PFL vs. Bellator champions card announced: Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader, Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Freire, more
The highly anticipated showcase of PFL and Bellator champions is now set.
The inaugural PFL vs. Bellator event will go down Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As part of the PFL’s super fight series, the card will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view. The PFL announced the news Tuesday following an initial report by Ariel Helwani.
The event will feature four champion vs. champion showdowns scheduled for three, five-minute rounds. Neither the PFL nor Bellator title will be on the line in each matchup. Elbows, which aren’t traditionally allowed during the PFL season, will be permitted for this event.
Other crossover PFL vs. Bellator fights will take place, as well. Below is a full list of the fights scheduled to go down at the first PFL vs. Bellator event.
Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
Ryan Bader (31-7) won the vacant Bellator heavyweight title after winning the Bellator heavyweight grand prix in 2019 and hasn’t lost it since. At the time of claiming gold, which he achieved by knocking out Fedor Emelianenko, he became a Bellator two-division champion, as he also held the Bellator light heavyweight title. Currently, Bader only holds the heavyweight title. The 40-year-old is currently on a three-fight winning streak and remains undefeated in the division.
Renan Ferreira (12-3) won the 2023 PFL heavyweight title this past November. He’s picked up 11 finishes in his 12 victories. Like Bader, Ferreira is on a three-fight winning streak. His only loss in the PFL came against Ante Delija in 2022.
Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Freire
Patricio Freire (35-7) is likely the most respected name on the entire Bellator roster. Not long ago, he was a two-division champion as he held both the featherweight and lightweight titles. Today, “Pitbull” is champion at 145 pounds. In 2023, he went 0-2 before getting sidelined due to injury. The Brazilian lost to Sergio Pettis in June in an attempt to capture the Bellator bantamweight title and become the first fighter to win titles in three weight classes and was knocked out by Chihiro Suzuki in a big upset at a Rizin event in Japan.
Jesus Pinedo (23-6-1), a former UFC fighter, pulled off one of the biggest surprises in PFL history. The Peruvian stopped Brenadan Loughnane, Bubba Jenkins, and Gabriel Braga en route to winning the 2023 PFL featherweight title. He’s currently 7-1 in his past eight fights. Pinedo’s only loss during that stretch came against Braga, which he later avenged.
Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Jason Jackson
Yoel Romero, A.J. McKee, Aaron Pico, Claressa Shields round out card
Here is the complete lineup for PFL vs. Bellator Champions:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 3 p.m. ET)
Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
Magomed Magomedkerimov vs. Jason Jackson
Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Pitbull
Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov – Heavyweight
Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero – Light heavyweight
Clay Collard vs. AJ McKee – Lightweight
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, ESPNews, 12:30 p.m. ET)
Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico – Featherweight
Biaggio Ali Walsh (pro debut) vs. Chris Morris – Featherweight
Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao
Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira
