Ahead of the contest’s new season, which is scheduled to start on 20 April, the PFL and Rival have entered into a partnership allowing fans of the MMA tournament to compete in a series of competitions with “popular gaming titles.”

Rival’s enterprise solution will purportedly enable the PFL and fans to “to host competitive tournaments in their community along with future esports initiatives.”

Whoever wins the first tournament on Rival’s gaming platform will receive a private match hosted by 2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Carlos Jr. What’s more, this agreement marks Rival’s first partnership in the combat sports space.

Dan Parise, Rival’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome PFL and their passionate fanbase to the Rival platform.

“With the launch of their new gaming community, PFL continues the trend of creativity and innovation when it comes to engaging fans and creating opportunities for corporate partners.”

The PFL was founded in 2018 and sees fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs and championship.

The four competitors in each division who win the most points during the regular season advance to the playoffs for a chance to compete in the PFL World Championship and win $1m.

“The PFL is proud to partner with Rival and embrace esports in a specialised gaming community giving MMA fans unprecedented connectivity,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray.

“In this first of its kind partnership the PFL continues to disrupt traditional MMA, embrace technology and give our fans a unique experience.”