Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA unite in an effort to “transform the MMA landscape.”
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The news was made by the promotion on Monday following Bellator’s conclusion of its last event with Showtime over the weekend.
Bellator MMA is now owned by a new company. The PFL declared on Monday that it has acquired the promotion from Paramount in order to forge a more formidable rival to the UFC. After the promotion was sold, Paramount acquired a small share in the newly established business.
Bellator 301 concluded this past Friday, the promotion’s last show on Showtime while owned by Paramount Global. For months, there have been rumours that the promotion is for sale, with PFL looking like the most likely candidate. When the promotion obtained a $100 million investment from the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund earlier in 2023, rumours that PFL was making the move intensified.
In a comment to The Financial Times, Davis stated, “This completely changes the MMA landscape overnight.” “In essence, you combined two top-ranked businesses to get a co-leader. Thirty percent of the fighters on the combined PFL and Bellator roster are now ranked in the top 25 worldwide by Fight Matrix. That matches what the UFC’s roster consists of.”
After acquiring Bellator in 2011, Viacom broadcast events on MTV2, Spike/Paramount Network, CBS Sports Network, and Showtime, among other networks. During that time, DAZN began to stream Bellator events as well.
According to Davis, Bellator will operate independently of the PFL for the foreseeable future and will enforce its own regulations for fighting, which include elbow strikes. Women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg appeared to corroborate this during the event on Saturday. Nonetheless, the promotions will exchange fighter rosters.
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The PFL presently has a season schedule that culminates in tournaments with a $1 million prize, and it airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+. Along with growing into pay-per-view events, the organisation has signed prominent figures in the sport, like top heavyweight Francis Ngannou and social media phenomenon Jake Paul.
