Flashback: June 30, 2017. Daytona International Speedway, normally known exclusively as a racetrack for NASCAR events, played host to PFL Daytona. It was a noteworthy night in MMA history.
Three short months earlier, the PFL’s predecessor, The World Series of Fighting, held its final event on St. Patrick’s Day before rebranding to its current moniker. In June of 2017, the PFL began its life with a series of one-off events before moving onto its season format the next year.
PFL Daytona marked the start of what’s now become MMA’s No. 2 promotion. It wasn’t without its (slight) problems, however. The gameplan for June 30, 2017 at the Daytona International Speedway was slated to go like this:
Early in the evening, NASCAR’s Independence Day weekend festivities were to have begun with the staging of the Firecracker 250 as part of the Xfinity Series at 7:30 pm ET on the now-defunct NBCSN.
Rain Delay in NASCAR Race Forces Early Start to PFL Daytona
PFL Daytona was scheduled to been NBCSN’s lead-out following the checkered flag of the Firecracker 250 (now known as the Wawa 250), but given how humid the summer months in Florida can get, a rainstorm delayed the on-track activities, eventually suspending the race for the evening. At the time of the suspension of the race, the Firecracker 250 completed 11 laps.
With the remainder of the Firecracker 250 pushed back until the next afternoon by rain, PFL Daytona started ahead of schedule, taking place under suboptimal weather conditions on the track’s infield.
Drivers who were in Daytona for the weekend’s on-track events were in the stands for the show.
PFL Daytona Crazy Night
This was a wild evening of action. Given that the Firecracker 250 was suspended 11 laps in and PFL Daytona began before it was advertised to, rainfall and humidity were still very much factors by the time that the first fight of the night began.
Smealinho Rama (11-5-1 MMA) and Ronny Markes (25-10 MMA) not only battled one another, but the conditions that the outdoor environment presented that summer Friday. The contest went the full three rounds, with Markes securing a unanimous decision on the scorecards.
Smealinho Rama Injured During PFL Daytona
In the aftermath of the event, Rama was interviewed by James Lynch, discussing the challenges brought on by fighting in the elements.
“They had us fighting outside and it was raining,” Rama said at the time. “I blew my knee out and I had to get surgery again.” Rama mentioned that his knee injury occurred during the opening round of the fight.
“If you can see us, you can catch us slipping,” he recalled. “I let him go when he slipped at one point and then he let me go. Man, it’s unfortunate that it happened, but I feel like I didn’t get a fair chance in that fight, because this guy wants to keep me on the ground and we’re on the ground. We’re slipping and falling all over the place, and, man, it was just (expletive deleted.)”
“I know they’re not going to make that mistake anymore, and I’m not worried about that fight,” he said.
Should PFL Daytona Have Been Called Off?
As someone who watched PFL Daytona live as it happened on digital cable, that night will forever rank among the top as far as crazy nights of action in the cage go. Outdoor MMA comes with an inherent risk of the chance that the weather could go south on the fighters and spectators at any given moment.
NASCAR drivers, like the ones who trek to Daytona every February and July, are accustomed to driving at high speeds, well into the triple figures in miles-per-hour. As such, it doesn’t take much thought to figure out why they don’t and can’t race in rain.
While MMA fighters don’t have to worry about going 180 MPH on a racetrack, they’re accustomed to fighting inside in an arena setting, a controlled environment. When you literally take the fight outside, you’re ceding part of the control to Mother Nature herself.
PFL Daytona: Excellent Maiden Voyage Despite Weather
Despite the challenges brought on by rainy weather conditions, this was an unforgettable night of fights inside the outdoor cage. Three of the four fights booked for that evening saw the judges determine the winner, with Jason High besting Caros Fodor by unanimous decision and Herman Terrado getting his hand raised versus Joao Zeferino via split decision.
In the headlining fight, Jon Fitch (32-8-2, 1 NC), the final welterweight champion in WSOF history, locked in a bulldog choke to defeat Brian Foster (30-13 MMA) in the second round of the contest. Fitch left the PFL after the fight and signed with Bellator the following winter before retiring in 2020.
Final Thoughts
What do you remember about PFL Daytona? Let us know in the comments.
