Professional Fighters League (PFL) has signed an exclusive domestic partnership with U-NEXT to deliver MMA to fans in Japan.
The multi-year agreement with Japanese streaming platform U-NEXT will include the PFL regular season events, PFL Europe and PFL MENA as well as archival content.
In addition, the contract also includes Bellator MMA events, which will continue to broadcast on the platform, starting with Bellator 302 in Belfast on 22 March.
Kicking off the deal with Saturday’s PFL vs. Bellator card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, all fights aired will be commentated in the Japanese platform’s native language.
Tenshin Tsutsumi, Director and President of U-NEXT Representative, remarked: “We are very pleased to have concluded a partnership agreement with the world’s leading mixed martial arts organisation, Professional Fighters League.
“Starting with PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions, we will be streaming all matches with live commentary in Japanese. As a strategic partner of PFL, we will deliver our products to the people of Japan with greater care and with the utmost respect. Please look forward to U-NEXT as a platform for enjoying martial arts.”
In the upcoming PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions, Japanese fans will be able to see Heenan Ferreira, winner of last year’s “PFL Championship” with a second-round TKO, face off against Ryan Bader, the first dual-division champion in Bellator history.
It has been a busy year so far for the PFL, attempting to grow the brand across the world. The organisation announced a European deal with DAZN in January, which saw the streaming platform become the official ‘home of PFL in France’.
Additionally, the league has boosted its international audience through renewal of a contract with Torneos, increasing media visibility in Latin America.
James Frewin, SVP at Professional Fighters League International, commented: “As we expand globally, partnering with key regional platforms is a critical element.
“Furthermore, by signing a multi-year partnership agreement with U-NEXT, we are very much looking forward to delivering our best MMA to Japanese martial arts fans.”
