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Will Bellator Complete Sweep of PFL? Live Updates and Results

Live updates and results from the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions pay-per-view

Justin Barrasso

Will Bellator Complete Sweep of PFL? Live Updates and Results
Will Bellator Complete Sweep of PFL? Live Updates and Results /

Renan Ferreira Delivers Walk-Off Blow To Ryan Bader

Renan Ferreira landed one clean, crisp right hand on Ryan Bader’s chin, and it prevented the PFL from getting swept by Bellator.

Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC) needed only 20 seconds to win the most significant bout of his life. Bader (31-8, 1 NC) has proven to be a very dangerous opponent, but he got hit early and there was no opportunity to recover.

During the ground-and-pound, it appeared Ferreira landed an illegal blow or two to the back of Bader’s head. But the damage was already done, and it was that right hand that won Ferreira the fight.

Courtesy PFL
Courtesy PFL

Ferreira now looks forward to a bout against Francis Ngannou. Whether that happens with Ngannou’s boxing success is still up in the air, but both Ngannou and the PFL already began promoting his return earlier in the week. Nevertheless, it was certainly odd that Ngannou did not come in the cage after the fight to have a staredown with Ferreira. Instead, Ngannou excited before a photo-op could occur. If it happens, it will be a very interesting clash of heavyweights–but it is by no means a guarantee.

After the PFL got wrecked all the way until the co-main, Ferreira finally gave his promotion a victory against Bellator in the main event. The future is bright for the PFL, but it will be a while lot brighter if Ngannou steps in the cage.

Johnny Eblen-Just Barely-Keeps Bellator Undefeated Streak Alive

That was outstanding.

In the fight of the night, Johnny Eblen did just enough to overcome Impa Kasanganay by split decision.

The undefeated Eblen (15-0) just barely won. Kasanganay was exceptional in the second round, drilling Eblen and nearly ending the bout on multiple occasions.

To Eblen’s credit, while he lost the round, he stole just enough of the momentum. He carried that into the third and final round, where he applied his trademark pressure on Kasanganay (15-4).

Bellator continues the undefeated streak, but this was entirely different from the rest of the card. This was a battle, but Eblen found a way to win.

Jason Jackson Obliterates Ray Cooper III

Jason Jackson adds to the win column for Bellator, delivering a TKO victory against Ray Cooper III.

This was another dominant showing. Only 23 seconds into the second round, the referee had to stop the onslaught. At that point, Jackson had 62 total strikes to only 10 from Cooper.

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Cooper (25-10-1) deserves credit for stepping up and replacing PFL’s reigning welterweight king Magomed Magomedkerimov.

Jackson (18-4) is Bellator’s reigning welterweight champion, and he looked outstanding here. He won every minute of that fight, and the romp continues for Bellator. 

Vadim Nemkov Submits Bruno Cappelozza

Three fights into the main card, Bellator remains undefeated.

Following a compelling interview from UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who diplomatically addressed the opponents he will beat in the future. Vadim Nemkov then stepped into the cage and dominated Bruno Cappelozza.

Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) forced Cappelozza to tap in the second round to an arm-triangle choke. This was the first time against an opponent outside of the PFL for Cappelozza (15-7) since 2018, and he looked completely overmatched.

The most decorated light heavyweight champion in Bellator history, Nemkov is an instant threat at heavyweight.

Yoel Romero Defeats Thiago Santos

Yoel Romero did not look impressive in his light heavyweight bout against Thiago Santos.

But he still looked better than Santos.

Romero (16-7) did very little damage, yet that was still more than Santos (22-12, 1 NC). This is the knock on Romero; nothing happens in his first two rounds, and he did nothing to dispel that notion today. He certainly did more damage than Santos, yet never knocked him down. But the 46-year-old powerhouse picks up another win despite the less-than-stellar showing.

Santos has been on a downward spiral ever since he lost to Jon Jones in 2019, who happened to be in the crowd. Jones wasn’t seated too far away from Mike Tyson and Francis Ngannou, showing the unlimited resources the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is willing to pay for celebrities at these major events.

And yes, for those keeping track: that is another victory for Bellator.

AJ McKee Dominates Clay Collard

Make that 1-0 for Bellator.

AJ McKee defeated Clay Collard, and this is wasn’t even close.

McKee took the fight to ground in the opening, and he worked three different submissions before making Collard tap to an arm bar.

This was incredibly dominant. McKee (22-1) is one of the most underrated lightweights in the world, and he took no punishment whatsoever from Collard (24-12, 1 NC).

Keep in mind that Collard reached the finals of the 2023 PFL Lightweight Tournament, and he was no match for McKee.

If you are among those who believe Bellator is headed for a clean sweep, that was an encouraging start.

Bellator’s revenge is taking place today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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After a prolonged merger that saw PFL executives outmaneuver the people overseeing Bellator, today’s PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions stands as a chance to illustrate the superior fighting brand.

An Inside Look At The Demise Of Bellator

In the end, the PFL wins regardless of who gets their hands raised in the fights. But looking at the card–which is still compelling but no doubt diminished by holding only two title bouts–it looks like this could be a clean sweep for Bellator.

Call it Coker’s Revenge. Today looks like it is going to be blue skies for Team Bellator. Aaron Pico already dominated on the prelims, and seeing Bellator fights win all six fights on the main card is in play.

Follow along with live updates and results as we see whether Bellator can pull off the sweep, or if the PFL holds their own.

Published
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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