"These were the risks in leaving the UFC" - Fans react as veteran star who protested against PFL gives shocked response to "Bellator is dead" report

A seasoned MMA veteran recently expressed his astonishment in response to reports suggesting the complete shutdown of the Bellator brand. The PFL acquired its rival MMA promotion in a deal with Paramount in November 2023. At the time, PFL executives outlined plans for Bellator to remain operational as a separate entity, with distinct events and champions continuing to represent the brand.

However, according to recent reports from MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, the Bellator brand has officially been dissolved and will now be rebranded as the PFL Champions Series, which will exclusively showcase title fights for PFL’s newly introduced divisional championships.

Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson responded to this major development on X and revealed that he was completely unaware such a change was on the horizon:

"Imagine being the champion of an organization chilling on the couch and your wife walking in and telling you, 'Did you see this? Bellator is dead now?'... and all you can do is shrug your shoulders in confusion... CUZ, you still haven't heard a thing. Lol Yeah, that was me."

Check out Corey Anderson's post below:

Fans flooded Anderson's post with a flurry of comments, many taking shots at him for being signed to a promotion that, in their eyes, pales in comparison to the UFC's dominance in the MMA world.

One fan wrote:

"These were the risks in leaving the UFC. Guys got to gloat for a while about the money and the sponsors, but sustainability was always a question."

Another wrote:

"That’s what happens when you go to the minor leagues, lol."

Another commented:

"Nah, you're the PFL Champ now, bro lol. Ask for a new belt."

Check out some more reactions below:

Comments on Corey Anderson's post.

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Corey Anderson joins fellow Bellator champions in alleging PFL for not honoring contract

Corey Anderson, along with fellow Bellator champions Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix, has voiced their frustration with the PFL matchmakers, claiming they've been sidelined ever since the two promotions merged.

During an interview with MMA Fighting last month, 'Overtime' criticized top PFL executives for their failure to provide clarity about their fighting future and the lack of opportunities since the merger.

Anderson also contrasted the operational approach under former CEO Scott Coker with the current leadership of Donn Davis and Peter Murray:

"With Donn and Peter, I don't know what their plans are. At the same time, from the outside looking in, it looks like guys that haven't really spent much time fighting, so they don't really know what they're doing at the moment. They're trying to make business moves. They're good at Wall Street-type stuff and stocks and making money. But that's a different game to the fight game, so I don't know their plans."

Check out Corey Anderson's comments below (25:05):