Top 5 PFL Moments in 2023: Bellator Buyout, Jake Paul and More

2023 has been amazing for the Professional Fighting League (PFL). The promotion is at the center of the MMA world and has had some big moments this year. From signing some of the best fighters to continuously expanding their horizons, the MMA promotion only gets bigger.

As the coming year promises to be bigger and better, let us look back at PFL’s biggest moments in 2023.

PFL’s Bellator buyout excites MMA fans

As per reports, the PFL spent millions in acquiring Bellator MMA from Paramount, who will continue to be a minority shareholder. The idea behind this acquisition was for PFL to be on the same stage as the UFC.

Further, it doesn’t matter if athletes are from PFL or Bellator because, as per Don Davis, all of them will now be considered as PFL fighters. This also leads to a lot of questions: Will Kayle Harrison finally face Cris Cyborg? That is one fight viewers would want to see in 2024.

With this buyout, PFL’s roster will see a massive influx of some big names from Bellator, which will only increase competitiveness. Battle of champions between the PFL and Bellator champions in 2024? Surely a possibility.

Bellator has some big champions like Ryan Bader, Vadim Nemko, and Usman Nurmagomedov. These fighters will bring in a lot of attention. Additionally, Bellator will also continue to work in international markets as a franchise branch.

Francis Ngannou joins PFL

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou left the UFC over disagreements on various issues such as fighter pay, medical insurance, and personal sponsorships. After months of uncertainty and being a free agent, the PFL was able to sign Ngannou to their roster.

‘The Predator’ said in a statement that he had decided to sign with the promotion because of its ‘fighter-first’ approach. In a conversation with Joe Rogan, the fighter revealed, “And for one fight in the PFL, I’m gonna be making maybe twice or three times of what I have made in my entire MMA career.”

Jake Paul joins the list of big names at PFL

Celebrity boxer Jake Paul, among the pioneers of YouTuber boxing, also signed with the PFL in 2023. The boxer signed to the PFL’s new pay-per-view ‘Super Fight PPV’ division, which he helped create. His aim was to create a ‘fighter-first’ culture with the PFL. All PPV fights will have a 50-50 revenue partnership and hence, those fighters will receive much more monetary benefits.

The former Disney star is also an equity shareholder and content creator for the PFL and will help them recruit and market new fighters.

Soccer star Kylian Mbappe stunned by KO

France national soccer team captain and PSG forward Kylian Mbappé attended the PFL main event in October this year. The soccer superstar was cage-side to witness Cedric Doumbe‘s devastating nine-second knockout of Jordan Zebo on the former’s PFL debut.

Mbappe seemed shocked at the shocking knockout and stood there seemingly in shock with his eyes and mouth wide open, to the delight of MMA fans. The FIFA World Cup finalist later took to Twitter and wrote, “WOW CÉDRIC DOUMBÉ !!!!”.

PFLW (Professional Fighters League Women)

This year also saw the PFL sign some incredible female boxers to its PFLW roster. This includes WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and Ring magazine world champions Savannah Marshall, Amanda Serrano, and the female GOAT Claressa Shields.

They will join and eventually face world-class female boxers such as Kayla Harrison, Larissa Pacheco, Aspen Ladd, and Julia Budd in the promotion. Will Cris Cyborg fight too? Only time will reveal.

Which moment is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section below.