PFL owns Bellator, but what does it mean?

After many months of speculation, it’s official – PFL have acquired Bellator MMA. Rumours of a possible buyout have circulated for months, but an announcement from PFL president Donn Davis formally confirmed that they are now the owners of Paramount’s MMA promotion.

It isn’t a shock, given the extensive media coverage in the past year, but it is still a major announcement. There has been much fanfare, but what does it all mean? What will actually change for the fans? How will the fighters be affected? That’s what I’m here to talk about.

According to the press release from Davis, the acquistion of Bellator by PFL will create a “global MMA powerhouse.” He mentioned that the Bellator brand will now become one of the many subsidiaries of PFL, much like the Challenger Series or PFL Europe. He says this “reimagined” product will be known as Bellator International Champions Series. It will consist of eight events per year, taking place in cities across the world and featuring two title fights.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t see a crossover between the promotions, however. As of the purchase, all fighters under contract with Bellator will now be a part of the wider PFL roster. This means that we could see Bellator talent compete in the League Season, International Seasons or possibly even the Super Fight League.

It isn’t likely that we’ll see reigning Bellator champions jump ship to such events in the near future. This is because Davis also revealed the promotion’s plan to pit seven PFL champions against their Bellator counterparts in a 2024 mega-event. The 2023 League Season comes to a close this weekend with the PFL World Championships, which will crown five champions. The victors of these bouts will be expected to take on Bellator champions in the first or second quarter of next year.

Whether PFL can go on to become the “co-leader of MMA” and truly become a competitor to the UFC remains to be seen. What is certain now is that today marks a monumental day for mixed martial arts. The future appears to be bright, so I’m looking forward to seeing what PFL can do with this new addition to their arsenal.

***

For more MMA content, stay tuned to Violent Money TV.