PFL makes big changes, here’s everything you need to know

The Professional Fighters League made some big news on January 15th.

In short, Bellator is dead. The PFL is moving from a season format that pays $1 million to a champion of six weight classes each year to an annual tournament that pays $500,000 to champions from eight weight classes.

Let’s take a closer look at all the details.

The PFL is moving away from the Bellator brand

The PFL released a statement confirming the massive reduction in usage and references to the Bellator brand.

I spoke with PFL CEO Peter Murray on Tuesday and he added clarification to the organization’s key announcement.

“We bought Bellator last year, really proud to have bought the brand and the business,” Murray said in an exclusive interview with me on January 14th. “The driving force behind that was to buy fighters and give them opportunities. We went to work last year to make sure those fighters fought and were active. We had to move some things around, but our focus was to raising the bar for the quality of the roster. And we achieved that with the acquisition. Now, the energy and vision is around the PFL vision. We have tremendous respect and value for all of them to the great fighters that fought under Bellator. All those great moments and champions, and it will live on in our archives.”

PFL moves on to the New World Tour

The PFL also confirmed specifics about changes made to its overall competitive structure, which includes the elimination of the season format. The PFL will retain the official division titles, but they are replacing the season format with the annual world tournament.

Instead of paying winners $1 million to be crowned champion at the end of a season, the winners of the division’s eight tournaments will earn $500,000. The tournaments will have traditional seeding with no. 1 to no. 8. List and seeds will be announced in February. According to Murray, the field will consist of former Bellator and PFL fighters. Fighters who lose in the tournament will have other opportunities to fight on cards outside of the World Tournament.

Supporters like Impa Kasanganay have already signed up and others like Josh Silveira and Gabriel Braga can be seen in the tournament trailer.

Here’s a look at the bracket system, without the fighters.

At the tour’s events, which will begin in April and end in August, the shows will also include what Murray described as “discovery” periods for future fighters. There will also be other showcase fights at those events. Tournament winners will be separate from the Champions Series, which focuses on a more linear champion concept. However, tournament winners can challenge for linear road championships.

The upcoming PFL event headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes is part of the Champions Series. Nurmagomedov was the reigning Bellator champion, but that title will now become the PFL Lightweight Championship.

What about Bellator Champions and SuperFights?

I asked Murray if the remaining Bellator champions would be part of the PFL roster. With the exception of Bellator Featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, who was released on Tuesday, Murray said, “Absolutely, they’re part of the PFL.”

Regional PFL organizations such as PFL MENA will continue and fighters emerging from there will have the opportunity to fight in other events.

Last but not least, the SuperFights division, where Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul will fight when they appear at PFL events, remains active. It’s going to be an interesting year in MMA with the PFL restructuring, whatever happens with the Global Fight League and of course, the UFC.