The PFL on Thursday announced featherweights set to participate in a Challenger Series event set for March 11.
Eight 145-pound fighters will compete for a spot in the Season 4 tournament, where $1 million is on the line, or a development deal with the promotion. The March 11 event takes place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla., and airs on Fubo Sports Network. Matchups for the event have not been announced.
The roster for the March 11 featherweight event includes:
- Reinaldo Ekson (17-5)
- Edwin Cooper Jr. (5-1)
- Aaron Blackie (8-2)
- Scottie Stockman (3-1)
- Do Gyeom Lee (8-4)
- Brahyan Zurcher (2-0)
- Josh Blyden (9-2)
- Mike Barnett (11-3)
Among the group, Ekson is the featherweight champion of EFC and has won six of his past seven fights, including three straight submission wins under the South Africa promotion’s banner. Cooper Jr. is a junior college champion wrestler out of University of Iowa who trains MMA out of the famed Jackson Wink MMA. Australia native Blackie makes his North American debut after a career overseas with submission finishes in seven of his eight wins. Stockman is a product of Roufusport who’s won two of his past three by knockout.
The Challenger Series kicks off on Feb. 28 with light heavyweights the featured division and continues Feb. 25 with welterweights. On March 4, the women’s lightweights return.
Recently, the PFL announced a renewed multi-year broadcast deal with ESPN.
