After an extended hiatus owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Professional Fighters League is set to return for its 2021 season on April 23.
There will be six regular reason shows in all, running through June on ESPN 2 in the US – and legendary WWE ring announcer Lilian Garcia will be introducing all the action once again.
“This year is gonna be sparks, especially because of 2020 not happening,” Garcia told SCMP MMA. “Everybody’s been waiting a whole other year for this, so there’s gonna be fire from day one.”
The 54-year-old American debuted for the promotion in its 2019 season, having spent 15 years with professional wrestling giants WWE. But she admitted she thought her announcing days were done and dusted – and especially didn’t picture herself crossing the combat sports divide into mixed martial arts.
“After I left WWE, I didn’t even think, to be honest with you, I was gonna be stepping into another realm,” Garcia said. “But then the opportunity came by a friend of mine who said, ‘Hey, the PFL is looking for you to be their announcer for MMA’, and I was like, ‘Whoah, that would be awesome’.
“So I contacted them and had a great meeting with [executives] George Greenberg and James [Bramson]. I was immediately intrigued. I also love the sport of MMA – I’m very much into the realm of combat sports. I really respect the athletes.
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“They gave me this opportunity and I’m not gonna lie, I was a little timid and scared, and felt it was my first day all over again in WWE,” she said. “But they set me up to win and it was just so much fun and here I am. I’m gonna be back again, I’m just so excited.”
MMA always intrigued Garcia, especially given the potential for crossover between both worlds, with Brock Lesnar becoming a UFC heavyweight champ, and former bantamweight champ and women’s MMA icon Ronda Rousey going the other way to conquer WWE.
“With MMA, I always thought these guys are out there to kill each other. Then when I actually sat at ringside and see jiu-jitsu mixed in with boxing and wrestling, and really started to see these guys are super nice backstage, and they get in there and something clicks and it is a sport. That’s what fascinated me and I’m just getting to be a fan of it more and more.”
On the surface the two jobs seem similar – like WWE, the PFL has also utilised Garcia’s talent by having her sing the national anthem on its New Year’s Eve championship show in 2019.
But there are differences, albeit subtle ones, to the new gig.
“In WWE, I memorised everything. In MMA, there’s a reason you have a card,” she added, laughing. “The stats are always changing. There are a lot of different things to say about a fighter, and even the tone of it. There’s just a little few things here and there. But it’s fun, because it’s a whole new challenge for me.”
She’s also been able to bring some of her diehard pro wrestling fan base over to MMA.
“There’s been a lot of the fans that have said they’ve never watched MMA, and said, ‘Whoah, you’re announcing there? I have to check it out’. Now they send me messages or tweets saying, ‘This is so cool’.
“And what they love is the PFL has that format which is so easy to follow, because it is kind of like [American] football, right? You’ve got the regular season, then the play-offs, and the championship. It’s the bracket, the narrowing down, the million-dollar prize at the end. You follow the fighters and their journey, and by New Year’s Eve you’re so excited to see who takes it all.”
Garcia admitted she was “devastated like everybody else” after the coronavirus pandemic put paid to the PFL’s plans for the 2020 season, with the organisation ultimately opting to regroup for 2021.
“You didn’t wanna see that, especially coming off such a high New Year’s Eve show, and just a great season,” she said. “Everyone was so excited to have the third season and another million dollars given away in each division. Everyone was so ready, but corona just had a different plan for everybody’s life. But you just gotta roll with it.”
The “silver lining” for Garcia was the opportunity to work on a new show called Prep Point with the PFL, which can be found on the promotion’s YouTube channel and app.
“I got to interview a lot of the new fighters you’re gonna be seeing in the 2021 season, and I love that,” Garcia said. “It’s about getting to know the fighters in a different way before they step into the cage. Now I’ll be even more prepared.”
Garcia still has a working relationship with WWE, hosting her Chasing Glory podcast on the company’s WWE Network, which has just finished season one.
“I’m just taking it day by day, and as opportunities come I’m always open,” she said. “And I tell people to do that – don’t think it always has to look one way. Just seize the opportunities that come your way, and get excited and roll with it.”
