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Just the other day, the UFC made headlines with the news that it has been forced to delay their planned March debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Middle Eastern dictatorship has positioned itself as a major event destination in the sporting world, courting massive boxing, soccer, and track & field events.
They’ve also started making a bigger play for MMA as well, finding the UFC through their recent partnership with the WWE, and the Professional Fighter’s League through their constant need for outside investors. But where the UFC failed to offer a strong enough event to match the nation’s sports-washing ambitions, the PFL appears to have hit a home run.
PFL/Bellator announces lineup for champion vs. champion PPV
One of the biggest shakeups in the combat sports world last year came when longtime Viacom/Paramount-owned promotion Bellator announced their sale to rival competition the PFL. That deal will involve the PFL running Bellator as an independent property for the foreseeable future, with eventual plans to fold the two talent pools together. Until that happens, however, Donn Davis & co. get to have some fun smashing their toys together.
Immediately after the sale, Davis announced plans to hold a champion vs. champion event, with current Bellator title holders facing off against their PFL counterparts. The full lineup for that card has now been announced, set for February 24th in Riyadh. Although no price for the PPV has been announced, past PFL offerings have run around $50.
ESPN+ PPV MAIN CARD (3pm ET/12pm PT)
- Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
- Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
- Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Jason Jackson
- Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Pitbull
- Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
- Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
- Clay Collard vs. AJ McKee
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- Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico
- Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Chris Morris
- Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
- Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao
- Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira
The PFL/Bellator card is good, but…
For hardcore MMA fans, this PFL/Bellator PPV is clearly about the best offering the promotion could hope to make. Unlike the UFC’s recently cancelled Fight Night attempt, it’s clear that the promotion actually cares about trying to deliver a quality event for their Saudi investors. The obvious read then would be to argue that PFL has won the day. But have they, really?
Unfortunately for the PFL, the day they hope to bring fans to spend some extra cash on ESPN+ is the same one where the UFC will make their first return to Mexico since 2019. To honor the occasion, they’re bringing a Fight Night card headlined by Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval 2 and Yair Rodriguez vs. Brian Ortega, along with a host of other Mexican talent.
It’s not half as deep in top quality elite fight bookings as the PFL vs. Bellator card, but it’s hard not to also feel that Moreno vs. Royval 2 and Rodriguez vs. Ortega are a whole hell of a lot more interesting than a Ryan Bader fight or Eblen vs. a man still best known for being on the receiving end of history’s most spectacular knockout.
Plus, with both events on ESPN+ on the same day, advertised alongside one another, what many fans will see is that the UFC card is free. PFL may have won the battle when it comes to pleasing a major financier, but until they can get some real star headlining talent in the cage, their PPV offerings still feel like they’re losing the war.