Bellator 301 on Friday night was the last event in the promotion’s existence under Paramount as PFL announced on Monday that it has acquired the company. According to a press release, it will combine the fight rosters and include PFL v. Bellator Champions in “Mega-Event” in 2024.
New MMA Global Powerhouse@PFLMMA acquires @Bellator
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) November 20, 2023
Our Fighter Roster Equal To UFC – Both 30% Top 25 World Ranked FIghters
PFL Launch Reimagined Bellator – Bellator International Champions Series
Mega-Event For Fans In 2024 – PFL Champs vs. Bellator Champs pic.twitter.com/Ma4YUl4AUi
Via press release:
PFL has acquired an immense number of top fighters through the Bellator acquisition, and its combined fighter roster is now equal in stature to UFC. PFL and UFC both showcase rosters that are 30% comprised of fighters who are top 25 independently world-ranked in their weight-classes. In addition, PFL + Bellator now has the best roster of women’s fighters in the world. All newly acquired Bellator fighters will become part of the PFL platform and available to compete in PFL fight franchises.
PFL will continue the Bellator brand, and Bellator will be the “one-off” event product from PFL. PFL will launch a reimagined Bellator product in 2024 – the “Bellator International Champions Series.” The Bellator International Champions Series will consist of eight fight events each year hosted in major cities across the globe, and each Bellator event will feature two compelling co-main fights competing for championship belts.
Bellator becomes one of five live fight franchises of the Professional Fighters League: PFL League Season, PFL PPV Super Fights, PFL Challenger Series, PFL International Leagues, and Bellator. Overall, the company can now meet fan and media demand by producing and programming a year-round calendar of live fight content with 30 premium MMA events per year.
PFL as a fighter-first and fan-focused organization plans to stage a landmark mega-event in 2024 – PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions. The PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions mega-event will feature the champions of each promotion in all seven weight-classes in a head-to-head epic fight experience.
Payout Perspective:
The deal was rumored since this past summer, and it has come to fruition. Actual dollar terms have not been disclosed. PFL received an investment of money from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund this past year which made this transaction more likely. We will see how and if PFL can compete with UFC. Per its press release, it boasts that it now has 30% of the top 25 independently world-ranked fighters in the world on par with the UFC.
Leave a Reply