On Saturday, some of the best fighters in PFL and Bellator MMA will meet in a card built for promotional supremacy. The PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view event is the first cross-promotional card since PFL acquired Bellator in November 2023.
The card has suffered some losses with fighters dropping out, but the reigning champion still has two fights left. Heavyweights Renan Ferreira (PFL) and Ryan Bader (Bellator) face off, as well as light heavyweight champion Impa Kasangane (PFL) against 185-pound middleweight champion Johnny Eblen (Bellator).
“This is a huge deal. This doesn’t happen in MMA. The fans want these types of super fights,” Bader said at the announcement press conference in January. “A lot of organizations don’t want to take the risk of putting their champions up there and another organization comes along and takes them down. I love that we’re doing that in Saudi Arabia. The whole card if you look at it.” Stacked up. I’m even ready to claim another belt. I love it and I’m ready for this big opportunity.”
The undercard also features more champions, such as Bellator welterweight titleholder Jason Jackson taking on former two-time PFL Season Champion Ray Cooper III. Another interesting matchup sees 2021 PFL Heavyweight Champion Bruno Capeloza take on former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Vadim Nemkov in his heavyweight debut. Plus, a fun showdown of former UFC title contenders is set when Thiago Santos takes on Yoel Romero at light heavyweight.
PFL CEO Peter Murray said, “There’s a lot of hardware here. We have PFL Champs versus Bellator Champs. It’s really an unprecedented event in MMA.” “Many fans have been talking about this for years. Other promotions have been talking about this too. I’m very proud that after the Bellator acquisition we can now represent the best in MMA. At the end of each year, we “We’re going to start next season for both the PFL and Bellator with a major tentpole event pitting the PFL champion versus the Bellator champion. Think of it as the All-Star Game of MMA. This will be long term.”
Those fights and much more compelling action are all set to take place from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with prelims beginning at noon ET on ESPN+ ahead of the main card at 3 p.m. ET on the PPV.
Let’s take an in-depth look at the two champion vs. champion clashes and a quick look at the rest of the card.
PFL vs. Bellator fight card, odds
| Renan Ferreira (C) -115 | Ryan Bader (C) -105 | weighty |
| Impa Kasangane (C) +300 | Johnny Eblen (c)-400 | middleweight |
| Ray Cooper III +525 | jason jackson-750 | welterweight |
| Bruno Capelloza +300 | Vadim Nemkov-400 | weighty |
| Thiago Santos-110 | Yoel Romero-110 | light heavyweight |
| Clay Collard +240 | AJ Mackie-300 | lightweight |
PFL vs Bellator viewing information
date: 24th February Start time: 3 PM ET (Main Card)
Place: Kingdom Arena – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV Channel: ESPN+ PPV | price: $49.99
Renan Ferreira (-115) vs. Ryan Bader (-105), Heavyweight
Bader has been the Bellator champion since 2017, first holding the light heavyweight title and then moving on to capture the heavyweight belt. Bader’s 9-2 run since leaving the UFC (he joined the promotion after winning his last two UFC fights) has been impressive, but two of his losses came via strike stoppage.
Ferreira’s record is a bit misleading. He is officially 6-1 in PFL bouts, but has missed three contests during the run, two of which were lost when his opponents tested positive for banned substances and the other when it was undetected. That Ferreira tapped Fabricio before blocking Werdum with punches led to an arm triangle strangulation of Werdum.
If Bader’s chin is a liability, Ferreira is the one who can take advantage of it. The 6 feet 8 inches tall Brazilian has 10 of his 12 career wins by knockout. Size will likely play a role in the fight in several ways. The 6-foot-2 Bader is no small man, but giving up six inches of weight is a big deal, especially when Bader’s best path to victory is to close the distance and use his wrestling to try to put Ferreira on his back. To do. Ferreira’s last defeat came as a result of ground and pound and Bader certainly doesn’t want to stand and attack a guy who can knock him out with a single shot. If Bader can come in with regularity and impose his wrestling, he can pick up a win, but it will be dangerous every step of the way. Pick: Renan Ferreira via TKO, Round 2
Impa Kasangane (+300) vs. Johnny Eblen (-400), middleweight
Kasangane has put on a tremendous performance since joining the PFL, but he will probably always be remembered as the man who was on the receiving end of one of the strangest knockouts in UFC history after getting caught by Joaquin Buckley’s jumping spinning back kick. Was at the end. However, for every great accomplishment, there is a man in the end, and this is not the end of that man’s time as a legitimate fighter. Kasangane has won six straight fights – five in the PFL cage – to be eliminated in a special bout on pay-per-view. Kasangane is the PFL light heavyweight champion but is moving up to middleweight for the fight.
Kasangane, despite his turnaround in fortunes, entered Saturday as a significant underdog to Eblen. With a record of 14-0, the American has never tasted defeat as a professional. He captured the Bellator middleweight title from Gegard Mousasi in June 2022 and successfully defended the belt twice before Bellator was acquired by the PFL.
Eblen’s wrestling should dictate how the fight will play out, as he has a tendency to engage in striking despite his top-level grappling skills. The more Eblen allows Kasangane to stand, the more chance Kasangane has for an upset. But Eblen usually flips a switch come fight time and should be able to pick up a win on the field. Pick: Johnny Eblen via UD
quick hit
- Jason Jackson (-750) vs. Ray Cooper III (+525), 182-pound catweight – Bellator welterweight champion Jackson was scheduled to face PFL welterweight king Magomed Magomedkerimov before Magomedkerimov withdrew in January. Cooper won two PFL tournaments and lost in the finals of the other. His luck hasn’t been so good lately, with two losses in his three most recent fights. Jackson, meanwhile, has won seven consecutive fights, most recently capturing his title shot by defeating Yaroslav Amosov in the final Bellator fight of the pre-PFL era. Pick: Jason Jackson via TKO, Round 3
- Bruno Capellozza (+300) vs. Vadim Nemkov (-400), Heavyweight — Nemkov vacates his Bellator light heavyweight title to pursue new success at heavyweight. He will face a tough test against Capeloza, who has 14 knockouts in 15 career wins. Nemkov is the better fighter and brings an 11-fight win streak into the fight against Capellozza, who hasn’t won in nearly two years. Select: Vadim Nemkov via UD
