The US military’s ever-expanding portfolio of recruitment efforts just broke new ground: the Professional Fighters League. This mixed martial arts league is watched the world over and a recent event in Nassau was sponsored by Air Force Special Ops and the Air Force Reserve Command. It seems no aspect of pop culture is free from the full spectrum dominance of Pentagon’s propaganda operations.
The Air Force lauded their successful promo event on one of their websites, noting:
The tag-team effort is something that will become the norm in the future as Air Force Recruiting Service integrates into one team, combining active duty and Reserve recruiting functions.
The PFL, which features both men and women fighters, is the first mixed martial arts organization to present the sport through a regular season, playoffs and championship format. The fights were broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The Air Force Reserve and Air Force Special Operations logos were featured prominently in the ring. Reserve and Special Ops commercials aired on the ESPN channels during the fights and digital advertising was displayed at the show.
This appears to be just the first blow in a new fight to recruit the next generation of airmen and airwomen, with the CEO of the Professional Fighters League Peter Murray saying:
We couldn’t be more excited to be partnered with the Air Force Reserve. One of our primary causes with the PFL is supporting the military, both active and retired. We believe in the Air Force Reserve’s mission and we believe we can help the Reserve recruit and get its messaging out. We are deeply dedicated to supporting our military and veterans and we look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Air Force Reserve by providing the ability to reach millions of MMA fans here in the U.S.
We have many athletes who are former military and we recognize them and celebrate that fact,” he said. “The PFL will work with the Reserve to raise awareness of the incredible work our servicemen and women are doing through events, digital and social platforms, and broadcasts.
Needless to say, I will be filing a FOIA request in the next few minutes to try to find out what the Air Force is paying for all this support from the PFL.