PFL founder Donn Davis has opened up on the purchase of Bellator.
On Monday, it was confirmed that PFL had bought Bellator in a massive deal for the entire sport of MMA. It will change the landscape of the sport for years to come, and many were curious to know how much it was bought for.
Speaking on The MMA Hour on Monday, Donn Davis revealed the deal was a stock exchange, and no money changed hands.
Donn Davis says Bellator was a stock deal not a cash deal.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/Pz22A1b8EH
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 20, 2023
“I think what they saw with PFL was the opportunity to be part of a leading company going forward. So this was a stock deal, not a cash deal. They’re a small minority owner going forward,” Davis said. “So instead, they said ‘Boy, we really don’t want to sell low, we want to sell low and have an opportunity to make it high. So therefore a deal was made.”
When asked who is the small minority, Davis revealed it was Paramount and this deal was always discussed so no money would change hands. He also believes it is a great deal for PFL and was finalized on Saturday.
“Paramount [is now a] small minority owner of PFL… Great deal for us. Very happy. It was always this type of deal. It just got finalized Saturday afternoon,” Davis added.
PFL plans to do a champ vs. champ event
Although the big news was PFL buying Bellator, the other big news that Donn Davis and the promotion revealed was that there would be a champ vs. champ event in 2024.
Along with hosting the PFL champ vs. Bellator champ event, Bellator will continue to operate its own promotion called the Bellator International Champions Series. That will include eight events a year, with each card having two title fights.
Also, some Bellator fighters may now be in the PFL tournament for next season, which adds to the depth of their roster.
As of now, no further Bellator MMA events are slated for 2023. The latest event, Bellator 301, took place last Friday (Nov. 17, 2023) and marked the final card of the year. Stay updated with Middleeasy for more information about this significant deal as more details emerge.
