City Kickboxing head coach Eugene Bareman speaks about the growth of combat sports in NZ and where to from here. Video / Michael Craig
One of the world’s top mixed martial arts promotions is scouting for local talent as they explore expansion Downunder.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) president Ray Sefo confirmed to the Herald the promotion was looking at expansion into Australia and New Zealand “probably towards the end of 2025″.
“There are a few people that I have talked to down there – guys like Jason [Suttie, King in the Ring promoter], Eugene [Bareman, City Kickboxing head coach], Lolo [Heimuli, Balmoral Lee Gar head coach] and different camps – and [we’ll] look to sign some more talent from Downunder; New Zealand and Australia,” Sefo said.
The PFL is largely based around a season format, with fighters competing in a regular season pool to earn a place in the playoffs. At the season’s end, the two remaining fighters in each division compete for the championship and the US$1m prize money.
Sefo, a legend of the New Zealand combat sports scene, was in Auckland in October for a reunion with his old gym, Balmoral Lee Gar, and was able to catch a local MMA card, with the launch of Stealth Fighters League (SFL).
Michelle Montague is one of just two Kiwi fighters currently signed with PFL. Photo / Getty Images
Along with the likes of King in the Ring and Shuriken Fight Series, SFL showcased some of the top talent competing on the regional scene; Sefo noting one athlete particularly caught his eye despite the result not going his way.
“Even though he lost the fight, I liked his mindset, I liked his demeanour, I liked that he got knocked down and just kept getting up and going forward. It’s fighters like that who are the future of the sport.
“I’m quite excited about the talent pool from Downunder.”
While initially featuring just one main branch featuring fighters from around the world, the PFL has established regional branches in the past few years, now with PFL Europe, PFL Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and an African branch set to launch next year. The promotion held their World Championship finals and their MENA Championship finals in Saudi Arabia at the weekend.
It was launched in 2018, after the acquisition of World Series of Fighting the year prior, a promotion Sefo founded. PFL also acquired rival promotion Bellator late last year.
Ray Sefo had a decorated career in the ring. Photo / Photosport
“Obviously the UFC has done an amazing job promoting the sport, I’ve got nothing but love and respect for them. The challenge was always to challenge ourselves to get better. To see it grow to where it is today is pretty amazing,” Sefo said.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but that’s the fun part about it, we’ll continue to learn, continue to grow and produce young champions at the same time. It’s been a fun journey, a fun ride, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Currently, there are only two New Zealand fighters on the promotion’s books. Undefeated featherweight Michelle Montague (6-0; 6 submissions) has fought most of her career in standalone PFL bouts, but Sefo said the promotion was considering her for the main 2025 season.
Lightweight Jay Jay Wilson (10-1), who was signed with Bellator when the PFL acquired them, will likely be used for PFL Australia and New Zealand, Sefo said.
Fellow Kiwi Genah Fabian also fought in three seasons of the PFL’s women’s lightweight division, before the league established the featherweight season in its place in 2023.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
