray mentioned on The MMA Hour. “That’s a battle that the PFL want to get behind. Kayla mentioned she needs that battle. I feel it’s going to come back all the way down to Cris Cyborg — does Cris Cyborg need that battle? And whether or not Cris decides to come back over to the PFL to make that battle and maybe different fights occur, that’s one situation. And one other situation is a co-promotion. And we’re proponents of each.
“Our understanding is she is a free agent. We’d wish to make that battle occur,” Murray continued. “… There’s actually been outreach. We’re trying ahead to entering into it in earnest. … There’s no dancing [around it]. It’s not a shock, or it’s not new information that this can be a battle to PFL want to make occur or Kayla. And so I feel within the coming weeks we’re trying ahead to seeing what’s potential.”
Cyborg is presently MMA Fighting’s No. 3 ranked female pound-for-pound fighter in the world. She has been one in all MMA’s most dominant forces for the previous 17 years, along with her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 serving as her lone defeat since her 2005 skilled debut. The 32-year-old has captured featherweight titles within the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce and Invicta FC. Her April victory over Blencowe was the fourth protection of her Bellator belt.
Harrison is MMA Preventing’s No. 9 ranked feminine pound-for-pound fighter on the earth. She, too, has been an awesome power since debuting in MMA in 2018. The 2-time Olympic champion has gained all 14 of her skilled bouts and is the favourite to win her third consecutive PFL title within the promotion’s present light-weight event.
The 2 ladies have circled one another lately as the most important battle out there for both within the featherweight division outdoors of the UFC. Harrison even inked a take care of Bellator as a free agent in 2022, nevertheless that contract was finally matched by the PFL.
Murray on Wednesday echoed his need to determine a solution to get Harrison vs. Cyborg completed. He added that the PFL expects to be in talks with quite a few different free brokers as effectively, saying the promotion is trying ahead to the chance to talk with Shane Burgos — who lately fought out his UFC take care of a win at UFC Long Island over Charles Jourdain — and hopes to be within the dialog for Nate Diaz as effectively following the UFC star’s UFC 279 primary occasion on Sept. 10 towards Khamzat Chimaev.
“Completely,” Murray mentioned when requested if PFL can afford the probably profitable price ticket Diaz will command. “… We’ve got capital, we have now the wherewithal, and we’re not a regional participant.
“Now we’re a worldwide model and we’re trusted. Earlier days, once we had been simply beginning out, it was difficult. That’s OK, you’ve acquired to construct belief, you’ve acquired to show your self, you’ve acquired to execute. And we have now confirmed that we have now a mannequin that works and we’re constructed for the long run. And it’s now an alternate for, not simply fighters who’re on the come-up, however established fighters who’re ranked within the prime 10, the highest 5, the highest three, and No. 1. So we’re right here to remain, we’re right here to play and compete, and never solely are we going to develop our personal expertise via our system, we’ll actually proceed to signal main fighters.”
