On Monday, Nov. 20, the Professional Fighters League announced it had acquired Bellator MMA in a blockbuster move that puts two of MMA's biggest promotions under one umbrella. The move is historic for the sport and could put PFL in serious competition with the UFC.
"PFL has acquired an immense number of top fighters through the Bellator acquisition, and its combined fighter roster is now equal in stature to UFC," the PFL said in an official press release. "PFL and UFC both showcase rosters that are 30 percent comprised of fighters who are top 25 independently world-ranked in their weight-classes. In addition, PFL + Bellator now has the best roster of women’s fighters in the world. All newly acquired Bellator fighters will become part of the PFL platform and available to compete in PFL fight franchises."
Here's how Twitter reacted to the moment.
Game changers @PFLMMA 👏🏿
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) November 20, 2023
Congratulations on a game-changing announcement in the MMA space. The opportunities for PFL & Bellator athletes under this banner are endless pic.twitter.com/B8x4Rhb2Uz
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 20, 2023
We are joining the PFL family!
Bellator 🤝 PFLhttps://t.co/Z21Ksw7qS3
It’s sad to see @BellatorMMA as we know it ending. Bellator is a big part of my story. I hope the future is bright and to see what @PFLMMA has in store for us, and that Mike Kogan and the team stay.
— Patricky Freire (@PatrickyPitbull) November 20, 2023
Cool. Now since we can. Let’s do PFL/Bellator in Hawaii, Ray headlining a card and I’m right there fighting below ‘em on the card. Dream come true.
— Kai Kamaka III (@kaiboikamaka) November 20, 2023
Oh yeah!@PFLMMA + @BellatorMMA 🔥#ChangingTheGame#MMA
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) November 20, 2023
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
Excited for the fighters and the new challenges they’ll face with the merging of rosters. What fights do you wanna see them make first? https://t.co/gcRpXnRUna
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) November 20, 2023
What does the PFL Bellator merger mean?
Donn Davis expanded on the details of the merger in a post on LinkedIn.com.
"The Bellator brand will continue and it becomes the “one-off” event product from PFL.
PFL will launch a reimagined Bellator product in 2024 – the “Bellator International Champions Series.”
The Bellator International Champions Series will consist of 8 major fight events each year hosted in great cities across the globe, and each Bellator event will feature 2 compelling co-main fights competing for championship belts.
PFL platform now has 5 live fight franchises, with 30 premium events year-round product to serve fans and media partners:
PFL League Season
PFL PPV Super Fights
PFL Challenger Series
PFL International Leagues
Bellator
PFL as a fan-focused organization will stage a landmark mega-event in 2024 – PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions.
"
It will be interesting to see how 2024 goes.