Professional Fighters League (PFL) has acquired Bellator, creating a powerhouse in the MMA industry. This deal includes top fighters and positions PFL as a major competitor to UFC. Read more about this significant move in the world of mixed martial arts.
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| Professional Fighters League (PFL) has acquired Bellator from Paramount Global, creating a major player in the MMA industry. |
| All Bellator fighters will now be part of the PFL platform and can compete in PFL fight franchises. |
| PFL and UFC now have rosters that are 30% comprised of top 25 independently world-ranked fighters in their weight-classes. |
| PFL with Bellator now has the strongest roster of women’s fighters in the world. |
| PFL plans to launch a reimagined Bellator product in 2024 called the Bellator International Champions Series. |
| PFL can now produce and program a year-round calendar of live fight content with 30 premium MMA events per year. |
| PFL is organizing a mega-event called PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions for next year. |
Professional Fighters League (PFL) has made a significant move in the mixed martial arts (MMA) industry by acquiring Bellator from Paramount Global. This deal not only includes top fighters but also positions PFL as a major competitor to UFC. The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. PFL’s acquisition of Bellator comes after Paramount’s announcement to shut down the sports operations at Showtime. As a result of this deal, all Bellator fighters will now be part of the PFL platform and have the opportunity to compete in PFL fight franchises. PFL and UFC now both boast rosters that are 30% comprised of top 25 independently world-ranked fighters in their weight-classes. Additionally, PFL with Bellator now has the strongest roster of women’s fighters in the world. PFL is owned by Endeavor through TKO Holdings, and it received a significant investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. PFL will continue to operate the Bellator brand, but it plans to launch a reimagined Bellator product in 2024 called the Bellator International Champions Series. This series will consist of eight fight events held in major cities worldwide. Each Bellator event will feature two co-main fights competing for championship belts. With this acquisition, PFL can now produce and program a year-round calendar of live fight content with 30 premium MMA events per year. PFL is also organizing a mega-event called PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions for next year, where the best fighters from both organizations will face off. The details of Bellator events, distribution, partnerships, and management will be announced at a later date. Donn Davis and Peter Murray will continue to lead and operate the combined company as PFL Chairman and Founder and PFL CEO, respectively. This acquisition solidifies PFL’s position as a global powerhouse in MMA and allows them to provide fans with the best matchups in the sport.
