Since its inception in 2017 the Professional Fighters League has played host to a number of talented British fighters.
The promotion initially utilised a tournament format rarely seen in mixed martial arts, with fighters competing multiple times over the regular season in order to earn a place in the playoffs.
From there the athletes would compete in two semi-finals, with the winners facing off for a $1million dollar prize.
While the PFL has since adopted a more traditional format of champions defending their belts on a one-off basis, the tournament style provided a number of British fighters an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of a global audience.
In the eight years since the PFL held their inaugural event four British fighters have been crowned tournament champions and we've taken a look at their stories.
Brendan Loughnane - (Featherweight)
Defeated Bubba Jenkins (TKO) - November 2022
A pioneer of British MMA, Brendan Loughnane first made a name for himself as a contestant on the UK vs Australia version of The Ultimate Fighter, before establishing himself as one of the most talented fighters outside of the UFC.
After being controversially denied a UFC contract despite picking up a win on Dana White's Contender Series in 2019, Loughnane would go on to sign with the PFL and immediately become a stalwart of the promotion's 145lbs weight class.#
Defeated by Movlid Khaybulaev in the final of the 2021 season, the Manchester-born striker dusted himself off and returned the following year - picking up four wins in the space of six months to be crowned champion.
Dakota Ditcheva - (Women's Flyweight)
Defeated Talia Santos (TKO) - November 2022
A product of the PFL's European expansion, Dakota Ditcheva was less than 12 months into her MMA career when she signed with the promotion in 2021.
Daughter of former multiple-time world champion Lisa Howarth - and a decorated kickboxer in her own right - Ditcheva made an immediate splash in PFL Europe, winning the women's flyweight tournament to earn a place in the following year's world tournament.
Despite her relative inexperience the 27-year-old picked up right where she left off after arriving on the biggest stage, earning three stoppage finishes to secure a final showdown with former UFC title challenger Talia Santos.
Stepping up again in competition Ditcheva appeared entirely unphased, utilising her elite striking to its fullest extent and stopping the Brazilian following a relentless barrage in the second round.
Alfie Davis - (Lightweight)
Defeated Gadzhi Rabadanov (UD) - August 2025
Though he was unsuccessful in his attempt to dethrone the seemingly unstoppable Usman Nurmagomedov in his most recent outing, Alfie Davis remains one of the most exciting talents in British MMA.
A standout in the lightweight division, Davis one of a number of talents at 155lbs brought over when the PFL acquired Bellator in 2023.
After a loss to Mansour Barnaoui in his PFL debut Davis went on a tear during the 2025 lightweight tournament, kicking off his campaign with a spectacular first-round KO of Clay Collard.
Davis then went on to beat former Bellator champion Brent Primus before defeating Gadzhi Rabadanov to end the Russian's 12-fight unbeaten run and claim be crowned PFL tournament winner.
Fabian Edwards (Middleweight)
Defeated Dalton Rosta (TKO) - August 2025
The brother of former UFC champion Leon, Fabian Edwards faced the difficult task of stepping outside his brother's shadow as he embarked on his own path as a mixed martial artist.
After picking up wins over the likes of Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi during his time in Bellator, Edwards moved over to the PFL and was defeated by Johnny Eblen in a rematch for the Bellator belt.
The Jamaican-born middleweight returned to form the following year, stopping former tournament winner Impa Kansanganay before besting Josh Silveira on the judges' scorecards to set up a tournament final showdown with Dalton Rosta.
Cleary taking a page out of his brother's book, Edwards claimed the world title with a stunning head kick KO - three years to the day that Leon knocked out Kamaru Usman to claim the UFC title.
