First Bellator Date, Location Announced For 2024 Schedule Under PFL

Bellator returns to Ireland for the first time since the PFL merger.

Zain Bando | Feb 5, 2024

First Bellator Date, Location Announced For 2024 Schedule Under PFL /

The new Bellator MMA Champions Series kicks off Friday, March 22, from The SSE Arena Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and is the first of eight global events to run separately from the PFL model.

According to a press release from PFL, the event is headlined by two marquee fights.

The official poster for the first Bellator event under PFL. — The official poster for Bellator 302, the first Bellator event under PFL

The main event will see Corey Anderson (17-6, 1 NC MMA) take on Karl Moore (12-2 MMA) for the vacant light heavyweight strap. The co-main event features a long-awaited women's featherweight rematch between Leah McCourt (8-3 MMA) and Sinead Kavanaugh (9-6 MMA), as Kavanaugh won the first meeting by decision in February 2022.

PFL Officially Buys Bellator to Create Global MMA Powerhouse

Thus far, those are the only two bouts the promotion has made official. In addition, Showtime Sports is no longer one of the mainstays in the combat sports arena, and Bellator has yet to reveal a U.S. broadcasting rights deal. The PFL events will continue to run on ESPN/ESPN+. For several international markets, including the U.K., Portugal, Italy, Belgium, and France, it will air exclusively on DAZN.

PFL-Bellator Merger: More Than Just MMA History

PFL CEO Peter Murray said Monday that the new era of Bellator will only help the global growth of MMA.

“After the landmark acquisition of Bellator, the Professional Fighters League is excited to officially announce a new era of MMA with the launch of the ‘Bellator Champions Series’ global franchise,” Murray said in a statement. "The Bellator Champions Series” will feature reigning Bellator Champion fighters defending their titles against the best fighters in the world from the start studded Bellator roster. Fans will have access to the best competition and the most innovate formats in MMA distributed by leaders in sport including DAZN.”

The event airs at noon ET/9 a.m. PT (5 p.m. in Ireland) with the prelims, followed by the main card.

This story is developing, as MMA Knockout will have you covered throughout the entire PFL/Bellator calendar in 2024.

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Published Feb 5, 2024

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99