Sportcal

The move will see the UAE city of Dubai host a PFL event from the promotion’s Bellator Champions Series of events.

That event will take place on January 25, 2025, at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena, and will be headlined by a lightweight world title bout between Russia’s Usman Nurmagomedov and Ireland’s Paul Hughes.

In fact, Dubai will become the centerpiece of the Champions Series, with all other events in the series now to be branded “Road to Dubai” events in anticipation of the series finale in January.

PFL will collaborate with the DET and the DSC to make Dubai the “new fight capital” of the world and an MMA hub, with a particular focus on creating a career pathway for homegrown fights in the Emirate.

Speaking on the deal, DSC secretary general Saeed Hareb stated: “Through this agreement, Dubai Sports Council will provide all means of support to ensure the success of the first-of-its-kind International Martial Arts Championship Series in the Middle East, which represents a qualitative addition to the list of international sporting events and enhances sports tourism.

“This championship aims to attract a large number of young people and will receive wide attention from the public and local and international media, as organizing this international championship contributes to enhancing diversity in sports and enriching the list of rich sporting events hosted by Dubai throughout the year.”

DET chief executive for festivals and retail establishment Ahmed Al Khaja added: “This significant partnership is in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33 to further consolidate Dubai’s status as a leading global city for business and leisure, and is a testament to Dubai’s commitment to providing incredible experiences for both athletes and fans.”

PFL bought MMA promotion Bellator in November 2023 with the intention of maintaining it as a separate touring MMA brand, and in February 2024 it announced the Bellator Champions Series of events.

The Bellator Champions Series consists of eight events held globally with each having world championship title fights on the card.

Five have taken place so far, most recently in London, UK on September 14, but the sixth (scheduled to take place on November 16 in Paris, France) was canceled for unknown reasons.

PFL operates PFL MENA, a regional MMA promotion for fighters from the Middle East and North Africa which stages events across the region. This promotion is in part funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund state-backed vehicle.

Thus far three PFL MENA events have been staged, all in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a fourth coming to that city later in 2024 - but earlier in 2024 PFL chief Peter Murray stated that the promotion will also stage events in Qatar in 2025.

This means that PFL is effectively tied up with all three of the Middle East’s major sports and events powerhouses.