PFL acquires Bellator MMA as promotion forms "global powerhouse" to rival UFC

20 November 2023 , 17:38

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PFL has announced their acquisition of Bellator MMA just days before their 2023 World Championship event

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has acquired Bellator MMA as the two promotions have merged in a bid to rival the UFC.

PFL has acquired some of the best fighters in the world with the merger, such as unbeaten champions Usman Nurmagomedov and Johnny Eblen. All newly acquired Bellator fighters will become part of the PFL platform and available to compete in any of the promotion's fight franchises.

Bellator will be continued as its own brand through the PFL as they will launch an International Champions Series next year. The series will consist of eight events each year hosted in major cities across the world and each Bellator event will feature two fights competing for championship belts.

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“PFL is now a global powerhouse in MMA. Our Bellator acquisition turbocharges PFL’s mission to innovate the sport and become the industry co-leader," said Donn Davis, the PFL Founder and Chairman. Peter Murray, the promotion's CEO, said: “The combined PFL and Bellator fighter rosters are second to none in MMA. We can’t wait to bring MMA fans what they have been asking for - best vs best."

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PFL plans to stage a landmark event next year that will see all of their champions fight Bellator's champions. The mega-event will feature the champions of each promotion in all seven weight classes in a head-to-head fight experience. PFL and UFC both showcase rosters that are 30 percent comprised of fighters who are top 25 independently world-ranked in their weight classes.

Davis also revealed the PFL has offered Bellator president Scott Coker and his entire team the opportunity to stay on with the brand if they wish. Paramount, the media company that owned Bellator, is also still involved in the company through a minority stake. Details of Bellator events, distribution, partnerships, and management will be announced at a later date.

Bellator has served fighters and fans worldwide for more than a decade, with the promotion hosting their final event in Bellator 301 last Friday. PFL was formerly known as World Series of Fighting (WSOF) but since their rebranding in 2018, they have hosted events with a sports-season format where fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship.

Harry Davies