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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions predictions: Who are we picking in Saudi Arabia superfights?

For the first time, Bellator fighters will compete under the PFL banner after the 2023 merger, and champions will take on champions in Saudi Arabia.

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

Get pick results from our 10 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Clay Collard vs. A.J. McKee

2024 PFL vs Bellator Official Weigh-Ins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Records: Collard (24-11), McKee (21-1)
Past five: Collard 3-2, McKee 4-1
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: McKee No. 9 (featherweight)
Odds (as of 02.23.24): McKee -300, Collard +240
Junkie pick results: McKee 10, Collard 0

Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero

2024 PFL vs Bellator Official Weigh-Ins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Records: Santos (22-12), Romero (15-7)
Past five: Santos 1-4, Romero 2-3
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 02.23.24): Santos -115, Romero -105
Junkie pick results: Santos 8, Romero 2

Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov

2024 PFL vs Bellator Official Weigh-Ins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Records: Cappelozza (16-6), Nemkov (17-2)
Past five: Cappelozza 4-1, Nemkov 5-0
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 02.23.24): Nemkov -410, Cappelozza +320,
Junkie pick results: Nemkov 10, Cappelozza 0

Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Jackson

2024 PFL vs Bellator Official Weigh-Ins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Records: Cooper (25-9-1), Jackson (17-4)
Past five: Cooper 3-2, Jackson 5-0
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: Jackson No. 8
Odds (as of 02.23.24): Jackson -650, Cooper +470
Junkie pick results: Jackson 9, Cooper 1

Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen

2024 PFL vs Bellator Official Weigh-Ins in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL & Bellator)

Records: Kasanganay (15-3), Eblen (14-0)
Past five: Kasanganay 5-0, Eblen 5-0
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Eblen No. 7
Odds (as of 02.23.24): Eblen -395, Kasanganay +310
Junkie pick results: Eblen 10, Kasanganay 0

Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader

Records: Ferreira (12-3), Bader (31-7)
Past five: Ferreira 4-1, Bader 4-1
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: Bader No. 14, Ferreira honorable mention
Odds (as of 02.19.24): Ferreira -120, Bader +100
Junkie pick results: Bader 5, Ferreira 5

Check out all the main card picks below.

PFL vs. Bellator: Champions main card picks

Ferreira
vs.
Bader
Kasanganay
vs.
Eblen
Cooper III
vs.
Jackson
Cappelozza
vs.
Nemkov
Santos
vs.
Romero
Collard
vs.
McKee
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
14-12

Bader
(60%)

Eblen
(86%)

Jackson
(84%)

Nemkov
(93%)

Romero
(71%)

McKee
(90%)
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohn
18-8
2014 Champion

Ferreira

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
17-9

Bader

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
17-9

Bader

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
16-10

Ferreira

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Romero

McKee
Nolan King
@mma_kings
16-10
2023 Champion

Ferreira

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
15-11
2017 Champion

Bader

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Matthew Wells
@MrMWells
15-11

Ferreira

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Ken Hathaway
@1khathaway
15-11
2018, 2022 Champion

Ferreira

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Santos

McKee
Matt Erickson
@MattE
13-13

Bader

Eblen

Jackson

Nemkov

Romero

McKee
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
10-16

Bader

Eblen

Cooper

Nemkov

Santos

McKee

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.

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