Main modifications are coming to PFL in 2025.
At first, the Bellator model is coming to an finish after PFL acquired the promotion in a take care of Paramount in late 2023. On the time, PFL officers introduced plans for Bellator to proceed working as its personal entity with separate exhibits and champions representing the promotion.
That continued all through 2024, though doubts about the way forward for Bellator began creeping to the floor after a deliberate card in London misplaced its primary occasion simply days earlier than the present was scheduled to happen after which a second card in Paris was cancelled.
Now as PFL heads into the New Yr, Bellator successfully not exists with the fighters who beforehand competed underneath that banner now simply turn out to be PFL athletes.
As of now, PFL officers haven’t made any bulletins relating to Bellator or the champions who at the moment maintain titles in that group. It’s unclear presently if Bellator champions simply turn out to be PFL champions however there could also be some readability earlier than later with reigning Bellator light-weight king Usman Nurmagomedov scheduled to defend his title in opposition to Paul Hughes on Jan. 25.
The cardboard is being billed as a PFL Champions occasion with no point out of Bellator within the branding.
After all this all occurs as a number of outstanding Bellator fighters have expressed frustration with the PFL over inactivity. Reigning featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull and bantamweight champion Patchy Combine even went so far as requesting a launch from the promotion after sitting out a number of months with out fights.
A number of individuals with data of the promotion’s plans confirmed the information to MMA Combating following an preliminary report from Ariel Helwani.
Along with Bellator formally coming to an finish, the PFL can be anticipated to vary its format heading into 2025.
In contrast to previous years the place the PFL touted a daily season and playoffs, the brand new format is predicted to only run like a standard event. The PFL tournaments are nonetheless anticipated to exist over a number of weight lessons and run all year long, however the format is now single elimination like every conventional event format.
The prize cash for the tournaments can be anticipated to vary with the winner now doubtless incomes $500,000 versus the $1 million prize beforehand awarded. Adjustments to the prize cash was first reported by Al Zullino on Twitter.
With the subsequent PFL card scheduled for Jan. 25, it’s anticipated that the promotion will solidify many of those bulletins previous to that date together with information about future occasions and plans for 2025.
