The news broke on Monday that the Professional Fighters League (PFL) had acquired Bellator MMA, including the roster and staff. Second-ranked Bellator bantamweight Rafeon Stots (20-2) reacted to the news on Tuesday.
The PFL doesn’t have a bantamweight division, but Stots is hoping that the division will become a priority for the new owners.
“I heard it along with you guys. As far as my thoughts, I was surprised. I’m happy, the PFL is doing a lot of good things, so I’m excited. I feel like this opens a lot of opportunities for everybody involved. I’m just excited. I don’t know what that means, but I’m excited,” Stots told James Lynch on Cris Cyborg’s YouTube Channel.
“It sounds like business as usually, and it sounds like PFL had a bantamweight tournament. It just wasn’t like a million-dollar tournament. Bantamweight is a pretty stacked division across the world, across promotions, so I would be surprised if we weren’t a big factor in the sale, or big factor in plans going forward, so I’m excited. At the end of my speech at the end of my fight (at Bellator 301), I wanted to thank everybody at Bellator because I didn’t know if I was going to see any of the production team, or the staff again. I’ve been so grateful just with all the interactions I’ve had with all the people. All the people I feel like are close to family to me, so I’m glad that everybody’s staying on. That makes me a lot happy,” said Stots.
Bellator also had a bantamweight tournament that ended at Bellator 295 in April. Stots lost in the finals to Patchy Mix via knockout. Between the two rosters, the PFL should have a stacked division to add to its roster.
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Stots last fought just days ago at Bellator 301 and got back in the win column, defeating Danny Sabatello in a rematch via unanimous decision in Sabatello’s hometown. The two first fought at Bellator 289 last December. Stots won that fight by split decision. The rematch was a bit of a grudge match. Following the Bellator 301 fight, Sabatello left the cage.
“I was surprised because I told you. You are in your hometown bro. I told you, ‘don’t leave the cage. I want you to shake my hand like a man.’ You lost, lose like a man. Take this L. Show some heart, or respect, I don’t know. I was surprised. I was so surprised. Also, he came back. He came back to pretty much say, ‘hey man, I want to fight you again,’ and he left. He took off again. I don’t like Danny. I mean, everybody knows that, so it don’t necessarily surprise me, but at the same time, I’m about to clown you in front of your hometown because you left. You left like a punk,” said Stots.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/rafeon-stots-excited-about-pfl-acquiring-bellator
