The 2019 PFL welterweight champion will leplace the 2023 PFL welterweight champion on the promotion’s upcoming card that pins its champions and fighters against their Bellator counterparts.
With Magomed Magomedkerimov out with an undisclosed injury, Ray Cooper III has stepped in to fight Bellator welterweight champion Jason Jackson at the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions event Feb. 24 in Saudi Arabia, a promotion official told MMA Junkie on Monday.
The bout will be contested at a contracted weight of 182 pounds.
Cooper (25-10-1) has only competed once since July 2022, as he angled to elevate to middleweight, a non-season weight division for PFL. His most recent fight was in November when he lost a unanimous decision to Derek Brunson.
Jackson (17-4) rides high off a title-clinching knockout of Yaroslav Amosov at Bellator 301 in November. The victory extended his winning streak to seven. He also holds wins over Douglas Lima, Paul Daley, and Neiman Gracie among others.
With the change, the PFL vs. Bellator: Champions now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ pay-per-view, 3 p.m. ET)
- Renan Ferreira vs. Ryan Bader
- Impa Kasanganay vs. Johnny Eblen
- Ray Cooper III vs. Jason Jackson
- Jesus Pinedo vs. Patricio Pitbull
- Bruno Cappelozza vs. Vadim Nemkov
- Thiago Santos vs. Yoel Romero
- Clay Collard vs. AJ McKee
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, ESPNews, 12:30 p.m. ET)
- Gabriel Braga vs. Aaron Pico
- Biaggio Ali Walsh (pro debut) vs. Chris Morris
- Claressa Shields vs. Kelsey DeSantis
- Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Edukondal Rao
- Malik Basahel vs. Vinicius Pereira
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL vs. Bellator: Champions.
