On Wednesday afternoon at the Hard Rock in South Florida, the Professional Fighters League and Bellator champions gathered for the press conference to promote the Feb. 24 promotion-vs-promotion event.
The show will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, quickly establishing itself as one of the top locations for all combat sports.
The PFL’s acquisition of Bellator in 2023 made the cross-promotional event possible, and the presser marked the first time all the athletes were in the same room and discussing their fights publicly.
Here is a look at the entire PFL-Bellator Champions card.
Before the fighters spoke, PFL President Peter Murray addressed the media, announcing the organization’s plans for 2024 and beyond.
Per Murray, the PFL vs. Bellator clash will be an annual event. Murray referred to it as a “tentpole event,” and urged the media to look at it like the “All-Star Game of MMA.”
Bellator events will also continue as Murray announced the new Bellator Champions series. Each event will feature at least one Bellator championship fight with locations around the globe, including the east and west coast of the United States.
Murray also revealed some details about the upcoming PFL Global season fighter pool. According to Murray, half of the field will comprise Bellator fighters. The participants will be announced in the coming months.
This info should be coming soon, considering the season begins in April.
The PFL regional leagues will return (PFL Europe), but with a new addition, PFL MENA (Middle East and North Africa).
Over the next six years, Murray guaranteed the PFL would have expanded to six regional leagues, providing an opportunity for fighters to build experience, a brand, and a following before competing in PFL Global.
Lastly, Murray discussed the PFL Superfights PPV division, which will be available via ESPN+ PPV in the US and DAZN internationally. The top stars in the promotion will compete on these cards, with Francis Ngannou likely headlining one of the shows later this year.
During the event, Ngannou’s name was on heavy rotation as Bellator and PFL champions Ryan Bader and Renan Ferreira called out the former UFC champ.
Bader and Ferreira face each other in the main event, and the winner seems set to face Ngannou in an upcoming PFL Superfights event.
Patricio Pitbull, the reigning Bellator featherweight champion, spoke glowingly about cross-promotion.
In addition to the champion vs. champion fights, several other PFL-Bellator clashes are on the card. One includes the MMA return of world-champion boxer Claressa Shields. Shields was appreciative of the opportunity to fight on the card and another chance to prove her development in MMA.
As the overall landscape of the first half of the 2024 MMA calendar comes into focus, the prospects are high for a strong year in the sport. Along with the UFC, the PFL could be central to the banner campaign based on the scheduled pacing.
