UFC President Dana White has dismissed concerns over the Professional Fighters League (PFL) potentially buying Bellator MMA for $500 million, suggesting that such a purchase would be a bad business decision, while also denying claims by PFL CEO Donn Davis that they pay their fighters more than the UFC.
Dana White is not concerned about Competitive Fighting Leagues (PFL) potentially acquiring Bellator MMA, despite rumors indicating otherwise. Speculation has been rife for some time that Paramount is looking to sell off Bellator, with various potential buyers reportedly showing interest. However, it was recently reported by Front Office Sports that PFL is closing in on a deal to purchase Bellator for an estimated $500 million.
A few days post this revelation, PFL disclosed plans to sell minority stakes for $100 million to SRJ Sports Investments, which is an affiliate of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. This added fuel to the rumor of the PFL’s potential acquisition of Bellator. However, the final decision on this matter is yet to be made, and it is unlikely that UFC will step in to steal Bellator from under PFL’s nose.
White, following the latest installment of the UFC’s Contender Series, questioned the reasoning behind any entity’s decision to purchase Bellator. He criticized the business moves and decisions surrounding Bellator, dismissing the idea as one of the biggest mistakes anyone could make. While White admits to being curious about the outcome of this deal, his reaction to the $500 million price tag for Bellator was rather indifferent, even suggesting, albeit satirically, that it was a steal.
On paper, PFL and Bellator joining forces seemingly pose the biggest threat to UFC, which is currently the largest organization in the MMA landscape. However, despite an impressive fighter roster being a huge asset, White emphasized that the sport is also a business. Therefore, at some stage, PFL needs to start making profit. The $100 million Saudi Arabian investment may appear to be a tremendous boost, but White admitted to having seen several competitors invest high amounts in similar companies in order to compete with UFC, most of which have failed.
According to White, success in combat sports involves more than just money. He dismissed claims by PFL CEO Donn Davis that his league paid better than the UFC, stating that, although he noticed excessive spending, these hefty sums can only be wasted for so long regardless of how wealthy the investor might be. Despite Davis’s statement and the Saudi Arabian investment in PFL’s aim to compete with UFC and other MMA organizations, White assured he bore no ill will towards PFL. White expressed respect for the PFL’s intentions to compete with UFC, although he did insist that long-term success in combat sports is a challenging feat to achieve.