Tag: Donn Davis

PFL founder Donn Davis: Patchy Mix ‘doesn’t have the hair, but he’s got better fighting’ than Sean O’Malley

PFL founder Donn Davis says Patchy Mix has the tools to beat UFC’s Sean O’Malley.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bellator’s bantamweight division is considered by many the promotion’s strongest weight class, which has led people to compare it to the UFC’s.

PFL founder [autotag]Donn Davis[/autotag] is a strong believer in the roster his company acquired, having officially announced the purchase of Bellator on Monday. So much so that Davis believes that Bellator’s bantamweight champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] is outright better than UFC’s 135-pound champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

“Patchy Mix could beat ‘Suga,'” Davis told reporters after the 2023 PFL Championship on Friday night. “He doesn’t have the hair, but he’s got better fighting. I think that most people think that that’s a good fight or that Patchy is a slight favorite, but it’s a damn good fight.

Davis revealed that there’s no plan of developing a PFL bantamweight season in 2024. For now, Mix (19-1) will defend his title against challengers yet to be determined in the eight expected Bellator events for 2024.

Mix recently unified the Bellator bantamweight title, when he defeated Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 earlier this month. Mix entered the bout as interim champion. The 30-year-old is currently on a six-fight winning streak and only has one career, which came against Juan Archuleta in 2020.

On the other hand, O’Malley (17-1) returns to the octagon in March to defend his title against Marlon Vera, the only man to have a win over him. O’Malley became UFC champion in August, stopping Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in Boston.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championship.

PFL founder Donn Davis: Cris Cyborg will fight Larissa Pacheco next, not Kayla Harrison

PFL founder Donn Davis says fans will have to wait to see Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Despite years of back-and-forths on social media and links to a potential fight, it appears [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] will not fight each other next.

With the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator earlier this week, the possibility of Cyborg vs. Harrison fight finally became a reality, yet, this is not the matchup the PFL will be looking to do, at least not yet.

PFL founder [autotag]Donn Davis[/autotag] revealed on Friday night following 2023 PFL Championship that it will be the 2023 PFL women’s featherweight champion [autotag]Larissa Pacheco[/autotag] welcoming Bellator featherweight titleholder Cyborg to the organization rather than Harrison.

“It’s champ vs. champ,” Davis told reporters. “Larissa has earned that. But will Cris then fight Kayla in 2024? One-hundred percent. That is going to happen. Cris will have two fights in 2024, Kayla will have two fights in 2024, and one of those will be Cris against Kayla. We think that Larissa has earned that.

“Once again, you have to do champ vs. champ. Cris is the champ of Bellator. Larissa is the champ here. We have to see that fight happen first. Coming out of that, you’ll see Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison as the next fight in 2024.”

If Cyborg vs. Pacheco is next, that leaves Harrison with no opponent for her first of her two fights planned for 2024. Davis guarantees Harrison will be taken care of in terms of fighting a quality name.

“We will develop a plan for her in the meantime,” Davis said. “Kayla has earned the right to fight the best, and we’ll make sure that she’s happy, and she has really, really good fights.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championship.

7 key aspects of Bellator acquisition explained by PFL founder Donn Davis

PFL founder Donn Davis sheds further light on the details of the Bellator acquisition.

Big changes are coming to the MMA industry as, after months of speculation, the PFL made its acquisition of Bellator official on Monday.

PFL founder [autotag]Donn Davis[/autotag] announced the purchase was a done deal, which could prove to be a game changer to the MMA industry as a whole. Although the announcement put to bed one question, it also created new ones.

Later on Monday, Davis spoke to Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour” to shed more light on the deal and what it would entail moving forward. Below are seven key aspects of the PFL’s acquisition, as explained by Davis.

PFL co-founder Donn Davis discusses ‘fighter-focused’ approach to free agents like Cris Cyborg

“Anybody who’s any good, we’re going after hard.”

ARLINGTON, Texas – The PFL has many goals in mind as the promotion progresses through the 2022 season and beyond, but acquiring free agents, big-name free agents at that, continues to be a key focal point.

PFL co-founder and chairman [autotag]Donn Davis[/autotag] believes the promotion is in a great spot as it wraps up the first quarter of its fourth season, although he knows there is plenty of room to grow. With a constant eye on improving all areas of the business, including production, distribution, social media strategy, and more, it all circles back to the core of the product: the fights.

Bigger names inside the cage means more fans watching the product, which is exactly what Davis aims to achieve. When a name like [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] hits free agency, Davis wants the PFL to be an attractive landing spot.

“Anybody who’s any good, we’re going after hard,” Davis told MMA Junkie when asked if the promotion plans to bring in Cyborg. “Man, woman, big, small, here, there, up, down. We want to be a co-leader in MMA. So we will create a custom deal that meets any fighter’s needs, wherever they are. We want to be very fighter focused to bring in the best of the best at any level.”

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Cyborg is set to become available after fighting out the final bout on her Bellator contract, recording a unanimous decision victory over Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279. There are not many big names in MMA that Cyborg hasn’t yet faced. However, one of them resides under the PFL banner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag].

It’s a matchup that many have clamored for, but with contract and promotional situations getting in the way, it has yet to materialize. Harrison had the opportunity to sign with Bellator during her own free agency, but ultimately PFL matched its offer, and she returned.

With Harrison secured, Davis hopes that bringing free agents like Cyborg to the table to create the best deal possible will result in some of the biggest fights possible, especially as the promotion eyes the addition of pay-per-view in 2023.

“We’ll be aggressive, but aggressive on a very focused basis, and we’ll listen to fighters,” Davis explained. “What do they care about? What do they want? What are they looking for in a deal? And we’re gonna say yes. That’s our goal to try to build this company.

“So, whether it’s Kayla or whether it’s others that want to come over here to fight her or to make their own legacy and to make their own bank, we want to try to make that happen.”

Davis said Harrison became the first fighter the PFL signed to its upcoming superfight fivision, which launches next year. If Harrison remains undefeated throughout 2022 and claims her third PFL championship, the stage will be set for a massive fight to usher in the new PPV model. Harrison vs. Cyborg could be the perfect fight to light up the marquee.

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