Dana White commented on the unrest among fighters at PFL, particularly from Bellator athletes, due to issues like inactivity, cancelled events, and poor communication, with some fighters even requesting releases or filing lawsuits, highlighting concerns about the organization’s financial stability and management.
Dana White knows it’s never a good sign when top fighters start voicing concerns about their company’s future. That’s exactly what’s happening at PFL. Several notable athletes from Bellator have spoken out about ongoing inactivity, canceled shows, and poor communication.
The situation worsened when Bellator champions Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix asked to be released. Mix hasn’t fought since May, with his fight against Leandro Higo getting scrapped due to the Bellator Paris card’s cancellation. Pitbull, too, last competed in May and was supposed to return at the RIZIN New Year’s Eve event, but that fell through.
“Listen, we’ve been talking a lot about PFL lately,” White mentioned at the UFC 310 post-fight press conference. “They’re canceling a lot of shows. Fighters aren’t fighting as planned. You guys know what’s going on.” His words hint at financial troubles within PFL.
“When you see that start to happen, you’re running out of money,” White added. “Things aren’t looking good. People will want to jump ship.” Joining Pitbull and Mix in expressing dissatisfaction is Corey Anderson, Bellator’s light heavyweight champion, who hasn’t fought since March.
When these issues first emerged and Pitbull requested his release, MMA Fighting reached out to PFL for comment, but got no response. In late 2023, PFL purchased Bellator and its assets. Despite this merger, they chose to keep Bellator as a separate entity with events slated for 2024.
Concerns arose after the Bellator Paris card cancellation in November. Now, many fighters are publicly speaking out against the company. Adding fuel to the fire, former middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi filed a lawsuit after being released by PFL; he claimed inactivity and being asked to take a pay cut for quicker bookings.
White gets why athletes are upset—many are still in their prime. “These guys want to fight,” he said. “You have limited time as a pro athlete, even less as a fighter.” He predicts more unrest in the coming months leading into 2025.
And there you have it—a storm brewing in the MMA world that could shake things up significantly!