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The PFL announced its 2026 plans on Tuesday, a 24-event schedule consisting of 16 global events and eight regional events in its MENA (Middle East, Northern Africa) and Africa series. The promotion's first main event will feature Usman Nurmagomedov making the first defense of his lightweight title against Alfie Davis (20-5-1) on Feb. 7 card at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, the PFL announced Thursday. In addition to Dubai, the PFL's early slate features two events in March in Madrid and Pittsburgh, and one in April in Chicago. The event in Madrid will mark the promotion's first trip to Spain. Founded in 2017, the PFL has undergone a significant overhaul in leadership in recent months. The company named former Turner and Time Warner executive John Martin as its CEO in July, and former president of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Lenny Daniels as its chief operating officer this week. The promotion had historically been built around a regular season, playoffs format. That format went away in 2025 in favor of a single-elimination tournament. Martin has since opted to move entirely away from the tournament model, in favor of more traditional MMA matchmaking. The PFL has a domestic broadcast deal with ESPN that expires at the end of 2026.
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