In what is slated to be the first mega MMA event of 2024, The Professional Fighters League (PFL) and Riyadh Season have announced that tickets are now on sale for PFL Champions vs Bellator Champions on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Tickets begin at AED 68, and can be booked here.
Headlining the card is a battle between Heavyweight titleholders: PFL Heavyweight Champion, Renan Ferreira, vs Bellator Heavyweight Champion, Ryan Bader.
Standing at a towering 6 foot 8, Brazilian PFL Heavyweight champ, Renen Ferreira, knocked out Maurice Greene in NYC in the summer of 2023 in front of current UFC champion, Jon Jones, who was sitting in the audience. Ryan Bader is coming off of a 2023 KO victory over Fedor Emelianenko, who many consider to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time. This clash of the titans is guaranteed to bring thunder.
Leading up to the main event, PFL Light Heavyweight Champion, Impa Kasanganay, takes on Bellator Middleweight Champion, Johnny Eblen. Two-time PFL Champion Ray Cooper III faces Bellator Welterweight Champion, Jason Jackson, and in the featherweight action, PFL Champion Jesus Pinedo meets Bellator Champion Patricio Pitbull.
But one fight that many are eager to watch is the professional MMA debut of Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Biaggio Ali Walsh, whose amateur record stacks up to 6-1, with six finishes. One can’t imagine the pressure of following in the footsteps of the (arguably) greatest boxer who ever lived, but luckily for Biaggio, at least he gets to add some kicks (and every other MMA rule).
Hattan Alsaif, who recently became the first ever Saudi female to be signed to a major MMA promotion, will not be duking it out at the event but will be in attendance, eagerly awaiting her first opponent, hoping to announce the big news soon.
Unlike many other MMA organisations, PFL is the only one that carries a sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a regular season, playoffs, and championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently work-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight class, the same percentage as the UFC. PFL has an expansive vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development.
Follow PFL on Instagram here, and Bellator on Instagram here.
See you in Riyadh, and bring your mouthpieces.
