The PFL suspended two fighters for the 2023 season, both fighters did not actually fight in PFL Atlanta.
Natan Schulte and Rush Manfio were in action for PFL 6 last Friday (June 23). Both fighters shared the cage in the preliminary portion of the card. It was a weird fight with very little action. Schulte won the fight via unanimous decision. This performance of the two fighters forced the PFL to give quite severe sanctions.
The PFL has suspended the 2 fighters for the year 2023
Boring fights are nothing new in combat sports. Not every fight can be entertaining, but Schulte and Manfio are close friends. Schulte is actually godfather to Manfio’s daughter. This led to speculation that neither man really wanted to be in the cage on fight night and it showed.
As a result, the PFL suspended both men from the regular season. Here is a statement from the promotion:
“Last night Natan Schulte and Raush Manfio failed to live up to the standards that all PFL fighters accept in competition. All fighters in their PFL sparring agreements agree to use their “best efforts, skill and ability as a professional athlete to compete and defeat any opponent”.
It was very clear that Natan and Raush failed to live up to that contractual standard in yesterday’s fight. The PFL immediately suspended both fighters for the season and deemed the fight to have no points for league standings purposes.
The PFL is taking this action in recognition of its responsibility to all PFL fighters and all fans of the organization.
