Can UFC rely on PFL for a PRIDE-style talent infusion?

Eventually PFL is going to have to make a big decision, for better or for worse.

We spent our Christmas 2024 Podcast talking about the impact of the infusion of PRIDE talent in UFC after the Japanese promotion collapsed. It bought Zuffa several good years of marquee fights involving Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, Dan Henderson, and Wanderlei Silva.

With a middling First Quarter looming ahead for the UFC in terms of meh-quality fights and limited star power, it’s only natural to start asking what the UFC’s strategy is for a talent infusion. And not the warehouse kind, either.

The promotion has hundreds of fighters under contract. What it needs is A-level and B-level talent, not C or D-level warm bodies. Thanks to its purchase of Bellator contracts from Paramount, PFL has access to some very decent — and potentially marketable talent. In the mix are some key veteran names like Patricky Pitbull and Patchy Mix, who trains with Sean Strickland. Dakota Ditcheva is quickly building a global profile, although how much of that is due to PFL remains to be seen.

The last few months of conversation around the PFL have been anything but helpful. Gossip is free on social media but there’s always a price to be paid.

And the bells ringing for the PFL sound death knells, not wedding bells.

Death of cash with a high burn rate. Death of joy with fighters asking when they can get fights booked or if they can get out of their one-sided contracts. Death of enthusiasm and fan momentum. The promotion has a show in Dubai in four weeks and no one knows or gives a damn.

In a previous era, these were the ingredients for a promotional collapse, an embarrassing reorganization, or an inevitable sell-off of fighters to the highest bidder.

Who knows what the PFL & Bellator contracts look like in terms of Assignment for transfer? Plus, there’s that whole jurisdictional thing, where UFC does business in Las Vegas but PFL’s contracts are based in a different venue (supposedly).

Bottom line? Donn Davis is in a public relations death spiral and it’s hard to tell, when he does speak, if he’s talking to the fans, his fighters, or to the next money mark he’s trying to raise cash from.

This is why Endeavor has held onto Dana White for so long. You need a frontman. A face of the company. If you don’t have that, then who will communicate your message for you? Don’t rely on Ariel Helwani or MMA Guru to carry your franchise.

A few bullet points to consider:

• How much longer can the status quo remain for PFL before something breaks? Nate thinks Q1, Zach says middle to late Q2. Donn Davis is busy talking past everyone, claiming the schedule will be busier than ever, and feature more shows. 30-to-34 shows? How many fighters will become international stars? Are we seeing a cheap copy of the UFC volume-heavy model? Throw some fighters around the cage and hope a new star sticks to the wall.

• The irony of all this for PFL is that MMA and fight sports in Europe are picking up steam. Oktagon MMA, Bare Knuckle heading to Italy, Cage Warriors. Activity is increasing and the UFC’s fingerprints aren’t all over it. PFL is focused on the Middle East due to the pull of Saudi cash. But what is the core vision for PFL other than running the next hustle based on what the last money mark told them to do? There is no sense that the PFL is ready or able to capitalize on anything.

• Instead, expect to keep hearing a chorus of disgruntled fighters barking and screaming about wanting out. They may be easy to ignore but once the message locks in with the general public, it takes hold and is hard to shake off. Where is PFL’s audience anyway? Is it America? Will ESPN keep them around in 2025 and beyond? What is home base for them? And where do the Bellator fighters fit in? Why didn’t PFL write brand new contracts for them like UFC had to when they bought out PRIDE? Or did they issue new contracts under even worse terms?

• What is PFL’s ideology? Who are they and what do they do better than the rest? Fight fans have choices. With UFC increasing cooperation with RIZIN in 2025, what does PFL offer? Fight Pass is making a push to gobble up as much combat content as possible for 2025. Who asked for the PFL and why should it exist?

• That doesn’t mean there won’t be pressure building, even if it’s a small online chorus, for UFC to do a talent grab. What will Endeavor’s strategy be? Do they cut deals with PFL? Do they just sit this out, potentially leaving money on the table? Do they watch PFL enter re-organization and perhaps transfer fighters over to a different promoter instead of UFC?

• Why does UFC need PFL talent? The UFC should upgrade their roster. Especially with a new media rights deal coming up. The UFC needs to upgrade talent and they need some excitement to re-energize their numbered events. Just look at the calendar. Are you inspired by what you’re seeing? UFC 311 got a strong response online and will likely sell out Steve Ballmer’s new Intuit Dome, but the rest of the first quarter of 2025 is not looking enthusiastic for the promotion.

• UFC is running Fight Nights in London and Mexico City? Really? They don’t have big Mexican stars. They certainly could use more talent for European cards. And then there’s Vegas. The Vegas market is really softening for UFC. They have to do better than they did for 310. Otherwise, they are risking the golden goose at home by flooding Vegas with their Walmart-flavored strategy of non-stop warehouse cards.

So, it’s time to play let’s make a deal. It worked out great for UFC after PRIDE collapsed. Can they buy themselves a year’s worth of exciting fights with top PFL talent? It’s a move they should definitely consider as the TKO financial war chest swells.

Zach Arnold is a lead opinion writer for The MMA Draw on Substack. His archives can be read at FightOpinion.com.

Nate Wilcox is Editor-in-Chief of The MMA Draw newsletter on Substack.