Let’s go back a bit into your childhood. Remember the times your parents stopped you and your sibling from thrashing each other with a pillow? Well, with some encouragement, you could have been part of the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) today. Yes, it’s a real thing and it takes pillow fighting from the playroom to the ring.
However, it’s not all child’s play. South Florida’s PFC, or the Pillow Fight Championship, has a line-up of current and former professional fighters, and, as with any sport, the rules are rigid for both men and women. The weapon of choice is not just your average pillow. The specialized, patent-pending combat pillows get durable handles and ripstop nylon to allow for fast and hard-hitting movements and make a sound when a strike is made.
PFC had its first live, pay-per-view ‘Pound Down’ event on January 29, 2022. Sixteen men and eight women, who have backgrounds in mixed martial arts and boxing, participated in this showdown. Pro MMA fighter Istela Nunes from Brazil was declared the winner in the women’s finals after she defeated America’s Kendahl Voelker. The winner of the men’s final was American MMA fighter Hauley Tillman; he took down UFC veteran Marcus Brimage. The first-ever PFC winners earned a title belt and a $5,000 cash prize.
About the championship, PFC CEO Steve Williams says, “It’s not something where you sit there and laugh and feathers are flying. It’s serious. It’s hardcore swinging with specialised pillows. The only difference between our fights and MMA fights is that nobody gets hurt,” he added. “The fighters don’t like to get hurt, and there’s a lot of people who don’t want to see the blood. They want to see good competition, they just don’t want to see the violence.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBoEGio2bO8
This unique combat sport isn’t just about hard-hitting pillow fighting, it also has a good entertainment value. Williams added, “PFC delivers all the drama of hand-to-hand combat without the gore of mixed martial arts or boxing.” And you ask for drama, the fights did not disappoint.
There’s good news for young pillow-fighting aspirants. This fun sport isn’t restricted to adults, as PFC’s website has a category for kids, where they can register and participate in the sport.
