The UFC stands at the pinnacle of mixed martial arts, but that doesn’t diminish the efforts of rival promotions that are successfully hosting significant events featuring elite athletes, provided those fighters have the opportunity to compete consistently.
Recently, several high-profile names from the PFL and Bellator have publicly criticized their respective promotions and requested to be released from their contracts. In response, UFC CEO Dana White has acknowledged the situation with a smirk.
Earlier this week, Bellator’s featherweight champion, Patricio Pitbull, called out the PFL for not keeping him active and demanded to be released from his contract. He was soon joined by bantamweight champion Patchy Mix, who expressed on social media that if he wasn’t going to be offered fights, he would like to be let go as well.
When questioned about the potential free agents that may hit the market in 2025, Dana White hinted at a willingness to bring in new talent from rival organizations, adding that he isn’t astonished by the current circumstances. He stated, “For the last couple of months, we’ve been talking a lot about the PFL… They’re canceling a lot of shows, and I know a lot of fighters who are supposed to be competing aren’t fighting.”
White continued, “When you see that start to happen, you’re running out of money, and things aren’t looking good. You’re going to have people that want to jump ship.” Given their ages, 37 for Pitbull and 31 for Mix, both fighters are under pressure to compete more than just once a year—especially Mix, who is just entering his prime.
“These guys want to fight, and you have a very limited window of opportunity when you’re a professional athlete, even less so as a fighter,” White recognized. He anticipates that many more will want to explore their options, especially looking ahead to 2025.
In a different vein, Dana White discussed the potential for recruiting fighters from RIZIN, the organization where Kai Asakura has fought. While he was only somewhat evasive when discussing acquiring talent from Bellator and PFL, he was much more open about RIZIN’s impressive roster.
At UFC 310, where White was alongside RIZIN President Nobuyuki Sakakibara, he was asked if the UFC would look to bring over more fighters from the Japanese promotion. White expressed enthusiasm for this idea, noting, “Yeah, you know we did tonight [with Asakura]. He had a good performance, and I would love to do it [again].”
He reminisced about the rich history of MMA in Japan and his positive experiences during the rivalry with Pride, conveying a clear interest in continuing to develop connections with Japanese fighters. “I’d love to do a Fight Night there [in Japan] too,” he added, indicating a strong potential for future collaborations.
Sakakibara took to social media to acknowledge that while Asakura didn’t achieve his goal in his UFC debut, there remains a pathway forward for a UFC Fight Night in Japan. His message was one of hope for Asakura to fulfill his promise to become a UFC champion.
As the UFC continues to navigate potential acquisitions from rival promotions, it raises the question: If you could bring any of the remaining PFL or Bellator stars to the UFC, who would you choose?
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