NEW YORK – The Professional Fighters League today announced that two-time PFL world champion Kayla Harrison will return to the PFL SmartCage on Friday, November 24 at the 2023 PFL World Championship from The Anthem in Washington D.C. and live on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Tickets for MMA’s richest night, the 2023 PFL World Championship, presented by Celsius Essential Energy, will be on sale September 20. The event will feature 12 finalists set to face off for six world titles and six $1 million dollar championship purses.
Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the top combat sports athletes in the world, will make her MMA return against Julia Budd. Budd, a former Bellator featherweight champion, Canadian kickboxer and mixed martial artist, has amassed 17 victories during her storied career.
“The stage is set for the 2023 PFL World Championship on Friday, November 24, live from The Anthem in Washington D.C., and includes the return of MMA superstar Kayla Harrison to the PFL SmartCage,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “The 2023 PFL season will culminate with the biggest night in MMA, the 2023 PFL World Championship. Six incredible athletes will walk out of the PFL SmartCage with a PFL World Championship title and a $1 million check.”
The 2023 PFL World Championship lineup also includes:
- Clay Collard vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier – lightweight final
- Sadibou Sy vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov – welterweight final
- Renan Ferreira vs Denis Goltsov – heavyweight final
- Larissa Pacheco vs Marina Mokhnatkina – women’s featherweight final
- Jesus Pinedo vs Gabriel Braga – featherweight final
- Joshua Silveira vs Impa Kasanganay – heavyweight final
PFL is the only league in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in regular season, playoffs, and championships each year, making PFL a “win and advance” meritocracy like all other major sports. PFL’s fighter roster hails from over 20 countries and 25 percent of PFL fighters are independently ranked in the top 25 of their weight class. The company leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage powering real-time betting and a next-gen viewing experience.
