On Saturday, though, top-flights fighters talent from PFL and Bellator MMA will see a card of their own and species-based supremacy built around it.The PFL vs. The PPV Bellator fight card on February 1, 2023, was the first co-branded card as PFL acquired Bellator in November 2022.
The card has seen a few disappointments with combatants pulling out but a couple of the champions will still see action. The main contenders are Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader who is from the PFL and Bellator respectively, and Kasanganay the light heavyweight champion PFL , Impa Kasanganay taking on Eblen the middleweight champion Johnny Eblen from the Bellator at 185 pounds.
"It is a major deal. This type of match is not common in MMA. Fans love to see the type of matches like me and Ronda," Bader first said at the press conference in January. "many of these organizations will not want to run the risk of showing their best players who may be scouted by the next organization". I am thrilled that we are performing this in Saudi Arabia . If you look at the card again, don't you see that it is a stacked one. I'm not satisfied with just one belt; I want another one also. This girl is an inspiration and I'm about to get my breakthrough!"
The undercard too has more of champions like Anthony Pettis. He is Bellator welterweight title holder. He would be facing former two-times PFL season champ, Ray Cooper III. The other interesting matchup is 2021 PFL heavyweight champ Bruno Cappelozza fighting the first-time heavyweight of Vadim Nemkov, who was the past Bellator light heavyweight champ. Besides that, Thiago Santos faces off with former Middle and Light heavyweight title contenders in the fight.
The fights and plenty of exciting action are all scheduled to go down from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as prelims start at noon ET on ESPN+ and the headline is jammed with action beginning at 3 p.m. on PPV.
Let's go a step further, and look into the two types of champions. pivotal encounters and a glace at the rest of the card, as well.
PFL vs. Bellator fight card, odds
PFL | BELLATOR | WEIGHTCLASS |
Renan Fereira (c) -115 | Ryan Bader (c) -105 | Heavyweight |
Impa Kasanganay (c) +300 | Johnny Eblen (c) -400 | Middleweight |
Ray Cooper III +525 | Jason Jackson -750 | Welterweight |
Bruno Cappelozza +300 | Vadim Nemkov -400 | Heavyweight |
Thiago Santos -110 | Yoel Romero -110 | Light heavyweight |
Clay Collard +240 | AJ McKee -300 | Lightweight |
PFL vs. Bellator viewing information
Date: Feb. 24
Start time: 3 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Kingdom Arena -- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV channel: ESPN+ PPV | Price: $49.99
Renan Ferreira (-115) vs.Ryan Bader (-105), heavyweight
He's held the Bellator light-heavyweight title since 2017 and then after winning heavyweight belt in the middle of 2018. Since Bader left the UFC (the promotion happened after the two fights he won) his sequence of victories was 9-2, which is impressive, but his two losses were by stoppage due to strikes.
But despite his numbers Ferreira is still a rather poor player. He is 6-1 officially in PFL bouts, yet he also has three no contests at the course, two of which were a DQ result of Ferreira’s opponents testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and one of which came when someone found out that Ferreira tapped to Werdum’s arm triangle choke before he threw Werdum punches.
If Bader's chin is a liability then Ferreira is the man who can benefit most. In a similar way to punch with elbows. The massive six-feet-eight Brazilian has registered 10 knockouts in twelve fights of his career. Size is probably to be a factor in the battleplace in many directions. While Bader is not a small man at 6-2 feet, this is a big deal to give up six inches to face a talented striker like Ferreira. This is an important factor for a grappler like Bader. Lately, Ferreira suffered a defeat caused by ground and pound and I'm sure that Bader doesn't want to stand and exchange blows with a guy that can finish him in one punch. If Bader gets inside and engage in constant wrestling, he will have good chance to win but it will be a dangerous move as he also needs to be careful at every step on his way. Pick: Renato Bakha via technical knockout in the second round.
Impa Kasanganay (+300) vs.Johnny Eblen (-400), middleweight
"Kasanganay has been a beast since he came to PFL, but his notoriety will probably always be associated with him being on the losing end of one of the most insane shockknockouts in UFC history where he was countered by Joaquin Buckley's jumping spinning back kick." A great highlight can be a great moment for someone to remember, and not just for the man on the receiving end. Kasanganay has won six in a row, ranging from five in the PFL cage, now to becoming a featured fight in a pay-per-view. However, George is a light heavyweight champion of PFL but coming down to middleweight for the fight.
Yet, the fact that Kasanganay has managed to changeourse fortunes does not make him an overwhelming favorite over Eblen this weekend. American has not experienced the taste of defeat as a professional, seeing him win all his 14 professional fights. He beat Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 256 in June 2022, becoming the new middleweight champion, but he lost the title on first defense to Gegard Mousasi in PFL.
The outcome of the wrestling will mainly be dictated by Eblen`s fighting style, which is a peek-a-boo boxing despite the fact that he has high-level grappling. The more he lets his opponent stand, the better Kasanganay’s chances of lining up the upset! While Eblen may reverse the switch of styles at the fight time and able to thirdly a win, still, he may direct to the ground and grind out a victory. Pick: Johnny Eblen unanimously by decision after three rounds.
Quick hits
Jason Jackson (-750) vs. If you are looking at odds, then Ray Cooper (+525) is the 182-pound catchweight -- who will be facing the Bellator welterweight champion Jackson who was supposed to face the PFL welterweight king Magomed Magomedkerimov before he withdrew in January. Cooper grabbed two PFL titles, and he started as a finalist as well. His current standing is also not very ideal either, with a loss in the last two of the most recent fights he has taken part in. As to Jackson, he won his seven consecutive fights, the last being a knockout against Yaroslav Amosov, which allowed him to capture the title before PFL came to a close. Pick: Jason Jackson finished off TKO, round 3.
Bruno Cappelozza (+300) vs. Vadim Nemkov (-400), heavyweight -- To claim new heights, Nemkov surrendered the Bellator light heavyweight title. McKenzie is going to have a hard trial with Cappellazzo who has 14 knockout in his 15 victories. Nemkov is better at the fighting and arrives the fight undefeated in 11 matches which is impressive because Cappelozza had been knocked out from the fight back in a year and half ago. Pick: Vadim Nemkov under the UD (Universal Digital Identity) agreement