The PFL League, backed by Saudi Arabian investors, has officially purchased the Bellator MMA organization, PFL founder Donn Davis announced in an interview with the Financial Times.
According to Davis, Bellator’s former owner, Paramount Global, will retain a small stake in the organization, which will exist independently, but Bellator fighters will be able to compete in PFL, and vice versa.
In addition, in 2024, the PFL and Bellator will hold a joint tournament in which the champions of the two organizations will compete, and the PFL leadership has made no secret of the fact that it intends to deprive the UFC of the status of the sole leader of the industry.
“It completely changes the landscape of MMA,” Davis stated. “Essentially, the industry’s two number twos are coming together to become the second leader. In the joint PFL and Bellator roster, thirty percent of the fighters are ranked in the top 25 of the world rankings by Fight Matrix, just like the UFC roster.”
The fact of the deal was officially confirmed by Bellator MMA representatives.
“We have joined the PFL family,” reads a post on the organization’s official social media accounts.
The Bellator MMA league held a Bellator 301 tournament this past weekend, and there are currently no scheduled events on the organization’s official calendar.
The PFL league will hold its final tournament of the season on Nov. 24 to determine the 2023 champions. Among the Russians competing for titles are heavyweight Denis Goltsov, welterweight Magomed Magomedkerimov and women’s flyweight division representative Marina Mokhnatkina.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/33204-liga-pfl-ofitsialno-kupila-bellator-mma.html?rand=19907
