When you click on the MMA sports category at a reputable US sportsbook, you can usually find UFC listed alongside PFL. Sometimes there will also be smaller fighting championships that are affiliated with either, such as Dana White’s Contender Series, Road to UFC and Power Slap (UFC); or Bellator MMA and Challenger Series (PFL). If you ever wondered what the difference between the UFC and PFL is, then you have come to the right place.
The UFC is the more popular of the two, and for the uninitiated, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is practically synonymous with MMA. But we cannot ignore the Players Fighting League (PFL), which is the restructuring of the old World Series of Fighting (WSOF). Launched in 2018, the PFL follows a completely different format to the UFC. It is also garnering plenty of international attention, even if it still plays second fiddle to the UFC.
Main Differences UFC vs PFL
The UFC has fighting events all year round, with fighters matched based on their UFC rankings and marketing possibilities. Fighters can move up and down the rankings after fights, based on their opponent’s ranking, their personal record, and other factors. Title shot fights pitch the champion against fighters who are within reaching distance of stealing the number one spot in a division.
There are currently 8 men’s divisions and 4 women’s divisions in the UFC. They are the following.
| Men’s Division | Women’s Division |
|---|---|
| Flyweight | Strawweight |
| Bantamweight | Flyweight |
| Featherweight | Bantamweight |
| Lightweight | Featherweight |
| Welterweight | Lightweight |
| Middleweight | |
| Light Heavyweight | |
| Heavyweight |
The PFL uses a regular season and playoffs structure, similar to NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Fighters are awarded points for wins and how they achieve their victories. At the end of the regular season, the top fighters advance to the playoffs bracket, and fight in single fight elimination rounds. This culminates in the championship event, where champions are determined for each weight class. In a more straightforward structure, a PFL season generally lasts 6 to 7 months, with the regular season starting in April and finishing in June or July. The playoffs are typically held during August or September, and the championship fights are held in November or December.
The PFL has 5 Men’s Divisions and only 1 Women’s Division at the time of writing.
| Men’s Division | Women’s Division |
|---|---|
| Featherweight | Lightweight |
| Lightweight | |
| Welterweight | |
| Light Heavyweight | |
| Heavyweight |
UFC Year Round Events and Classic Fighting
With fights all year round, the UFC has far more events to look forward to in a calendar year. Including both Pay-Per-View and UFC Fight Nights, there are typically around 50 fights per year, though it is subject to change. The events are usually announced months ahead, and if a fighter picks up an injury then the UFC generally swaps out the fighter to make sure the event still takes place.
A typical UFC event will have 1 headliner event on the Main Card, with 4 or 5 fights from different weight divisions. They also have Preliminary Cards, featuring lesser known fighters, and sometimes even Early Preliminary Fights. The headlining fight is the last fight on the card, and generally the one which has the most betting markets.
UFC events are generally held at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, or various other closeby venues such as the MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay Beach, and so on. But there are plenty of US UFC venues outside Las Vegas, taking the fighting championship to anywhere from Ohio to Florida. The UFC also has a number of events outside the US, such as in Canada, Japan, the UK, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
PFL Season and League Format
With a more strict season structure, PFL events run from Spring to Winter, with around 10 to 12 events within the normal season structure. If a fighter picks up an injury, they generally fall out of the competition, to keep the narrative of the regular season and playoffs. There are also a number of additional events that may be added to the PFL’s schedule, such as PFL vs Bellator and PFL Super Fights that feature one-off fights between the biggest fighters in the PFL.
PFL fights take place all over the world, with PFL Europe, PFL Africa and PFL MENA featuring the best fighters in Europe, Africa and the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa).
Fighters receive 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. They can also receive bonus points for winning a fight early, 3 points for finishing in the first round, 2 points for the second round, and 1 point for the third round. This incentivizes fighters to finish off their opponents early, and to not let the fight go the full distance. There are also penalty points for fighters who cannot compete and 3 automatic points for a walkover victory.
UFC vs PFL: Fighters Changing Leagues
UFC may be the bigger of the two fighting promotions, but when a fighter usually leaves one of these championships for the other, they usually pick PFL over the UFC. After the PFL merged with Bellator MMA, the fighting championship could afford to pay higher salaries to its fighters. Fighters receive a season salary in addition to earnings for each fight, whereas the UFC generally only offers earnings per fight. The salaries can range greatly from rookies up to the biggest billed fighters in either fighting championship, but the majority of fighters who have left one of these establishments have picked PFL over UFC.
Francis Ngannou (2023), Marc Diakiese (2024), Anthony Pettis (2020), and Rory McDonald (2019), are just a few of the top UFC fighters who have left for the PFL. It is not all one-way traffic though, as Justin Gaethje (2017), David Branch (2017) and Marlon Moraes (2017) all moved from the WSOF to UFC after it was rebranded. Though Moraes eventually returned to the PFL in 2023.
Betting on Alternative Fighting Promotions & Feeder Leagues
UFC gets the most coverage at all US sportsbooks, but there are some that have an extended coverage of alternative MMA promotions. The most common that we have found are the UFC-affiliated leagues (which we will discuss below). In addition to this, many MMA betting apps also have coverage of promotions such as Bellator, PFL, Oktogon and even Cage Warriors.
Generally, US MMA Sportsbooks will focus on UFC, providing the majority of betting markets and fighting props on UFC Fight Nights. Bouts in other promotions may only have moneylines and total rounds bets, but in the hands of an expert fight bettor, they are all you need to form solid money-making parlays. Another area in which you will find that sportsbooks favor UFC in is in their fighting bonuses. Big hyped up rematches, title fights and special Fight Nights tend to pop up in the sportsbook promos, with bonus bets, odds boosts, fight parlay insurance and other goodies to promote the high profile bouts.
UFC Affiliated Fighting Leagues
The main events to watch at the Pay-Per-View fights, but there are a number of UFC Fight Nights that feature top talents and worthy fighters breaking into the ranks. You can catch these on ESPN+ or get a UFC Fight Pass subscription which has lots of additional content for UFC lovers. It is also highly worth checking out the PFL and Bellator MMA for alternatives to UFC, but if you want to stick within the UFC brand, then perhaps the following may interest you.
Road to UFC
This is one of the biggest feeder leagues to the UFC in Asia. Held every year, each season features 6 to 7 episodes, at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai. There are around 10 bouts per episode, and the top Asian MMA prospects all fight for a chance to win contracts with the UFC. These are usually highly intriguing bouts as they feature fighters from different Asian promotions and with varying fighting styles.
Arguably the most famous of all the feeder leagues, this is a highly popular competition in which talents are scouted from across the USA. Each season runs from August to October, and the winners who impress the UFC President the most can win highly valuable UFC contracts. The program brought Sean O’Malley and Jamahal Hill into the UFC.
UFC Fight Pass Invitational
This MMA competition is specifically designed to stream live events and archive fights using cutting edge technology. You can watch fights with multi-view in HD, and enjoy some truly thrilling bouts. Fighters from the UFC are invited to these one-off fights, as well as fighters from promotions outside the UFC.
