The
Professional Fighters League vs. Bellator
MMA Champions card has taken an early hit.
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The PFL announced Monday that Magomed
Magomedkerimov has withdrawn from the event due to an
undisclosed injury. As a result, Ray Cooper
III will step in against Jason
Jackson on Feb. 24. While the original bout was slated for
welterweight, Cooper vs. Jackson will be contested at a 182-pound
catchweight. In addition, Biaggio
Ali Walsh has a new opponent for his professional debut, as he
will now face Emmanuel
Palacio on the preliminary draw.
PFL vs. Bellator takes place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia, and features multiple bouts matching champions from both
organizations against one another. The card will be headlined by a
heavyweight clash between 2023 PFL heavyweight champ Renan
Ferreira and reigning Bellator heavyweight king Ryan Bader.
The main card will air on pay-per-view via ESPN+.
A two-time PFL champion at welterweight, Cooper moved to 185 pounds
for his last outing, a unanimous decision loss to
UFC veteran Derek
Brunson at the PFL Championships this past November. Cooper
missed weight by 0.8 pounds ahead of the bout.
Jackson claimed 170-pound gold with a third-round knockout of
Yaroslav
Amosov at Bellator 301. โThe Ass Kicking Machineโ will enter
the matchup with Cooper on a seven-bout winning streak.
Magomedkerimov is the 2023 PFL welterweight champion and has won
six straight outings since falling to Cooper at the 2021 PFL
Championships.
๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: Updated
#PFLvsBellator Fight Cardโข Magomed Magomedkerimov is out
โข Ray Cooper III will now face Jason Jackson at Catchweight of 182
lbs
โข Emmanuel Palacio steps in as Biaggio Ali Walsh’s new opponent
#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/zo2T69JdHcโ PFL (@PFLMMA)
January 22, 2024