The new year ushered in a lot of fights and a new significant change for PFL. The MMA promotion recently announced a new ruleset going forward.
Elbow shots are one of the most deadly moves in the cage and are a grappler’s best friend, but the move has been banned from PFL’s rule set due to the difficulty of the deadly cuts and injuries fighters endure. The ban was a cause of arguments for a lot of fighters as the move is a key strike for many, but the promotion took it for a test run in the 2024 World Championships, where they allowed this form of striking. After much feedback and complaints from fans, PFL founder Donn Davis announced that elbows would be allowed in every fight.
“New Year, new adjustments,” Davis wrote on Twitter. “You asked for elbows, [PFL] is giving you elbows! All elbows. And all fights. All the time. [PFL MMA 2025]… coming.”
The change puts the promotion in line with every other major MMA promotion, all of which allow the use of elbows on the ground and in the standup.
No PFL events are currently scheduled for 2025, though Bellator—which PFL owns—is set for its first show of the year on January 25 in Dubai, headlined by lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov defending against Paul Hughes.
