Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez invests in PFL, joins board of directors

Alex Rodriguez has stepped up to the plate – in MMA.

Rodriguez, a former Major League Baseball star with the New York Yankees, has invested in the PFL and will have a seat on the company’s board of directors, the promotion announced Thursday.

Rodriguez, along with Waverley Capital, contributed to a $30 million funding round. The terms of the investment were not disclosed. The latest funding will go toward global expansion and the launch of PFL’s targeted pay-per-view “super fight division.”

“I love the global reach of MMA,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “The PFL continues to build and innovate for fans, media, and fighters, and there is massive demand in the marketplace.”

Rodriguez joins many investors who have contributed to a total funding to date of $200 million. These investors include other celebrities and former athletes such as rapper Wiz Khalifa and football Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

PFL was founded in 2018 following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting promotion by MMAX Investment Partners.

PFL currently streams and airs on ESPN+ and ESPN. Its roster includes notable talent such as Kayla Harrison, Ray Cooper III, Rory MacDonald, Fabricio Werdum, Julia Budd, Anthony Pettis, Jeremy Stephens, Clay Collard and more.