The PFL is implementing some major changes to the way that they promote fights in 2025 and the biggest aspect of that is the future of Bellator.
After PFL acquired the promotion back in 2023, the Bellator brand has now come to an end after being founded in 2008.
Bellator continued to be an active product throughout 2024 via the Bellator Champions Series but there were clearly some adjustments that needed to be made heading into this year.
From now on, the former promotion will instead be known as the "PFL Champions Series" with title fights taking place on these events for PFL divisional titles, as Ariel Helwani outlined on a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show:
"Right now I can tell you, on Monday, Jan. 13, at 1:20 p.m. Eastern time: Bellator is dead," Helwani said. "Bellator as we know it is no more. Bellator is dead. You will not see Bellator events anymore."
It currently isn't known how these PFL divisional titles will be earned and how that will impact the current Bellator titleholders.
Helwani also announced that as has been recently reported, the promotion's season format with the points system and play-off rounds will also cease to exist in 2025.
PFL will still be holding year-long tournaments but they will instead take place as more conventional Grand Prix style brackets with eight competitors and alternates being ready to step-in if needed.
With all of that being said, it appears that the promotion's first event of the year will feature the final Bellator title fight in the history of the brand with no other announcements thus far.
At the first Road to Dubai card on January 25, the undefeated Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will face off with Ireland's Paul Hughes at the Coca-Cola Arena in what will be the end of an era.
