PFL vs. Bellator: Champs - Ferreira vs. Bader is an upcoming mixed martial arts event being co-promoted by Bellator MMA and the Professional Fighters League that will take place on February 24, 2024, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Main card (ESPN+ PPV / DAZN PPV)
Heavyweight Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader Champion vs. Champion
Middleweight Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen Champion vs. Champion
Featherweight Patrício Pitbull vs. Gabriel Alves Braga
Catchweight (182 lb) Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Jackson
Heavyweight Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
Light Heavyweight Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
Lightweight Clay Collard vs. A.J. McKee
Preliminary card (ESPNews / ESPN+)
Featherweight Aaron Pico vs. Henry Corrales
Lightweight Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. Emmanuel Palacio
Women's Super Lightweight Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
Featherweight Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondala Rao
Flyweight Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira
Background
In November 2023, it was announced that the PFL had acquired its competitor Bellator MMA. 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. In total, the event will see four champions from four divisions (heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, and featherweight) defend their titles from their respective organizations.
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 182 pounds catchweight bout.
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. 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.
The undercard also includes bouts between fighters from the rival promotions, with the following fights being added as well:
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 will feature the MMA return of Claressa Shields and the professional MMA debut of Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of Muhammed Ali who previously competed for PFL in amateur bouts.
