How PFL uses boxing's blueprint to attract fans

As portion of our Fight Night series, BBC Sport shines a ray connected MMA promotions crossed nan UK and Europe, their fighters and nan characteristics which make each 1 unique.

Second successful nan bid is simply a nighttime astatine cageside pinch PFL Europe, a subset of nan Professional Fighters League, which provides section talent pinch £211,000 (250,000 euros) prize-yielding tournaments and nan opportunity to compete nether its world banner.

That acquainted big-fight emotion rippled crossed Newcastle's Utilita Arena erstwhile location favourite Savannah Marshall was shown connected nan large screens.

As a erstwhile undisputed super-middleweight boxing world champion, it's a business Marshall has been successful connected aggregate occasions, wrapping her hands backstage arsenic anticipation for a mouth-watering main arena grows successful nan audience.

But PFL Europe's arena successful nan North East successful June carried a important alteration to each erstwhile bout Marshall has been progressive successful - it was an MMA fight.

It was a momentous juncture for nan 33-year-old Hartlepool autochthonal to make her MMA debut successful beforehand of her location fans, but nan PFL's determination to make Marshall nan header enactment did not travel without pre-fight questions.

How would Marshall fare? Would nan conflict do nan prestigious main arena slot justice? And is it nan correct move to put a boxer, who had only been training MMA for 9 months, astatine nan apical of nan paper astatine nan disbursal of athletes who person dedicated overmuch of their lives to nan craft?

Following an incredible back-and-forth contest which saw a vociferous crowd connected their feet and a relieved Marshall get her manus raised aft stopping Mirela Vargas, nan guidance from an astounded chap journalist astatine cageside answered astir of those questions.

"That was 1 of nan champion MMA rounds I've ever seen," he exclaimed.

Later, aft chattering, excitable fans had near nan arena and arsenic clangs from workers deconstructing nan humor and sweat-stained canvas echoed done nan air, PFL Europe main Dan Hardy explained why Marshall's beingness benefits nan different fighters connected nan card.

"Savannah brought a batch of attraction to this paper that perchance a batch of these fighters wouldn't person sewage otherwise," Hardy told BBC Sport.

"The co-main event, Kane Mousah and Dylan Tuke, they were some really excited and thankful to beryllium sharing a paper pinch Savannah. They some took photos pinch her astatine nan face-offs, they're large fans.

"Ultimately we're martial artists. If you're a boxer, a wrestler, a fighter, you're a combat sports athlete."

Marshall followed semipermanent boxing rival Claressa Shields erstwhile she signed a statement pinch nan PFL, joining chap boxer Amanda Serrano, arsenic good arsenic YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul.

The signings are nan PFL's attempts to tie eyes to its organisation done successful rivalries and stars successful boxing.

Marshall and Shields became nan first female boxers to header astatine a awesome venue successful nan UK successful 2022, successful a bout billed arsenic nan biggest successful women's history, pinch Serrano becoming nan first female alongside Katie Taylor to apical a paper astatine New York's iconic Madison Square Garden a fewer months prior.

Paul, meanwhile, lacks nan boxing accomplishments of his PFL counterparts but is simply a large draw, emphasised by his postponed bout pinch Mike Tyson which was group to beryllium streamed by Netflix and return spot astatine nan 80,000-capacity AT&T Stadium successful Dallas, Texas.

Shields has 2 wins and 1 nonaccomplishment successful nan promotion, but Serrano and Paul are yet to make their PFL debuts, pinch immoderate critics pointing to nan signings arsenic being a "gimmick".

There is simply a emotion that nan PFL's signing of specified stars hurts its declare to beryllium a world-leading MMA promotion alongside nan UFC, because mixed martial artists aren't nan ones nan organisation are utilizing to tie caller eyes to it - boxers are.

There is besides small grounds boxers person nan skillset to earnestly situation for titles successful MMA, and vice versa.

Francis Ngannou, who will make his PFL debut connected 19 October, boxed admirably against erstwhile world champion Tyson Fury but mislaid a divided determination earlier being knocked retired by Anthony Joshua.

Conor McGregor was stopped aft 10 rounds of his boxing match-up pinch Floyd Mayweather successful 2017, while Paul - who made his boxing debut successful 2020 pinch small inheritance successful nan athletics - has since defeated 5 MMA fighters.

Marshall, arsenic admirable arsenic her capacity was against Vargas, has said she has small ambition to situation for titles successful nan athletics pinch her main extremity being to group up a rematch pinch Shields.

And it is Marshall's roadmap which possibly symbolises nan PFL's MMA-boxing crossover blueprint champion - it tin beryllium wildly entertaining and profitable successful nan short word but questions stay complete its longevity.

Where PFL Europe shines is successful nan organisation providing a gateway to its world promotion. Hardy says it is simply a "launching platform".

One combatant who has benefited from this imagination is Manchester's Dakota Ditcheva.

Last year's European women's flyweight champion, Ditcheva has continued her good shape connected nan PFL's world roster, earning 3 first-round knockouts to scope this year's last - and a chance astatine winning £780,185 ($1m).

Ditcheva's occurrence provides a blueprint which nan young British athletes who fought connected Marshall's undercard tin follow.

"If Shanelle Dyer wins a European title this twelvemonth she'll beryllium 7-0, perchance she follows Dakota complete to nan world stage," said Hardy.

"And Ben Woolliss, he was debased connected nan Newcastle paper but I've been wanting to motion him since I took this occupation and I tin spot his potential."

Questions will still beryllium asked astir nan PFL utilizing boxers arsenic a short-term driver of interest, but arsenic Hardy points out, athletes for illustration Marshall besides thief bring eyes to nan younger fighters connected nan card.

In this lawsuit it was nan likes of Dyer and Woolliss who would person been grateful for nan vulnerability Marshall provided arsenic they grasped their opportunity successful nan spotlight pinch some hands.