Former 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion Rob Wilkinson may have fought mere weeks ago, but ‘Razor’ is wasting no time looking for his next challenge. This time, he hopes, it will lead to an opportunity on home soil.
The Professional Fighters League announced its expansion into Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands last month, with the PFL Pacific League slated to debut in 2026.
Wilkinson has been the face of Australia’s growing PFL contingent since making his promotional debut in 2022, but it has been more than four years since the proud Tasmanian has fought in his home country.
That could be about to change with PFL now committed to bringing events to Australia, and the 33-year-old is keen to lead the charge for the promotion’s local stars.
“I’ve been hearing about it for a couple of years now, and I’m very excited for it actually to be going ahead,” Wilkinson told Fight News Australia.
“I think it’s going to be great for Australia, great for this region of the world for MMA, and I’m pretty excited to be able to fight back at home.”
PFL has yet to confirm the location of its inaugural Pacific event, but Wilkinson said, “I have a feeling” that the Gold Coast or Brisbane could be the frontrunners.
Wilkinson was last seen in the SmartCage in May – a TKO defeat to American veteran Phil Davis in the PFL light heavyweight tournament quarterfinals – but he is already mapping out the next stage of his career.
Although the Pacific League presents a huge opportunity for the former Hex Fight Series light heavyweight champion to make his long-awaited homecoming, he’s not prepared to wait that long to get back into the winners’ circle.
“I’d like to fight again before December. I’d like to get back in the win column before that,” Wilkinson said.
“I’d like to have a rematch with Phil Davis or with Dovlet Yagshimuradov. I’d love to get one of those fights back, but I’m not really sure who it would be at this stage.
“I’m used to being pretty active, and I feel like my body’s fine. I think we’re looking at maybe the end of August or September to step back in there, and it would be good to have that leading into PFL Pacific in December.”
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The PFL has made some inroads into the global MMA market in recent years. However, the UFC remains the dominant force across the globe.
The industry incumbent has also begun to branch out into other martial arts in recent years, such as submission grappling and even slap fighting. ONE Championship also boasts a diverse offering, with the Asian giant’s monthly events featuring a mix of MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling bouts.
Fight News Australia posed the idea of PFL following suit to Wilkinson, and he was more than happy to speculate, even going so far as to make a bold proposition.
“Doing some submission grappling, it’s always something fun you could do in between fights – but I’ll happily step in and fight Jake Paul in a boxing fight, ” he said.
“I don’t know if they want to run a boxing fight in Australia, but that would be pretty cool. That’s where I started, I have had a professional boxing fight, so the door’s always open for those sort of opportunities for me.”
Wherever Wilkinson’s combat sports odyssey takes him, the future appears bright. The Hybrid Training Centre representative remains focused on reclaiming light heavyweight gold, and his journey back to the top could culminate in every fighter’s dream – a title shot in his home country.
“That would be my goal: get two more fights in this year, and when they come to Australia next year, fight whoever the champion is and fight for the belt on home soil. That would be a very special moment for sure,” he said.
“The fans can always expect me to be coming forward, being aggressive and throwing hands in the middle of the cage.
“I’m always trying to evolve and add new skills to my game … and not just get stuck on one aspect, but I’m always looking for a finish.”
The PFL Pacific league will be available to watch in Australia via Stan Sports.
