Professional Fighters League: UFC rival that took Aussie champ from struggling to millionaire makes huge announcement that could revolutionise fighting Down Under

Aussie MMA fighters are known for being immoderate of the astir breathtaking stars connected the satellite - and present they person a caller pathway to stardom courtesy of a large determination by the Professional Fighters League.

The PFL has announced the enactment of PFL Pacific, which volition diagnostic the pick of section endowment taking each different connected successful a section league, with the victors progressing to bigger and bigger fights until they vie for satellite titles.

And successful large quality for Aussie combat fans, the UFC's biggest rival has the heavyweight backing of Channel Nine and the Stan streaming service, with the astir high-profile events acceptable to beryllium shown connected free-to-air TV.

PFL CEO Peter Murray told the assemblage astatine the Sydney motorboat connected Tuesday that the caller Pacific league volition springiness locals a accidental astatine fame and riches that the UFC conscionable can't supply - and helium was joined by the champion illustration of that way to occurrence successful Aussie combatant 'Razor' Rob Wilkinson.

The Tasmanian had 2 UFC fights earlier joining the PFL, taking afloat vantage of the league's unsocial 'win and advance' format to fight his mode to a million-dollar paycheque astatine PFL 10 successful November 2022 arsenic helium took his hostile retired by KO.

He told Daily Mail Australia that the rebel warring contention has taken him a agelong mode since the days erstwhile helium was really losing wealth arsenic helium got paid peanuts to get into the cage.

'My archetypal fights - and this was beauteous modular - I was getting $300, $500. And with that organisation, immoderate radical were struggling to get their wealth disconnected them and not adjacent getting paid,' helium said.

'When you're flying to different state, paying for flights and accommodation, you mightiness instrumentality an other cornerman, spending wealth connected your value chopped and your food, you're not making immoderate money, obviously.

'To person thing wherever I'm beauteous definite the starting purses are $5000 US [$AUD7800], that's huge. 

'That's much than I made adjacent aft I was successful the UFC and came backmost and fought for Australian titles. I wasn't getting anyplace adjacent that benignant of wealth successful Australia.

'To person that way wherever you cognize if you win, you're progressing on, I judge it's $100,000 for the victor of the tournament, and past you get signed to spell to the planetary level - everyone astatine my gym is excited astir it.'

Murray stressed that PFL Pacific is aiming to footwear disconnected a accumulation enactment of Aussie champions who can't get a look-in with the UFC owed to that competition's acold narrower absorption connected debuting caller talent.

'We're gathering a instauration for semipermanent maturation and aiming to crown much Aussie champions than immoderate different league implicit the adjacent 3 years,' helium said.

The PFL has superstar backing successful the signifier of erstwhile UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, who made his debut for the league past October arsenic helium knocked retired Renan Ferreira successful Saudi Arabia aft taking a three-year interruption from MMA.

Unlike the UFC, the PFL had nary issues with Ngannou taking megabucks fights against boxers Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua - and present the league has different immense sanction successful its sights for a imaginable bout.

Murray revealed that Jake Paul - who signed a declaration with the PFL successful 2023 and has 1 of the league's astute cages astatine 1 of his homes - could combat for the assemblage adjacent year.