Former UFC Welterweight Division fighter Ryan FlaFlare announced his retirement from professional MMA competition in 2018.
It would appear that the retirement has come to an end, as LaFlare plans on competing in the third season of the PFL.
“PFL was the only organization I would fight for,” LaFlare said to MMA Fighting. “I probably wouldn’t go back to the UFC even they would bring it up. It really isn’t about the money. I just love the way the PFL is run. It’s not how much you talk or who’s the favorite with who. I just love it. It’s a no-nonsense business. You go and take care of your business and you get paid and you get rewarded regardless whether you’re talking. I understand there’s an entertainment thing but sometimes it gets carried away with the UFC. I haven’t talked to one person who fought for the PFL who had anything negative to say. To me, it was the only option for me.”
LaFlare had a solid run when competing in the UFC, earning a 7-3-0 record during his time in the promotion.
The UFC veteran also decided he wanted to fight in the PFL to potentially have a bout against Rory MacDonald.
“I always respected Rory MacDonald. He’s a very good fighter. I’m going back five or six years ago, we were both coming up, he was a little bit ahead of me but I always looked and him and said that’s a great matchup for me,” LaFlare said. “I like the matchup against him. I always thought I’d fight him in the UFC eventually but we never crossed paths. I never got to that point before getting hurt. So I saw him get signed and I thought here’s my chance. Because I know I can beat him. I’ve already envisioned myself beating him. As soon as I saw he signed, I said I want to do this.”
There is no word yet on when the third season of the PFL will begin, as the second season came to a close just over two weeks ago.
