I wrote this in response to a Sherdog article that hyped up the PFL;
"It would be great if another major fighting organization would succeed in the US, and I appreciate writer Pressley Nietering's zeal, but I don't see the appeal of the organization, and doubt they will find success. To address the specific points in the article above, and note a few other problems;
1. Kayla Harrison has an outstanding pedigree, is very likable, and may become a really great champion...but she likely won't ever become a big star.
As with the men, (Demetrius Johnson and Robert Whittaker, among others) and many women (Amanda Nunes, Thug Rose), simply being a great champion, if Harrison gets there, isn't enough to attract eyeballs.
The three big stars of women's MMA then and now, Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and Cris Cyborg, all had other things going for them, whether it was their looks, personality, mainstream/Hollywood media attention (which Harrison is unlikely to get), and vicious knockouts (Cyborg) or insanely quick victories (Rousey).
2. A meritocracy is nice from an ethical standpoint, but how does it buoy up interest in the product? Jake Shields is a big name, and he was just destroyed by an unheralded young guy in a fight with little build.
To me, this is a weakness, not a strength.
Look at what Bellator has done. Do they feed their own 40 year-old legends like Wanderlei, Rampage, and Chael to an athletic, ambitious, improving 20-something to get beaten by?
No. They have a kind of senior circuit for these guys to fight themselves, and retain their name and appeal.
OCCASIONALLY they will stray from this formula in order to build up a deserving young guy (like when Tito fought and lost to Liam McGeary), but it's not something they do lightly. PFL doesn't care, and that's a mistake.
3. They have too much of an emphasis on heavyweights. Outside of the very, very top, heavyweights suck and have always sucked during MMA's history compared to all the lower weight classes.
You're not inspiring anyone to watch PFL when you show two guys in their mid 30s with beer guts and skills worse than a 8-7 journeyman at lightweight throwing lazy, inaccurate haymakers before gassing out halfway through the second round.
One aspect I DO agree is a positive is that PFL has less dead time than the UFC or Bellator between fights. Hate that.
