Saudi-backed PFL set to shake up MMA scene in Middle East, beyond

Riyadh: The Professional Fighters League on Tuesday acquired rival combat sports brand, Bellator, in the latest strategic move to loosen the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s chokehold on the mixed martial arts industry.

Backed by SRJ Sports Investments – the Saudi Public Investment Fund entity created to develop the Kingdom’s sports sector – the PFL will gain access to a roster of even more world-class fighters.

For now, Bellator and the PFL will exist as separate brands. However, a showcase event has been pencilled in for 2024 that will see the champions of each show going fist-to-fist to see who is best.

PFL founder Donn Davis told MMA Fighting that the aim was not to overtake the UFC but to become “co-leaders” in the industry.

While UFC President Dana White is currently unlikely to be too concerned about the surging rival, the PFL and Bellator combined forces are the organization’s fiercest opponent yet.

The biggest winners of the deal will be Saudi fight fans. The UFC will finally debut in April, but fans have been starved of top-level MMA competition for too long.

When SRJ acquired a minority share in the PFL in August, it also announced that a PFL Middle East and North Africa league would be launched next year, and future PFL PPV Super Fights would be hosted in Saudi Arabia.

With the Bellator brand in the mix, there is potential for even more live events in the Kingdom and the region.

SRJ’s investment also aims to increase participation in MMA throughout the country and Gulf Cooperation Council member nations. Officials hope that having the stars of the PFL and Bellator on their doorstep will inspire the next generations of fighters and give them a clear path to a professional career.

The PFL plans to