PFL Europe announces 2024 schedule, including Paris kick-off

The second PFL Europe season is locked and loaded for 2024, with the two regular season events, plus the playoffs, all officially announced by PFL officials.

The 2024 campaign will kick off in Paris, France on Thursday, March 7, with French kickboxing superstar-turned-MMA talent Cedric Doumbe set to star in the main event.

Doumbe almost blew the roof off the Accor Arena last year at the PFL Europe Playoffs, where his stunning knockout of Jordan Zebo left the Paris crowd – including French football superstar Kylian Mbappe – open-mouthed in amazement.

Now “The Best” is set to return as he puts his 5-0 record on the line against fellow undefeated prospect, 8-0 Baissangour Chamsoudinov, in PFL Europe’s first headline bout of the year.

The event, which will take place at Accor Arena and stream live on DAZN, will also see the start of the 2024 PFL Europe season, which will feature four weight classes, including the introduction of the 170-pound welterweight division.

The second show on the PFL Europe schedule will see the SmartCage return to Newcastle, England on June 8 for the second regular season show, before the promotion breaks new ground by heading across the border to Glasgow, Scotland, for the PFL Europe Playoffs, which will take place in the atmospheric OVO Hydro Arena on September 28.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring the biggest French MMA superstar to the biggest arena in Paris, in front of the crowd that was voted the best MMA crowd in the world in 2023,” said PFL Europe’s Head of Fighter Operations, Dan Hardy.

“Cedric Doumbe’s presence at the top of the card will cap off what is set to be a huge night of showcase fights featuring local French and European talent, as well as the kick-off of another exciting season of the PFL Europe league format.”

The inaugural PFL Europe season was hailed as a huge success, with four PFL Europe champions crowned on a huge night of fights in Dublin.

England’s Dakota Ditcheva capped off a dominant season by capturing the women’s flyweight title with a first-round finish of Italy’s Valentina Scatizzi, while Germany’s Khurshed Kakhorov stopped Ireland’s Frans Mlambo to win the bantamweight title.

Poland’s Jakub Kaszuba stopped Ireland’s John Mitchell to claim the lightweight crown, while Slovenia’s Jakob Nedoh produced arguably the performance of the night to finish highly-fancied Englishman Simeon Powell and win the light heavyweight title.

Kaszuba was named in the release as a returning champion, but further details of the other divisions will be announced in due course.