Bellator and the PFL are due for a major makeover, according to MMA insider Ariel Helwani.
Since the PFL-Bellator merger in November 2023, some Bellator fighters have been kept on ice, resulting in multiple Bellator champions hitting out at the PFL for keeping them inactive. The next Bellator event, Road to Dubai, features next to no Bellator branding, resulting in fan speculation that the brand might soon be assimilated completely into the PFL.
This appears to be the case, as Helwani reports that we will not see any more Bellator events and that the PFL will undergo a significant structural change.
Ariel Helwani says Bellator is no more and PFL undergoes major structure overhaul
“Right now I can tell you… Bellator is dead,” Helwani remarked on The Ariel Helwani Show. “Bellator as we know it is no more. You will not see Bellator events anymore.”
Helwani explained that the PFL will now have champions similar to the UFC rather than tournament winners. Also, the season format the PFL has been operating under will no longer exist.
“[…] The PFL season format is no more,” Helwani continued. “What it is now is somewhere in the range of six to eight weight classes being featured, eight fighters, two alternates, single elimination tournament. There’s no more standings, no more points or anything like that. … Grand Prix style if you will.”
The winner of these Grand-Prix-style tournaments will receive $500 thousand, rather than the $1 million from the old PFL format. The new PFL initiative looks to be saving money. PFL boss Donn Davis highlighted high spending in his five-tier list of PFL issues in 2024.
Bellator champion Corey Anderson didn’t know about the promotion’s demise
Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson was completely unaware of the news until his wife informed him. In a post on X, ‘Overtime’ remarked that he could only shrug his shoulders in confusion.
A lack of communication has been a persistent issue for many Bellator fighters following the merger, and this situation is no different.