Josh Thomson Blasts PFL Leadership: Get Your Sh*t Together

Josh Thomson isn't holding back when it comes to his thoughts on the PFL's current state. The former Strikeforce champion and Bellator veteran believes the organization is struggling, and he shared a baffling encounter with PFL co-founder Donn Davis that highlights his concerns.

“Let me give you an example,” Thomson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I worked the Battle of the Giants Riyadh show for them. Donn Davis walked up to me, ‘Hey, man, love watching your fights. I’m pumped to watch your fight tomorrow night.’”

There’s just one problem—Thomson hasn’t fought since 2017.Rather than making a scene, Thomson chose to brush it off. But the incident, he says, speaks volumes about the lack of awareness at the top levels of the PFL.

Since PFL’s acquisition of Bellator, things have been chaotic, according to Thomson. Fighters like Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, Aaron Pico, and Patchy Mix have expressed frustration over being left in limbo. Freire recently secured his release, raising further questions about PFL’s handling of its roster.

Thomson, who co-hosts the Weighing In podcast alongside John McCarthy, made it clear that the MMA world needs viable alternatives to the UFC, but he's losing confidence in the PFL leadership.

“I wish PFL would get their sh*t together,” Thomson said. “The bottom line is we need another promotion (other than the UFC). We need another promotion that has access and can build upcoming talent. I don’t know if they can build it.”

His biggest issue? The lack of knowledge from Davis and PFL CEO Peter Murray.

“Do I have faith in Donn Davis and Pete Murray? I have no faith in them in being able to get the job done,” he stated bluntly. “They don’t watch the sport, they don’t know the sport, they don’t know their athletes.”

Despite moving away from its regular season format in favor of tournament brackets, PFL’s future remains murky. Questions linger about Francis Ngannou’s next move after debuting with the promotion last year. Additionally, Jake Paul, who signed with PFL in early 2023, has yet to step into the SmartCage for an MMA fight.

While Thomson has little faith in the promotion's upper management, he does believe in one key figure—Mike Kogan.

“Mike Kogan can step in and do that,” Thomson said. “He’s built stars in Elite XC, in Strikeforce, and he’s helped alongside (Scott) Coker, Rich Chou, and those guys. He can do it again for the PFL, but you’ve got to give him some reigns to go ahead and do that.”

With so much uncertainty surrounding the PFL, the organization will need to prove it can keep its roster happy and capitalize on its high-profile signings. If not, Thomson’s blunt assessment may prove to be spot on.