A little over a year ago, the PFL purchased Bellator and at the time, it was exciting for all parties involved. Bringing together arguably the second and third biggest MMA promotions in the world together under one roof would allow them to create a singular product that could make a run at being a close second to the UFC.
PFL Founder Donn Davis said after the acquisition that it made them a true co-leader with the UFC. However, in all honesty, they’ve completely butchered the first year since the acquisition. I highlighted this in my article about the changes that need to be made, but the worst thing they did was keep Bellator as it’s own entity.
They created the Bellator Champions Series and the idea was to have Bellator run alongside the PFL Regular Season. There could be some crossover and then for major PPV events, they had their Super Fights division. When you take a step back, it just seems like they made it far too complicated.
The reality is, they should’ve just brought everyone together under the PFL roof. The Champions Series didn’t go well this year and top champions like Patchy Mix (20-1) and All Time Bellator great Patricio Pitbull (36-7) only fought one time this year. PFL only held five Bellator events in 2024 and none of them went well.
Bellator Champs call for PFL Release
Bellator fighters and their champions have become incredibly frustrated and now they are becoming vocal. Patchy Mix is in the prime of his career and he’s one of the best bantamweight fighters on the planet. He’s only fought once this year and there’s currently no plans from the PFL regarding his next fight. Mix took to X and stated that he wanted to be released from his contract. Patricio Pitbull has also expressed his desires to be let go.
Former champion Gegard Mousasi filed a lawsuit against PFL / Bellator for breaching his contract. Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg was very vocal ahead of her matchup with Larissa Pacheco about how the PFL has handled her throughout this last year.
Donn Davis seems like a nice guy, but he’s not a fight guy. They need someone in that room who has a brain for this sport. The PFL is insisting on keeping their season format and that’s not working. They are wasting the incredibly talented Bellator fighters because they simply don’t have a great plan for them moving forward.
It’s not rocket science. They just need to bring everyone together under the PFL roof and build great fight cards with the talent they have. Right now, they are just pouring more gas on the fire by sticking to their guns.