SUMMARY
- PFL has acquired Bellator after months and months of speculation.
- There are plans to host a card where champions of both promotions will face each other.
Professional Fighters League or PFL just made a massive stride to bridge the gap between them and the UFC. For quite some time, it was well-documented that Bellator, which was owned by Paramount, was up for sale. While UFC President Dana White had no interest in cooping up the MMA promotion, PFL certainly did!
Ahead of the sale, Belltor’s valuation reportedly stood at a whopping $500 million. However, as of now, there is no word on how much PFL actually paid to seal the deal. Ahead of the sale, the Scott Coker-led company held events that were available for free to MMA fans on CBS and Showtime’s streaming service. But, with PFL buying out the company, it is most likely to stream on ESPN+, the home of UFC and PFL.
New MMA Global Powerhouse@PFLMMA acquires @Bellator
Our Fighter Roster Equal To UFC – Both 30% Top 25 World Ranked FIghters
PFL Launch Reimagined Bellator – Bellator International Champions Series
Mega-Event For Fans In 2024 – PFL Champs vs. Bellator Champs pic.twitter.com/Ma4YUl4AUi
— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) November 20, 2023
After the official announcement, PFL chairman Donn Davis made a major revelation about the future plans for the promotion. According to him, PFL has now equaled UFC’s roster size. Not only that, there are also plans for champions of each respective promotion to face off against each other in 2024. And, that is where Jake Paul is set to play a major role.
What did Jake Paul say about PFL buying Bellator?
Celebrity boxer Jake Paul has come a long way since fighting basketball player Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Since then, he has made a name for himself for beating MMA fighters in the boxing ring. From Ben Askren to Nate Diaz, Paul has gone up against some of the biggest names in Mixed Martial Arts. Not only that, he is also planning on having an MMA fight and he intends to do it with PFL.
Back in January 2023, Paul signed with the promotion and made a huge splash. After securing Jake’s signature, PFL also announced the idea of hosting PPV events, titled “Superfight” series. With the major acquisition of Bellator, the company can easily host a massive PPV event where all the champions will square off to unify the titles. Possibilities are countless and The Problem Child can’t wait!
After the development, Paul took to his social media platforms and added, “This is insane news for the whole entire industry and makes PFL even more of a global powerhouse with the fight roster now equal to that of the UFC’s and we have some challenges. Let’s prove it! Their champions versus our champions. Let’s make it happen.”
This is a great day for all PFL and Bellator fighters and MMA fans. The stronger we get, the more opportunities there are for everyone. pic.twitter.com/uqIUW6XM6a
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 20, 2023
Recently, Dana White shut down the idea of cross-promoting with the PFL, citing the rival company’s inability to sell tickets. Hence, Jake’s idea will not materialize anytime soon. However, Francis Ngannou being a part of the PFL, makes for interesting matchups against both the existing PFL fighters and the incoming Bellator fighters.
What is PFL’s ownership model?
While the news of PFL buying Bellator is certainly an exciting one, fans may wonder who the owners of the company are. According to the official their website, the company has backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Earlier in 2023, PIF invested $100,000,000 into the MMA promotion. Their goal was to help the company improve its production quality and acquire more prominent fighters.
But that is not all, PFL also receives funding from organizations such as Luxor Capital, Waverley Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, Legends, and Knighthead. Other than that, several team owners from the NHL, NBA, and MLB have also invested in the ever-growing MMA promotion. Hence, it looks like Dana White may finally have a credible rival on his hands.