Midnight Mania: Why On God’s F—king Green Earth Would Anyone Buy Bellator?!?

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UFC President Dana White doesn’t seem terribly concerned about the competition.

Professional Fighters League (PFL) is doing its best to build momentum. The promotion recently received a major investment from Saudi Arabia, and their promises of better pay and more freedom have drawn over some top talent recently. Names from former Heavyweight kingpin Francis Ngannou to social media upstart Jake Paul to top French prospect Cedric Doumbe have joined the roster in the last 12 months, seemingly setting them up for an important 2024.

Then, there’s the rumors that Bellator is being bought out and absorbed by PFL, a pitch that seems to gather momentum each month. A combined roster would create a solid mix of stars and prospects, perhaps even one that would offer UFC some real competition on American soil.

White, however, remains unconcerned. In a post-fight press conference on Tuesday (Sept. 5, 2023), White mocked and laughed off his would-be Bellator rivals when asked about the potential of a UFC purchase. In face, he wondered why anyone would possibly buy the company, deeming it bad business.

“Why, on God’s green f—king earth, would anybody buy Bellator?” White began. “We were just talking about business and making the right moves and making the right decisions. There’s been lots of bad ones. Bellator would be one of the f—king biggest. Why anyone would buy Bellator is beside me. But hey, let’s sit back and see how this plays out. I’m excited!”

In response to the rumored $500 million price point, White couldn’t contain his laughter. He continued, “Bellator is $500 million?!? Awesome! Sounds like a f—king steal! Buy that thing quick. Before who else does? Come on you guys, this is f—king silly. Silly!”

It’s been a long time since UFC has purchased another MMA promotion. Buying PRIDE FC and Strikeforce were major moments for the promotion, strong signals that UFC was really going to take over the scene and remain on top. Nowadays, White and co. seem content to continually build the roster by farming talent through Contenders Series, rather than multi-million dollar purchases.

Is that the right move?

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Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.