The upcoming PFL vs. Bellator pay-per-view event will be an interesting one for two fighters on the current PFL roster.
Set for February 23 from The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the action streams live on various ESPN outlets including ESPN+ and ESPN+ pay-per-view, along with DAZN.
While much of the focus will be presented on the numerous champion vs. champion matches, two other bouts are sure to garner some attention.
The two fighters are Claressa Shields and Biaggio Ali Walsh.
Ryan Bader: PFL Vs. Bellator ‘Huge Deal’
Shields, a two-time boxing Olympic gold medalist, meets Kelsey De Santis, with Walsh making his professional debut vs. Emmanuel Palacio.
The 28-year-old Shields is 14-0 inside the boxing ring and the current holder of the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF and The Ring middleweight titles. She scored a June title defense over Maricela Cornejo.
Her MMA career consists of two fights, with a 1-1 record. In 2021, she bested Brittney Elkin via TKO before losing a split decision later that year to Abigail Montes.
For Shields to really take control and begin a run in mixed martial arts, she will need to fend off the upset-minded De Santis. An American Top Team athlete, she is 1-2 with a finish of Kathleen Noy Nelson in her most recent appearance.
De Santis made her debut in 2013 then did not compete again for 10 years, losing to veteran Amanda Bell.
Ali Walsh, the grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali, fought seven times as an amateur, winning six. The 25-year-old has won each of his last six including five with PFL since 2022.
Palacio, just 19, has fought once previously, earning a submission last year.
PFL Vs. Bellator Current Lineup
Headlined by PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira taking on Bellator champion Ryan Bader, the card will include a handful of other champion vs. champion matches. Impa Kasanganay battles Johnny Eblen, Ray Cooper III meets Jason Jackson and Jesus Pinedo fights Patricio Pitbull.
This marks the first card since PFL purchased Bellator late last year. They plan to run a series of international events for the new promotion.
