PFL vs. Bellator
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| PFL vs. Bellator | |||
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| Promotion(s) | Bellator MMA Professional Fighters League | ||
| Date | February 24, 2024 | ||
| City | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||
| Venue | Kingdom Arena | ||
| Bellator MMA events chronology | |||
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| PFL events chronology | |||
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PFL vs. Bellator: Champs was a mixed martial arts event co-promoted by Professional Fighters League and Bellator MMA that took place on February 24, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.[1][2]
In November 2023, it was announced that the PFL had acquired rival promotion Bellator MMA.[3] Speculation was that the company would run a champion against champion event in 2024, bolstered by appearances of Bellator MMA champions at PFL's final event of 2023.
A champion versus champion card was announced on January 16, 2024, and scheduled for the following month. Originally, the event was to see four champions from four divisions (heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, and light heavyweight) defend their titles from their respective organizations.[4] However, two champion versus champion matches were altered leading up to the card:
- 2018 and 2023 PFL welterweight winner Magomed Magomedkerimov was originally announced to face the Bellator Welterweight Champion (also former LFA Welterweight Champion) Jason Jackson at this event. However, Magomedkerimov withdrew from the bout due to injury in January 2024 and was replaced by 2019 and 2021 PFL welterweight winner Ray Cooper III in a 180 pounds catchweight bout.[5]
- A featherweight bout between reigning Bellator Featherweight Champion Patrício Pitbull and 2023 PFL featherweight winner Jesus Pinedo was scheduled for this event; however, Pinedo pulled out a week before the event with a back injury.[6] Pitbull was instead booked against 2023 PFL featherweight finalist Gabriel Alves Braga who was already on the card, while Braga's opponent, Aaron Pico, was booked in a rematch against Henry Corrales.[7] The days of weigh-ins, Braga was deemed unable to compete and the bout was scrapped.[8]
The undercard also included bouts between fighters from the rival promotions, with the following fights being added as well:[4]
- A heavyweight bout between 2021 PFL heavyweight winner Bruno Cappelozza and former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion (also the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix winner) Vadim Nemkov.
- A light heavyweight bout between Thiago Santos and Yoel Romero.
- A lightweight bout between Clay Collard and former Bellator Featherweight Champion (also the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix winner) A. J. McKee.
- A featherweight bout between Aaron Pico and 2023 PFL featherweight finalist Gabriel Alves Braga.
In addition, the card featured the MMA return of Claressa Shields and the professional MMA debut of Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammad Ali who previously competed for PFL in amateur bouts.[4] The bout between Claressa Shields and Kelsey De Santis, which Shields won, was the first professional MMA bout in Saudi Arabia featuring two women.[9]
UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones made an appearance on the broadcast.[10]
