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NEW YORK (April 22, 2024) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced the entire stacked card for the PFL Europe Newcastle event on Saturday June 8th. The huge event includes the Bantamweights and Women’s Flyweight rosters looking to secure their spots in the PFL Europe Playoffs this September.
The 2024 PFL Europe Season promises non-stop action, with returning stars and new elite talent from across Europe, all looking to begin their ‘Path to Greatness’ for the coveted PFL Europe Championship and $100,000 in prize money. The event will also see local hero Savannah Marshall make her MMA debut against Brazil’s Mirela Vargas, as well as a host of other elite level European MMA showcase bouts. PFL Europe Newcastle will air exclusively in the U.K. on DAZN beginning at 5 pm GMT, with tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.co.uk.
“We can’t wait to come back to Newcastle on June 8th, where PFL Europe officially launched in 2023. Our Bantamweight and Women’s Flyweight rosters are packed with quality and represent the best that the elite European MMA scene has to offer, and with the Regular Season format all of these fighters know what’s at the end of the line – the European title, $100k and a pathway to our Global Season,” said Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe, Dan Hardy. “But it wouldn’t be a PFL Europe event without a stacked evening of showcase bouts, and we have a great selection of future stars, simmering tensions and a local hero in Savannah Marshall making her MMA debut.”
A high-profile signing that shook the combat sports world in 2023, and a native of the North East of England, Marshall is a must-watch talent, boasting ten victories by knockout in her illustrious boxing career. Marshall joins the deepest female combat sports roster in the world, which includes a familiar foe in Claressa Shields. Her first test in MMA comes in the form of Vargas, a three fight professional, who will be entering enemy territory when she challenges Marshall in front of a partisan crowd.
With the winners progressing and the losers going home, the stakes could not be higher for the Bantamweights, as England’s highly regarded Scouser Dean Garnett (12-2-1), who is on a four-fight win streak, faces Belgium’s Ayton De Paepe (12-4) as both step into the PFL SmartCage for the first time.
Also at Bantamweight, last year’s finalist, Ireland’s Frans Mlambo (15-6) looks to bounce straight back to his winning ways against Scotland’s ‘The Apocalypse’ Luke Shanks (10-4), while returning champion Khurshed Kakhorov (12-1) begins the defense of his PFL Europe title as he puts it all on the line against dangerous Georgian Kikadze Bondo (8-3-1) who dominated striking expert Dom Wooding last time out.
Rounding off the Bantamweights, Alexander Luster (7-1), who has lit up the German MMA scene with all seven of his professional wins coming inside the opening two-rounds, faces Alperen Karabulut (10-3, 1 NC), who becomes the first Turkish fighter to ever compete inside the PFL SmartCage.
In the Women’s Flyweight division, one of the most highly regarded female prospects in the world of MMA, Shanelle ‘The Nightmare’ Dyer (4-0) will make her PFL Europe Season debut against Georgian submission specialist Mariam Torchinava (9-2). Also on the card Dyer’s bitter rival and viral sensation, Sammy-Jo Luxton (2-0), makes her long awaited PFL Europe debut versus the returning Dutch talent Lizzy Gevers (3-1).
Finishing off the Women’s Flyweight season bouts, 2023 finalist Valentina Scatizzi (2-2) from Italy will go up against France’s vastly experienced 43 year-old Marie Loiseau (6-4) and Ireland’s SBG trained Dee Begley (4-5) faces Poland’s Paulina Wisniewska (2-0), who will be looking to continue her perfect 2-0 professional record. There will also be one additional Welterweight Season fight, due to a fight cancellation in Paris. Jack Grant (19-8) will face off against Charlie Leary (17-13-1) to proceed to the playoffs and join the semi finalists who were victorious in Paris.
In addition to the Bantamweight and Women’s Flyweights, Newcastle will also see a number of elite showcase bouts in one of the most stacked cards in all of European MMA this year. Following on from his narrow defeat to 2023 Lightweight champion Jakub Kaszuba, Bellator veteran Kane Mousah (14-6) from Manchester will clash with Ireland’s fan-favorite Dylan Tuke (7-4) ,while fellow Manc, the hard hitting Lewis McGrillen (8-1) also returns. Elsewhere on the card, viral superstar and two-time kickboxing world champion Ben Woolliss (2-0) will look to continue his unbeaten pro MMA record in his first fight with the PFL since signing a multi-fight deal, Woolliss will take on Maher Belkhadir (1-1) of France. Completing the matchups on June 8th, unbeaten Mark Ewen (5-0) switches over from Bellator to take on Mathias Poiron (7-1) of France, and exciting new PFL signing Ibragim Ibragimov (6-0), makes his much-anticipated debut against Josh Reed (13-8) of Wales. Ibragimov, originally from Dagestan, represents a sporting family with three of his brothers signed to Manchester United.
The 2024 PFL Europe Season began last month with an incredible sold-out show in Paris, before rolling into Newcastle Upon-Tyne at Utilita Arena on June 8, and moving into new territory in Glasgow for a huge night of playoff action at OVO Hydro on September 28. The season will conclude with an epic Championship event at a venue to be announced in the near future.
Updated PFL Europe Newcastle Main Card:
DAZN (U.K.)
June 8 – 5 pm GMT
Main Event: Savannah Marshall (Debut) vs. Mirela Vargas (1-2)
Lightweight Showcase Bout: Kane Mousah (14-6) vs. Dylan Tuke (7-4)
Welterweight Season Bout: Jack Grant (19-8) vs. Charlie Leary (17-13-1)
Bantamweight Season Bout: Dean Garnett (12-2-1) vs. Ayton De Paepe (12-4)
Women’s Flyweight Season Bout: Shanelle Dyer (4-0) vs. Mariam Torchinava (9-2)
Featherweight Showcase Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (6-0) vs. Josh Reed (13-8)
Bantamweight Season Bout: Frans Mlambo (15-6) vs. Luke Shanks (10-4)
Women’s Flyweight Season Bout: Lizzy Gevers (3-1) vs. Sammy-Jo Luxton (2-0)
Lightweight Showcase Bout: Mark Ewen (5-0) vs. Mathias Poiron (7-1)
Bantamweight Season Bout: Khurshed Kakhorov (12-1) vs. Bondo Kikadze (8-3-1)
Women’s Flyweight Season Bout: Valentina Scatizzi (2-2) vs. Marie Loiseau (6-4)
Featherweight Showcase Bout: Ben Woolliss (2-0) vs. Maher Belkhadir (1-1)
Bantamweight Bout: Alexander Luster (7-1) vs. Alperen Karabulut (10-3, 1 NC)
Women’s Flyweight Bout: Dee Begley (4-5) vs. Paulina Wisniewska (2-0)
PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as UFC. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is primetime on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S. and is broadcast and streamed in 150 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.
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