Sports

PFL announces new Bellator Champions Series

The Bellator fight card in March, the promotion’s first since being bought by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in November, will launch an eight-event Bellator Champions Series, with each card headlined by a title fight, the PFL announced on Monday.

There will be a local flavor to Bellator 302, with the March 22 main event in Belfast, Northern Ireland, pitting Corey Anderson against Karl Moore for the vacant Bellator light heavyweight championship. Moore is from Belfast, as is Leah McCourt, who fights in the women’s featherweight co-main event against Sinead Kavanagh from the Republic of Ireland.

After launching in Belfast, the PFL plans to stage seven more Bellator Champions Series events in 2024, taking the fights to venues around the world where MMA is growing in popularity.

“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,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said in a news release. “The Bellator Champions Series will feature reigning Bellator Champion fighters defending their titles against the best fighters in the world from the star-studded Bellator roster.”