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’ LukeShanks (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 PaulinaWisniewska (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.
