PFL in Good Hands With Sefo Finding the Next Generation of Talent

Published 02/23/2021, 1:27 PM EST

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Ray Sefo knows exactly what he is looking for when scouting talent for the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

As president of the most innovative and fastest growing league in the world, Sefo relies on his vast experience competing himself to uncover the next wave of talent for the PFL.

“My job is to study fighters,” Sefo said. “I scout talent, look for talent and sign them and match them up for the best fights.

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“Training and staying fit definitely helps me make decisions on certain fighters because it keeps my mind clear.”

Sefo spent over two decades competing in mixed martial arts, kickboxing and boxing, winning six world titles in six different weight classes. He finished with almost 90 combined fights, winning 65 of them.

“I’ve been in martial arts since I was five,” Sefo said. “Growing up in New Zealand, boxing was big. My dad boxed, so did my uncles and cousins. That’s where it started.

“My strength was my mind. You had to knock me out or finish me for the fight to end. I was willing to go all the way.”

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Sefo continues to train and spar at least twice a week while searching the globe for the latest PFL superstar. He has helped groom a roster that currently includes former Olympic gold medalists Kayla Harrison and Claressa Shields along with MMA world champions Lance Palmer, Natan Schulte, Ray Cooper III, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis and countless others.

“Ray has been in there, been in brawls,” Harrison said. “He gets it from a business-standpoint and that of the fighter.”

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With all of his experiences, Sefo has been able to see the growth of MMA first-hand – especially that of the rise of the PFL to the top of the podium.

“From 1993 when I first saw it to today, it is unbelievable to see how much the sport has evolved,” he said. “How much the fighters have evolved. My son, who is 11, is doing jiu-jitsu and kickboxing with me since he was five years old. Ten-to-15 years from now, MMA is going to continue to grow and PFL is going to be a big part of it.”

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Written by:

Varun Khanna

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Starting off as a tennis author in 2018, Varun Khanna has gone on to contribute to EssentiallySports in various capacities. After setting up interviews with the likes of Serena Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Alizé Cornet, and Noah Rubin, Varun is now part of all major ATP and WTA press conferences and has gone on to pen more than 1300 articles for EssentiallySports. He now heads the tennis and NBA division of the organization.
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