PFL X Bellator Supercard Set for Saudi Arabia Debut as Dana White Gets Rejected

Published 01/16/2024, 12:47 PM EST

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The PFL seems to have beaten the UFC to the punch or once. Dana White and the UFC are in talks with the Saudis to hold the promotion’s inaugural card in the kingdom in June this year. The Saudis, of course, are on a spending extravaganza, trying their best to promote the monarchy as a sports hub. And they have reached a deal with the Donn Davis-led promotion to hold a historical event in the Gulf state next month.

After the PFL bought Bellator from Paramount last year, the Don Davis-led promotion decided to keep the Bellator brand intact. A card featuring champions from both promotions going against each other was promised by the PFL founder. According to reports, this card seems to have finally materialized and will take place next month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The possible line-up for the first PFL vs. Bellator mega card has been revealed. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has revealed the possible line-up for the event.

Who will fight at the inaugural PFL vs. Bellator card?

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The event will reportedly take place in February 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The card is expected to feature the following fights between champions PFL and Bellator:

Ryan Bader vs. Renan Ferreira (Heavyweight)

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Johnny Eblen vs. Impa Kasanganay (Middleweight)

Patricio Pitbull vs. Jesus Pinedo (Featherweight)

Jason Jackson vs. Magomed Magomedkerimov (Welterweight)

Along with this, the event will see the following non-title bout between fighters from both promotions:

Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov (Heavyweight)

Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero (Light Heavyweight)

Clay collard vs. AJ McKee (Lightweight)

Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico (Featherweight)

Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Chris Morris

Women’s boxing legend Claressa Shields is also expected to make her MMA return on the card. What do you think about the lineup for the card?

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PFL looking to challenge Dana White-led UFC’s monopoly

The PFL, after acquiring Bellator, has become the second largest MMA promotion in the world. While still a long way away from the UFC, which reportedly earns seventy cents out of every dollar generated in the MMA business, the acquisition has made the PFL a serious contender in the industry.

Watch this story: Jorge Masvidal And Chael Sonnen Go Back And Forth 

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With PPV’s being the lie-blood of the industry, a Bellator vs. PFL champ vs. champ card is exactly the kind of event to be a needle mover. And with the Saudis rolling out the red carpet for any and everyone who wants to put on fights there, the PFL is in a position to build upon its current roster and acquire some truly world class fighters from the UFC. While the PFL is not an immediate threat to the UFC’s virtual monopoly, it seems to be moving towards that goal one step at a time.

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Written by:

Kanishk Thakur

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Hi, I am Kanishk and I am a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. I love telling the stories of these magnificent fighters and this wildly unpredictable sport that is so frustrating and yet so joyous at the same time. I never really used to watch MMA, thinking it too crude or brutal a sport to deserve respect.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen