Former Turner and Time Warner exec John Martin takes over as Professional Fighters League's CEO
Martin will oversee all aspects of PFL's strategy, management, operations, finances and personnel in his new role. He takes over for Peter Murray, who now becomes CEO of PFL International and reports directly to Martin.
'My two greatest passions are leading media companies and MMA, so stepping into the position of PFL CEO is truly a dream role for me,' Martin said Thursday in a statement announcing his appointment.
Martin served as chairman and CEO of Turner LLC from 2014-18. He was chief financial officer at Time Warner Inc. before that. He earlier served as CFO of Time Warner Cable, where he was an early advocate for expanding UFC's cable distribution.
He began training in martial arts in his mid-20s and eventually earned a black belt in karate and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ernie Clement's sacrifice fly
NHL Trade Rumors: Canadiens Interested In Blues Star St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season. The 27-year-old's full no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, so there have been plenty of questions about whether or not the Blues will move him before it starts. 7:59 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Associated Press
23 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Yanks' Cody Bellinger hits 3rd home run of game against Cubs, an inning after being robbed
NEW YORK (AP) — Robbed an inning earlier, Cody Bellinger wasn't sure his first three-homer game had been swiped away again. 'I didn't know at first,' he said. 'For that third one to finally get over feels pretty good.' Bellinger hit three two-run homers against his former team and was denied a fourth by a spectacular catch, leading the Yankees to an 11-0 rout of the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Aaron Judge made a trio of outstanding grabs in right field for the Yankees, who have won fifth straight games following a a six-game losing streak. Bellinger, whose dad Clay played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, is a two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP. He spent 2023 and '24 with the Cubs, hitting .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games last year while missing time because of a broken right rib. The Cubs traded him to New York in December with $52.5 million remaining on his contract and agreed to pay the Yankees $5 million. He homered in a three-run third off Chris Flexen and in the fifth against Caleb Thielbar for this 18th multi-homer game. Bellinger nearly went deep in the seventh but was robbed by Kyle Tucker on a drive above the right-field wall. 'I was watching it. He timed it up perfect, so I was a little sick about it, honestly,' Bellinger said. 'But it was a good catch.' 'Boys were giving me a hard time after he robbed it. Boonie was giving me hard time,' Bellinger added. A four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove winner, Tucker snatched the ball as a fan tried for it, the spectator clasping both sides of the outfielder's glove. 'I caught the ball and he caught my glove, so I figured even if I dropped it they'd probably look at it and get it overturned,' Tucker said. 'I've probably had some encounters with me trying to go into the stands and catching a ball and me hitting someone's hand or whatever but I don't know if anyone's ever actually kind of caught my glove while doing it.' Bellinger homered in the eighth off Jordan Wicks, just above the red glove of leaping center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and into the dark glove of a kid in the front row. 'The fan just beat to the spot,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'He just had a better chance of catching it higher than I did.' Bellinger, who had rounded first, watched and then smiled when he saw he had hit No. 3. 'Glad the fan caught it before PCA could grab it,' said Bellinger, who met the boy after and got the ball back. 'I've seen PCA rob so many homers. He's a freak athlete out there.' Bellinger is batting .406 over a career-high 16-game hitting streak, raising his average to .285 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs. He had spoken with his Cubs ex-teammates during batting practice. 'No, no, no revenge,' he said. 'Honestly, ultimately it was just fun to be out there. I saw a bunch of guys I hadn't seen in a while and I shared a bunch of good memories with them for these past two years.' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and manager Aaron Boone encouraged Bellinger to emerge from the dugout for a curtain call. 'He was a little reluctant, but then the Bell-lin-ger' over the dugout got pretty loud. So I think he succumbed to it,' Boone said. 'Belly's loved being here and loved playing here in a meaningful place to him, going back to his childhood.' Bellinger turns 30 on Sunday and can opt out of the final season of his contract this fall. With long balls and wide smiles, he seems to have found a home in the Yankees clubhouse. He tried not to make much of getting the three homers against the Cubs, but Bellinger's teammates could sense the significance. 'It's always good to go against your old teammates that you spend a lot of time with, you know, you respect,' Boone said. 'To perform right away against them I'm sure probably is a little cherry on top for him.' ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kyshawn George with the big dunk
What Does Gavin McKenna's College Commitment Mean For The CHL And NCAA's Recruiting Saga? Gavin McKenna, the phenom and top prospect for the 2026 NHL draft, is committing to Penn State. He made the announcement on ESPN on Tuesday.
