Now that he’s firmly entrenched on the Professional Fighters League
roster, Bubba
Jenkins is all for the organization’s recent acquisition of
Bellator MMA.
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“I love it. It’s a beautiful thing,” Jenkins said during a PFL
media day. “Anytime the PFL is doing anything and making news,
making waves, I’m appreciative of the higher ups doing these
things. Especially to strengthen the roster and get some other guys
in here, some other pigs to hunt in the woods is a good thing for
me, so I’m excited.”
Jenkins will lock horns with Chris Wade in
a trilogy bout on the prelims of the PFL Championships card on
Friday at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The main card airs via
pay-per-view on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, while prelims stream
on ESPN+ beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
Jenkins has more than a passing familiarity with Bellator. The
35-year-old Californian went 8-3 during an 11-bout stint with the
promotion from 2013 to 2016, but he wasn’t especially happy with
the activity level that he was allowed.
“There were a lot of Bellator fighters that was ducking and hiding
behind management and hiding behind their little wave and their
little train they were on,” Jenkins said. “Bellator was allowing
them to stay out of the fights … and just put me on the side for
six, seven months at a time.
“That’s one of the reasons I asked for my release. You’re not going
to give me the fights that I want, you’re not going to give me the
opponents that I want, you’re not going to give me anything that
helps me go toward the championship, I’m going to ask for my
release. Full circle, a table is made in the presence of your
enemy, that’s what I’ve read before. I’m excited about the fact
that they got to come see me because you know I’m the big bad wolf
where I’m at.”
With PFL promising crossover matchups with Bellator in 2024,
Jenkins might get the opportunity to face a few opponents he missed
out on in previous years.
“There’s a couple names that I’m excited to see,” Jenkins said.
“I’m not going to give y’all that yet. I want anticipation for the
next interviews that I give.”