- The card includes 2 champion-versus-champion bouts; PFL Heavyweight Champ Renan ‘Problema’ Ferreira takes on Bellator Heavyweight Champ Ryan ‘Darth’ Bader
- PFL Light Heavyweight Champ Impa ‘Tshilobo’ Kasanganay drops down to middleweight to take on Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen
RIYADH: As the Professional Fighters League 2024 season gets underway on Saturday with what it is billing as the biggest mixed martial arts event of the year, the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, the fighters gathered for the weigh-in on Friday.
The card feature a pair of champion-versus-champion headline bouts, as some of the biggest names in combat sports go head to head inside the PFL SmartCage.
In the main event, 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan “Problema” Ferreira will take on Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan “Darth” Bader.
At the weigh-in, Ferreira, who is coming off his first championship campaign in the PFL, was 263.2 lbs. Bader, who has held the Bellator title since 2019, was 231.1 lbs.
In the other headline event, 2023 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Impa “Tshilobo” Kasanganay drops down to middleweight to take on Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen.
Kasanganay, who captured PFL gold in his first season, weighed in at 185.8 lbs, while Eblen, who aims to maintain his undefeated career record, was 185.5 lbs.
Two of the world’s top welterweights will clash in a catchweight bout, as two-time PFL champion Ray Cooper III meets reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion Jason Jackson. Cooper III weighed in at 182.4 lbs, and Jackson at 182 lbs.
Former PFL Heavyweight Champion Bruno Cappelozza will take on Bellator’s Vadim Nemkov in a heavyweight bout. Cappelozza weighed in at 236.2 lbs, and Nemkov at 238.1 lbs.
Leading PFL contender Thiago “Maretta” Santos faces top Bellator contender Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero. The former weighed in at 205.2 lbs, and the latter at 205 lbs.
A pair of the lightweight division’s elite will also go head-to-head, as 2023 PFL runner-up “Cassius” Clay Collard takes on former Bellator Lightweight Champion A.J. “Mercenary” McKee. Collard weighed in at 155.5 lbs, and McKee at 154.8 lb.
Official PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions weigh-in results:
PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions Card: 3 pm ET
PFL Champion vs. Bellator Champion — Heavyweight
Renan Ferreira 263.2 lbs vs. Ryan Bader 231.1 lbs
PFL Champion vs. Bellator Champion — Middleweight
Impa Kasanganay 185.8 lbs vs. Johnny Eblen 185.5 lbs
Catchweight (182 lbs) Bout
Ray Cooper III 182.4 lbs vs. Jason Jackson 182 lbs
Heavyweight Bout
Bruno Cappelozza 236.2 lbs vs. Vadim Nemkov 238.1 lbs
Light Heavyweight Bout
Thiago Santos 205.2 lbs vs. Yoel Romero 205 lbs
Lightweight Bout
Clay Collard 155.5 lbs vs. AJ McKee 154.8 lbs
Early Card: 12 pm ET
Lightweight Bout
Henry Corrales 155.7 lbs. Vs. Aaron Pico: 155.7 lbs
Lightweight Bout
Biaggio Ali Walsh 155.4 lbs vs. Emmanuel Palacio 152.6 lbs
Women’s Catchweight (165 lbs) Bout
Claressa Shields 164.4 lbs vs. Kelsey DeSantis 164.6 lbs
Featherweight Bout
Abdullah Al-Qahtani 146 lbs vs. Edukondal Rao 145.7 lbs
Amateur Catchweight (129 lbs) Bout
Malik Basahel 124.9 lbs vs. Vinicius Pereira 129.2 lbs
Pereira missed weight. The bout will be contested at 129 lbs catchweight.
