Jake Paul Responds To The UFC Share Price Falling, Will The PFL Buy Bellator?
Jake Paul has reacted positively to the news that the shares of the UFC have fallen following the PFL’s recent deal with a Saudi-based company.
The PFL received over $100 million after the Saudi based Public Investment Fund (PIF) decided to invest through SRJ Sports Investments.
The investment will expand the role of PFL globally and Paul also does have a deal with the PFL.
And the organisation has managed to attract some of the biggest stars. This includes Francis Ngannou and Amanda Serrano.
Paul On White
In addition to this, Paul is not a big supporter of UFC President Dana White. The ‘Problem Child’ has spoken out about what he perceives to be the the unfair treatment of fighters.
In addition, there is also a class-action lawsuit from former UFC fighters. They have taken a stand about getting paid against the UFC. With that being said, this is how Paul reacted to it all.
Paul Reacts
“It is not sustainable to pay fighters less than 20% of revenue and fully control their services like they are employees. Fighters are the IP, pay them or free them. They put their lives on the line for you to make money. Oh and there is the class action lawsuit. Big business,” Paul
This naturally begs the question: what will this mean for fans moving forward? The UFC and other MMA organisations will have to up their game.
After all, Ngannou has already shown that it is possible to leave the UFC in the hope of getting a better deal, as shown through his PFL agreement. And there is no getting away from that.
Ngannou’s Payday
“What I will tell you is that, compared to what I was making for my UFC fight, it’s day and night. It’s life changing. And it would be the same thing if I was fighting in the PFL first. What I was making, what I did make in my last [UFC] fight, doesn’t even count. It’s not close, anywhere close,” Ngannou
PFL On Buying Bellator
In addition to this, the PFL is currently in talks to buy Bellator in what would be a massive move.
Reports indicate that such a deal could be worth up to $500 million. The president of Bellator, Scott Coker, has been very vocal about how the organisation is up for sale, as talks with the PFL have been done. A statement in June was made by Coker, as the prospect of a sale continued to grow.
“Listen, we’ve been out there. Bellator has been looking to take a partner. That’s really been Viacom that’s been handling that. So we’ll see where that nets out. We’ll probably have some clarity in the next 60 to 90 days. Is definitely in the conversation. There’s a couple conversations going on right now with Viacom and other companies. PFL is definitely one of them,” Coker
Will The PFL Buy Bellator?
However, since then, all has gone quiet leaving many question marks over the future of Bellator. And yet, the recent PFL investment by the Public Investment Fund, a Saudi-based organisation who set up SRJ Sports Investments to do the purchase, has only given the PFL more economic power.
And now a report by Front Office Sports has put the following figure on Bellator, giving potential buyers exactly what they need to know for a potential purchase.
“Bellator is valued at as much as $500 million in the deal, and the transaction would be primarily in cash, with Paramount receiving some equity in PFL. The two sources cautioned the deal could fall through.”
Regardless of what does end up happening, one thing for sure is that the gap between the UFC and the rest is closing. And that can only be a good thing for fight fans, as the pressure to deliver the biggest fights will only increase.
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