PFL vs. Bellator: Champions — Fight card, predictions, odds, date, start time, preview, PPV price, prelims

On Saturday, some of the best fighters from PFL and Bellator MMA will meet on a card based on promotional supremacy. The PFL vs. pay-per-view event Bellator is the first cross-promotional card since the PFL acquired Bellator in November 2023.

The card has taken a few hits with fighters feuding, but two battles of current champions remain. Heavyweights Renan Ferreira (PFL) and Ryan Bader (Bellator) will face off, as well as light heavyweight champion Impa Kasanganay (PFL) against middleweight champion Johnny Eblen (Bellator) at 185 pounds.

“It’s a big deal. This doesn’t happen in MMA. Fans want these kinds of super fights,” Bader said at the announcement press conference in January. “A lot of organizations don’t want to risk exposing their champions and having another organization come out and wipe them out. I love that we’re doing this in Saudi Arabia. The whole lineup, if you look at it, is full. I’m ready to claim another belt as well. I I love it and I’m ready for this great opportunity.”

The card also features more champions, such as Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson taking on former two-time PFL season champion Ray Cooper III. Another interesting matchup sees 2021 PFL Heavyweight Champion Bruno Cappelozza take on former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Vadim Nemkov in his heavyweight debut. Plus, a fun showdown of former UFC title contenders sets up as Thiago Santos battles Yoel Romero at light heavyweight.

“There’s a lot of hardware up here. We have PFL champions against Bellator champions. This is truly an unprecedented event in MMA,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “A lot of fans have been talking about this for years. Other promotions have been talking about this too. I’m very proud that, after the acquisition of Bellator, we can now present the best of MMA. At the end of each year, “We will start the next season for both PFL and Bellator, a major event pitting the PFL champions against the Bellator champions. Think of it as the MMA All-Star Game. “This will be long term.”

Those fights and much more compelling action are set to air from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with prelims beginning at noon ET on ESPN+ before the main card at 3 pm on PPV.

Let’s take a deeper look at the two champion vs. champion matchups and a quick look at the rest of the card.

PFL vs Bellator fight card, odds

PFL vs Bellator viewing information

Date: February 24 | Start time: 3 pm ET (main card)
Location: Kingdom Arena – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Television channel: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $49.99

Renan Ferreira (-115) against Ryan Bader (-105), heavyweight

Bader has been Bellator champion since 2017, first holding the light heavyweight title and then moving up to capture the heavyweight belt. Bader’s 9-2 streak since he left the UFC (he joined the promotion after winning his last two UFC bouts) has been impressive, but both of his losses came by strike knockout.

Ferreira’s track record is a bit misleading. He is officially 6-1 in PFL fights, but he also has three no contests during the streak, two of which were losses that were overturned when his opponents tested positive for banned substances and the other came when he was overlooked. that Ferreira had taken advantage of Fabricio. Arm triangle choke from Werdum before stopping Werdum with punches.

If Bader’s chin is a problem, Ferreira is the man who can exploit it. The big 6-foot-8 Brazilian has 10 knockouts in 12 career wins. Size is likely to influence the fight in several ways. Bader is not a small man at 6-foot-2, but giving up six inches is a big deal, especially when Bader’s best path to victory is to close the distance and try to use his wrestling to put Ferreira on his back. Ferreira’s last loss came as a result of ground and pound and Bader certainly doesn’t want to stick around and beat up a man who can knock him out with one shot. If Bader can come in with regularity and impose the fight on him, he can achieve victory, but he will be dangerous every step of the way. Pick: Renan Ferreira by TKO, Round 2

Impa Kasanganay (+300) against Johnny Eblen (-400), middleweight

Kasanganay has been tremendous since joining the PFL, but he will probably always be remembered as the guy who was on the bad end of one of the craziest knockouts in UFC history after getting caught by Joaquin’s jumping spinning kick. Buckley. However, for every great highlight, there’s a man on the receiving end, and that doesn’t have to be the end of his time as a legitimate wrestler. Kasanganay has won six consecutive fights, five in the PFL cage, to finish in a featured fight on a PPV. Kasanganay is the PFL light heavyweight champion, but he will drop down to middleweight for the fight.

Even though Kasanganay turned its fortunes around, it enters Saturday as a sizeable underdog against Eblen. The American has never tasted defeat as a professional, with a record of 14-0. He captured the Bellator middleweight title from Gegard Mousasi in June 2022 and successfully defended the belt twice before PFL acquired Bellator.

Eblen’s wrestling should dictate how the fight plays out, even when he has a tendency to hit despite his top-notch fighting skills. The more Eblen allows Kasanganay, the more chances Kasanganay will have to score the upset. But Eblen usually flips the switch at fight time and should be able to achieve a victory on the ground. Choose: Johnny Eblen via UD

quick hits

• Jason Jackson (-750) vs. Ray Cooper III (+525), 182-pound heavyweight — Bellator welterweight champion Jackson was set to face PFL welterweight king Magomed Magomedkerimov before Magomedkerimov retired in January. Cooper won two PFL tournaments and lost in the final of another. His luck hasn’t been so good lately, with two losses in his three most recent fights. Jackson, meanwhile, has won seven straight fights, most recently knocking out Yaroslav Amosov to capture the title from him in the final Bellator fight of the pre-PFL era. Pick: Jason Jackson by TKO, Round 3
• Bruno Cappelozza (+300) vs. Vadim Nemkov (-400), heavyweight — Nemkov relinquished his Bellator light heavyweight title to seek new success at heavyweight. He faces a tough test against Cappelozza, who has 14 knockouts in 15 career wins. Nemkov is the better fighter and brings an 11-game winning streak to a fight against Cappelozza, who hasn’t recorded a win in nearly two years. Choice: Vadim Nemkov via UD