If you follow sports, you have noticed an uptick in Alex Rodriguez appearances.
Well, the former Major League Baseball standout could be coming to an MMA television soon.
Rodriguez was announced as a new investor in the Professional Fighters League. The PFL is currently preparing for the second half of the regular season, which begins in Atlanta in June.
In a press release from the PFL, the promotion announced that they have completed a $30 million Serie E equity round to fund global expansion. Part of that includes the launch of the new PPV Super Fight division.
Announced in the release was that Rodriguez is among the new group of investors. Joining him will be Daniel Leff of Waverley Capital, who also joins the PFL’s board of directors.
“I love the global reach of MMA,” Rodriguez said. “The PFL continues to build and innovate for fans, media, and fighters and there is massive demand in the marketplace.”
Peter Murray, CEO of the PFL, credits this new addition as a way to offset the cost of putting on pay-per-view events. The PFL currently has a deal with ESPN to air live events on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. They are also on worldwide distributors to over 160 countries.
“With this new capital, PFL is open for business to sign the biggest MMA star fighters in the world to our new PPV Super Fight Division,” Murray said. “Just as we changed the game with our league season format, we will now disrupt the long-overdue pay-per-view business for the benefit of fighters by partnering to make them major participants in the revenue of their own fights.”
Rodriguez finished his career with 696 home runs and over 3,000 hits. He is the chairman and CEO of A-Rod Corp as well as the chairman of Presidente beer. Rodriguez has also been working to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA.