PFL announces 2025 heavyweight and light heavyweight tournament participants
PFL announced on Wednesday the eight fighters that will be competing in each respective weight class, along with alternate names for the 205-pound division.
At heavyweight, most notably former interim Bellator champion Valentin Moldavsky and recent signee in UFC veteran Alexander Romanov will be participating. And at light heavyweight, former Bellator champion and UFC veteran Phil Davis will be competing alongside former PFL champions Rob Wilkinson and Antonio Carlos Jr.
Below is the full list of fighters set to participate in the two biggest weight classes for the PFL 2025 tournaments.
Heavyweight:
Light heavyweight:
** Alex Polizzi (11-4) and Rafael Xavier (13-8) will serve as alternates.
The PFL 2025 tournaments kick off on April 3, April 11, April 18, and May 1 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. The completed brackets will be unveiled March 11 through a bracket reveal show on YouTube.
Fighters will need to win three consecutive bouts to win their respective tournaments. The tournaments winners will each receive a $500,000 bonus.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
With UFC's Odd Sox boxer briefs collab, you can put Conor or Jon Jones' face on your ass
We practically can hear Bruce Buffer's plug for it already: "Odd Sox – the official boxer briefs of the UFC." There's an official this, that and the other of just about everything anymore, particularly in the UFC. Let's pour one out for the days of and Dynamic Fastener. For cripes sakes, we've endured Corn Nuts as "the official corn snack of the UFC," so really, what's left? Well, a few things, apparently. And speaking of nuts, the UFC has teamed up with Odd Sox for a collection of underwear and socks. Here at The Blue Corner, we've dug those Odd Sox kids for a long time. Fun socks are the coolest, and they have a plethora and all kinds of licenses. For example, you can rock socks that look like Pringles canisters while wearing boxer briefs emblazoned with the White Castle logo. That way, after you eat a dozen sliders and have to run to the can, you can be reminded of why – right there on your skivvies. And now, too, you can wear socks and underwear with fighters from the world's top MMA promotion. The Odd Sox pitch says the UFC collab features "bold, fighter-themed socks and underwear in a locker room setting." You can pick from 13 different fighters in the men's boxer briefs section, and for $19.99 each (plus tax and shipping, of course) you can put a shirtless portrait pose of your favorite fighter literally within inches of your sweaty crotchal nastiness. These are all-over prints. So that means if you're going with the Conor McGregor boxer briefs, or the Jon Jones ones, you also get to have their faces mere inches from your poop chute. We're not trying to be d*cks here. We're not merely taking the piss, so to speak. As Max Holloway (you can buy boxer briefs with him on them, too!) would say, "It is what it is." And what it is, is: Was this not thought through? Like, what level of a McGregor fan do you have to be to want to wear underwear with his face and shirtless torso on it – and on the front and back, no less? In a fan community notorious for its homophobia, that is next-level rich with irony. Like, SNL sketch rich. The 12 fighters with their own signature portrait panties are McGregor, Jones, Holloway, Islam Makhachev, Alex Pereira, Sean O'Malley, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Israel Adesanya, Ilia Topuria, Khamzat Chimaev and Alexander Volkanovski. There's also a UFC logo pair available if you're not keen on looking down to see a photo of one of those guys' faces when you take a leak. Here's what Odd Sox says about the McGregor boxers: "Command attention like 'The Notorious' himself in these Conor McGregor UFC Boxer Briefs. A bold green left side and powerful black right reflect McGregor's unmistakable swagger and precision. On the right, he stands in his signature, unapologetic fight stance. His name is printed in a striking blend of white and gold across the green panel, while a matching green waistband with white UFC and ODD logos seals the look. Built for the brash, the calculated, and the iconic, just like McGregor." Now, if you're just looking to put your favorite fighter's face onto your smelly feet, there are a few extra options beyond the fighters in the boxer crew. That same dirty dozen from the boxers have socks with their cartooned likenesses on them, and you can also can pick from Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Sean Strickland, Diego Lopes, Kamaru Usman, Tom Aspinall, Merab Dvalishvili, Dricus Du Plessis, Belal Muhammad, and just in time for his rising star, Paddy Pimblett. If you're doing the math, that's 22 fighters, all male, and nary a female. Maybe putting Kayla Harrison or Amanda Nunes or Valentina Shevchenko's portraits on men's boxer briefs was overruled. That makes sense. But they don't even rate socks? Here's the official tale of the tape from Odd Sox: "Step into the Octagon with the official UFC collection from ODD SOX. Featuring licensed socks and underwear with bold graphics of your favorite fighters, this collection celebrates the heart of MMA. From legends like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones to rising stars and the UFC logo itself, these styles combine comfort, performance, and knockout design. Whether you're watching fight night or training like a pro, show your fandom with officially licensed UFC apparel and accessories you can only find here."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump floats hosting UFC fight on White House grounds
