By Cassandra Cousineau for LVSportsBiz.com
It’s a new mixed martial arts (MMA) competition in Las Vegas with a twist.
The competitors in an MMA league called the Professional Fighters League’s (PFL) are fighting in a tournament this month with the goal of advancing to the $1 million rounds in December.
Here’s how it works. The top eight fighters in five men’s weight classes fight and win twice in one night to advance to the championship, while the top four in the first-ever Women’s Lightweight Division compete for a spot in the title match.
Earlier this summer, the Nevada State Athletic Commission approved PFL’s format and SmartCage technology, paving the way for the PFL to make its highly anticipated Las Vegas debut.
For fans new to this MMA league, PFL was formerly the World Series of Fighting, which started in 2012.
The PFL debuted June 7, 2018, at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. As of 2018, it distinguished itself by offering a regular season slate of competition with its “win or go home” playoff format. This year, the post-season has been spread out through October at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. And the final date of fighting is Halloween night in Las Vegas.
“Our goal is to elevate MMA and our stable of incredibly talented fighters,” Pete Murray, CEO of PFL, told LVSportsBiz.com “We have re-imagined MMA in a way that puts fighters first and evolves the sport in a fan-friendly way.”
A big part of that evolution is the PFL’s introduction of “SmartCage.”
In layman’s terms, SmartCage consists of a group of sensors and proprietary technology embedded in the wrist area of a fighter’s gloves and enables the PFL to measure and deliver real-time fighter performance data and analytics. The promotion refers to this live performance tracking as Cagenomics.
“Not only will PFL fans benefit from our SmartCage innovation, but our fighters, trainers, and managers will have access to new performance measurement data, analysis, and tools to help them train and compete,” Murray said. “Our vision has always been two-fold: deliver the absolute best experience to fans and be a fighters-first organization. Today we’re accomplishing both.”
The PFL’s partnership with MGM doesn’t just include the use of arenas for its events. Murray also fueled speculation of a gaming opportunity by telling LVSportsBiz.com that the league will be using its technology to introduce real time prop bets through a gaming partner in the coming months.
The PFL championships will take place Dec. 31 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The card will air live on ESPN2.
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