Card of Champions Will Break in Relationship Between PFL and Bellator

The Professional Fighters League had a challenge on its hands after acquiring Bellator. PFL inherited a large roster of talented fighters. What the organization didn’t want to do was come out with a first event out of the gate that didn’t draw interest.

This weekend, the PFL and Bellator will clash in a PFL vs Bellator: Champs card at Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. There have been a number of intriguing fights booked between the PFL’s Tournament champions from last season going up against established champions in Bellator. While two PFL champions, Magomed Magomedkerimov and Jesus Pinedo, were forced to pull out, there were plenty of intriguing fights to see which organization had better talent in its ranks.

Bader Prepared to Fight Imposing Ferreira

Renan Ferreira cuts an imposing figure in the cage. The 6-foot-8 Brazilian fighter has a long reach and plenty of power. During the PFL’s last season, Ferreira knocked out all three of his opponents on the way to the first heavyweight championship.

The longest of those fights was his win over Denis Goltov in the championship match, which ended 26 seconds into the second round. Ferreira will have an interesting matchup with veteran fighter Ryan Bader, who is 40.

Bader was the first Bellator fighter to hold two championships at once. He has won his last three fights, all in defense of his heavyweight championship. However, Bader has been fighting competition who were well past their prime. In his last fight, Bader knocked out MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko, who was 46 then.

One advantage that Bader has in this fight is he is a decorated amateur wrestler. If Bader can force this fight to the ground, he may score a win by holding Ferreira down and working from the top position. 

This fight is a toss-up. Bader won’t be intimidated by Ferreira, but Ferreira’s power could make Bader’s wrestling quickly moot.

Bets to consider:  Under 2.5, Bader -102

Eblen Looks to Dominate Kasanganay

Impa Kasanganay was one of the feel-good stories of the PFL last season. Kasanganay was cut from the UFC in 2021 and didn’t have a path forward. He was also trying to find what weight class fit him best. He entered the 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight season when he stepped in for a suspended fighter.

Kasanganay submitted Tim Caron to earn a spot in the playoffs. He then beat Marthin Hamlet by KO and then upset top prospect Josh Silveira in a five-round decision to win the light heavyweight title. He will now go in weight to fight Bellator champion Johnny Eblen.

Eblen is 14-0 and has defended his championship twice. Eblen has a wrestling-heavy approach and has won six of his career victories by decision. This fight could end late when Eblen wears Kasanganay down. But there is a good chance this fight goes the distance, according to MMA news sites.

Bets to consider: Fight to go the distance, Eblen to win by decision

Pitbull Faces Replacement Opponent

Patricio Pitbull won’t get a shot at Pinedo, who won the PFL featherweight championship. Instead, Pitbull will have to deal with Gabriel Alves Braga, who is 12-1 in his career. Braga suffered a controversial loss to Pinedo in the championship match last season.

Braga lost by standing TKO. The stoppage was controversial. While Braga was covering up around the cage, many of Pinedo’s strikes weren’t landing cleanly. Pitbull hasn’t defended his featherweight championship since October 2022.

During Pitbull’s last fight, Chihiro Suzuki knocked him out in a Super Rizin 2 catchweight belt. It is his second consecutive loss. However, this is the first fight back at the weight class where he has found the most success.

Bets to consider: Pitbull -166

Jackson Looks to Hold off PFL Legend

Ray Cooper III  has struggled with weight issues over the past few years. However, there is no denying that Cooper has been one of the PFL’s top talents over the years. Cooper is a two-time middleweight champion and will step in to provide Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson with a challenge in a catchweight 182-pound bout.

Jackson, who is 17-4 in his career, is on a seven-fight winning streak. Cooper, meanwhile, has mostly been battling the scale during his career. He has missed weight for three of his past seven fights. UFC veteran Derek Brunson dominated Cooper during his last fight.

Cooper appeared to be out of shape and overwhelmed. Jackson is at the top of his game and should be able to take down Cooper.

Bets to consider: Jackson by decision, Over 2.5.

Decorated Champion Ready for Cappelozza

Vadim Nemkov holds the all-time record for Bellator light heavyweight title defense with five. The Russian fighter has won 12 of his 16 career victories by finish. He will face off against former PFL heavyweight champion Bruno Cappelozza. 

Cappelozza saw his 2023 season end early after he failed a drug test. He initially won his first fight by knockout over Matheu Scheffel. This fight should produce sparks between the two men. Cappelozza is a dangerous striker, but he hasn’t fought the competition Nemkov has.

Expect Nemkov to end this bout inside of a round-and-a-half. Here’s a look at the other fights on the card not mentioned above, and some quick picks. Many of the matches on the undercard are large mismatches, but a bout between former UFC title challengers Yoel Romero and Thiago Santos should be a fun fight, according to the best MMA news sites.

• Light heavyweight, Thiago Santos (-122)  vs Yoel Romero (-113)
• Lightweight, Clay Collard (+235) vs A.J. McKee (-290)
• Featherweight, Aaron Pico (-480) vs Henry Corrales (+310)
• Lightweight, Biaggio Ali Walsh (-1115)  vs Emmanuel Palacio (+600)
• Women’s super lightweight, Claressa Shields (-500)  vs Kelsey DeSantis (+320)
• Featherweight, Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-1250) vs Edukondala Rao (+650)

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By Dean McHugh.