President Trump on Thursday floated the idea of hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House next year as part of celebrations of the country's 250th anniversary. Trump told supporters at a 'Salute to America' event in Iowa that there would be a youth sporting event called the 'Patriot Games' to mark the year-long celebration. Advertisement He also said national parks and historic sites, including the White House, would host special events to mark the 250th anniversary of the country's founding. 'We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We're going to build a little — we're not, Dana's going to do it. Dana's great. One of a kind,' Trump said, referring to UFC president Dana White. Trump suggested the event would be a full 'championship fight' and could host up to 25,000 people. Such an event would likely require various permit approvals to take place at or near the White House. Trump has become something of a regular at UFC fights. The president has a years-long friendship with White. Many of the fighters who compete at UFC events have publicly expressed support for Trump, including in the Octagon. Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump to Host UFC Fight on White House Grounds: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has said he is thinking of hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event at the White House to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence next year. Trump said the event would be a "full fight" with about 20,000 to 25,000 people in attendance. "So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we're going to have a UFC fight," the president said during a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday. Newsweek contacted the White House and UFC for comment by email outside regular working hours. President Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3. President Donald Trump at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on July 3. Alex Brandon/AP Why It Matters Trump, an enthusiast for the sport, has attended multiple mixed martial arts matches in recent months and is a friend of Dana White, the UFC's president. The unprecedented White House event forms part of Trump's broader effort to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, which is also expected to feature national ceremonies, military flyovers and special programs at national parks. Trump has also described plans for the "Great American State Fair," a nationwide series of events culminating on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each state would have a pavilion to showcase its culture and contributions. What To Know Speaking in Iowa on Thursday, Trump said: "We're going to have a UFC fight, think of this, on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there." "Dana is going to do it," he continued, adding, "We are going to have a UFC fight—championship fight, full fight, like 20-25,000 people—and we are going to do that as part of 250 also." White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed after the speech that Trump was "dead serious" about hosting the event. Trump has regularly attended UFC fights, most recently last month in Newark, New Jersey. He also attended a fight in Miami in April. Trump's friendship with White goes back to at least 2001, when he allowed the UFC to hold a fight at his Trump Taj Mahal hotel in Atlantic City. White also introduced Trump at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last July. What People Are Saying A UFC official told CNN: "We are in discussions with the White House about hosting a UFC event on site." President Donald Trump said during his Memorial Day address in May: "We're gonna have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years. … In some ways, I'm glad I missed that second term where it was because I wouldn't be your president for that." Monica Crowley, the chief of protocol of the U.S., said: "We've had so much division and so much polarization over the last many decades, but certainly over the last few years, that to be able to bring the country together to celebrate America's 250th birthday through patriotism, shared values and a renewed sense of civic pride, to be able to do that in the center of the country, is incredibly important." What Happens Next Officials have not yet confirmed a date for the proposed UFC fight or provided logistic details.
