Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader collide in the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions Heavyweight Main Event

MMA

MMA

Renan Ferreira and Ryan Bader collide in the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions Heavyweight Main Event

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By Loren Mack

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league in the world, kicks 2024 off with the biggest MMA event of the year, PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions. The card will feature a pair of champion-versus-champion headlining bouts, as well as some of the biggest names in combat sports going head to head inside the PFL SmartCage. 



In the main event, heavyweight titleholders face off, as 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira meets Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan “Darth” Bader. Ferreira, who’s coming off his first championship campaign in the PFL, weighed in at 263.2-pounds. Bader, meanwhile, has held the Bellator title since 2019 and weighed in at 231.1-pounds.

In a champion-versus-champion co-main event, 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Impa “Tshilobo” Kasanganay drops back down to the middleweight division to take on Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen. Kasanganay, who captured PFL gold in his first season, weighed in at 185.8-pounds. Eblen, meanwhile, weighed in at 185.5-pounds as he looks to remain undefeated in his career. 

Two of the world’s best welterweights meet in a catchweight bout, as two-time PFL Champion Ray Cooper III meets reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion Jason Jackson. Cooper III weighed in at 182.4-pounds, while Jackson weighed in at 182-pounds.

In a clash of heavy-handed heavyweight kings, former PFL Heavyweight Champion Bruno Cappelozza meets Bellator’s Vadim Nemkov. Cappelozza weighed in at 236.2-pounds, while Nemkov weighed in at 238.1-pounds. 

In other action, a pair of 205-pounders meet, as top PFL contender Thiago “Maretta” Santos meets top Bellator contender Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero. Santos weighed in at 205.2-pounds, while Romero weighed in at 205-pounds.

Kicking off the PFL Champions versus Bellator Champions card, two of the lightweight divisions’ elite go head to head, as 2023 PFL Runner-Up “Cassius” Clay Collard takes on former Bellator Lightweight Champion AJ “Mercenary” McKee. Collard weighed in at 155.5-pounds, while McKee weighed in at 154.8-pounds.