Ariel Helwani and Don Davis, co-founder of the Pro Fighters League, are working on that with X.
On Wednesday, Helwani followed reports that the Global Fight League had cancelled its two-night event in Los Angeles. The card was intended to showcase some of the original UFC champions and top prospects in the sport. Now, after suffering from a major initial setback, there is a question as to whether the promotion will fall off the ground.
Speaking about the GFL launch failure, Helwani suggested that the MMA landscape has far greater issues than promotions that could potentially be in and out.
“PFL doesn’t pay as much as they once did,” Helwani told the boys behind him. There is no Bellator No.2 brand. MMA fighters aren’t paid that much. The GFL was that hope. There is no promotion of this type. At the end of the day, it’s not good for fighters or business. ”
Getting the winds of Helwani’s comments, Don Davis took the exception to his claim that the PFL is not paying athletes as much as they used to.
“This kind of false reporting hurts MMA fighter jets and the MMA industry,” Davis wrote in response. “@ArielHelwani is wrong. @PFLMMA fighter pay. PFL average fighter pay. PFL fighter roster pay.
Ariel Helwani snaps back
Although he never leaves his attack on journalistic integrity, Helwani quickly tore Davis with some cold and difficult facts.
“You’re in the middle of one of the worst PR runs in the history of combat sports,” began Herwani. “You can’t open this app without seeing one of your top stars complain about the state of your company. I’m the least of your problems, but I have problems claiming my information is wrong.
“Would you pay the same for the tournament winners? No. Are you nearby? Have you asked the Bellator fighter to redo the contract? Did you cancel the event last year? Yes.
“I asked you to come to my show – what’s now 5 or 6 times – I’ll talk about these things and some of your upcoming fights. Why is that so? The only person in this sport is Johnny Comb’s innovative promoter. LinkedIn – to your current or potential investors, certainly – I’ll continue to tell the truth.”
Since PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023, the promotion has lost many of the top stars of the now-deprecated MMA organization, including both Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico, who signed with the UFC. Other names like Corey Andeson and Patchy Mix have been unhappy with the lack of fight since folding into the PFL.