PFL Bellator merger: what actually changed?

PFL Bellator merger in one paragraph

The PFL Bellator merger started as a classic acquisition and ended as a full rebrand.
PFL bought Bellator from Paramount, ran one champion-vs-champion supercard in early 2024, then
launched an eight-event Bellator Champions Series while keeping Bellator belts and branding.
For 2025, that experiment is over: Bellator stops as a separate promotion, its fighters are
absorbed into PFL’s unified roster, and the old “season” format is replaced by a World
Tournament plus a PFL Champions Series built around PFL titles.

What happened to the Bellator brand?

In 2024, PFL kept Bellator alive on paper. The Bellator Champions Series ran as a premium
product: eight shows a year, title fights headlining every card, and distribution through
major partners like Max in the US and DAZN in key international markets. For fans, it still
looked and felt like “Bellator,” just under new ownership.

That changed in early 2025. PFL confirmed that it would stop promoting events under the
Bellator name and roll everything into its own ecosystem. The Bellator Champions Series was
rebadged as the PFL Champions Series, and the idea of parallel PFL and
Bellator champions was dropped. From now on, there is one set of PFL divisional champions
across the entire platform.

Practically, that means:

• No new Bellator-branded events on the calendar.
• Bout announcements and posters use PFL logos and PFL titles.
• Former Bellator belts are history; only PFL belts matter going forward.

Some big Bellator names chose to leave during the transition, and a few public disputes made
headlines, but PFL says the majority of that roster stayed and now competes under the PFL
banner.

From “season” to World Tournament

The merger didn’t just change logos; it forced PFL to rethink how it uses its expanded roster.
Since 2018, the promotion was built around a regular season and playoffs system where fighters
earned points for wins and finishes before entering a bracket for a $1 million prize.

For 2025, that format is gone. In its place is the PFL World Tournament:

• Eight weight classes, each with an eight-fighter bracket.
• Single-elimination: quarterfinal, semifinal, final.
• Three wins to become World Tournament champion.
• A $500,000 winner’s bonus on top of regular fight purses.

The idea is to make things easier to follow. Instead of tracking standings tables and bonus
points, fans get a simple knockout bracket where every fight is must-win. At the same time,
the PFL Champions Series runs parallel as a home for established champions and big-name
title fights outside the tournament.

What really changed for fighters?

For fighters, the PFL Bellator merger is mostly about pathways.
Before the deal, Bellator and PFL were separate ladders: you could be a Bellator champion or a
PFL season winner, but those belts never met. Now there is one combined roster feeding into:

• The PFL World Tournament.
• The year-round PFL Champions Series.
• PFL’s international leagues (Europe, MENA, Africa, Pacific as it launches).

That creates more ways to get meaningful fights. A former Bellator contender can be signed
straight into a Champions Series title bout, dropped into a World Tournament bracket, or used
as a feature name in a regional league. Because the brands are unified, a run in any of those
properties can now be sold as a climb toward the same PFL titles.

The downside is that the competition is deeper. PFL’s own marketing leans heavily on the idea
that the combined roster now rivals the UFC in terms of top-25 ranked fighters in each
division. That means fewer “easy” fights and a more crowded path to belts and tournament
bonuses, especially in marquee divisions like lightweight and featherweight.

What really changed for fans?

If you watched Bellator regularly, the biggest change is branding and
navigation. The logo says PFL, the belts say PFL, and Bellator history is treated as
a legacy chapter rather than an active product. Instead of juggling separate calendars, you
now see:

• PFL World Tournament events (bracket stages).
• PFL Champions Series cards (title fights and showcase bouts).
• Regional PFL leagues with their own seasons.

Broadcast partners vary by region, but a lot of the old Bellator distribution has carried
through in different form: premium streaming (like Max and DAZN) for Champions Series shows,
plus existing PFL broadcast deals for tournaments and regional leagues. In practice, it may be
easier to follow one brand than two, although the number of separate PFL properties can still
feel confusing at first glance.

In terms of the product in the cage, the merger has mostly preserved what fans liked about
Bellator: strong champions, veteran names, and a steady flow of European and international
talent. The main difference is that those fighters are now part of a bigger framework, with
clearer routes into high-stakes brackets and cross-regional title fights.

Does this make PFL a true rival to the UFC?

PFL’s leadership talks openly about becoming a “co-leader” in MMA rather than a distant
second place. The Bellator deal moves them in that direction in three ways:

• A deeper roster that can headline more cards with recognizable names.
• A simpler, tournament-driven product that casual fans can understand quickly.
• A growing web of regional leagues that keeps talent in-house as it develops.

The UFC still dominates in brand recognition, star power and event frequency, but the gap
is narrower than it was when Bellator and PFL split the “number two” role. For hardcore fans,
the merger has already created more cross-promotion dream fights and a second big platform
where elite fighters can earn serious money without signing with the UFC.

FAQ: PFL Bellator merger

Is Bellator completely gone?

As an active promotion, yes. There are no new events under the Bellator name. Its place on the
calendar is effectively taken by the PFL Champions Series and other PFL-branded events.

Are Bellator champions still recognized?

Historically, yes; going forward, no. Former Bellator champions keep that status in their
resumes, but current belts in play are PFL titles. The promotion is moving toward one champion
per division across its whole system.

How does the new PFL World Tournament work?

Each division has an eight-fighter bracket. Win three fights in a row—quarterfinal,
semifinal, final—and you become the World Tournament champion and earn a large bonus. There is
no regular-season points table anymore.

Why did PFL drop the Bellator name if they hyped it so much?

The Bellator brand helped PFL quickly bulk up its roster and run a prestige series in 2024,
but long term it made more sense to build one unified identity. A single brand, one set of
titles and a simpler event structure are easier to market globally than maintaining two
overlapping promotions.