MMA community reacts to PFL’s purchase of Bellator

New MMA Global Powerhouse@PFLMMA acquires @Bellator

Our Fighter Roster Equal To UFC – Both 30% Top 25 World Ranked FIghters

PFL Launch Reimagined Bellator – Bellator International Champions Series

Mega-Event For Fans In 2024 – PFL Champs vs. Bellator Champs pic.twitter.com/Ma4YUl4AUi

— Donn Davis (@DonnDavisPFL) November 20, 2023

The MMA landscape changed forever. A new era has 𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗗@PFLMMA acquires @BellatorMMA creating a 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗠𝗔 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 pic.twitter.com/fWldsDNpPC

— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 20, 2023

🚨 BREAKING 🚨
We are joining the PFL family!

Bellator 🤝 PFLhttps://t.co/Z21Ksw7qS3

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 20, 2023

PFL has acquired Bellator, per the promotion and chairman Donn Davis. Bellator will continue as a separate "reimagined" brand in 2024. All Bellator fighters will be "available to compete in PFL fight franchises."

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 20, 2023

This is a great day for all PFL and Bellator fighters and MMA fans. The stronger we get, the more opportunities there are for everyone. pic.twitter.com/uqIUW6XM6a

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 20, 2023

Let’s goooooooooooo!!! Huge moves yet again https://t.co/hcBDXdbVK0

— Sean O'Connell (@realOCsports) November 20, 2023

Huge for mma 📈 https://t.co/1moF3AeV9a

— Randy Costa (@RandyCosta135) November 20, 2023

Excited for the fighters and the new challenges they’ll face with the merging of rosters. What fights do you wanna see them make first? https://t.co/gcRpXnRUna

— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) November 20, 2023

I can’t wait to get in the cage and axe kick this fool. Nate Diaz stop making excuses. 2024. pic.twitter.com/PICjAuNe9F

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 20, 2023

"The combined PFL Bellator roster now has 30 per cent of its fighters who are ranked top 25 in the world by Fight Matrix. That’s the same as UFC has in their roster.”
Going to have to double check this later, but I'm almost positive this isn't true. https://t.co/aaq6rQvlmA

— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) November 20, 2023

PFL over complicating things again. Championship series, PFL vs. Bellator, blah blah blah. Stop trying to outdo the UFC with wild ideas. Hopefully some of these great Bellator fighters eventually end up in the UFC. PFL is going to have a lot of these guys sitting on the shelf.

— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) November 20, 2023

Whatever happens next to @BellatorMMA, I hope the great crew behind the scenes keep their jobs. They do an amazing work and treat fighters with the utmost respect.

— Matheus Aquino (@MatheusDCAquino) November 20, 2023

Oh yeah!@PFLMMA + @BellatorMMA 🔥#ChangingTheGame#MMA

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) November 20, 2023

Breaking News: PFL officially acquires Bellator🚨#MorningKombat w/ @Lthomasnews & @bcampbell is LIVE: https://t.co/50RGD39POc pic.twitter.com/S3iCq1EGD4

— Morning Kombat (@morningkombat) November 20, 2023

More details on the PFL-Bellator deal, per a press release. pic.twitter.com/SsIFJ9qbUh

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) November 20, 2023

This is HUGE for the sport! It will be interesting to see how everything pans out moving forward.. https://t.co/kA9yY5Oxro

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) November 20, 2023

Bellator's roster is good but unfairly maligned.

PFL's roster has bright spots but lots of holes to fill.

Even if rosters are combined, the entrenched fan impression is only UFC matters.

Meanwhile, fighters now have one less real option to negotiate deals with.

Big time TBD.

— Josh Gross (@yay_yee) November 20, 2023