When Jake Shields makes his Professional Fighters League 2018 season debut Thursday, he’ll be on the same playing field as everyone else.
That’s a new scenario for the 39-year-old fighter who meets Ray Cooper III in the main event of PFL 3 at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D.C. Shields is certainly the most experienced and recognizable competitor in the league’s welterweight division, but due to its unique points system, his reputation will have no impact on the matchmaking.
In the PFL, fighters are rewarded with three points for a win and they receive additional points for a finish (three points for a first-round finish, two for a second-round finish, one for a third-round finish).